This musk ox stands his ground

It is time for the public to know what is behind the smokescreen put out by shadow groups like The Accountability Project (TAP). These groups are trying to influence the election with tens of thousands of dollars of outside corporate cash.  TAP alleged in a recent article that I was a threat to flip and organize with the House Minority.  This is totally false and misleading and a cover-up for their actual mischief.

The truth is that they, other shadow groups and the Republican Party are part of a larger coordinated effort to assert top-down control of the House Republican majority by installing obedient soldiers.

Why am I and another majority member in their cross hairs?  We are members of the Musk Ox Coalition and they are musk ox hunting.  They are sending a message that independence and doing what's best for our constituents and doing what is best for Alaska will not be tolerated in the majority caucus. They will decide what is best for you. They want legislators they can control and tell what to do. I won't submit. I will stand up for what is right, and that is why I am now under attack.

[Business-backed groups pour cash into efforts to unseat Republican moderates in Alaska House.]

I honor my oath of office to uphold the Alaska Constitution. I was one of two Republican legislators to vote against leadership's bill to put three legislators on the Alaska Gasline Development Corp. (ADGC) Board.  Article II, Section 5 of the Alaska Constitution very explicitly states that a legislator may not serve in another branch of government. The legislation is clearly unconstitutional and will put a cloud over any actions of the ADGC Board and will almost certainly result in state money being wasted on futile court battles. I do not support violating our constitution, regardless of what leadership wants me to do.

In May 2015 I was part of a brave group of six House majority members (the Musk Ox Coalition) who refused to give in to immense pressure and go along with a backroom deal to raid $5 billion from the Permanent Fund Earnings account to avoid negotiating a bipartisan budget solution to access the budget reserve.

[ICYMI: Six in Alaska House majority say no to tapping Permanent Fund earnings.]

In the end a budget deal was resolved for $15 million. Compare this with their $5 billion plan to give them absolute power and control.

We have budget problems now, but had that scheme occurred, we would have been in a truly horrific situation.

As a legislator, I will always put my constituents and Alaskans first.  I honor my oath of office to uphold the constitution. I will strive for the well-being of my constituents — to find common ground and the right solutions on some of the toughest issues Alaska and our region has confronted in more than a generation.

We need to learn from our history.  Alaskans need to wake up and be wary to avoid another Veco-like scandal with a bought-and-paid-for Legislature.

I am proud that no matter what the political risks are, I've always stood on principle when it comes to issues like defending the Permanent Fund dividend, which many of my constituents depend upon to make ends meet.

And you can bet that when the people return me to Juneau next January, I will continue to fight tooth and nail on behalf of the constituents of House District 9.

Rep. Jim Colver, R-Palmer, was elected to the House of Representatives from District 9 in 2014.

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