In 2021, the House organization process took 24 days to organize. In 2019, the process dragged on for 31 days into the session.
The state legislative session begins on Tuesday, and the Alaska House is still not organized. That means representatives have not yet formed a majority coalition or assigned leadership roles.
“The question is … how are we going to figure out an organization that goes forward, because neither side can go independently on their own without the help of the other,” said independent Rep. Dan Ortiz. Ortiz said an ideal coalition would include 24-30 members. He said he thinks a larger coalition would also ensure a more moderate agenda.
Another Anchorage Republican, Rep. Dan Saddler, declined to comment on the dynamics of organization conversations with individual lawmakers or the size of a possible coalition. This legislative session includes more than a dozen first-time House representatives. Saddler, who is returning to the House after a few years away, said though the large cohort of freshmen might be starting with less knowledge about the “mechanics” of organization, he said it’s also creating new opportunities.
“When I first ran, I evaluated ‘who am I?’ and I just recognized that I am someone who very much believes in that middle road,” Himschoot said. “Only later did it occur to me that that could become valuable in terms of trying to put together a majority.”
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