An Alaska lawmaker with a history of incendiary remarks has been censured by the state House.
Alaska state Rep. David Eastman speaks with reporters after the House voted to censure him on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, in Juneau, Alaska. The censure followed comments the Wasilla Republican made during a committee hearing Monday on child abuse and trauma.
During a committee hearing Monday on adverse childhood experiences, Eastman asked the testifier how he would respond “to the argument that I have heard on occasion where in the case where child abuse is fatal, obviously it’s not good for the child, but it’s actually a benefit to society” because there is not a need for government services that child would otherwise be entitled to if they had lived.
“Talking dollars,” Eastman said, referencing a figure in a document provided to the committee that was related to costs associated with neglect and abuse. Eastman said it “gets argued periodically that it’s actually a cost savings because that child is not going to need any of those government services that they might otherwise be entitled to receive and need based on growing up in this type of environment.”Rep.
The House is controlled by a Republican-led majority. The predominantly Democratic minority also includes independents and a Republican. Eastman is not part of either caucus.
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