Sen. Tobin

In Alaska, because we have to travel great distances to get our capital (some lawmakers travel more than a thousand miles each way), we all kind of live in the same apartment complex that the city of Juneau built for the legislature. Additionally, because Juneau is a tourist-based economy, a lot of establishments are closed during the winter months (when the legislature is in session). The legislature – recognizing that some of our sessions go very late into the night and that it’d be nice to be able to get a fast, hot meal before getting back to whatever’s going on that evening – built a cafeteria on the second floor of the Capitol building that’s open only to legislators. There are a few tables, each of which fit about five people comfortably. But you’ll often see eight or nine chairs squished around, and people eat with their elbows in so everyone can fit together.

What I most like about the cafeteria is that it gives you an opportunity to sit with someone over a hot cup of coffee – not in front of cameras, not in front of your staff, not in front of lobbyists – and ask the question that you were burning to ask and really get to know someone who has a different perspective or a different background. For me, it has afforded me a chance to really sit with folks who I don’t typically engage with outside of the legislature and get to know them as people, to understand what their perspective is, and where they come from. It also gives them an opportunity to get to know me.

I try to have breakfast every morning with our senior leadership, who are all very far right of me. And I’ve found that the easiest way to build inroads is to tease them mercilessly about some of the votes they’ve made in the past. And I’ve found that using humor has really helped build a sense of camaraderie and connection. We all have a good time whether talking about the budget or just discussing what’s going on. It’s been incredibly effective. And it turns out that breaking bread together is a very powerful thing.

And I appreciate deeply that my caucus allows for dissent. They allow for folks to have strong opinions and to express those in a space where we know no one is recording, no one is going to walk out of the room and share it with the broader public. And for me, having that trust with people – who I may not necessarily have same political viewpoint with, but who I know they very much want me to be successful – is a core piece of this. But again there’s only 20 of us in the Senate. There’s a shared experience that this stems from. And to me, that’s how you build better civility: You recognize that people are complex. They’re three dimensional. They hold different viewpoints, and not necessarily because it’s politically expedient but because there might be something of substance that’s behind it.

Rep. Galvin

Alaska is small enough, population-wise, that seeing each other as human beings first comes pretty naturally to us. There’s a fair deal of listening that needs to happen on both parts. As well as an appreciation that [a colleague’s] constituency may not be the same as yours. We also try to do things together. I hosted a dinner to start the session in January. A number of us agreed to do a polar plunge together at a park in downtown Juneau. And we also have a weekly bowling league. I’ve found these kinds of events help us get out of our heads and into our humanity, which is more important than anything.

Sen. Stevens

Civility means dealing other people fairly and realizing you’re going to need them down the road. And I think civility is absolutely crucial. And it comes from a respect of all sides. Very early on when I was elected, I learned that you need to work with everyone. And you don’t want to make an enemy, because you may need that person the next time around. There are going to be differences of opinion – that happens in the voting process. Even in my majority caucus, they can vote the way they want. But the presiding officer can play a part by making sure that that there is respect for everyone. Everyone has a chance to speak, and nobody has the right to shut anybody down. That’s always been my approach.

Minority members in the Senate, because they’re not on sharing committees, the only time they can really talk and have an impact is on the Senate floor. So often, more time is taken when we’re on the floor so that everyone has a chance to speak. Sometimes those floor sessions go on little longer than I’d hoped. But I’ve seen when a presiding officer has tried to shut someone down, to make their speech shorter: It just simply does not work. And the dividends come back if you mistreat people.

A Senate President needs to work with the majority and the minority. We have six members in the minority, who I’ve known for years. I meet with them, probably on a weekly basis, so we’ve tried to avoid any confrontations. There’s still a difference of opinion on various things, but it’s important to make sure that everyone knows what’s going on and is kept abreast of the issues.

It does take work. It does take effort. You can’t ignore that. You’ve got to reach out to people on different sides of the aisle. And it’s really interesting to see: Once people are comfortable, they’re willing to talk and willing to be involved. And once they get talking, they often realize, “Hey, we’re all the same. We all want to do what’s best for our communities and for the state.” And I think the longer you’re in the legislature, the more you realize that we’re all in this together. And we have to work together to get the things that we need.

Sen. Tobin

Sen. Stevens loves the arts. And he loves them in a very tangible way. One of the things he quietly does is he supports a group of staffers who write improv skits and then put on a show at the end of the session called The Skits, where they make fun of legislators the entire time. He allows them to use his space to practice. And he protects them if any legislators get their feathers ruffled.

The Skits has become one of the largest fundraisers by the legislature. And proceeds support a local women’s shelter. We sell about 600 tickets for it. And I think the show recently celebrated its 51^st anniversary — so it’s been happening a very long time. It happens at the end of April, in the city’s largest convention hall. You’re not allowed to record or share what happens with The Skits. It’s like Fight Club – everyone will deny that they were even there. Lobbyists will buy tables. And we get an exemption from our legislative ethics act, so the legislature can accept those gifts.

It’s quite fun. And one of the things I love about The Skits is you can only tease legislators. You can’t tease their families or their staff or anyone about their physical appearances. It’s all about having fun together and making fun of one another. It’s essentially an entire improv production done in three months during people’s spare time. You’ll come to the Capitol on a Saturday to do some work, and you’ll see someone running down the hallway in a dinosaur costume.

But the thing about The Skits is it’s part of the larger equation of civility. I’ve written skits with people who worked for legislators diametrically opposed to my personal beliefs. And yet, I was able to write some of the best skits with those staffers, find common ground, and build relationships.

Sen. Stevens

I absolutely deny having anything to do with The Skits. I love to go to them – they’re a tradition in Alaska. They’ve been going on long before I came here. I remember going before I was even in the legislature, and I was a little shocked by some of the things that happened. But they’re a lot of fun. The Skits make fun of me as they make fun of everyone else. But mostly it’s legislators, often in the House, who do foolish things, and then they get lambasted in The Skits. You do have to go there with a light heart, I guess, and not be offended by anything that happens.

But humor is important. I think it’s absolutely imperative that you maintain a sense of humor—and The Skits help us do that. They help you realize that you’re not a perfect person. Maybe you think you are. But the people who see various sides of you, they can find humor in it. And I’ve found that as a presiding officer, I try to use humor, not in a way to hurt anyone, but to lighten the mood and to bring everyone together.