Alaska Senate President Pete Kelly has asked Gov. Bill Walker to back off on his demand that lawmakers vote on his appointees to boards, commissions and administration posts.
In a letter to Walker, Kelly says the Legislature still has significant work before it, including needing to reach agreement on legislation to address Alaska’s deficit. He says that should be the focus.
Sen. Kelly(R-Fairbanks): “This involves your money, it involves the future, it involves the future of Alaska. No state that has introduced an income tax since 1960 has done very well, in fact, they have decreased in comparison to all the other states. We don’t want that for Alaska, it’s not good for us, we need to fight it, and the Senate will.”
Senate Republicans and minority House Republicans voted Thursday to end a confirmation session called by Walker before a single nominee was considered.
Kelly called Walker’s meeting demand an “unproductive interruption” of legislative work. He asked Walker to not try to force action on his nominees until lawmakers finish their other work.
Kelly says he intends for the House and Senate to meet to consider Walker’s nominees before the regular session ends.