As America celebrates 250 years of independence, I have reflected on the courage and convictions of our Founding Fathers. They did not begin by seeking conflict with the greatest military power on earth. They simply stood for what they knew to be true: that our rights come from God, not from government, and that no person should be forced into silence for defending those rights.
Likewise, I did not set out to run for office to challenge the media or engage in controversy. I began by standing up for the people in my community and speaking on behalf of citizens who felt unheard.
For that reason, I respectfully disagree with the probable cause finding of the Alaska House Subcommittee of the Select Committee on Legislative Ethics regarding the eighteen coordinated complaints filed against me over a letter I wrote to the owners of the Homer News. In that letter, I challenged what I believe was unfair and biased coverage surrounding the memorial event I organized to honor Charlie Kirk.
Using legislative procedures to punish or discourage elected officials from expressing their constituents’ concerns sets a dangerous precedent and risks turning disagreement into a tool for silencing opposition.
The irony is not lost on me. The committee contends that calling out partisan bias somehow constitutes partisan political activity. Nor is it lost on my constituents that Charlie Kirk paid the ultimate price for exercising his constitutional right to peaceful free speech, losing his life in an act of political violence. Now, in defending his memory and speaking openly about issues that matter to my community, I find my own speech being scrutinized through a process that many view as an attempt to silence dissent.
I also believe it is important to distinguish between government resources and personal expression. I designed my own legislative letterhead. I created and maintain the social media pages of Representative Sarah Vance. Those platforms were not issued, created, or operated by the Legislature. They are my means of communicating directly with the people I represent and are expressions of my own speech and convictions.
When a governmental body, or one exercising governmental authority, attempts to dictate how an elected representative may communicate with her constituents, it stands on shaky ground. Representative government depends upon robust debate, disagreement, and the freedom to challenge powerful institutions, including the press.
History teaches us that authoritarian and communist regimes silence disagreement and tightly control the speech of public officials to preserve conformity and suppress dissent. That is not the American tradition. Today is a good day to remember that we are a constitutional republic founded on the rule of law, not the rule of men. For nearly 250 years, our nation has remained strong because we have protected the freedom to speak, to disagree, and to petition our government without fear.
ALASKA WATCHMAN DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX
Years ago, the people of my district asked me to keep speaking for them and never stop fighting for their concerns. I gave them my word, and I intend to keep it.
Disagreement is not unethical misconduct. The fact that individuals in my district oppose my views does not make my words partisan. It makes them contested in a free society. Using legislative procedures to punish or discourage elected officials from expressing their constituents’ concerns sets a dangerous precedent and risks turning disagreement into a tool for silencing opposition.
America’s 250th anniversary reminds us that liberty requires courage. The freedoms secured by our Founders and protected by generations of Americans since depend on citizens and their representatives being willing to speak the truth as they see it, even when it is unpopular.
I will continue to do so, respectfully, faithfully, and without apology.
The views expressed here are those of the author.
11 Comments
Sarah: You have defended yourself perfectly. But you are finding out that the Ethics Committee is nothing more than a tool of the Democratic/Communist Party. David Eastman found that out. The purpose is to exhaust our financial and constituent-oriented resources. That committee ought to be disbanded. It is ITSELF guilty of unethical conduct. But we live in the Decoy Dan Era of Alaskan politics, where lawfare, lies, open and shameless cheating reign supreme.
THANK YOU MR. BIRD FOR POINTING OUT REP. VANCE’S RIGHT TO VOICE AN OPINON ON A CURRENT ISSUE. SO MANY IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY ARE SEEKING TO DESTROY OUR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC. DELUSIONAL AND CORRUPT BEHAVIOR IS RAMPANT IN AMERICA (SEE 2 THESS. 2:10-12).
Well stated, Sarah. It is the shortsightedness, maybe even blindness, of the very political process in our State, which claims umbrage under our constitution, harms and destroys the future of our citizens. It demeans our vast ability to express our concerns on day to day life, to better enunciate the difference between freedom and the darkness of tyrannical shadows. The era of Alaska’s bureaucracy must be neutered and spayed and returned back to small local government controlling the horizontal and the vertical not the surreptitious and mendacious heavy handedness of special interests. For in fearing the outcome of free speech, they have entrapped themselves in the maelstrom of the mediocrity of narcissistic comparisons by claiming your words are less valuable then theirs and purchased the market floor of claustrophobic ideas and suffocate our future. Stay, Stand, Speak.
When the Homer News spread light on Charlie Kirk’s links to Christian Nationalism (CN), Vance panicked because evil grows in the dark. Vance is a top leader in the Christian Nationalist group NACL which is the largest national group of its type spreading Biblical (not Jesus) principles above the US Constitution. She is also the leader of the Alaska CN network.
She attacked the free press as a distraction and to spread darkness. When 18 citizens filed ethics complaints against her, she threatened the ethics committee in writing with a national CN legal group Liberty Counsel (classified as an extremist national religious legal group focused on ending separation of church & state). Her subordinate Alaska CN leader Kevin McCabe sits on the ethics committee and refused to recuse himself for obvious conflict of interest, so that he could try unsuccessfully to prevent a “Probable Cause” finding.
Chief Legal Officer for the NACL, Bob Ballinger from Arkansas, was hired by Vance as her aide instead of an Alaskan because she is placing NACL above Alaska and not surprisingly her written responses now sound suspiciously legally edited. Her father has flown a Christian Nationalist flag in his front yard for years. Literally wrapping herself in an American flag on the fourth of July playing the victim/martyr card is straight out of the CN play book for sympathy and fundraising. NACL helps Vance fundraise nationally in addition to PACs and rich friends making multiple $5,000 contributions. She has a 6 to 1 funding advantage over underdog Brent Johnson (who is the only candidate trying to stop her).
Christian Nationalism is a cancer that will destroy the soul of the greatest nation on Earth and it is spreading in the dark in Alaska now. Search on it yourself “CN and NACL” or “CN Charlie Kirk” or “Christians against CN” or watch documentaries on Prime (God & Country) or YouTube or visit http://www.HomerIndivisible.com
Handmaid’s Tale is becoming reality on our watch! Do something to stop it while you still can. Doing nothing supports the current spreading cancer. Every Alaskan should find ways of stopping Vance/McCabe from gaining more power and spreading a virus that will destroy the soul of Alaska and the USA. Don’t be fooled by the pretty nails, fancy makeup and victim message, CN is evil. She could have written a personal email/letter like every other citizen. She went for intimidation and control unethically using state resources to crush free press and gain publicity. -Carpe Diem
This is a Christian country. If you don’t like it, then please leave.
The future is Christian Nationalism or marxism. Pick one. I’ll pick the first one.
Not a christian nation Micah. I’m sure you want it to be. Hope you don’t force it on us.
Thank you for posting this.
Want cheese with your whine, Sarah …waving America’s flag means we have to take you as seriously as yourself?
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When you care as much about the miscarriage of justice forced on Thomas Jack, we might well take you as seriously as you take yourself.
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Meanwhile, you can’t
restore open, honest elections,
fix voter rolls, end ERIC’s contract, reconcile voters’ names with valid home addresses,
cooperate with DOJ’s voter-roll request,
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end ballot harvesting and mail-in voting without verifiable reason,
enact law ending ranked-choice voting and machine-counted ballots,
reform our corrupted grand jury system,
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enact law to stop local government coercion against property-tax appeals,
restore statutory PFD’s,
move the capital to the road system,
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close Juneau’s Party House,
amend House and Senate rules to require attendees’ sobriety,
end Medicaid fraud,
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get perverts and predators out of schools,
outlaw surveillance pricing,
reform the corrupted education system,
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enact anti-dark money law like Montana’s “Transparent Election Initiative”,
write a reasonable, accurate state budget,
dissolve Alaska Municipal League’s Investment Pool,
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find out how many illegal aliens live in Alaska and help ICE deport them,
enact law requiring forensic audit of subsidy and revenue-sharing programs,
enact a resolution demanding justice for Thomas Jack,
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make revenue-sharing depend on property-tax relief for all property-tax payers,
enact law preventing recurrence of Covid-19 abuses of Constitutional freedoms,
stop legislative per diem payment after 90-day session limit,
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enact law supporting local moratoriums against large-scale data centers and “tiny-houses”,
or answer FAQ’s at https://thealaskastory.com/mike-dunleavy-alaska-has-waited-long-enough-for-the-gasline/.
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Now we find out: “Nonprofit foundation gifts Alaska Legislature 16 apartments in Juneau”. (June 22, 2026)?
(https://alaskabeacon.com/briefs/nonprofit-foundation-gifts-alaska-legislature-16-apartments-in-juneau/)
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“Reed Stoops, a lobbyist, is a member of the board of the Juneau Community Foundation and helped organize the latest housing donation. The ultimate goal is to give the Legislature more housing options to keep legislative sessions in Juneau, “especially during a special session like this,” he said.”
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This amazing “gift” happening just 10 days ago is just a coincidence, right?
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So Reed Stoops, according to “Alaska Lobbyist Directory” is the lobbyist hired to help out with “All legislation and administrative action relating to taxation of resource industries in Alaska” …another coincidence, right?
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So you can’t do useful work, but you can help beg for Glenfarme’s gas line
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…and apparently be rewarded with a taxpayer-subsidized, free, crash-pad “gift” in the Holy Party City of Juneau, while complaining about your First Amendment rights!
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Is this a great state or what?
Homer News? I didn’t know anyone actually read that crap.
This could not have been expressed any better. Good job, Sarah. Thank you for helping us to apply the Declaration of Independence and the truths it described. Most of the secular teachers in our interior communities talked rudely about Charlie Kirk’s death in front of the kids. Complaints were brought to the school board who did not respond to or discipline the disrespect by specific teachers shown concerning Charley Kirk’s assassination. The board is made up of board members who do not believe in a right or wrong. Only two members would have responded to the inappropriateness of the secular teachers’ reactions in front of children. Our local newspaper did not help stand up to what was wrong.
Since this person has never read the State of Alaska constitution, she is unfit to serve. The US constitution has nothing to do with the State of Alaska.
Lets have a bit of civics lesson.
Alaska is a sovereign nation with its own constitution, its own legislative bodies, its own governor and Secretary of State. As a sovereign nation, it has requested membership in the Republic of the States we call the USA. This is an organization providing common defense and a free trade zone. While we give up the right to International treaties, all else remains with our State.
The US constitution says NOTHING about speech. Therefore, the Central government has no authority regarding speech. The superfluous Bill of Rights gives nothing and only reiterates the obvious – if it isn’t specifically written the the US constitution, the Central government has no authority. Ask this woman how the Federal government is infringing on her speech.
The Declaration of Independence is a secession document outlining the principle of self-governance. The citizens of the State of Alaska have created their own constitution and their own government. that seems to be evidence of alaskan’s choice for self-governance. As this woman how alaskan’s have been inhibited from their own self-governance.
What does the Alaskan constitution say? It says every person may publish or speak but be held responsible for their speech. If she were fit to serve, she would be referencing this and not a constitution that has nothing to do with alaskans.
Finally we get to the rules of our legislators. There are many freedoms employees give up when they work for an employer. I may be allowed to participate in letters to the editor, political campaigns, and private activities but I am NOT allowed to affect my employer. My employer would have every right to terminate my employment if my personal activities were deemed to be associated with the employer and detrimental to the business.
We demand non-partisian behavior from our elected officials. The letter D or R disappears once the election is over. that legislator represents ALL the constituents. actions taken by a legislator in their official capacity should be judged harshly to insure they are not utilizing their position inappropriately.
any legislator has the opportunity to speak as a private citizen. They typically make a special statement to recognize their statements are their personal opinions and not as part of their legislative position.
Alaskans, indeed ALL Americans, have such a terrible knowledge of their civics they continue to do foolish things and then support others who did foolish things, just because they like the outcome.
We need to read the Alaska constitution and demand our legislators act on behalf of ALL their constituents. Possibly instead of wrapping oneself in a foreign flag – Alaska is OUR country – you might want to read another item written by Thomas Jefferson. Read his inaugural address.