Ketchikan paper: Rep. Johansen should resign

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — An editorial published in the Ketchikan Daily News Saturday asks state House Majority Leader Rep. Kyle Johansen to resign. Johansen, Ketchikan’s only House member, was re-elected to a third term earlier this month.

At a caucus post-election organizational meeting on Nov. 5, Johansen was also re-elected as majority leader for the upcoming session -- but the editorial says Johansen proposed giving up his position as part of a deal to help Anchorage Rep. Charisse Millett.

The editorial claims Millett wanted to chair the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee, but her colleagues said no, at which point Millett left the caucus. Johansen offered to give up his position if the caucus would place Millett on the House Finance Committee, but their colleagues again refused.

According to the editorial, at that point Johansen also walked out of the caucus and the meeting concluded without him and Millett.

“This turn of events leaves Ketchikan wondering why Johansen would abandon a position of key value to the community because an Anchorage legislator didn't get what she wanted,” the editorial said. “Granted, Johansen and Millett have been close, regardless of what their current relationship might be. But he's supposed to be representing District 1.”

The editorial also pointed out that without a committee chair or the majority leader position, Johansen is now one of the two most powerless legislators in the House.

Contact Lori Tipton at ltipton@ktuu.com