Stevens Joins Republican Majority

Jay Barrett/KMXT
When Senator Charlie Huggins of Wasilla put together an all-Republican majority in the state Senate, Kodiak’s Gary Stevens was left out in the cold. But that changed this (Thursday) afternoon, when the two-time Senate president joined the majority.
In exchange, Stevens was given the chairmanship of the Senate’s Education Committee. He will also serve on the Legislative Council and chair of the World Trade Committee.
Even though he did an end-around of the Senate Bipartisan Working Group, Huggins praised Stevens, saying “his leadership of the Senate over the past four years has been outstanding.”
Stevens is a retired history professor, which, according to Senator Kevin Meyer of Anchorage, will make him a good leader in the “fight to continue improving Alaska schools.”
Stevens has been unavailable for comment since the Tuesday General Election.
There’s no word on if Republican Senator Bert Steadman, who with Stevens was left in the cold with the break up of the bipartisan coalition, will also be joining the new Republican majority.