On Jan. 19, 2021, the Alaska State Senate organized and elected a Republican senator to be President of the Senate. This majority caucus has 13 Republicans and one Democrat. For the first time in many, many years the State Senate has organized without a binding caucus! This is due, in part, to the work of the Cordova Republican Precinct.
Last January, the Cordova Republican Precinct organized and voted on four resolutions that were then brought to the Republican District 32 Convention. One of the resolutions that passed there was the anti-binding caucus resolution. Cordova was the first precinct in the State of Alaska to pass such a resolution. Since that time, six other districts have passed a similar resolution opposing the binding caucus. This is the work of your Cordova Republican Precinct!
What is the binding caucus? It is a group of legislators that pledge up to two years in advance that regardless of what the budget looks like, if the Finance Committee passes it, they will vote for it. In reality, what does this mean? Let’s take the ferry, as an example. If the Finance Committee of the Alaska State Senate passed a budget that defunded the AMHS, under the binding caucus, all members of the caucus would be required to vote for it. If they did not, they would lose their committee chairmanships, nice offices, and members of their staff. This is not hyperbole. It happened last year to Senators Shower, Hughes, Costello, and Reinbold. What is worse is that this is not the first time it has happened – just the most recent.
Because of what the Cordova Republican Precinct did in standing in opposition to the binding caucus, districts across the state of Alaska, ranging from Big Lake to Valdez to Utqiagvik decided to stand with us. The Senate heard us. They organized under a free caucus – allowing all members to vote in a way that best represents their district, as they should.
William Deaton
Leader of the Republican Party Cordova Precinct
