Alaska Tea Party

Thank you Mrs. Jennie Bettine for attending our planning session and for your support.

Mr. Mark Fish reported that publication of materials to advertise the Tea Party and its purpose will be initiated this week. In the interim, here is the text:

We The People will be having a

Tea Party,Decaffeinated

(say no to stimulus)

WHEN: August 10th 11:00 am

WHERE: Town Square, Anchorage

(across from the Egan center on 5th Ave)

The purpose of this rally is to insist Alaska's legislature sustain the governor's veto of the federal stimulus energy funds.

This action will reduce Alaska's responsibility for the national debt and assert Alaska’s right to reject intrusion by the Federal government into State and Local affairs.

Bring you signs,flags and friends. Help spread the word and encourage everyone to attend.

Discussion of the event served to clarify that the Special Session was called to avert a potential constitutional crisis within the Executive Branch with an appointed, but unconfirmed Lt. Gov. The opportunity to override the energy stimulus veto was subsequently incorporated into the agenda, as well as a proposal to address reinstatement of the state gas tax.

Both the senate and house leadership’s web pages clearly identify purpose of the special session, with the Lt. Gov. confirmation identified as the primary purpose for it.

Press Release: House Majority Press

Special Session Called for August 10 fo Confirm Lieutenant Governor

House Gavels in at 9:00 am - Joint Session Set for 1:00 pm

Rep. Mike Chenault

(R-34)

Speaker of the House

Posted: July 16, 2009

(Kenai) - House Speaker Mike Chenault, R-Nikiski, today announced the House will gavel in at 9:00 a.m. Monday, August 10 in Anchorage for a one-day special session to take up Lt. Gen. Craig Campbell's confirmation as Lieutenant Governor. That vote, and another on whether to over-ride the governor's veto of federal stimulus energy funds, will come in a joint session scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

"Ideally, we were trying to get General Campbell's confirmation, which to me is the more important of the two topics, taken up July 25 so it would have taken effect before the power change-over," Speaker Chenault said. "But that date didn't work out, and August 10 seemed to work best for our members and those in the Senate."

The special session will be held at the Egan Center in downtown Anchorage, the same site as the one-day special session two years ago on senior benefits.

Speaker Chenault says the State House won't hold an additional confirmation hearing for Lt. Gen. Campbell during the one-day session, deferring to the House Judiciary Committee's informational hearing with General Campbell July 20.

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Alaska State Legislature

Senate Majority Working Group News

Tim Barry, Senate Majority Press Secretary

Room 413, State Capitol Building

Juneau, AK 99801

Phone: 907.465.3803

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 16, 2009 CONTACT: Tim Barry, Press Secretary: 907.465.3803

Special Session Called for August 10 in Anchorage

Senate gavels in at 10am, joint session set for 1pm

(KODIAK) – Senate President Gary Stevens (R-Kodiak) today announced that the State Senate will convene at 10:00 am, Monday, August 10th, in Anchorage for a one-day special session to consider the appointment of Lt. General Craig Campbell as the successor to Lt. Governor Sean Parnell, who is scheduled to be sworn in as Governor later this month. The House and Senate will meet in joint session at 1:00 pm to take up that issue, and to consider a vote to over-ride the governor’s appropriation vetoes.

“I had hoped that we could get through the legislative interim without a special session, but for legal reasons we need to meet to confirm the Lieutenant Governor’s successor,” said Senator Stevens. “In addition, there was a great demand from a majority of our members to over-ride the governor’s veto of the energy stimulus funds as soon as possible.”

The State Affairs Committee will meet at 10:30 am to consider General Campbell’s appointment.

The special session will be held at the Egan Center in downtown Anchorage.

For more information, contact Senator Stevens or Katrina Matheny at 907-465-4925.

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An override of the veto requires a minimum of either two-thirds (66%) of the members of both houses to vote to override it [three-quarters (75%) if the bill is an appropriation bill.] This is a high, and very high threshold for the legislature to override a veto. The consideration to override the veto clearly met whatever standards set by the Legislative Leadership to be added to the agenda however, and thus there is substantial reason to believe there may be enough votes to successfully override the veto.

Gov. Palin vetoed the energy stimulus funds for good reasons, one of which was to protect states rights. I initially described it as “sovereign” rights of the individual states of the United States, but was informed that sovereignty might not be a term widely understood, and the Prager Group is not the only target of this information. Further information supporting the veto will be forthcoming.

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