It appears that Sen. Dennis Egan, D-Juneau, who expressed concern that he could be kicked out of the Republican-led Senate majority caucus for opposing Senate leadership on a procedural vote Friday, will remain in his caucus after discussions Monday and Tuesday.
Egan said after a majority caucus meeting Tuesday that everything is now “hunky-dory” between him and leaders of his caucus, a day after Senate President Charlie Huggins, R-Wasilla, met with the Juneau senator and publicly praised him as a “good friend.”
“I thought things went well, and we aired our issues briefly and we all understand,” Egan said, characterizing the caucus meeting Tuesday evening. “Everything’s fine. Everything continues on.”
Carolyn Kuckertz, an aide with the Senate majority caucus, confirmed that Egan’s position is secure.
“Sen. Huggins said that Sen. Egan was not discussed at all during yesterday’s caucus meeting,” Kuckertz said Wednesday morning. “Sen. Huggins actually spoke with Sen. Egan privately, and during that discussion, they had a very good conversation about Sen. Egan being a friend of the caucus and how we definitely want him to stick with us.”
Egan broke with his caucus to join minority Democrats opposing a change in committee referrals for Senate Joint Resolution 9, a proposed constitutional amendment that had originally been referred to the Senate Education and Finance committees.
Huggins moved to waive the Education Committee referral and instead have the resolution be heard in the Judiciary Committee. Egan said he objected to the change because Sen. Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, chairman of the Education Committee, was not present for the vote.
Kuckertz said Egan and other majority senators discussed their positions and beliefs during Tuesday’s caucus meeting.
“They’re starting to come to terms with, ‘O.K., so we do have some disagreements in this caucus, and now how do we go forward now?’” Kuckertz said. “So that he doesn’t feel like he has to stand out alone and be ostracized — not that he would be ostracized anyway, but you know, that’s always difficult when you have to stand in front of your own group and disagree.”
Kuckertz added, “So I think that they’re working on ways to make sure that he feels involved and included and all viewpoints are considered and that we don’t get stories anymore about Sen. Egan being, you know, a ‘renegade,’ because he’s not. He’s not. He’s very much with us, and we very much want him with us.”
• Contact reporter Mark D. Miller at 586-1821 or at mark.d.miller@juneauempire.com.
Comments (15)
Add commentpeople still SAY "hunky-dory"?
Do they think he's "the cat's pajamas" as well?
I love Dennis
He is a very down to earth person. Doesn't surprise me that he said that....Glad all is well Dennis!
What's the story??
Is he a Democrat or a Republican today?
Dennis should still quit the Coalition
There was never any reason for them to be threatening him with retribution for this...the motion passed anyway and that should have been enough, especially since this is certain to get through the Senate no matter whose committee it's assigned to.
(My post above wasn't anti-Dennis...I just didn't realize people still used phrases from 1913).
I use old phrases all the time Ken,
I greatly prefer them to "Ya know" as for Dennis? He will always do what he thinks is best for the community, regardless of party. He is his fathers son. He may make a wrong choice/ or vote, sometime, but it won't be because someone else told him to! AND, I for one, would love to see him run for Governor!
snagger...
he's a republican with a silent "d"
If
Sen Stevens, the Republican from Kodiak, hadnt come out and stated he agreed with Dennis, things might have turned out differently, I suspect. But they couldnt give Dennis the boot, without also giving one of their own the boot, which would have shown a rift in their Party. I hope Egan doesnt take their "forgiveness" as a sign he shouldnt do it again, he needs to continue to speak out just as the few moderates left in the AK GOP are doing.
The take-away
The main message is that Egan put his ego away and suffered going to the woodshed for Juneau. Unlike Rep. K who could join a coalition and help Juneau (and help Egan and Rep. Munoz in the bargain), Egan does what is best for his constituents by choosing to be in the room when the decisions are made. That is really what Ms. Kuckertz is telegraphing in this article. And we should thank Senator Egan for looking out for Juneau in the Senate exactly as everyone thanks Rep. Munoz for representing Juneau in the House.
By Egan staying in the coalition he chooses to have a vote that counts over choosing to take potshots from the peanut gallery. That is how the two-party system works in this era.
Miller did a much better job with this reporting than Forgey would have.
chooses?
representing Juneau is one thing, going along with crappy legislation that hurts every Alaskan but helps corporations that have no interest here other than yanking as much money as possible consequences be damned is another. Joining a caucus that makes you kowtow to their line which is against your principles and in which you have no power to change anything just besmirches your integrity.
Kashen
Yes, but when you run for office you should throw aside your dogma and represent the people you agreed to represent - do what is best for your constituents. The way to arrive at a solution is to give and take (sometimes called compromise), and clearly Senator Egan knows how to arrive at a solution. In case you weren't paying attention, Communism failed.
A good example of how to not arrive at a solution but instead stick with dogma and get nothing done is the trainwreck Alaska had, thanks to Juneau Thespians and lesbians, with the Coastal Zone Management ballot measure. Thanks to that take-no-prisoners ballot measure effort there is much less chance of Alaska ever having Coastal Zone Management.
Trading Elton for Egan was a great deal by the way. Giving Elton to Obama made it even better!
I don't know
why Dennis joined Parnell's rubber-stamp caucus, and don't know that I agree with his choice in doing so, but Dennis is still "Aces" in my book. (That one's for YOU , Kenb41! :)
Let's get this straight!
A hunky dory is a Hungarian row boat. A shiny new one is the bees knees and if there is a pretty girl rowing it the boys will all shout hubba hubba when she passes.
glacierdogs: throw dogma
glacierdogs: throw dogma aside: communism, thespians and lesbians really? If you want to stick your nose in the cruise and oil industry's behind, be my guest. Probably will smell like what the ships will be dumping.
glacier dogs
thanx for that, rubberstamping is one thing, I applaud Dennis for voting against, but if the choice is "oh crap they might kick me out" for voting your conscience maybe you shouldn't be in the caucus in the first place. As far as coastal management, I think that if the coastal initiative folks had as much money to throw at it as corporate world did maybe the outcome would have been different. Anyone who thinks outspending doesn't have an effect on the outcome most of the time is naive. It wasn't a trainwreck, it was pure obsfucation and disengenious speak by the anti forces that helped the outcome..that and 1.5 million bucks to boot.
Thanks Kjashen...the Coastal Zone vote explains much...
Of course you're right about the ballot measure vote!
Let's prove your point conclusively. At the end of the day, Team Obama outspent Team Romney 1.03 billion to 836 million. You've idenifed the reason Obama won! Outspending the opposition, using obsfucation and disengeious speak, the outcome of the election was bought. To think otherwise is naive.
Your logic is sound!