Gov. Sarah Palin speaks out.

• Author: Orr, Vanessa
• Position: Interview - Cover story

On Dec. 4, 2006, Sarah Palin became the 11th governor of Alaska. We spoke with her shortly after she took office to discuss her new position and the issues facing her administration and the future of the 49th state.

ABM: What led you to Alaska's top office? Were you always interested in politics?

Palin: Even as a little girl, I was very interested in current events, government, and U.S. history. My dad was an elementary school teacher so we talked a lot about current events, which built my interest--not so much in politics--but in what was happening in the world.

ABM: Why did you decide to run for office?

Palin: Alaskans desired a change; you could feel it. The fact that Alaskans were looking for a positive change was evident to members of the public. Observations were being made about ethical lapses in government, and the public's trust being eroded. I had a couple of opportunities to speak out for Alaskans on ethical issues, and thought that I could offer another choice in the governor's race. I've always been committed to trust and transparency in state government, which I believed, and other Alaskans obviously believed, was lacking in the (Murkowski) administration.

ABM: You've only been in office a short time, but already, you've 'undone' a number of actions that former Gov. Murkowski put into place before leaving-for example, the Lynn Canal contract, and 11th-hour appointments to several state boards. Why did you feel that it was important to act on these issues so quickly?

Palin: Governor Murkowski had a 19 percent approval rating in his own party-it's pretty evident that something was wrong. And when something's wrong, it means actions have been taken that have led the public to distrust the administration. Actions which are pretty obvious, such as appointing your son-in-law to a post in the waning hours of the administration, and letting a contract on a road that is not supported by the public, or by the department who will be letting the contract. We had to undo these actions to get off on the right foot-we needed to let the public know that we are not afraid to tackle the issues that have led to their distrust.

ABM: You recently vetoed the bill that sought to block the state from giving public employee benefits, such as health insurance, to same-sex couples. This is despite the fact that you disagree with the state Supreme Court order that directs the state to offer benefits to same-sex partners of state employees. How would you...