Alaska Governor Palin Rips Senate For "Politics As Usual"

March 6, 2007

Juneau, Alaska - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is disappointed over passage of watered-down ethics bill and calls it "Politics As Usual"

Governor Sarah Palin criticized the failure of the Senate to adopt Senate Bill 19 amendments to further tighten ethics legislation.

From Palin press release: Governor Sarah Palin criticized the failure of the Senate to adopt Senate Bill 19 amendments to further tighten ethics legislation.

Today, the Senate considered amendments and passed SB 19, Senator French's ethics bill. The Governor's office requested that some amendments be offered today on the Senate Floor that would incorporate some measures from the Governor's ethics bill. All but one amendment was rejected by the Senate Majority Working Group on a straight-line caucus vote.

"I am very disappointed in the process," said Governor Palin. "My office, in conjunction with Dave Jones from the Department of Law, has worked hard and cooperatively to come up with meaningful and comprehensive ethics reform. As I stated earlier in the session, I do not have any pride in authorship but I can not just stand by allowing lip service to be paid to ethics reform while Alaskans stand to lose."

Governor Palin continued, "In one example, my office requested the Senate to adopt an amendment that would prevent executive branch employees from accepting any gift from a registered lobbyist. The amendment would not impact the legislature. I feel very strongly that if we are really going to clean things up, we must remove the ability of those individuals who are paid to influence decision makers from providing gifts. To not adopt the provision is absolutely outrageous."

"My hope was that the Senate Majority was following our lead in setting politics aside and doing what is best for Alaska," said Governor Palin. It appears today, some politicians are more interested in politics as usual."