Bethel Democratic state Sen. Lyman Hoffman joined the Republican Senate Majority and will have a seat on the Finance Committee. Eminently practical, Hoffman, who’s been in the Senate since 1990, has served in nearly every kind of majority configuration imaginable. It’s also probably worth noting that Hoffman endorsed GOP Senate candidate Dzn Sullivan in the last weeks of the campaign. From the release:
“Senator Hoffman’s rural representation and depth of experience working on budget and rural energy issues make him a very valuable addition to our group,” said incoming Senate President Kevin Meyer (R-Anchorage).
“I’ve worked with Kevin and members of the Republican organization for many years in the Majority and the Minority. I am glad to see they made addressing Alaska’s high cost of energy a top priority,” said Senator Hoffman. “Reducing the crushing burden of rural energy prices on Alaskan families is extremely important to me. Because of my close relationship with my colleagues, I look forward to contributing to the organization and, in particular, focusing on solutions for our rural energy crisis.”
Senator Hoffman has served in the Legislature since 1986 and the Senate since 1990. Before that, he served as the Bethel City Manager from 1977 to 1985.
Senator Hoffman will be a majority member of the Senate Finance Committee.
Given that Bert Stedman is still sentenced to the woodshed (DH&SS), Lyman joining the Majority means that Southeast has no one in the room when decisions are made on the Senate side. That is, the Majority doesn’t want Senator Egan and his staff anywhere near the decision-making. Too bad for Southeast. The entire region depends upon one Representative from Juneau to keep the capital (among other important needs).