Ramona Barnes and Caucus

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks”
William Shakespeare

Some say history has a way of repeating itself. I agree.

Four years ago on this very Sunday, one of my most memorable legislative experiences took place. An afternoon of public policy making that highlights the danger of doing the people’s business beyond the view of the people.

Called into special session by then Governor Tony Knowles, the legislature faced an October 1 deadline to prevent a federal takeover of subsistence game management. The purpose of the special session was for the legislature to adopt a constitutional amendment that would be put to a vote in the 2000 election.  

After five days in special session, the bill was still in the first committee and hadn’t even had a full hearing. A Sunday caucus was called to address the frustration with Chairman Scott Ogan and his refusal to move the bill to the floor for a vote. Caucus lasted for hours.

During my years of closed majority caucus meetings, I quickly realized that most were just exercises of sitting in a private room, giving opinions on issues that had already been decided by the leadership. Very rarely did rational arguments seem to make it past the heavy wooden door. But this time was an exception.

Rep.Ogan, a vocal opponent of subsistence stood firm; he refused to move the bill. He received strong support from fellow lawmaker Representative Ramona Barnes. She always occupied a chair in the back corner of the room, to perpetuate the notion of having command of a separate army of foot soldiers. She argued that pulling a bill or rolling the chair as it’s called, was against the rules.

But all to his credit, Speaker Brian Porter’s tolerance had run out with Barnes and Ogan and he signaled the desire to move the bill to the floor for a vote. The caucus debate was charged with emotion.

Just when it seemed like reasonable minds would prevail, Representatives Ogan, Kohring, Sanders and Coghill announced they were quitting the majority caucus and walked out. A nervous anxiety engulfed the room and suddenly the opinions started to shift towards placating Barnes and the departed legislators. It sounded like the hard fought progress of getting the bill to the floor of the house was slipping away. Then it was my turn to voice my opinion.

I can still remember the words I spoke because my former colleague from Nome never let me forget them. “We need a floor vote”, I said. “Every pair of eyes in this state is watching this building. We’ve been here five days, spent over one hundred thousand dollars and haven’t even had a full hearing on the bill. My constituent emails say we look like bumbling idiots”.

The room fell silent and then I heard a frightful sound. As I turned to see the commotion, it was Rep. Barnes charging across the room at me, shouting hysterically and waving her infamous finger. The only thing that stopped her short of me was my colleague.

I often wondered how that phone call would have gone to my wife. And to think she believed that flying back and forth between Juneau was the most dangerous aspect of serving in the legislature.

Caucus quickly adjourned after that and new legislation was re-introduced hours later without a referral to Ogan’s committee. The new legislation passed the House in less than two days but eventually died in the Senate.

Why do I tell you this story now?

Because two weeks ago, out of the corner of my eye, State Senator Lyda Green, the latter day saint of Ramona Barnes, came charging at me from the far right columns of this newspaper. And the only thing that has stopped her short of me is the truth.

Her defense of the Valley’s legislative representation over the last nine years and her assertion that she’s been fulfilling her duties quite swimmingly in the State Senate deserves your full consideration. Lucky for her, we’ve been keeping score.

Next time, we’ll look up at the scoreboard together.

FOR THE FOLLOW UP OP/ED, GO BACK TO "WRITINGS" CLICK ON MAT-SU POLITICS AND CLICK ON "LEGISLATORS HAVEN'T LIVED UP TO THEIR WORDS."