Day 7: 'Denali is more than a mountain.'

Good afternoon, Alaska. It's Day 7 of the legislative session.

In this edition: The House today approved a resolution registering its disapproval of Trump's decision to rename Denali, but not before the GOP tried to dilute the message with an "Every Barrel Matters" amendment that heaped praise on the president for promising to boost resource development. Some Republicans went as far as to say that the mountain's name doesn't matter. Ultimately, the whole vote tells us a lot about what to expect in the new era of Trump.

Current mood: 🏔️

'Denali is more than a mountain.'

On a 28-10 vote, the Alaska House today approved a resolution opposing President Donald Trump's unilateral decision to rename the country's tallest mountain and urging him to maintain its traditional Koyukon Athabaskan name, Denali. Fairbanks Democratic Rep. Maxine Dibert, who is Alaska Native, authored the measure, calling the president's move an infringement on the state's rights and an insult to the values and diverse history that Denali represents.

“Denali is more than a mountain,” she said during the debate on the resolution. “It’s a cornerstone of Alaska’s history, a tribute to our diverse culture and a testament to the people who have cherished this land for millennia. If the federal government changes the name, it will be an affront to our state’s sovereignty. It would not only dishonor those who have fought to protect the name and Denali’s legacy but also dismiss the voices of the Native communities whose roots are intertwined in this land.”

The resolution is on the fast track through the early legislative session. It sped through a House Rules Committee hearing in the morning, where House Rules Chair Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, said that the resolution shouldn't be framed as political but about standing up against federal overreach. A similarly worded resolution is scheduled for a Tuesday afternoon in Senate State Affairs, indicating that the Senate could take up and pass the resolution in short order.

'Every barrel matters'

Minority House Republicans sought to blunt the resolution's message, proposing an amendment that would have loaded it with fawning praise for Trump and his executive order entitled "Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential." The far-ranging order seeks to loosen rules and federal oversight for developing oil and gas, timber and mine projects in the state, which Republicans, including Gov. Mike Dunleavy, have framed as a cure-all for the state's budget woes (it's not, at least for many, many years).

But beyond the vague promise of new resource development, Republicans said it was important for the Legislature to play nice with the president.

"This amendment says we appreciate you allowing us to develop our natural resources," said far-right Rep. Sarah Vance, a Homer Republican who derailed a hearing on missing and murdered Indigenous women last year because it didn’t cover white women. "This will be the first communication that this body makes to the executive branch, and I hope it’s a resounding 'Thank you and, by the way, please let us determine the name of our great mountain.'"

Many invoked Alaska's children, arguing that they needed to be able to look forward to jobs in the mines and oil fields. Others said good public education relies on a healthy resource development industry. "Every barrel matters," said another.

Other Republicans, like Rep. Kevin McCabe, R-Big Lake, were more dismissive of the concerns about the name of the nation’s tallest mountain.

“At the end of the day, Alaskans are going to call it whatever they want,” he said, claiming he once spoke to a village resident who didn’t know the name of a nearby lake as proof official names don’t carry much weight. “It doesn’t really matter.”

Ultimately, the measure to appeal to Trump's vanity failed on a caucus line 21N-17Y vote with two Republicans—Reps. Bill Elam and Will Stapp—absent. Ultimately, 10 voted against the clean resolution.

Why it matters

Let's be clear that legislative resolutions cannot force the president to do anything, but the votes still go a long way to illustrating legislators' priorities.

Stay tuned.

Follow the thread: The Alaska House takes up pro-Denali resolution