During the February 9, 2023 Anchorage Assembly Rules Committee meeting, Assemblyman Christopher Constant mentioned his interest in converting past emergency ordinances to permanent code. The effort has been termed “EOs to AOs.”
During the meeting, Constant expressed a desire to get the ball rolling on this effort.
“I still don’t have a good sense of us working on what we previously – during the mask issues – called EOs to AOs,” he said. “Like, we really need to put a list together – and I think there are people working on it – of what elements of the emergency ordinances we want to become permanent.”
For starters, he wants to permanently codify the recent emergency ordinance that empowers the city ombudsman to view personnel and all other records of the municipality regardless of whether they are deemed confidential by a municipal attorney or HR director.
“We should codify that the ombudsman has those powers, because, if not, then we have a black box in which only the executive can look, and what we’ve found is that’s insufficient at this time,” Constant said. “And so, the EO to AO effort, we have our own little working group starting that process. I want people thinking about that. What of these temporary procedures should be made permanent or what changes. And so, that’s what I’m working on right now.”
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While Constant’s statement is somewhat vague and incoherent, it is alarming to hear. Remember, a number of the municipality’s emergency orders were viewed by many Anchorage residents as violations of individual rights and fundamental liberties.
Based on municipal records available within the Public Portal to Assembly Documents, 2020 saw the issuance of 11 emergency orders. In 2021, there were 13 more, and 2022 had nine emergency orders. So far, 2023 has seen the passage of six more emergency orders. Some records are incomplete and appear to be placeholders for EOs that may have found their way to the round file before being introduced. Not all are related to the proclaimed COVID emergency.
Considering recent experience regarding emergency orders, many Anchorage residents might oppose these measures becoming part of the city’s permanent code. Here are two that come to mind.
EO 2020-3, “enacting restrictions on non-critical businesses and entities during the COVID-19 public health emergency, supplementing EO-03, the proclamation of Emergency “Hunker Down” Order issued by Mayor Ethan Berkowitz on March 20, 2020.”
EO 2021-3, “an emergency ordinance of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly regarding public health and safety measures for the COVID-19 pandemic, Assembly Members Petersen and Zaletel.”
Of the COVID specific emergency orders, issued mostly by Berkowitz during the proclaimed COVID emergency, there appears to have been as many as 20 – each containing layer upon layer of Chinese style authoritarianism. Are these the emergency orders Mr. Constant is working on listing and incorporating into code?
Later in the meeting, Assembly Chair Suzanne LaFrance brought up the EO to AO effort again, claiming the Assembly needed to continue pursuing this effort.
“I want to say that for Title 7 (Purchasing, Contracts, and Professional Services) we had a growing list of areas that needed reworking, and the intent is that through the consultant, through the RFP, we’ll get some additional ideas and maybe also from just going through this process of having the EOs and what works, what doesn’t, and some further insight. And, I think also, some of these changes were underway like the Ombudsman code. So that one, Chris, like we talked about, should be, I think it’s moving forward.”
The views expressed here are those of the author.
20 Comments
Seriously? Is this a test to see how many Alaskans are paying attention to what the heck is going on in the world? What has establishing permanent emergency status done for us as a nation? An attempt to overstep our rights on all levels and force us to be slaves. Anchorage, wake up and stop these crazy people! Stand up and tell these insane people “NO! We will not do this!”
Listening to a video right now by SGT Report with Harley Schlanger talking about the cabal’s attempt to start WW3 and Harley is explaining how everything ties in together for a global takeover. https://rumble.com/v293c04-the-satanic-zionist-cabals-bloodlust-for-ww3-harley-schlanger.html
Of course Kris Constntly complaining wants to be able to bypass the process, ater all, he is very busy rewriting code so the ASSembly commies have even more power. He is evil. Completely evil.
This sounds like a paranoid screed. All the Covid hyperbole. You’re dangling an accusation that they might be attempting to issue a PERMANENT hunker down order? You already quoted them talking about a paperwork/transparency issue and you jumped to ‘but what if its a secret permanent lockdown!!’? I wish you had higher journalistic standards.
Clark, in truth, it is not an accusation – it is a truth. Once the city, and then the state, and the U.S. illegal government can get these “emergency ordinances” in place, they have the power to override any regular laws/legislation that we have in place. Sounds like a permanent hunker down/take over to me.
This is like if a Liberal school board decides to send kids on a field trip to the Anchorage Zoo. This web site would turn that into ‘Libs want to feed your children to hungry wolves!’ ‘They boldly state they want to expose your children to nature! they could even be exposed to frost bite, or get mauled by a hungry animal!’ ‘We have to stop this liberal attempt to groom and prey on our children!’
So this sounds like liberals taking over Anchorage so the city will just close down and everything will move to the Valley. Great plan by another head buried in the sand liberal.They can’t look down the road far enough to see the light at the end of the tunnel. They never could and never will be able to.
Anchorage is starting to smell like the cesspool San Fransisco.
The main advice I give to people thinking about moving to Alaska is “DO NOT live in Anchorage.”
“We should codify that the ombudsman has those powers, because, if not, then we have a black box in which only the executive can look, and what we’ve found is that’s insufficient at this time,” Constant said.
Separation of powers, much, Mr. Constant? Miss Zalatel?
Separation of powers at all, Mr. Constant? Miss Zalatel?
Or do you and your fellow Communist elites on the Assembly know best of all how to run every aspect of the city?
Between 1989 and 2019, the Anchorage Assembly passed five emergency ordinances over the course of thirty years. In the 2+ years following the pandemic, the current lockstep legislators have passed more than thirty. The most recent “emergency” is related to a series of allegations made by the former municipal manager that resulted in the assembly moving to grant special powers to the ombudsman. This is of particular concern because it grants, under emergency authority, the ombudsman immunity from suit while also altering the rules of attorney- client privilege (among other ”temporary” emergency modifications).
Usually, the reason for enacting emergency ordinances must be set out for specific reasons, yet the current allegations being made by the assembly do not meet the definition of emergency in any form or fashion, and instead begs the question of why a regular, non-emergency ordinance was not created that allowed for public input?
The Assembly’s emergency ordinance implies that municipal code in regards to the ombudsman is currently in the process of being updated, arguing that “this internal matter regarding employees is really important” and that debatable urgency is somehow meant to be equivalent to an unforeseeable condition harming the public welfare on the scale of a global pandemic or natural disaster. The Assembly’s ordinance also shows a clear level of detail and specificity that goes far beyond what is reasonable or necessary by amending code to state: “A civil action may not be brought against the Ombudsman or a member of the Ombudsman’s staff for anything done, said, or omitted in performing the Ombudsman’s duties or responsibilities under this chapter.” Does that sound reasonable?
It is questionable, at best, whether the Municipality is legally capable of granting such immunity, and its also not necessary – the ombudsman is protected from personal liability already. Navigating that protection can be done through normal public processes and no adverse effects would be felt in the interim except to the political expediency the Assembly currently enjoys through a voting bloc that may change significantly in April.
More important than the legal validity of an exclusive and broad immunity granted on an emergency basis is how the ordinance, discussed primarily in executive session, hamstrings the public in favor of the limited few in the legislative branch that have historically shown an astounding lack of transparency in producing records as required under the Alaska Public Records Act. As of this writing, Clerk Barbara Jones has settled two lawsuits for failure to provide the assembly’s records as required by law. The Assembly has also abused the executive session privilege by failing to release even the “reason why” their communications involving the formerly anonymous Alaska Democrats Communications director were somehow protected under deliberative privilege.
By eliminating the normal two-meeting requirement required for changes to municipal code, the Assembly bypassed, again, the normal public process requirements which are designed to provide transparency and allow people to voice their opinions. That change invested publicly unvetted powers in one individual, and subsequently removed that power and oversight from the public. By attempting to grant immunity to the ombudsman above and beyond what other municipal officials enjoy, the Assembly also restricted access to the courts while compromising public access to both the legislative and judicial branches of government.
Anchorage citizens deserve better than a perpetual state of emergency, or rule by emergency decree. Without a change in April, at some point in the near future there will be no public process left, as this group of legislators have worked consistently to remove any of the public’s input (and even physical presence) from the government of Anchorage.
Good information Robespierre. Sounds like Pfizer, j6 unselect committe and Congress tricks to me! What happens in April?
Notice how Anchorage is becoming like Seattle and Portland now? We all hoped it wouldn’t go that route but here we are. Someone should have told the assembly those two cities were very bad examples and don’t mimic their policies.
When not enough conservatives or republicans turn out to vote, we get an 80% Liberal Assembly. They have a common goal in lock-step with the socialist agenda everywhere in America now. If you didn’t notice during the Superbowl, our national anthem will be going away shortly, replaced by something else. There is a conscious effort to take America down!
Kasey, you hit it on the nose about the voter turnout! Conservatives need to quit being complacent or whiny and get out and vote.
Alaskans, here is your chance to be active: Starting Feb. 16th and afterwards, around the state there will be groups/individuals with petition booklets for the collection of signatures to get rid of Ranked Choice Voting. Please sign the petition and tell your friends and neighbors to sign the petition. This petition is focused on getting rid of Ranked Choice Voting and is not based on what your political affiliation is. Whether you are a Republican, Democrat, or Libertarian, if you do not like ranked choice voting, then PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION!
https://www.alaskansforhonestelections.com/
Goes to show Covid was NEVER an “emergency” anywhere! Notice how the whole world was in lock-step????? They are practicing for a future event, rest assured. No one seems to ‘get’ that so-called “Emergency Powers” only pertain to the gov’t and their employees and their property. For example, in a real emergency, the government could elect to close libraries, and command THEIR employees to wear a mask. The gov’t is out of bounds ordering a private business to close or force the public to wear a mask. The health dept can make recommendations, but that’s it. When the gov’t closes a business for no reason, that is considered “a taking” and under the Constitution, fair compensation is required. Bronson campaigned on re-imbursing, but I don’t know it that happened? As for covid, we’ve had volcanos and forest fire smoke that had bigger impact on air quality than a virus! And the gov’t did not tell citizens to remain in their homes. We’re on the brink of our Nat’l Anthem being replaced and our country being taken over by individuals who are actively forming a one world government.
These people are out of control. Is there an attorney out there who will challenge these tyrants? The people of Anchorage and Eagle River need to swarm the meeting and shut these people down. There needs to be an investigation and Forensic Audit of the last election and funding needs to be traced (I guarantee that the funding comes from a source directly connected to the WEF and George Soros. They illegally changed our voting system to set up wins for themselves, from the assembly level to the Federal level. These people are so entrenched in their own arrogance that they need to be brought down off of their high pedestal. I am sick of them.
These people are horrible individuals. And I do not say that lightly. What comes around goes around they will suffer the consequences of their actions.
In thinking themselves wise they became fools
Romans 1.22
Mark i agree . They have gotten to the point where they think they are invincible. That’s just about the time they do something criminally stupid. I can’t wait
God please give us wisdom!! Mark my heart and ambition is akin to yours! To be like bee’s and overwhelm them will certainly make a difference! Be certain they will use the events to their benefit, like J6! Go for it but be wise. My approach is to demand this sellout of a governor to respond to the masses and do a forensic audit!!!
I’ll give my pfd towards it! Dunleavy is terrified of the truth!!! ESG, c19, identity theft! Dunleavy is terrified!!!
A forensic audit is long overdue!