Sometimes, with people, businesses, and perhaps most of all legislative bodies, you just have to wonder what the heck they are thinking. Ranked-choice voting (RCV) is making the Great Land a national electoral laughing-stock, but at least we can't blame Juneau for that; and a repeal will be on the ballot again in November. Third time's the charm, right? But let's go back to the legislature. After several special sessions, the Alaska state legislature still hasn't managed to get a tax bill for the proposed natural gas pipeline passed.
But they do have time to pass a law recognizing - get this - a new official state vegetable, the giant green cabbage.
Senate Bill 208, originally focused on simplifying the agricultural land leasing process, was amended during the final weekend to include new regulations for industrial hemp growers and to establish the state vegetable. It passed the House with 39 yeas and one nay, and the Senate concurred with 17 yeas and three nays.
Rep. DeLena Johnson, R-Palmer, introduced the original bill focused solely on cabbage, HB 202, to promote the state's agriculture. The sponsor statement says that Alaska has a state bird, dog, fish, mammal, flower, and even tree, so it’s “high time our Alaska Giant Green Cabbage joins the pantheon of our state’s official living insignia.”
Well, it's good to know that the Alaska legislature has solved every conceivable issue that vexes our state today, and has time to spend giving official recognition to cabbages.
Alaska's own Suzanne Downing chimed in:
Some, such as conservative commentator and journalist Suzanne Downing, have criticized the bill as a symbol of legislative inefficiency in multiple formats, including a cartoon.
“While the gasline package died amid procedural chaos, amendments, ‘at ease’ delays, and political maneuvering, the cabbage bill rolled smoothly across the finish line,” Downing wrote. “At least Alaska now has an official vegetable.”
It's embarrassing; it's what it is. Granted, we already have a state bird (Willow Ptarmigan), a state mammal (moose), a state fish (King Salmon), and a flower (Forget-me-not), but those have been in place for some time, and likely weren't voted on when there was something as consequential as this Alaska natural gas pipeline, which was supposed to run from Prudhoe Bay to the Kenai Peninsula - and which the legislature couldn't figure out which tax deals and incentives to offer, despite Governor Dunleavy summoning them in for three - not one, not two, but three - special sessions.
Someone remind me what we are paying these people for?
Bear in mind that in the 2026 elections, thanks in large part to RCV, the state legislature and even (fates forbid) the governor's office may look a lot bluer than it is now. If that's the case, that natural gas pipeline might be as dead as disco. This pipeline was a key part of the development of Alaska energy, and would have been great for the state, but suddenly now the whole thing has been called into question. The Trump administration may still be able to push it through, but the companies doing the work would be a lot more enthusiastic had the Alaska legislature been a little more on the ball.
But now we are going to have a state cabbage. What a relief (he wrote, sarcastically).
Now, while Alaskans are facepalming over this so fast and so often that it's beginning to sound like a standing ovation at the Royal Albert Hall, this cabbage bill is going to the governor's desk. You just can't make this stuff up.
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