Unable to fly, Eagle River legislator excused from Senate

JUNEAU (AP) – An Eagle River legislator banned from Alaska Airlines for refusing to follow federal law that requires a face mask has been excused from attending state Senate floor sessions until mid-January — at her request.

However, Republican Sen. Lora Reinbold decided to stick around for the final days of legislative action anyway, leaving her no apparent option but to take a ferry out of Juneau and then drive through Canada to get home.

Reinbold on Sept. 9 requested the excusal to Jan. 15. Her request was accepted by the Republican-led Senate without objection.

She cited the challenges of further travels between Juneau and Anchorage after she was suspended from flying on Alaska Airlines earlier this year.

Had she not changed her travel plans, Reinbold’s decision could have caused her to miss Tuesday’s vote on the amount of this fall’s Permanent Fund dividend, where she was on the losing side that wanted a larger PFD.

The session ended Tuesday, though Gov. Mike Dunleavy has called lawmakers back for another special session in Juneau starting Oct. 1.

Lawmakers can request excusals from the House or Senate floor sessions for such things as personal or state business.

Delta Air Lines provides seasonal service to and from Juneau, which the company began in late May and ended last weekend. After her ban from Alaska Airlines, the senator has flown Delta into Juneau, but needed to get out last weekend if she wanted to fly before the summer service stopped.

Delta’s flights allowed Reinbold to connect through Seattle for her travel between Anchorage and Juneau.

Alaska Airlines in April said Reinbold was not allowed to fly with the carrier “for her continued refusal to comply with employee instruction regarding the current mask policy.” The company said the suspension was effective immediately “pending further review.”

On Sept. 9, airline spokesperson Tim Thompson said by email that Reinbold’s case “was reviewed earlier this year and she was notified of the outcome. Nothing has changed with her status from earlier this year.”

Reinbold has called the ban political. The legislator has been a vocal critic of masking rules, including at the state Capitol.

The senator in April drove from Anchorage to reach Juneau, making the last leg of the trip by state ferry.