JUNEAU — The state House took a stand Wednesday in support of Rep. Sharon Cissna, D-Anchorage, who was denied a flight from a Seattle airport over the weekend after refusing a pat-down search.
State Rep. Chris Tuck, another Anchorage Democrat, said Cissna stood up for her rights and "chose respect."
He called for a "sense of the House that efficient travel is a cornerstone of our economy and our quality of life especially here in Alaska, and that no one should have to sacrifice their dignity in order to travel."
The House voted 36-2 to adopt that sentiment. Reps. Bob Lynn, R-Anchorage, and Dan Saddler, R-Eagle River, voted "no." Cissna and Rep. Anna Fairclough, another Eagle River Republican, were absent.
Cissna is returning to work at the Legislature by ferry today .
She underwent a body scan at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Sunday but refused to submit to what she called an invasive pat-down. She has had a mastectomy because of breast cancer and the scan showed scars. She submitted to such a search in the past and says she vowed never to endure it again.
Anchorage Daily News / adn.com