Alaska Senate Majority Set to Shrink to 11

Alaska’s Senate is heading into its next session with an 11-member bipartisan majority and a nine-member Republican minority, down from a 14-member majority, after Republicans Jesse Bjorkman, Kelly Merrick and Bert Stedman left the coalition. Bjorkman said he objected to the majority’s direction, particularly its openness to new taxes, while Stedman said the bipartisan coalitions had moved away from the center; majority leaders said the caucuses share many goals and that the departing senators had been invited to stay. Bjorkman will lead the minority, with Rob Yundt as whip and Stedman as finance lead; the caucus says it will focus on jobs, education, resource development, essential services and limiting spending. The majority selected Democrat Jesse Kiehl and independent Bryce Edgmon to co-chair Finance, and says its priorities include lowering energy and health care costs, election reform, and addressing teacher and public-employee recruitment and retention.