likely to be elected. The remaining races are close and could go either way. It is possible a clear Republi- can majority will happen, but a co- alition of moderate Republicans and Democrats is also possible. In the Senate, 11 Republicans and nine Democrats are likely to be in Juneau, but here a coalition is now considered more likely than in the House. Several veteran Republican senators sure to return, like Sen- ators Bert Stedman of Sitka, Gary Stevens of Kodiak, and Click Bishop of Fairbanks, have strong disagree- ments with conservative Republican senators, led mainly by the Mat-Su delegation, on issues like the Per- manent Fund Dividend. While the November outcomes of many state House races cannot be predicted, it is possible that another even split in the 40-member House is possible. If the recent past is any indication nonaligned incumbents like Bryce Edgmon of Dillingham and Daniel Ortiz of Juneau, who are sure to be reelected, are likely to organize with Democrats along with several other independents, five in total. At least
CLICK BISHOP
BERT STEDMAN GARY STEVENS
one Republican, Rep. Louise Stutes of Kodiak, the current House Speak- er, is unlikely to join Republicans. Who organizes the House and Senate is important because it de- termines who the leaders and com- mittee chairs will be, which sets the stage for which bills advance. How- ever, the uncertainty of a near-even split could again lead to prolonged delay in organizing the House, which will slow legislative business. It will take 21 votes in a House Majority for any legislative business to be done, even the election of a
House Speaker. However, it will re- ally take 22 or a few more to ensure a stable Majority so that important bills, like the budget, can pass. The likelihood of any Democrats or even independents joining con- servative Republicans appears dim, so a functioning House will need a handful of Republicans crossing the aisle. That has happened in the re- cent past but whether it will happen again this year is a big unknown.
— Tim Bradner
Exploring for Gold and Copper in Alaska
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Fall 2022
The Alaska Miner
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