Ross Confirmation Hearings Underway in AK

Gov. Sarah Palin's pick to be Alaska's Attorney General began his confirmation hearings today. Wayne Anthony Ross was grilled by members of the state senate's Judiciary Committee on a numbers of issues ranging from tribal sovereignty to the death penalty.

Ross was asked how he would deal with situations like the those his predecessor faced when the governor was the object of an ethics investigation which her supporters say was clearly politically motivated:

"How would you handle a conflict between your duty to the governor and your duty to the law?" state Sen. Hollis French, D-Anchorage, asked.

Ross said he would serve the interests of the state rather than of the governor.

"My duties to the law come first. I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and that of the State of Alaska. I didn't take an oath to support and defend the governor," Ross said.

At times during the hearing, the exchanges between Ross and members of the committee became heated.

Nome Democrat Donny Olson challenged Ross on his opposition to Alaska's rural preference law for subsistence hunting and fishing, which the nominee worked to get tossed out by the Alaska Supreme Court, and another court ordered a federal takeover of subsistence hunting and fishing management across much of the state:

Ross said the state Constitution says Alaska’s assets belong to all state residents, and people should talk instead of going to the feds to get “more rights than other people.”

“You don’t invite the bear into your house and then expect not to get eaten up. We’re being eaten up and we need to get together,” Ross told the committee.

Olson objected.

“The bear that you call it is the United States government and that’s what had to step in here because state law was starting to run over the rank and file little guy out there that is trying to make a living out in rural Alaska,” Olson said.

Ross fired back.

“You’re a senator, you represent all Alaskans and you should be working with other Alaskans to develop solutions rather than going out and crying to mama out somewheres else, and saying ‘mom, you’ve got to help me,”’ Ross said. “That’s not necessarily directed at you. But we should have worked together to solve those problems, rather than get somebody else.”

Ross told the committee that he opposes the death penalty (Gov. Palin supports it) and said that state officials are often too intent on taking kids from homes in cases of alleged abuse rather than in keeping families together when appropriate.

The nominee will appear before the House Judiciary Committee on Friday. State legislators are scheduled to vote on his confirmation April 16. the consensus among Alaska's legislators is that Ross, a strong gun-rights advocate who has a lot of Republican support in the Legislature, will be confirmed.

Update: Visit The Dutch Harbor Fisherman to learn how you can listen in on the hearings.

- JP