Group launches effort to recall Alaska’s governor
JUNEAU, Alaska — A group that includes a coal company chairman and a framer of Alaska’s constitution is launching an effort aimed at recalling Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, weeks after his far-reaching budget vetoes prompted public outrage.
In late June, Dunleavy announced vetoes of more than $400 million US, affecting health and social service and other programs and prompting the university system to begin making plans for a transition to a single institution.
Lawmakers, unable to muster sufficient votes to override the vetoes amid a dispute over the special session’s proper meeting location, this week passed legislation restoring many of the cuts, including $110 million of the $130 million Dunleavy vetoed for the university. However, he can still cut any spending with which he doesn’t agree.
“People from all regions of Alaska have had enough,” Joseph Usibelli and Peggy Shumaker said in an opinion piece published by Alaska newspapers.
The so-called Recall Dunleavy group lists Usibelli, chairman of the board of the Usibelli Coal Mine; Arliss Sturgulewski, a former Republican lawmaker; and Vic Fischer, the last-living surviving delegate to the Alaska constitutional convention, as co-chairs. Scott Kendall, who was a chief of staff to Dunleavy’s predecessor, independent Bill Walker, said he provided legal counsel and other advice to the group. Kendall said supporters must clear a high bar but said it’s not impossible.
Kendall was involved with Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s successful 2010 write-in campaign, after her primary loss to Tea Party favourite Joe Miller. Kendall likened what’s happening now to then, when he said “we were faced with a really stark ideology, and Alaskans kind of rose up and did something people said was impossible.”
Dunleavy, who was elected last year, said the state needs to resolve its longstanding budget deficit. Alaska has no statewide sales or personal income tax, and no state-level taxes were seriously considered this year. Walker unsuccessfully pushed new or higher taxes as part of a fiscal plan during his term.
The state, long reliant on oil, last year began using earnings from its oil-wealth fund, the Alaska Permanent Fund, to help pay for government costs. That has caused tension with — and fierce debate over — the annual cheque traditionally paid to residents with fund earnings. Dunleavy has insisted on a full payout in line with a longstanding calculation that hasn’t been followed the last three years and that critics deem unsustainable. Such a cheque would be about $3,000 US per recipient.
Lawmakers have passed for Dunleavy’s consideration a dividend of about $1,600 this year instead.
Grounds for recall in Alaska, according to the state elections office, are lack of fitness, incompetence, neglect of duties or corruption.
Among other things, the recall group cites use of Dunleavy’s veto authority to cut money for the courts following an abortion decision with which he didn’t agree. It says Dunleavy’s vetoes precluded the legislature from upholding its responsibilities for education and public health and welfare.
The group will need to gather 28,501 signatures, Division of Elections director Gail Fenumiai said. If the application is certified, it would trigger another signature-gathering phase, with supporters needing to get 71,252 signatures in a bid to try to put the issue to voters.