The Alaska Legislature’s newest member was sworn in on Thursday morning and found herself in a hotly contested budget debate 15 minutes later.
“What a day to come in,” Rep. Mike Chenault, R-Nikiski and Speaker of the House, told Ivy Spohnholz.
Rep. Spohnholz, D-Anchorage, was named and confirmed to the seat left vacant by the late Anchorage Democrat Max Gruenberg, who died at his Juneau home last month at the age of 72.
Thursday was Spohnholz’s first day in the Legislature since being appointed.
Spohnholz’s addition to the House gives it 18 female members. At 45 percent female, the House closely resembles the state as a whole. Alaska was 47.4 percent female in 2014, according to U.S. Census Department figures. One more woman would make the body 47.5 percent female.
As she took the oath of office in the Speaker’s Chambers, she was surrounded by members of the Democratic-led House minority and a handful of majority members, including House Majority Leader Rep. Charisse Millett, R-Anchorage.
There was also Spohnholz’s mother, Ann, who served in the Legislature in 1989. Ann served for three months, after being appointed to a seat by Gov. Steve Cowper amid a legally contested race between David Finkelstein and Brad Bradley.
“This is like lightning striking twice,” Ann Spohnholz said.
“I think that nobody would have wished for this situation to occur,” Ivy Spohnholz said, referring to Gruenberg’s death. “I certainly can’t fill his shoes, and I won’t try to. … I’ll do my best.”
• Contact reporter James Brooks at james.k.brooks@juneauempire.com.
