Representative objects to removing Parks Highway trooper post; committee adopts Senate public safety items

Representative H. Johnson objected to the conference committee’s adoption of the Senate version of several Department of Public Safety items because the Senate motion omitted funding for a trooper post on the Parks Highway.

Johnson said the trooper post would be “about halfway between Anchorage and Fairbanks” and called it a necessary post to disrupt fentanyl distribution toward Fairbanks and communities in the Bush. He registered that objection explicitly while the committee prepared to vote on items 3, 4, 8, 13 and 14 in the Public Safety portion of the motion sheet.

Senate members noted that the items were initially a governor’s ad but that the governor had withdrawn those amendments; after brief discussion the committee called the roll and approved the Senate package despite Johnson’s objection. The adoption closed the conferenceable public safety items under the committee’s motion.