Dan Ortiz, who was elected to his first term in the Alaska legislature earlier this month as an independent, has joined the Democratic caucus. See this story. Ortiz says he chose the Democratic caucus because that caucus does not attempt to bind its members to vote in certain ways on certain bills.
Ortiz is still an independent. Legislators who are not members of a caucus, in most states, have difficulty obtaining committee assignments.
Mr. Ortiz sounds like my kind of Independent. I’m sure we may differ on some issues, but I agree that he should not be bound to any party in order to participate in their caucus. One would only find this in a dictatorship.
Unfortunately, I think he is the only Independent in the Alaska Legislature. This is unfortunate. We need more Independents who will vote their conscience. The major parties don’t like Independents because they cannot control them.
It is a good feeling to be Independent.
I consider myself a non-dependent but I guess independent is okay, too.
Exactly. He is no independent.
I’m in Depends! For some reason no one wants to caucus with me.
The House “Majority Caucus” includes 4 Democrats from the interior, and all who were re-elected without opposition.
Before this election the division was:
Majority 30 (26 Republicans and 4 Democrats)
Democratic (minority) 10: (10 Democrats).
The Democrats picked up 2 seats, and with Ortiz, the alignment will be:
Majority 27 (23 Republicans and 4 Democrats)
Democratic (minority) 13: 12 Democrats and 1 independent.
The pickup of the two seats may have been critical to Ortiz joining the Democratic caucus. With 10 members, the Democrats were limited to 1 member of 7-member committees. The increase to 12 meant they would be entitled to 2 members.
Cody:
If you understood the definition of Independent, you would know such means that you are free to associate with whomever you wish. To be Independent does not mean to totally isolate oneself and have nothing to do with anyone else.