Federal District Court Judge John Sedwick ruled in October that Dunleavy and his former chief of staff violated the First Amendment rights of two state doctors by requiring them to sign what they deemed a loyalty pledge. The Legislature must now decide whether to fund settlement payments of $495,000 in the state budget.
"Tuckerman Babcock"
State will pay $495,000 to two psychiatrists Dunleavy fired from API
It will cost the state of Alaska nearly half a million dollars to settle with two doctors Gov. Mike Dunleavy fired from the state psychiatric hospital for refusing to take what they deemed a political loyalty pledge. The settlement between ends the case, with no admission of fault.
After winning, Juneau attorney reflects on her years-long First Amendment case
Libby Bakalar says she feels vindicated by the win and wants to make sure that what happened to her never happens to another state employee.
Woman says top Dunleavy official knew of attorney general’s misconduct, was slow to act
According to a timeline of the events written by the Department of Law, the governor’s office did not request a human resources investigation until June 11, at least 68 days after the woman’s supervisor in the governor’s office became aware of the misconduct and informed Ben Stevens, Dunleavy’s chief of staff.
Conservative candidates won Alaskans’ votes Tuesday with big PFD promises. Now comes the hard part: delivering.
Duplantis and other Republican challengers focused their campaigns on the larger dividend payments — not on the deep budget cuts that would almost certainly have to come with them.
Some conservatives are pushing to reopen Alaska’s economy. But elected officials, doctors and economists urge caution.
There’s a growing chorus of political conservatives at both the state and national level who are calling on policymakers to quickly relax some of the social distancing measures that have helped contain COVID-19’s spread.