By AlaskaWatchman.com

Sen. Lora Reinbold released a video response to a letter issued last Thursday by Gov. Mike Dunleavy which claims she abused her elected office by accusing him of mismanaging Alaska’s COVID response and treating his staff and employees unprofessionally.

Published Feb. 20, Reinbold’s video takes the governor to task for both the content of his letter and his decision to cut all ties with her or the Senate Judiciary Committee which she chairs.

The governor’s letter asserted that Reinbold has used her committee chairmanship to impugn the motives of his staff and employees. Because of this, the governor’s letter stated that they will “not be responding, or participating, in any matter that pertains to yourself, your office, or, currently, in your capacity as the chair of a committee.”

“Because the Judiciary Committee oversees the Department of Law and activities in regard to the Department of Law, in addition to activities in the courts, and we look at any bills referred to our committee that have anything to do with the dept. of law – criminal, penalties, civil penalties etc.…, it is my duty as judiciary chair to ask the tough questions of the executive branch,” Reinbold retorted.

She noted that the committee has asked members of the Dept. of Law to answer questions as to why the governor continued to extend the disaster declaration, “which many of us believe are unfounded.” She noted that one disaster declaration stated that all hospitals were at or near full capacity.

“We just ask, show us the data,” she said. “Show us why over thanksgiving, you decided to keep us under disaster declaration, based on this data.”

Reinbold added that she has repeatedly asked the governor, “What about the constitutional violations and what about the arbitrary applications, where some (businesses} are essential and some are not essential,” she said.

Members of the State Senate are concerned that the ongoing dispute between the two could hamper the work of the Legislature if the governor is unwilling to allow his staff and employees to testify and interact with the Senate Judiciary Committee or other committees Reinbold sits on. In addition to chairing the Judicial Committee, she is vice chair of the Senate’s Legislative Council and State Affairs Committee and sits on three other sub-committees.

Senate President Peter Micciche said Friday that he hopes the governor and Reinbold can settle their issues quickly. Speaking on the Birds Eye View radio station he said the governor’s letter took things to the “next level.”

“So, we’ll sit down with the involved parties and try to find a solution forward together,” he said.

Micciche lamented the fact that the governor’s letter was leaked to the media.

“I actually don’t know how it became public,” he said. “The only one’s copied on the letter is my office and the minority leader’s office. I am actually flattened every time I realize how quickly things go public now. We have people in the building that will intercept things and get them out immediately and it’s extremely unprofessional.”

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Sen. Reinbold video responds to Gov. Dunleavy’s critical letter

Joel Davidson
Joel is Editor-in-Chief of the Alaska Watchman. Joel is an award winning journalist and has been reporting for over 24 years, He is a proud father of 8 children, and lives in Palmer, Alaska.


15 Comments

  • Ed Martin Jr says:

    Oh really Peter ““I actually don’t know how it became public,” he said. “The only one’s copied on the letter is my office and the minority leader’s office. I am actually flattened every time I realize how quickly things go public now. We have people in the building that will intercept things and get them out immediately and it’s.” ” wow just lets keep this kind of dysfunction behind closed doors … ACOUNTABILITY, & Oath to protect Liberties should NOT be ” extremely unprofessional ” Now who’s Unprofessional & Accountable ?

  • Ed Martin Jr says:

    Go Lora Go !!

  • Dalton Darl Fox says:

    I am not privy to what is really going on here, as it so difficult to know from where I am. I appreciate very much the Governor the work he has made to protect Alaskan interests. I also can appreciate the efforts of anyone wanting carefully scrutinize further emergency powers . I my opinion we have given an inordinate amount of power to # 19. We have to get up and running and remember this was not about stopping 19, but about not being overwhelmed in the health care area. I know that many people are under pressure to conform to the 19 narrative, but as a wise man said “the cure must not be worse than the disease.” May God help us all, we need it. I you can be part of the solution rather the problem, may God help you to do it.

    Sincerely:
    Dalton Fox

  • John says:

    Can you imbed the video that is uploaded to Facebook??? I deleted my facebook account and cannot watch the video and it is important to get the word out. Perhaps imbed with a link to Bitchute, or other platform?
    Thank you

  • Lonny says:

    Dunleavy, what are you in the third grade? “not be responding, or participating, in any matter that pertains to yourself, your office, or, currently, in your capacity as the chair of a committee.” Get over yourself Mike! Oh, did you forget you have a job to do? Like many other governors you suck at it, falling in line with the rest of the power hungry twerps in our nation! Now, pull your pants up, act your height and answer Lora’s questions…they are legit, or are you hiding something? Alaskans deserve better, we deserve leaders like Lora! Great job Lora!

  • Sharon Turner says:

    …so, Inquiring citizens want and need to know why any of these missives, memos, etc.. are ever considered “private”? Since you all work for me/we The tax paying, voting public! What ego centric brats.. How do we get ‘real workers elected ?’. Sheesh to all in State and Muni of Anchorage ‘government. call me Disgusted.

  • Katya says:

    I stand by Lora!

  • Mongo love candy says:

    Dunleavy is an overgrown passive aggressive soyboy.

  • Jim Scott says:

    Dunleavy has become a liability. He is pandering to the left, trying to get over the tarnished image of the recall attempt. Apart from any politics, though, his apparent disregard to his oath, as with the abominable Anchorage Assembly, for the individual rights of the citizen regarding the obscene reaction to this magnified ‘crisis’ makes him unelectable in my eyes. Liberties are paramount in the face of mortality. If you know, or even suspect, I am infected, you have legitimate cause for action. But to ASSIGN threat status to uninfected people solely because you DON’T KNOW is vile. That precedent has infinite variables waiting to be abused – which is why people opposed ‘safety’ excused mandates. This guy is little different than the Democrat Murkowski, with regards to the what his first duty to the citizen is. Our rights are to be protected at all cost, whether ‘better Red than dead’ sellouts like it or not.

  • Aunt Sally says:

    Take him to the woodshed, Lora!

  • Morpheous says:

    Hospitals full to capacity? In Juneau…never, not even close, and I highly doubt any other hospital in the state was, except Anchorage for bit… but I too would like to see that data. We got bus drivers here wearing TWO masks on a shift by CBJ “orders”, and we got maybe 1 covid patient in the hospital every now and then. We have had two deaths… two poor souls died in an avalanche in Haines. Are we shutting down road because of avalanches? More people died in cars or got murdered in Juneau in 2020 than died of Covid…where is the out cry!

  • Stephen bartelli says:

    Given the purpose of Lora’s committee, her questions seem legitimate and in line with her responsibilities. What is puzzling however, is Mike’s vitriol-laced response to the query. Seems out of place. I am happy that Mike finally laid down the emergency order cudgel even though it meant popping off of the federal teat to do so. Maybe it was caused by pressure from Lora and others. Mike came out looking bad on this one.

  • Daniel Kurka says:

    Good Job Lora! Keep up the good work. I really appreciate that you have a back bone & are out spoken.

  • DeliciouslyLoud says:

    She’s holding your feet to the fire!

    You are accountable to your constituents, whether you like it or not