ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Now an official caucus, growing from three members to six, the newly created conservative-leaning Senate minority says its focus next session will be on promoting economic growth and ensuring longterm fiscal stability for Alaskan taxpayers.

Sen. Mike Shower, R-Wasilla, will lead the caucus, with Sen. Robert Myers, R-North Pole, acting as minority whip.

“Our focus is clear: empower the private sector to drive growth, streamline government to better serve Alaskans, and deliver a budget that is both balanced and sustainable,” Shower said.

The other members making up the Senate minority are Sen. Shelley Hughes, R-Palmer, who was part of the three-member group last session, which included Shower and Myers.

Republican Senators-elect Mike Cronk from Tok and Rob Yundt from Wasilla will bring new perspectives to the Senate, taking seats previously held by Republican members of the bipartisan Senate majority coalition.

Cronk, who was part of the conservative-leaning House majority last session, won the seat formerly held by Sen. Click Bishop. Yundt successfully defeated Senate majority member Sen. David Wilson for his seat.

In a surprise move, Senate majority member and Senate Transportation Chair Sen. James Kaufman, R-Anchorage, announced he will join the newly formed minority.

“Now more than ever, we need a caucus that is clearly focused on enabling the private sector, which is the force that can lift all boats by providing increased economic opportunity,” Kaufman said.

On Thursday, Sen. Myers said Sen. Kaufman’s exodus from the majority isn’t that surprising to him because there are “a lot of things” the Anchorage senator was in agreement with the minority over the last couple of years.

“He was getting a little frustrated with the majority,” Myers said. “When you saw some of these big-ticket items, you know, such as the defined benefits and some of the education packages and stuff, you know, he was either voting no, or he was having some comments on the floor of, ‘I’m going to vote yes, but it’s with trepidation.‘”

Those “big ticket” items will likely be on the agenda this session, with the newly-created bipartisan House majority coalition announcing education and public employee pension reform as priorities.

All are issues that the Senate majority will support, and the Senate minority, the 19-member conservative-leaning House minority, and Gov. Mike Dunleavy will oppose.

Last session, the conservative-leaning House majority supported the governor’s veto of a comprehensive education package supported by the Senate majority and moderate House minority.

In the last session, the Senate majority also passed a defined benefits package that failed to pass out of committee in the House.

Myers said that even though a conservative-leaning member will be in the minority in the House and Senate next session, they have the numbers to “veto-proof” legislation the governor opposes.

In the 60-member joint session between the House and Senate, Myers said the regular bills require 40 votes to override the governor’s veto, and budget vetos need 45.

“Between the six of us, plus the 19 House Republicans, that’s, you know ... 25 votes right there, if we all hang together, then yeah, we can, can support the governor and upholding his vetoes,” Myers said.

Lastly, Myers said that with a formally recognized minority, the caucus will now have two seats on Senate Finance and Resources and one seat on other committees.

Myers said that’s important to them because it gives minority members more input into the process, compared to the last two years when they didn’t have committee seats with an unrecognized minority.

“Trying to bring forth amendments and have meaningful discussions on bills, we weren’t able to do that, really, until things hit the floor, at which point it gets very messy. You know, we prefer to do committee work in committee,” Myers said.

Minority leadership says it is still extending an open invitation to any senator who wishes to join.