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Teeter Totter
By now you've likely heard the results of the very short special session: We overrode Governor Dunleavy's attack on school funding with 45 votes (out of 60.) We also overrode his veto of a bill to give the Legislative Auditor the tools she needs to review how his administration is collecting oil taxes with three votes to spare. We didn't come up with enough support to hold override votes on other budget issues, and I had just 39 votes (of the 40 needed) to restore the vetoed commercial fishing loan bill I carried.
But what does it all mean?
First and foremost, schools can use the cash we budgeted effectively. It would have been tough to hire a teacher if the vote was held in January. And the auditor can perform her duties.
It also means the overwhelming outcry by Alaskans all across the state made the difference: legislators responded. That includes those who share a political party with the governor. It can be tough to explain to your most passionate voters why you went 'against the team,' but many of my colleagues heard from so many constituents they decided to cast the politically hard vote to get the good policy outcome. Contrast that to my fishing finance bill, which originally passed 59 - 1. Twenty of those legislators weren't willing to stick to their guns and vote to override.
It also means the governor outsmarted himself. He called this special session at a time and in a way designed to minimize his chances of being overridden. And his request that his allies not show up maximized the likelihood of the legislature looking bad, potentially stuck on the floor unable to vote.
But most legislators take their jobs seriously enough to cross oceans and show up no matter the political consequences. Combine that with legislators tired of an intransigent 'brook no compromises' approach, and he instead created the circumstances to make the overrides happen.
That presages a rebalancing of power between the legislative and executive branches. Not at the most structural level—Alaska's constitution still creates a very strong executive. But a majority of the members of his own party give him a course correction. (Republicans voted 17 - 14 to override on school funding and split 16-16 on the audit bill.) That shows the institution is willing to stand up for itself and the people it serves.
The governor has acted with near-impunity for most of his time in office where the legislature is concerned. He doesn't work on bills or budgets while we consider them, preferring to wield his veto at the end of the process against those who dare defy him.
While we shouldn't expect a 90-degree turn, the coming end of his second term will steadily reduce legislators' need to fear him and the damage his administration can do to their constituents. Make no mistake: legislators overwhelmingly cast their votes this weekend based on policy. But the political implications for the governor suggest he would be wise to start looking for more ways to collaborate.
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