State Senator Lora Reinbold now has limited options of either hiring a private plane, or driving. If she drives, it could take her up to 3 days, by car and ferry, and trying to get through Canada, which might not let her in because of COVID restrictions.
It would seem this has been an ongoing crusade for Reinbold for many months, that masks are ineffective, that it should be personal choice, that Alaska Airlines and the state are overextending their powers. Yadda yadda yadda. Well, they finally tired of her nonsense and banned her from travelling on Alaska Airlines. Good.
Source: Anchorage Daily News
Alaska Airlines said Saturday that it has banned state Sen. Lora Reinbold, R-Eagle River, from its flights for continuing to refuse to follow mask-wearing requirements for travelers.
“We have notified Senator Lora Reinbold that she is not permitted to fly with us for her continued refusal to comply with employee instruction regarding the current mask policy,” spokesman Tim Thompson said by email.
“This suspension is effective immediately, pending further review. Federal law requires all guests to wear a mask over their nose and mouth at all times during travel, including throughout the flight, during boarding and deplaning, and while traveling through an airport,” he said.
The ban cast uncertainty on how Reinbold might rejoin the Alaska Senate when legislative work resumes Monday. No other airline has regularly scheduled direct flights between Anchorage and Juneau.
But it appeared as though Reinbold was pursuing an alternate travel solution: On Saturday night, Reinbold told an anti-mask group that she was “en route to Juneau” and had pulled her car over to the side of the road to talk.
“I have an unexpected trip that I am taking that is a little bit confidential,” Reinbold told the group. She did not answer a text message asking whether she was driving to Haines or Skagway, which had scheduled ferry service to Juneau on Sunday afternoon. Driving to either location requires going through Canada, which has implemented strict pandemic travel restrictions.
Alaska Airlines says it has banned Eagle River state Sen. Lora Reinbold for violating COVID-19 mask policy: https://t.co/Txpg6bfOKw
— Anchorage Daily News (@adndotcom) April 25, 2021
Second video. Translation “I want to speak to your manager!” #akleg pic.twitter.com/8ptq6ItQfF
— The Alaska Landmine (@alaskalandmine) April 22, 2021
