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Honorable Majority Senate Caucus members,

Days before Christmas, Senator Giessel informed me that she would
remove me from Chair of Labor Commerce and take away the
associated staff position based on her interpretation of a caucus rule
that was not agreed when the caucus was formed.

Our agreement on the budget caucus rule requires members to vote,
in the af?rmative, for both the official capital and the operating budget
bills on the senate floor. These two bills meet our constitutional
obligation to run our government. voted in the affirmative for both of
these senate budget bills. Despite the fact that the operating budget
remains too high and unsustainable, I voted for the budgets because
budget reductions were achieved and the budget bill paid a full
dividend, which I believe is the right thing to do until the con?ict in
statute is resolved by the people and the legislature. Funding for the
PFD was ultimately stripped from the budget in conference committee
to be resolved separately.

The capital and operating budgets, which I voted in the affirmative for,
were transmitted to the Governor, and signed into law after he
exercised his constitutional right to veto.

Under a revised special session Governor?s proclamation, where we
were to address the statutory PFD funding, many of us flew to Juneau
on short notice. Shortly thereafter, on July 29, a new appropriations
bill was presented to the majority caucus and we were required to vote
within an hour or so after caucus. This bill restored a significant
portion of the Governor?s vetoes and appropriated funds to pay a
limited PFD, roughly half of the statutory formula. Senator Giessel
informed me that because I voted no on this appropriation bill, that she
would take away my chair and associated staff.

 

 

In this instance, I believe that the agreed budget caucus rule has been
misapplied. The caucus agreement addresses voting on the budget,
not all additional appropriation bills. Given the facts in this matter, I
am hopeful, that I can appeal to your sense of reason and good
judgment and secure a reconsideration of this decision.

As evidence to this point, you may recall that the caucus discussed
during organization the ability to vote our conscience on separate
appropriation bills as a way to keep our caucus together, despite

disagreement on the PFD.

I did not join a caucus with an agreement in place that all

appropriation bills and cutting the PFD, without a statutory solution,

were required to be a member. Key Republican caucus goals were: 1)

restoring public safety by repeal/replace of 8891 2) achieving

downward pressure/budget reductions 3) protecting the permanent

fund PFD with an understanding that caucus members held differing

views on this issue. We agreed we would all be heard and have an

equal voice in caucus. We agreed as a Republican caucus that we

would not put Democrats in leadership. We also revised the traditional

caucus rule: if we voted no on the official operating or capital budget

bills, only our chairmanship would be lost along with the associate 941

committee aide, but we could remain in caucus. W00 


I would like to make the caucus aware, that contrary to the interim

hiring memo, Senator Giessel has refused to sign off on two of my

interim hiring staff without explanation. My inquiries for clarification, as

to her authority to singlehandedly deny my staff hiring requests, has

gone unanswered. I want to thank Senator Coghill for recently signing 
off on my session staff, fulfilling his responsibilities as Rules Chair. I Volta?

I respectfully request that caucus leadership delay action on the 25
Chair matter pending a full caucus discussion and agreement on the

intent and application of the budget caucus rule. I hope that we can

agree that caucus rules need to be clearly documented, so that there

is no misunderstanding, manipulation, or unfair revision of rules to

achieve a particular agenda. We each represent distinct districts and

  

made public commitm
Republicans we shoul
upholding Republican
those we represent.

ents we must be allowed to honor. As
not be punished by our colleagues for
values, the law and commitments we make to

Respectfully,

Senator Lora Reinbold