After a strongly worded letter from Governor Mike Dunleavy last week to Sen. Lora Reinbold, criticizing her of using her position to misrepresent the state’s COVID-19 response, Reinbold responds in a video posted to her social media page saying that she’s “ready to rumble”.
The Governor issued a scathing letter to the Republican Senator, who represents Eagle River and Chugiak, late last week, accusing her of deliberately deceiving the public about the virus and berating executive branch officials during hearings about the pandemic. Dunleavy said that she’s pushed conspiracy theories about masks and recommended unproven alternative treatments for the virus while publicly questioning the safety of the vaccine.
Reinbold responded to what she called Dunleavy’s ‘egregious’ letter toward the legislative branches Judiciary committee, “First of all, I want to say, Governor, Reinbold is ready to rumble. Although I know I’m entering into a battle ring that is unequally matched, I understand that you’re 6 foot 10 and I’m roughly 5 foot 3. I understand that this is an unequal match, however governor, I want to let you know, Reinbold is ready to rumble. In regards to the letter, I have reviewed the transcripts from my committee, most of them, I can find no firm foundation for any of the accusations. I have reviewed the Facebook posts that you claim that I said that you declared marshal law and that you claim that I said that you said that you required mandatory vaccinations. I have never said that. I do believe that there’s no firm foundation on any of your accusations.”
Sen. Reinbold continues, “Bottom line is we’re just asking questions that Alaskans want answered and I would like to, once again, ask you to reconsider this letter. What my colleagues are saying is this is an assault on the legislature. You not wanting to come for important checks and balance before the legislature and have your important directors and commissioners come before the committee is unacceptable. It’s a critical check and balance on government. The law is supposed to be equally applied, not arbitrarily applied. It is my responsibility, as judiciary chair, to ask these tough questions.”
It is unclear, as of now, how Gov. Dunleavy will respond to Reinbold’s comments posted in the video Sunday.