The Alaska Senate, on a vote of 18-1, passed a motion to begin better enforcing its own rules regarding Covid-19 health protocols.
Only Sen. Mike Shower voted against it. Sen. Lora Reinbold, who is the main concern in the building and who was mentioned extensively, although not by name, during the motion on Wednesday, had been asked to put on a face mask or leave the floor, and she left before the item appeared on the calendar.
Sen. Gary Stevens, the Rules chair, made the motion that didn’t seem to need to be made: It was that rules established by the Legislature be enforced by leadership.
But because Sen. Reinbold has been flouting the building rules, while Senate President Peter Micciche has tried to counsel her to no avail, nearly all legislators but Shower felt it was time for action.
There are 26 people from the building now infected with Covid, and one of them is in the hospital, sources in the Capitol said. This, in spite of the widespread use of the appropriate masks. The work in the Legislature is in danger of coming to a halt because of the rapidly spreading virus.
After the floor session, Reinbold tried to hold a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting, still wearing her unauthorized face shield, when Senate President Peter Micciche canceled the meeting from under her.
The Senate has instructed him, through the motion, to keep her out of the Capitol except that she can attend floor sessions when a vote is happening so that her district is not disenfranchised.
Senate leadership has not yet stripped her of her committee chairmanship of Judiciary. Sources in the building told MRAK that Micciche is dealing with Reinbold issues for up to six hours a day. Reinbold not only has refused to wear a mask or even a shield that has a foam seal around it, she has pushed past the Beacon testing station where everyone gets their forehead temperature monitored upon entering the building, and she has refused the twice-weekly testing that is in the legislative rules.
The complaints from staff in the building about Reinbold were brought up in the floor speech given by Sen. Gary Stevens.
Stevens explained the problem in eloquent and sensitive terms, and set forth the solution that senators agreed on:
The motion in front of you, Mr. President gives Senate leadership the authority to exclude any senator from the Capitol building, until such a time as they follow legislative council policies.
The reason for these policies: to protect legislators and staff. All 59 legislators and all staff have complied, only one is not wearing an approved mask, going through testing through Beacon, are submitting temperature and questions when entering the building. This has concerned all of us. Staff has expressed fear, others have talked of early retirement. We are all employers; we come under federal law, Mr. President. We are responsible for protecting our employees, for keeping them safe. Right now, not wearing an approved mask does not protect them, but rather puts them in jeopardy. This misbehavior has not only taken up the Senate’s time but now also the other body. We have reached the point where it must be dealt with; we can no longer, in good conscience, ignore it.
Frankly, Mr. President, it is embarrassing that the other body, the speaker of the rules chair and building security were forced last night to enforce the rules to one of our members who was blatantly ignoring safety procedures.
Out of respect for our fellow senator, we have all spent inordinate amounts of time, many of us trying to reason, making accommodations, trying to provide appropriate CDC masks and it’s always been rejected in favor for masks that is simply not approved, allowed people not to test through Beacon but provide proof of negative testing — we have never seen it, Mr. President — bypass others waiting in line for entrance in the building, including saying that they have a meeting to attend to, which, we all had meetings to attend to. Mr. President we have patiently done everything that we could, to bring us, bring folks, bring our senators into compliance up to no avail. The choice, Mr. President, is a simple yes or no.
“Yes” indicates you support the safety rules concerned of the staff, concerned for our legislators, concerned for everyone in the building.
A “no” vote may be saying that you are against all safety rules. Opening the building to anyone. Not taking testing, not wearing a mask. That seems unconscionable to me, Mr. President.
Hopefully, soon we will get beyond this. Beyond the problem we’re facing with COVID-19. We have people in quarantine, in hospital. In the hospital, Mr. President. Today, we have six people testing positive. Two have quarantined, one of whom is in the hospital – is hospitalized. Things could be worse, Mr. President. They certainly could. But they aren’t, because we have enforced the very rules we are talking about right now.
Fortunately, Alaska is doing much better. Offering vaccines to anyone who wants it and I am looking forward to the day we can remove all of the rules. But we are not there yet.
Even if we get everyone vaccinated in this building who wants a vaccine, we are still a long way off from complete freedom. We still must observe precautions. I suspect we will still need to take great care right up to the last day of this session. There is still danger out there. Half a million Americans have died of COVID. Three-hundred Alaskans have died. We cannot just ignore these threats.
Mr. President, this is a difficult motion for me to make, it falls to the rules chair to make it. In my 21 years in the legislature, I have never seen any rules chair, or any senator, have to make such a motion. I have great respect for all senators, even the member who is making my life rather difficult at this moment. I consider her a friend, but we can no longer abide the behavior.
We have tried to dissuade her, offer her easier ways out than we have offered others, all to no avail. The time has come, Mr. President, for decisive action. None of us want to take it but we must for the safety of all of us.
Through this motion, we are allowing Senate leadership to exclude a senator from this building. An extraordinary action, Mr. President, unprecedented, but necessary.
So, how can this be remedied? How can a senator return to the building? It’s amazingly simple: do what everyone else is doing. One: wear an approved mask, as all the rest of us are doing. Two: test twice a week, as all of us in this building are now doing. And three: have your temperature taken to enter the building as all of us are now doing.
These are simple enough requirements, Mr. President, they protect each of us, both the people you are around as well as yourself. I ask for your support in this difficult time.
Lora hello. Just a simple observation from many years of life experiences. When you think everyone around you is wrong and you are right it just may be that you are wrong. Just saying. We may not like the mask madare but pick a battle you can win on. This to shall pass just like a kidney stone.
Ever hear of a place called Jonestown? Sometimes everyone around you *is* wrong. There’s a word for people who let others do their thinking for them: sheep.
Good on you, Sen Reinbold. It takes courage to be the sole voice of dissent.
The Sen. is the only one in the capitol fighting for Alaskans your statement shows your lack of knowledge in the main issue of her fight. Alaskans are about to get a wakeup call.
I’m sure that in Hitler’s vast army of Nazis, there were the occasional soldier who didn’t believe in the Nazi ideology and the genocide of Jews, but since he was out numbered…….he was wrong?
.
Seems legit…..
What ‘s interesting is that she and her shield make her the only senator shielding 100% of the droplets she expels while breathing. No mask is 100% effective.
The only way 100% of the droplets can be shielded from expulsion, unlike cantankerous senators, is if the shield does not allow air to pass out of it. Then, the wearer of the shield would either die from asphyxiation or explode.
It’s true that no mask is 100% effective, but 95% is a whole lot better than 0%.
So…Can politicians NOT read (we already know they can’t count)?! Right on the box of their beloved masks it literally says that it will not prevent COVID-19. Is Juneau turning against women this week to treat them so poorly? First sexually harassing Rasmussen and now verbally assaulting Reinbold. Field’s the Offender is standing there again! They keep acting like fools pretty soon their hometowns won’t want any of them back, not many do as it stands, fact be known Juneau can keep the the ones from Fairbanks! Forever! And no taksie-backsie!
Agree
Masks there a big Joke
Plus why are they not, Double masking or wearing a respiratory. Wait did they fix the air system in the building too before they assemble?
Where’s there personal protective equipment (PPE) outerwear.
Stop the Madness
Maybe we should flood the emails of Mchichie, Stevens, Edgmon, and Stutes about the Southern border crisis they aint talking about cause they are too worried about people not wearing a proper mask covering while THOUSANDS of illegals tested positive been released into the country without quarantining and care? Cause you know those illegals will end up find their way to Alaska since they can get flown ferried to Canada dispersing the runaways through-out North America.
Alaska’s southern border is Canada. You are right that they should be talking about opening it and the crisis Alaska faces because it is closed. They can’t due to ridiculous and selfish acts of defiance that are taking away from the people’s business. Enough drama.
We must comply comrades!
Isn’t the person wearing the mask the most protected? Why not let people decide for themselves, if they would like to wear one or not. And I’ve seen they are separated by glass partitions in Juneau.
Same with the covid shot. Isn’t the person with the shot most protected?
Why are we being told to go along to get along. We are being censored at every turn and being shamed for thinking for ourselves.
Good for Rienbold! Besides, government could got into a year’s long shutdown and we’d probably be better off.
Lora you’re right! Our legislators are complete idiots! Masks not only don’t work they cause harm. To intimidate you shows not only they’re bullies it shows the are uneducated in virology as most people are. I’m not following the crowd of idiots just to keep peace. It’s not my job to make all of you comfortable.
Dear Sen. Reinbold,
Could I have the top to my air popper back?
You’ve had it strapped to your face long enough.
Thanks!
Signed,
Popcornless in Peters Creek
I have known Lora since elementary school she has always known who she was and what she stood for which is unlike 99% of the politicians in Juneau. She is not going to change and people who dislike her and her politics just make her that more emboldened. For every pro – mask study there is an anti – mask study. For a “virus” that kills less than a half of percent of which it infects I don’t believe she is out of line either. We live in a constitutional republic where the individual has the power not the collective but that is contrary to what we our taught now by academia, which is a democracy. Remember a lynch mob is a democracy which is not what our country was built on. I will stand with Lora before most of our ignorant yes ignorant politicians.
If those cloth face masks work so well, how did 26 people get infected?
Answer, the cloth masks have zero chance of stopping microscopic viruses from passing through.
This should serve as an obvious experiment that the mandates have done nothing to stop the spread of this Wuhan flu & instead we have traumatized society and destroyed small business for no gains.
Here here! Finally out of all the comments above you were the first to draw the conclusion 26 people infected with all wearing mask. Just shows the effectiveness of a mask.
Neither you or Steve have any information that those 26 were wearing masks. We know several who weren’t while attending that banquet in Palmer and likely that the others were handling their mask-wearing similarly.
But were they wearing masks all the time and in every situation? Probably not.
On the other hand, masks are not particularly effective against an airborne, aerosol contaminant.
Think of it this way. You are in an enclosed environment. You detect the aroma of perfume of the woman who has just passed you by. Aside from the distraction on the woman passing, you have just experienced aerosol exposure. N95 masks may help, but if you are smelling something through your mask, you are at risk, albeit less than the guy who gets the full dose of perfume.
Know how to avoid Covid? Go where there are no people, or where they are far away. But before you do that, imagine what your world would be like.
Steve Stine…….
Smartest statement by you since March 11, 2020.
???
And the cleverest you have made since March 12, 2021
Do you have evidence that those 26 people and their close associates adhered to strict mask wearing protocols at all times when they were off duty and not in the Capitol? I’d like to see it if you do. If they did not you cannot logically make the claim of your second sentence.
FYI Masks do not have to stop all virus particles – they are effective against passage of vapor droplets carrying virus particles. Additionally mask wearing is only one of several measures one should take to slow the transmission of viruses from infected folks to uninfected and not immune (su called ‘susceptible’) folks.
Maybe those 26 did not get infected in the Capitol building. Maybe they and their regular acquaintances don’t follow good preventive protocol while outside the building?
Actually:
1. Do stop some particles of all sizes – even molecules smaller than a virus particle.
2. Do not have to stop (capture within the mask) a virus particle or a droplet carrying virus particles. They are heavier than air and fall to the ground if they get into the air column. The masks slow them down when they are breathed, sneezed, coughed etc out of an infected person. They fall to the ground closer to the infected person if they are slowed by a mask – thus protecting persons closer than if the infected person wore no mask. Simple physics. Try blowing out a candle or match at various distances with and w/o a mask.
It is impossible to prove mandates have or have not had any effect.
“There are 26 people from the building now infected with Covid…”
Apparently Lora doesn’t have Covid, so it would seem reasonable to infer that she isn’t the source, and that the masks are ineffective.
“It appears that the legs are simply trying to legitimize all the Covid rules, by making a show of compliance themselves.
That’s all it looks like, just a show.
Lora, give it up.
I don’t believe in the masks either, but the legislature has the right to make rules. If you can’t abide said rules, perhaps it’s time to consider retiring
When those rules violate the First, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the US Constitution then you have an moral obligation and duty to refuse compliance. Too many Americans gladly give up their rights whenever they are asked. That is how we got the unconstitutional TSA. I’m very glad to see Sen. Reinbold is not among them. Mask and social distancing mandates are unconstitutional, which is why they were never used in Alaska – except by leftist totalitarians in the State legislature and leftist despots as city mayors.
BEST SOLUTION……..
.
Adjourn the entire legislative session.
.
NOW!
.
They have wasted the money and time of all Alaskans.
.
What the hell have they accomplished in Juneau during the past 7 weeks?
.
NOTHING!
They are usurping the representative republic government guaranteed by the US Constitution and have overthrown our form of government to form a government rule of an excessively stupid, disloyal safety committee. They should quit and go home.
A Pandemic is a Medical Pandemonium, Solidly and Senselessly Based upon Panic.
Cleverly created with verbal acuity to hypnotize the public. To disrupt God’s plan of Freedom for man.
Joe Goebbels oft., repeated, to make one believe, something is true. ‘Keep repeating whatever you want the public to believe!’ Eventually, you yourself will even believe it.
For what purpose? To gain overall control of the public. To achieve the total disruption of our society, Satan and his liberal cohorts (like clever Joe Goebbels) uses fear to create many medical, economic and societal problems.
The brilliant Democrat political strategist Rahm Emanuel once said, “You never let a serious crisis go to waste.” That is exactly what has been unleashed on America, using a pandemic to create hysteria and fear to gain political control.
Politicians can use the China created virus as a fear-based excuse to crush American exceptionalism. Creating economic chaos, forcing obedience from the population, issuing illegal health emergency mandates, providing government bailouts to create Socialism. Wear your damned mask, they’re dictatorially mandated!
Though God has decreed that we shall all surely die. Yet He told us, to go forth increase and multiply. Thus, we do not concentrate our thoughts upon death. While Here, we obey Him, and think only of living life lovingly.
Not the ideal protocol for Big Pharma, who purposely scare us, to obtain the opportunity to develop a non-essential drug or vaccine, to keep draining our financial resources, through instilled fear.
Well one must keep the Matrix happy. What Matrix? The Matrix includes Big Pharma, Big Government, Big Technology, Education, Entertainment, mainstream Medicine, Many Religions, Politicians, the Media, Telecommunications, and the CDC.
The Matrix puts High Tech and Mainstream Medicine on a pedestal. But this most undeserved praise is major (Censored) B.S. Working with WHO, NIH, CDC, and the FDA, they rob the people of Natural Herbal remedies. Why?
Vaccines are a perfect example of their theft, which are promoted despite no long-term safety studies. Yet they’ve obtained legal exemption from public Liability. Such an exemption is an outrageous travesty of our justice system.
We are mandated and oft told we must comply. NONE of the hazardous side effects are even mentioned. We are simply told that these vaccines are safe. Why are we not allowed to use safe Natural Herbs instead, Why?
Since Big Pharma funds the mainstream media, news contrary to big pharma gets suppressed. In this Land of the Free and Home of the Brave, We, the people, get Googled, Twittered and Facebook Bamboozled (censored).
‘Public liability’ law should apply to all. All should be subject to the law, No Exceptions. Freedom cuts both ways. Or not at all. Return Freedom OF CHOICE and OF SPEECH to the people.
Thank God our President became Covid-19 positive. At 72 he recovered within one day of taking Vitamin D, Zinc and Hydroxychloroquine. Oh dear, did he disrupt their dictatorial socialist Takeover? Yet they continue to rant like Joe Goebbels. ”Wear a mask, Stay six feet apart.”
No need to wear a mask, to keep yourself healthy. Build up your immune system by taking Elderberry. That was Greek Dr Hippocrates’s Miracle cure. It’s just a cheap anti-viral herb! Readily available non-prescription.
Further Immune System boosters are; Zinc, Vitamin C(500-1000mg), a moderate amount of exercise, intermittent fasting (12-72hrs), Goat’s (milk, cheese or butter) contains a specific bacterium called Lactobacillus Rhamnoses. This and other beneficial bacteria can be obtained by eating foods containing live organisms, like fermented food, Kefir, Yogurt, with live active cultures, pickled vegetables, tempeh, kombucha tea, kimchi, miso, and sauerkraut or by taking a probiotic supplement.
Rishi, Shiitake, and Maitake mushrooms have a long history of being used to boost the immune system. Further s upplement your immune system with DHEA tablets. Get plenty of sunshine, and to ensure you get enough supplement with vitamin D. Lastly take Melatonin 10mg for a good night’s sleep. If you want to go overboard take Quercetin with Bromelain.
Further, carefully read your shopping labels, discard products which contain Monosodium Glutamate, Aspartame, Sucralose also known as Splenda, Diacetyl found in buttery popcorn, and Aluminium. The foregoing are products which adversely affect your brain.
Did Jesus Christ wear a mask among the sick? Did he keep himself six feet away from them? Neither did his Apostles. Protect yourself yes. No Masks or distancing are necessary. You can walk with faith and vigor among unhealthy people. Let not the servants of Satan implant fear in your minds and thus gain control of your lives. Even that dreaded Cancer can be cured by an intravenous injection of vitamin C 1000mg plus K (Dr Linus Pauling Nobel Prize winner and others.)
Elite Democrat Doctors will all die. None can save himself. Not One.
Let not INSTILLED Fear, dictate how you live!
You cannot expect to receive the Lord’s blessings without the exercising of your faith. Only Believe and thou shalt receive His blessings. And so Satan implants fear in your mind to destroy your faith, even as he did with Peter when he approached the Lord’s boat across the water, Follow the Lord only, Exercise your FAITH, in Him, nothing wavering!
When Peter cried out to the Lord for help, the Lord helped Peter into the boat. Satan rewardeth no man any good thing. Make your choice.
Put on a stupid mask and get to work.
Whether you think it’s doing anything or not, it won’t hurt you. If it makes others feel safer then it’s a kind gesture.
There is real work that needs to be done in Juneau.
Yes!
It doesn’t matter whether it works or not, so long as everyone else *FEELS* like it makes a difference. Stop using your brain, Sen. Reinbold, and be like everyone else.
Ummm…I mean…uhhh…
Nevermind.
(Sigh…)
With all due respect, Sen. Gary Stevens, you are oblivious to the real problem. We are not only “a long way off from complete freedom” as you stated, but we are actually moving farther and farther away from liberty and nearer and nearer to complete tyranny. If We The People don’t exercise our common sense and stop this insane compliance with unlawful mandates, we are doomed as a society and as a nation. The threat you fail to comprehend is not a virus, but the impending menace of the Communist Marxist agenda that is looming over our country.
Stevens is the biggest RINO of them all
Out of 19 in the state senate only one of them could muster up a spine and take a stand. The North Dakota house representatives have passed a bill making mandatory face masks illegal, now there’s a group with some back bone, and sense. There was a time, when Alaska would have been leading this charge. “Sad”
They are making rules and regulations based on demands of a COVID protocol they have yet to pass and extend in their own chamber, Bill 56 sits idle in the senate and bill 76 hangs in the house. So Question is how do they intend to move those bill’s forward when they block basic protocols of the states own constitution???
We should drop all COVID protocols. Right now we have tens of thousands of illegals and asylum seekers crossing our southern border. Testing for COVID is voluntary and its estimated only about 10% are testing. The rest are being placed on buses and being strategically located throughout the US. Some may already be in Alaska. Biden and his handlers have authorized this so there must not be any danger. Live your life…
Are Reinbold and Shower the only two in that building with more than 2 brain cells. Why are politicians almost always immoral morons?
The masks do not work which is supported by science. This is about compliance and control. Our economy has been destroyed and our children have been hurt by this overreaction. I have experienced the death of loved ones related to the flu as have thousands of others. We did not shut down the country.
Remember how Berkowitz was brought down, Lora, he was brought down by stupid actions made on camera. Why are you doing this to yourself?
.
Suggestion: You’re in the belly of the beast in Juneau, why not record these hypocrites breaking their own rules instead, and send that to the media?
.
A project for you whilst in time-out, to to Project Veritas; they’ll teach you how to do this stuff effectively!
The Reinbold Rule: “Y’all hypocrites can kiss my chatte…..”
The work in the Legislature is in danger of coming to a halt?
oops that happened years ago and instead we get a bunch of small minded day care kiddies wasting time and money while Rome burns.
Well, at least, if Lora is barred from entering the capitol or taking part in the festivities therein, she will be effectively distanced.
Problem solved, aside from the temper tantrums.
The Sen. is the only one in the capitol fighting for Alaskans and for the most part Alaskans have a lack of knowledge in the main issue of her fight. Alaskans are about to get a wakeup call.
This is idiocy en masse. The masks do NOT prevent viral spread, as was proven in 1918 during the flu epidemic and in much more recent research, This is taking a position against an ELECTED official in response to her adhering to the Alaska Constitution in her duties. The inmates are running the asylum.
And we elected them to do it!
Go team!
For all you anti-mask folks…I am a physician working in Anchorage. Since you are all about preserving our individual liberty, here’s a thought. How about next time you get surgery, all of us (or even one of us) in the OR decide to exercise our personal freedoms and NOT wear a mask while you get your operation? Because who are you to tell ME what I have to wear on my face? I’m an American patriot, and nobody will make my decisions for me!
We certainly don’t wear masks in the OR to protect ourselves. Sure, it sucks to wear a mask all day, but we do it because we care about our patients and don’t want them to get horrible wound infections because of us. [Because we’ve learned a lot since the 1800’s.] That’s all people are being asked to do these days–be considerate to your fellow human beings. You don’t have to look very hard to see the hypocrisy in your words and actions. If your argument against mask-wearing hinges on some imagined infringement on your rights, then you are a true sociopath. Stop playing the victim, suck it up, and put on a mask like everyone else.
And if you still can’t appreciate what I’m saying, then good luck with that wound infection. I understand the the mask straps don’t fit correctly over your tin-foil hat.
Dear “MD” Mr Superior Surgeon guy.
How did you become a surgeon with a brain so defective you cannot see the difference between being paid to wear a mask and bring forced to wear one. Wow. Sure hope I am never under your care. Rather have a dog lick my wounds than be exposed to such stupidity.
Doctors wearing masks has nothing to do with being paid to do so. The fact is the Dr. IS essentially “forced” to wear the mask. The forcing is as much a matter of personal principle and integrity as it is a matter of rules or acquiescence to authority. Consider first the Hippocratic oath doctors take. ( If you don’t know it correct your ignorance by looking it up.) Then consider the operation safety protocols in place in the hospital which, in fact are essentially an extension and formalization of the principles of that oath. Violation of such could result in disciplinary action, loss of individual license, hospital accreditation, costly legal action etc. No, not a matter of “pay” at all.
Might as well be arresting all the “Senators” who drive faster than the speed limit-utter ridiculous “rule”-We all KNOW masks don’t work no matter how many times Dems scream otherwise-. Besides, doesn’t the vaccination work? You’re all safe now!
Comments are closed.