Prax, Eastman oppose emergency state funding to deal with coronavirus health crisis

Newly minted state Rep. Mike Prax is not off to a good start in Juneau, aligning himself with Rep. David Eastman, who is incapable of getting along even with the Dunleavy wing of the Legislature.

On Wednesday, news reports said that the Legislature “almost unanimously” approved $13 million in emergency funding to deal with the coronavirus crisis. It was included in HB 206, the mental health budget.

The two votes against it came from Eastman and Prax. Here is a video of that vote.

Eastman claimed he opposed the process, not the funding.

Some people allow perfect to be the enemy of the good. Eastman is one of those people who allows everything to be the enemy of the good.

Instead of following Eastman, Prax should have joined the 55 legislators who recognized the need for quick action and support for mental health services.

Prax was appointed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy to fill the position after Rep. Tammie Wilson quit to take a state job.

Eastman and Prax were also the only two House members to oppose an earlier version of the bill March 3.

The bill opposed by Prax and Eastman includes accepting $9 million in federal funds and provides $4 million in in state funds to deal with the health emergency.

Prax also voted against the effective date of the bill. He would have been the only member of the Legislature to do that had he not changed his vote, which he did after it became clear that even Eastman didn’t take that step.

If Prax wants to become a competent legislator, he needs a mentor, not Eastman.