With the incredible success of the recent 2026 Alaska March for Life in the rearview mirror, let’s shift our focus to what can be done politically with the civil rights issue of our time. The boots on the ground, which we experienced last month, are needed at the highest level of state government.
Proponents of abortion are certainly engaged to be sure.
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has directed state resources and staff to build a mega abortion facility and train future abortionists.
In California, Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration has heavily staffed abortion rights initiatives and focused staff resources on establishing California as a “refuge state” for those living in states where protections for the unborn are in place.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has prioritized a “whole-of-government” approach, directing state agencies and specialized staff to secure access to abortion medication, specifically stockpiling mifepristone. Her administration includes paid staff who are committed to leading efforts against pro-life pregnancy resource centers and ensuring abortion is widely available.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul employs a dedicated working group that meets regularly to expand abortion in her state, including sitting down with abortion influencers to guide state policy and fund abortion initiatives.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek employs staff specifically tasked with stockpiling abortion drugs and managing state-level legal protections for terminating unborn lives.
In short, governors in blue states all across the country have put social/cultural issues on the front burner not only in their election campaigns and incumbency rhetoric but in their administrations with dedicated, paid staff members who advance the pro-abortion agendas they were voted into office to expedite.
Can you blame them?
Conservative governors, on the other hand, not so much.
We need an Office of Unborn Advocacy in the governor’s office – staffed with dedicated, taxpayer-funded, state employees who are willing to do in Alaska what pro-abortion governors are doing right now across the country.
Even in red states with pro-life governors – think Florida, Texas and Louisiana – salaried positions focused exclusively on defending the unborn are pretty much non-existent. You could argue that in some red states, governors have campaigned so successfully to maintain an allied legislature that they don’t need to create these positions. They have willing partners going in the same direction.
But so do California, New York, New Mexico, Massachusetts and all the rest with pro-abortion governors and legislatures. So, what’s the difference?
It has to do, in some ways, with a small government mentality. A conservative and noble but misguided mindset that believes abortion, while important, is better left to the churches, non-profits and culture at large to resolve. Not something that should or could have taxpayer-funded positions dedicated to the cause. They likely even tell themselves that it’s a “separation of church and state” issue.
This paradigm, however it might exist, is wrong.
In Alaska, there are 14 executive departments, along with numerous divisions, boards, and commissions, with hundreds of salaried positions managing state functions such as natural resources, public safety, revenue, education, health and human services, transportation and many more. Staff are specifically hired to work in these spheres to impact change.
The rubber-meets-the-road reality, which I’ve experienced working in this arena for 20+ years, is that no matter how committed, sincere and articulate a governor may be regarding the issue of protecting unborn lives, there are simply too many distractions that they and their staff face, day in and day out, to give the matter the attention it rightly deserves. To effectively advance the sanctity of life and lift up that which is good, I am convinced – more than ever – that our next governor, if they happen to embrace a pro-life position, must put their money where their mouth is.
Being small-government-minded shouldn’t mean being small-minded. Government is actually an institution created by God for our good. What could be a more important “good” than ensuring the least of our society have the best shot at life and that women know they have better choices available to them?
In South Dakota, before her rise and fall in the Trump Administration, Kristi Noem actually threaded the needle and became the first governor in the nation to create a staffed office specifically to advocate for the rights of the unborn. These responsibilities included policy, litigation, legislation, and reaching out to allies – all with a laser focus on how she could protect the least of these who have yet to take their first breath. In a conversation I had personally with Noem’s staff member responsible for filling this office, I asked him if the task was too much for one individual. He told me he could hire five people to do it full-time, and it wouldn’t be enough.
Even in a red state like South Dakota, the pro-abortion forces in the culture, the courts, the legislature and in the deep state of Noem’s Administration itself, were working around the clock to make abortion more available. One of the most compelling things he told me was how this office, with direct access to Governor Noem, would collaborate and proactively synergize with existing pro-life ministries, pregnancy resource centers, influencers and leaders, in the private and public sectors to ensure a strategy was being employed to maximize results.
How refreshing, brilliant and obvious.
ALASKA WATCHMAN DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX
In our current State Legislature, where Republican lawmakers like Chuck Kopp and Louise Stutes in the House and Bert Stedman, Gary Stevens, Kelly Merrick, Cathy Giessel and Jessie Bjorkman in the Senate continue to give power to Democrats who are beholden to Planned Parenthood, we need a governor to move beyond passion and rhetoric. When our Alaska Supreme Court continues to misinterpret the privacy clause of our State Constitution by claiming a “right to abortion” that does not exist, we need something other than what we’ve been getting with public office holders simply “believing” in the cause.
We need an Office of Unborn Advocacy in the governor’s office – staffed with dedicated, taxpayer-funded, state employees who are willing to do in Alaska what pro-abortion governors are doing right now across the country.
Many of the current gubernatorial candidates for Alaska have pro-life beliefs and have tried to move the needle. I know a lot of them and believe they are sincere. But verbal support needs to be translated into resources that generate action. Now is the time to step up by agreeing to put pro-life beliefs into a devoted focus that has the potential to actually rescue those being led to slaughter. We need to ensure women know there are options other than terminating the life of their unborn child. Let’s encourage every pro-life candidate for governor to pledge actual financial resources and establish a much-needed Office of Unborn Advocacy.
Otherwise, it’s all talk.
The views expressed here are those of the author.
17 Comments
What’s the saying – If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em?
This is what happens when conservatives despair on actually saving unborn babies. Having surrendered to Juneau on ending abortion, or even ending the on-going taxpayer funding of abortion, they now reach out for a traditional Democrat solution, creating another government program. Why do we think that increasing government will be a solution, when shrinking government (cutting the on-going public funding of abortions in Alaska) isn’t? “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.” – G.K. Chesterton
Well said David. My way of describing this strategic move is motivated by a junior high level of science education. When students open up their science books and peruse the different chapter titles, under the heading of invertebrates, the subsections get into specific types of invertebrates. Two additions that have been introduced are politicians and pastors! These newly introduced types of invertebrates helps us to understand why we who have the authority and power to uphold laws, both natural and civil continually fail and bend to any opposition! Spineless individuals will only stand when they are propped up and there is no opposition! Shame on minnery!
And yet, Art. 1, Sec. 1 of the Alaska State Constitution says “This constitution is dedicated to the principles that all persons have a natural right to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and the enjoyment of the rewards of their own industry; that all persons are equal and entitled to equal rights, opportunities, and protection under the law; and that all persons have corresponding obligations to the people and to the State.”
So, why would we view such an office as “increasing government” rather than simply upholding the principal that all persons have a natural right to life? Would it truly be “increasing government” if the new Governor DOGE’d the state depts and offices and re-allocated funds for an Office of Advocacy for the Unborn? Wouldn’t such an office actually be a legitimate use of taxpayers’ money?
Well. If Alaskans want a Doge office and Office of unborn. Then Who do they propose to layoff and what departments, divisions, and offices would be eliminated? Because Alaskans can do that too. It’s easy to cut as it’s easy to add but there will be pain and hurt experienced by the layed off Alaskans and eliminated offices to pay for two new ones. Just like man who tells his wife we are selling your car and our teenager’s car so we only have one car one insurance to reduce how much he’s been spending on car insurance. There be pain in the wife and teenager not having their vehicle. Let’s say the husband tells his wife he wants to sell their 800,000 dollar hillside home because he wants them to live in a 130,000 two bedroom condominium. Those are huge lifestyle changes to get through just like restructuring and reducing government spending.
Because Taxpayers can’t pay for everything.
Something’s got to give way.
Exactly spoken well by Eastman and less demeaning than others.
I’ll share Ai bot Evan S Singh response to this opinion on more government on The Alaska Story
“Yeah but Minnery, 1000 participants in anti abortion rally the other day packed with prayers and requests for prayers. Did their prayers not work? If they didn’t and you want a government intervenor, what does that say about the power of prayer?” Christians government dependency brings the unbelievers mockery.
Because if us prolife are are going to change families opinions on abortion and life and Alaska’s death culture. You are not going to persuade Alaskans by the communities dependency on government instead of on God.
An office of unborn advocacy isn’t about changing culture and families, it’s about how dependent some Christian community leaders have grown on government and they are only looking for a state job that once is created impossible to eliminate it.
David – can you name one state funded position that you support? If you can, are you able to make a case as to how that position has more value than this position? And just for fun, can you name anything you did in office that actually saved an unborn life ? When you ran and served as a pro life advocate, wasn’t that whole act nothing more than a supposed “government program” with a salary from taxpayers ? Since that failed, and I assume you believe Government has the capacity, even the Scriptural calling, to be an institution for good, are you thinking that nothing else is available?
Shame on you minnery! What we have is a constitutional republic! If we can keep it! Your admittance to the fact that you’ve given up because apparently we can’t, is disappointing!
We need leaders, not more Dunleavy clones!
“ When you ran and served as a pro life advocate, wasn’t that whole act nothing more than a supposed “government program” with a salary from taxpayers ?” That’s a very good argument for Eastman. I hope he responds.
So Sad, there’re Gods little children.
A better name would be: the Department of Life. The elderly and handicapped are in the crosshairs, too. In fact, everyone is, what with assisted suicide laws proliferating. But, institutionalizing the prolife movement does not help. The Nat’l RTL Committee has proved that, as they have gone into the mists of non-influence. We would never get a Dept of Life, because if you tried something more modest, like an education directive demonstrating the humanity of the unborn child, the inhumane abortion techniques and the spiritual/mental baggage of abortion, we could end it. But the RINOs/Dems would lock out the votes there, too. Figure a simpler solution: the 1970 “law” legalizing abortion violated the right to life, found in Art. 1, Sec. 1. Find us a prolife governor who will declare it UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Now THAT would bother the Left, wouldn’t it? Oh, I know — the judiciary would never agree. But check this out from New Gingrich. I did NOT write this speech for him, the Federalist Papers did. It’s only 3 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=2wjwrLAF8Oc&ra=m
What is the right sized government? How many departments are legitimate? Of the goods enumerated in our state constitution, is there a hierarchy of importance?We have candidates for Governor who are circulating pictures of orcas caught as trawl bycatch for the sake of getting an emotional reaction that says, “trawl is evil!” Where is the outrage for the unborn? It’s legal to kill babies in our state and throw their bodies out with medical waste. What about them?
You want the legislature to follow the statutory formula and give everyone a full pfd? What about following the propositions and principals at the heart of our nation’s and state’s foundings, that all men are created equal and all persons have a natural right to life? Should we care about getting that right, perhaps, before we fall all over ourselves to “fix” the pfd?
You want Grand Jury rights restored? Great idea! But how about restoring legal protections for the most basic, fundamental right of all -the right to life? How about the state Supreme Court rectifying all the prolife laws the citizens of this state have passed, only to be struck down by the almighty robes on the bench? Does the Governor bear any responsibility for ensuring that the persons of Alaska enjoy a right to life, as much or if not more than their rights to a Grand Jury as laid out in our state constitution?
At the end of the day, all these other issues matter, but compared to the issue of the legal protection of human life, how do they stack up? Which comes first? Which is the most important? Which will you answer for before God on judgment day, when He asks you what you did for the least of His people, while you were in the office of the Governor of the state of Alaska?
Minnery has some valid points. Shouting “smaller government” in a state which has been able to accomplish precious little in the way of protecting human life rings awfully hollow.
Sounds like a good idea. Looking forward to it.
Be specific Josh. What sounds like a good idea?
Josh you’re running for office! Disclose what you meant!
He’s replying to the article, Dave. It should be obvious.
Yes ok ( stupid name)! I asked Josh specifically because his words are his bond! They are either trustworthy or not! He owns what he says! Okay ok!!! Okydoki!
The name comes from my realization that I’m ok living in Anchorage. Despite the stink of the cesspool, there are good things in the city. And those good things are entirely untethered from local government.