The Alaska Republican Party is moving to join Sen. Dan Sullivan and State Senator Mike Dunleavy in opposing Syrian refugees seeking assistance from the United States. Late Monday night party communication Director Suzanne Downing sent an email to State Central Committee members asking for them to authorize her to issue a press statement indicating the party’s opposition via a resolution. That email read in part:
“I have received many requests tonight to draft a resolution for your consideration. With the advice of Vice Chairman Frank McQueary, I have proceeded.
The attached draft needs an up or down vote to proceed with issuing this resolution in a press statement and on our web site, as well as to send to the governor.
I believe the rules state there is a 48 hour time period for an email vote, but obviously time is of the essence.”
It’s unclear why Party Chairman Peter Goldberg, who as spokesman for the party is authorized to issue statements of party positions in his own name, chose not to do so, but opted to have the party’s staff contact the State Central Committee members for a vote on a resolution instead.
The draft resolution reads:
“Whereas, Americans’ safety and security is the most fundamental responsibility of government, and
Whereas, governors of 26 states have officially stated they will not accept Syrian refugees in their states, and
Whereas, the refusal of more than half of states to receive 10,000 refugees under the Obama Administration’s Syrian refugee resettlement plan will place an additional and undue burden on the remaining states, and
Whereas Alaskans are not confident in the Obama Administration’s ability to ensure that the Syrian refugees are not terrorists or extremists, be it resolved,
The Alaska Republican Party requests that Alaska Governor Bill Walker issues a statement rejecting the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Alaska at this time and until such a time as the public can be assured the refugees will not pose either a danger to, and/or a fiscal burden on Alaskans.”
Given conservative fervor over the issue of Syrian refugees, it would come as a shock if the party chose not to issue the statement in the coming days.
Matt Acuña Buxton is a long-time political reporter who has written for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and The Midnight Sun political blog. He also authors the daily politics newsletter, The Alaska Memo, and can frequently be found live-tweeting public meetings on Twitter.
