Alaska Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy took to Twitter last week to speak out regarding the controversy of firing police officers who refuse COVID-19 vaccine mandates, announcing his state will “back the blue.”
In an Oct. 20 Twitter post, Dunleavy shared a Chicago Tribune article highlighting city officers placed on unpaid leave over refusing to comply with the city’s vaccine mandate.
“Across the country, members of law enforcement are being targeted & even fired for refusing to either get vaccinated or disclose if they have been. Alaska’s law enforcement community invites you to consider the 49th state where we back the blue,” Dunleavy wrote.
It’s not the first time the outspoken governor has defied the growing calls for police mandates. Now he’s inviting out of state officers to consider the freedom Alaska offers.
“Austin McDaniel, a spokesman for the Alaska Department of Public Safety, said the agency has seen an increase in ‘lateral trooper applications’ this year. Those are police officers in other departments who are interested in becoming troopers. He said it isn’t clear whether that’s because of vaccination mandates, but new statistics could be available by early December. He also confirmed that the department isn’t specifically targeting fired officers for recruitment but is willing to take their applications,” the Anchorage Daily News reported.
He’s not alone in his support of officers taking a stand against COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Indiana Republican Sen. Mike Braun has also invited disgruntled Chicago police officers to consider moving next door to the Hoosier state to work.
Braun tweeted last week, “Those who dedicated their lives to serving and protecting our nation’s citizens deserve the utmost respect. Come work in Indiana!”
In another post he said, “The welcome sign is up for the folks who do the hardest job in the country. When you give these crazy ultimatums like ‘Get the vaccine or lose your job’ places like Indiana that don’t believe in top-down mandates like Mayor Lightfoot and President Biden will benefit.”
He followed the announcement with a round of media interviews highlighted the need to support officers. In one Fox News interview, Braun said, “The disrespect we’re seeing for Chicago police from Lori Lightfoot and Joe Biden is why we’re already seeing an influx of them interested in serving and protecting a place that respects them like Indiana.”
Braun’s words are well stated. It’s the disrespect of Lightfoot and Biden, among others on the left, that is leading police officers to consider friendlier homes. Both Alaska and Indiana are declaring themselves a refuge of freedom for officers, and they’re not alone.
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis just announced he is considering a $5,000 moving bonus for police officers from other states who come to serve in Florida. He’s making the move both about freedom and a business offer that could help the officers and his state.
Many have decried attacks against law enforcement, and there are many. However, there are some bright spots as well, showing there is still hope despite the widespread darkness the left continues to cast over America.
