Well, fit 'em for halos and stand in awe.
Senate President Kevin Meyer and Speaker of the House Mike Chenault wrote the following stunning paragraph in their commentary (ADN, Aug. 19) explaining the Alaska Legislative Council's decision to sue Gov. Bill Walker over Medicaid expansion:
"Today, Alaskans get to see a rare specimen: A creature commentators tell us has been extinct for generations. Not just one, but an entire group of elected officials standing up for what they believe is right, knowing full well it will not be popular."
Before they prep their bios for inclusion in an updated "Profiles in Courage," they should deal straight with Alaskans.
There may be a constitutional issue here, and if there is the courts will rule. But that's not the purpose of this lawsuit. The GOP leadership in the Legislature has been determined to block Medicaid expansion from the start for reasons political and ideological. They've thrown up a series of weak arguments to prevent expansion. Why?
The politics at play are clear. Gov. Bill Walker, dealing with low oil prices, deficits and fears of a declining economy, needs a victory. The GOP leadership in the Legislature wants to hang a defeat on him and they're riding the wedge issue of opposition to Medicaid expansion to that end – never mind expansion's benefits to Alaska. They aim to keep Walker from keeping his word. And if they can hang a constitutional defeat on him, so much the sweeter.
With their lame arguments against Medicaid expansion spent and the governor determined, now they try to invoke eight stars of gold on a field of blue. They cry power of the purse and separation of powers and wrap themselves in the Alaska flag. They say this is no longer about Medicaid expansion, but about the Alaska Constitution.
Their sudden devotion to the Constitution smacks of opportunity, not conviction.
Where was their constitutional sensibility when they refused to let Medicaid expansion come to a floor vote? The governor tried to work with them. Legislative leaders demanded a separate Medicaid bill and the governor obliged. The administration did its best to answer lawmakers' questions. That didn't matter. The fix was in. Medicaid expansion wasn't going anywhere.
The GOP leadership argued caucus rules require a majority of the caucus to be in favor of a bill before it can go to the floor – even though Speaker Chenault himself admitted expansion probably would win a floor vote.
So these robust defenders of the Alaska Constitution put caucus and party before the constitutional role of the Legislature when it suits their political purposes.
No one can take them to court. But they should take the flag off. It doesn't fit.
Frank Gerjevic is an opinion pages editor at Alaska Dispatch News.
The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com