Alaska governor withdraws order on proposed department split

JUNEAU, Alaska – Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said he is withdrawing an executive order proposing reorganization of the state health department, with his office citing “technical issues” that need to be addressed.

His office, in a statement Thursday, did not specify those issues but it said a review was under way and a revised order would be submitted for legislative review “as soon as possible.” The original proposal called for reorganizing functions of the department into two departments.

The House Health and Social Services Committee earlier this week advanced a resolution disapproving of the order amid legal questions about some of the provisions and concerns the process was moving too quickly. The issue had been set for further review by the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday.

Because it is an executive order, lawmakers were not able to make amendments the way they could to a bill.

Senate Democratic Leader Tom Begich in a statement thanked Dunleavy for withdrawing the order. “Many of us recognize the need to reorganize the Department, but it should be done in a deliberative and thoughtful manner. I look forward to working with the Governor on this effort,” he said.