Opponents of Anchorage Assembly Chair Felix Rivera are on the town today in an effort to get the final signatures needed to submit their petition to have Rivera recalled from office.
The goal is to reach at least 5,000 signatures from people who live in Rivera’s Anchorage Assembly District 4 by the end of today, Jan. 3.
Here’s where they signature gathering campaign are taking place
- Kriner’s Diner (2409 C St, Anchorage, AK 99503). Signature gathering from 12-3 p.m. on Jan. 4.
- CARRS on Abbot Road (1725 Abbott Rd., Anchorage, AK 99507)
- Duane’s Antique Market (1233 E 76th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99518)
As chair of the Assembly, Rivera has orchestrated one of the most controversial periods in the history of the city. He and other far-left assembly members pushed to use federal coronavirus relief funds to purchase buildings for homeless projects, which spurred an entire week of public outrage at Assembly meetings. He also successfully pushed to ban counselors from helping minors with unwanted same-sex attraction, and has consistently voted to extend the mayor’s extraordinary powers to keep the city in a state of widespread economic and social lockdown.
Earlier this past summer, he banned the public from physically attending Assembly meetings while allowing invited guests to testify in person. This has sparked a separate lawsuit, charging the Assembly with violating Alaska’s Open Meetings Act.
Despite growing opposition to Rivera’s policy stances, he remains defiant. On Dec. 17, he appeared on a Zoom meeting that aimed to raise funds for his lawsuit that is attempting to get the courts to dismiss the recall effort.
“This is the time to stand up, and this is the time to fight,” Rivera told the Zoom participants. “And this is our time to do good and keep this majority on the Anchorage Assembly. And we start that by sending a clear message in court that this is frivolous.”