Republicans have announced how they will organize the Alaska Senate after dominating the election earlier this month. Fifteen of the 20 senators are members of the majority.
Key leadership positions go to:
• Sen. Charlie Huggins, R-Wasilla, as Senate president.
• Sen. John Coghill, R-North Pole, as majority leader;
• Sen. Lesil McGuire, R-Anchorage, as chairwoman of the Rule Committee;
• Sen. Kevin Meyer, R-Anchorage, and Senator-elect Pete Kelley, R-Fairbanks, as co-chairmen of the Finance Committee.
“We are looking forward to working within this new, strong organization we have created through a very deliberative process,” said Coghill said in a press release. “We have built the committee structures in a way that maximizes that skills and interests of each of our members.”
Republicans dominate, with Sen. Dennis Egan of Juneau the only Democrat granted a committee chair. Egan heads the Transportation committee.
Other chairs include:
• Resources: Sen. Cathy Giessel, R-South Anchorage/Kenai Peninsula
• Judiciary: Sen. John Coghill, R-North Pole
• Transportation: Sen. Dennis Egan, D-Juneau
• Education: Sen. Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak
• Legislative Budget and Audit: Senator-elect Anna Fairclough, R-Anchorage/Eagle River
• Legislative Council: Senator-Elect Peter Micciche, R-Soldotna
• Health and Social Services: Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka
• State Affairs: Senator Fred Dyson, R-Eagle River
• Community and Regional Affairs: Senator-Elect Peter Micciche, R-Soldotna
• Labor and Commerce: Senator-Elect Mike Dunleavy, R-Mat-Su
• World Trade: Senator Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak
• Senate Co-Chair of Joint Armed Services Committee-Senator-Elect Pete Kelly, R-Fairbanks
• In-State Energy – Co-chairs Senator-Elect Click Bishop, R-Fairbanks and Sen. John Coghill, R-North Pole
• TAPS Throughput Decline: Co-Chairs Senator-Elect Peter Micciche, R-Soldotna, and Senator-Elect Mike Dunleavy, R-Mat-Su
• Senate Member of the Ethics Committee: Sen. Cathy Giessel, R-South Anchorage/Kenai Peninsula