Articles & Op-eds
Royal Caribbean Blog: Alaska Senator introduces bill to permanently allow cruise ships to sail to Alaska without stopping in Canada
by Matt Hochberg
A new bill aims to permanently circumvent U.S. cabotage laws so that cruise ships can always visit Alaska without needing to stop in Canada. U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced on Wednesday she will introduce a new bill to Congress that would permanently allow foreign flagged cruise ships to sail to Alaska without having to stop in Canada by creating a permanent exemption from the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA). At the onset of the global health crisis, Canada banned cruise ship… Continue Reading
09.16.21
Wrangell Sentinel: Murkowski sees opportunities for Wrangell in infrastructure funding
by Larry Persily
Though its passage is uncertain amid partisan battles in Congress and even disagreements among the majority-holding Democrats, the trillion-dollar infrastructure bill could be an opportunity for federal help with costly improvements to Wrangell's water system. However, all communities in Alaska "have to be honest in regard to timing," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who visited Wrangell last weekend. In addition to waiting on Congress to decide on the legislation, "we know what it means to bring a (b… Continue Reading
09.07.21
KSFK: Infrastructure bill could boost ferries, energy projects in Southeast
by Katie Anastas
The Senate passed the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill last month. Now, the House of Representatives is set to vote on it at the end of September. As Katie Anastas reports, participants in a recent town hall forum see the bill's potential for funding ferries and energy projects in Southeast Alaska. The House hasn't passed the infrastructure bill just yet. And President Biden will still need to sign it into law. Kaleb Froehlich, Senator Lisa Murkowski's chief of staff, called the bill hi… Continue Reading
08.30.21
Peninsula Clarion: Murkowski pushes to reauthorize heritage site
by Ashlyn O'Hara
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski is working to reauthorize the Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area through 2036, per a Monday release from Murkowski's office. The Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area is one of only 55 NHAs in the United States and is the only one in Alaska. It was originally created through the Omnibus Lands Act in 2009, and is currently set to terminate in 2024. NHAs are "places where natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to form a cohesive… Continue Reading
08.21.21
Anchorage Daily News: Alaska gets a much-needed win with the federal infrastructure bill
by Anchorage Daily News Editorial Board
During the past several months, there's been so much partisan rhetoric thrown out about the federal infrastructure bill that Alaskans can be forgiven any confusion about what's in it - and what isn't. Ironically, the bill has been assailed by hardcore activists on the left and right alike, though for opposite reasons. And when a bipartisan spending bill has too little to satisfy the far left and too much to win approval of the far right, odds are it's settled on a medium that those of us in betw… Continue Reading
08.18.21
KTOO: Energy secretary praises Alaska’s innovation in renewables
by Liz Ruskin
U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm visited Fairbanks and Anchorage this week to learn about how Alaska communities are innovating to produce renewable energy. "What those communities need, given the shifting nature of the permafrost, etc., and what they will need going into the future," she told reporters on Monday. "But then how those solutions could also be solutions for like Puerto Rico - you know, that kind of creating a space that can be incredibly resilient from all manner of weather… Continue Reading
08.15.21
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: Energy Secretary to Alaska: 'You have the solutions'
by Linda F. Hersey
Alaska's clean energy innovations have national and global implications for how America responds to climate change and natural disasters. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski delivered that message firsthand Sunday to U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, who was in greater Fairbanks to see research facilities and talk with scientists on the forefront of discovering and deploying solutions to real-world problems. "We know in Alaska that we have been pioneering for a long time. But I don't think that… Continue Reading
08.10.21
Anchorage Daily News: Here’s how the Senate infrastructure bill would benefit Alaska
by Alex DeMarban, James Brooks
The $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed Tuesday by the Senate is being called a historic effort to invest in the nation's roads, broadband and utilities. The bill must still pass the House, and there's no specific timeline for when that will happen. The measure includes specific items for Alaska across a variety of categories, according to the bill's language and details from Republican Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who was part of a bipartisan group of senators who helped create it. … Continue Reading
08.06.21
Alaska's News Source: Murkowski highlights how Alaska could benefit from infrastructure bill
by Taylor Clark
Whether it be roads, waterways or airports, Alaska has some of the most unique infrastructure needs in the country. They are not cheap to maintain or build. In a recent announcement, Sen. Lisa Murkowski highlighted how the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act could benefit the state. There is a lot included in the some 2,700 pages of the bill. It calls for a lot of federal money to be spent improving all forms of infrastructure with $550 billion across the nation. It's now headed to the U.S. … Continue Reading
08.06.21
KYUK: Y-K Delta Victims Shelters Relieved After Federal Funding Is Restored
by Greg Kim
Victim advocacy centers in the region are breathing a sigh of relief after President Joe Biden signed the VOCA Fix Act on July 22. The act will reverse severe federal funding cuts sustained by shelters and advocacy centers earlier this year. In April, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta's two largest victim advocacy centers received news that they called devastating. Bethel's Tundra Women's Coalition and the Emmonak Women's Shelter learned that they would lose about a third of their federal funding from… Continue Reading
08.06.21
Homer News: ‘An investment in our country’
by Ashlyn O'Hara
Alaska stands to benefit from congressional efforts to bolster the nation's infrastructure, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski told Alaska reporters during a remote press conference Thursday. The U.S. Senate voted last Wednesday to begin debate on the legislation, which includes $550 billion in new federal investment in infrastructure, including roads, ports, bridges, rail and broadband. Murkowski, a Republican, emphasized Thursday the bipartisan nature of the legislation now up for consideration by the… Continue Reading
08.05.21
OPINION: Maintaining the best military presence for Alaska and the world
by Senator Lisa Murkowski
Last weekend the Interior caught a glimpse of our military's airpower capabilities as Eielson Air Force Base hosted the Arctic Lightning Air Show. Alaskans had the opportunity to watch in awe as pilots and crews showcased the power, speed and agility of our country's incredible aircraft. It's always a sight that humbles me as an American. While airshows are stunning displays of military might, they are also visceral and visual reminders of what our military does and what our military needs to pr… Continue Reading
07.29.21
Anchorage Daily News: Murkowski touts money for Alaska projects in bipartisan infrastructure bill
by Alex DeMarban
A trillion-dollar bipartisan infrastructure proposal in Congress contains large amounts of funding to improve Alaska highways, water and wastewater systems, broadband services and other facilities, Sen. Lisa Murkowksi, R-Alaska, said on Thursday. Murkowski, part of a 10-member group of Republicans and Democrats who helped fashion the proposal, said it will especially support states like Alaska that have lagged behind in basic facilities. "We've really focused on ensuring that those parts… Continue Reading
07.29.21
Juneau Empire: Murkowski: Alaska’s needs addressed in infrastructure bill
by Peter Segall
Alaska will be well taken care of if a massive infrastructure bill currently being crafted in the U.S. Senate passes Congress, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told reporters Thursday in a news conference with Alaskan media. A bill being negotiated by a bipartisan group of senators, Murkowski among them, and President Joe Biden was taken up by the Senate Wednesday and contains roughly $1 trillion in investments for the nation's infrastructure. In a phone call from Washington, Murkowski told repo… Continue Reading
07.28.21
Alaska Public Media: They have a deal: Murkowski, bipartisan senators’ group, get infrastructure bill to square 1
by Liz Ruskin
After weeks of negotiations, a trillion-dollar infrastructure bill is advancing in the U.S. Senate. Sen. Lisa Murkowski was part of a bipartisan group that reached the deal with the White House. She told reporters at the Capitol the bill will go a long way toward rebuilding America's lagging infrastructure "and helping in many parts of the country where infrastructure doesn't exist at all." The Senate voted 67-32 Wednesday to begin debate on the bill. Several more votes lie ahead. The bill ha… Continue Reading
07.13.21
Alaska Public Media: Sen. Murkowski and Sec. Granholm announce energy grants for Alaska Native communities
by Liz Ruskin
U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Tuesday announced 13 tribal energy grants, about half of which are going to Alaska Native communities. Granholm said the grants from the Office of Indian Energy will help meet President Biden's climate goals. In total, she said, they will fund some seven megawatts of clean power generation and battery storage. "That will power 1,300 tribal buildings and save these 13 communities a combined $1.8 million annually," she said. On a Zoom conference call … Continue Reading
07.09.21
Anchorage Daily News: Large cruise ships are returning to Southeast Alaska, ending a 21-month hiatus
by James Brooks
Southeast Alaska's tourism drought is ending. On Friday, the first large cruise ship in 21 months, Royal Caribbean International's Serenade of the Seas, tied up to Ketchikan's docks. The ship was a test voyage, intended to gauge the effectiveness of COVID-19 precautions. But others will follow later this month and they will keep arriving through October. Sitka will see its first ship mid-month. Juneau, the state's biggest cruise port, will welcome its first big arrival on July 23. … Continue Reading
06.12.21
OPINION: We must address gender-based violence and domestic violence in Alaska
by Senator Lisa Murkowski
The coronavirus pandemic has affected us all - from losing loved ones and feeling isolated to job loss and financial insecurity - devastating effects felt across America. Throughout the pandemic, we saw numerous shelter-at-home orders to help mitigate the spread of the disease. Sheltering at home, though, assumes that your home is a true shelter - a safe place. But imagine being told to "hunker down" in an environment that's far from safe. For many, sheltering in place meant increased cases of a… Continue Reading
05.06.21
Foreign Service Journal: Can the Arctic’s unique distinction as a zone of peace be maintained? “The Arctic Senator” explains what it will take.
by Lisa Murkowski
A battle-ready flotilla of 50 warships and 40 military aircraft cruised across the North Pacific. In its path was a small fleet of American fishermen. When the flotilla's course encroached on the U.S. fishing grounds, the flotilla aggressively directed the fishing fleet to leave the area. The fishermen, a resilient and experienced group-the "seen it all" type-were understandably shocked. Seeing no choice, they quickly fled the scene. After all, what could an unarmed collection of fishermen do in… Continue Reading
04.14.21
E&E News: Historic duo puts climate on Indian Affairs agenda
by Geof Koss and Emma Dumain
When control of the Senate remained up in the air for two months after last November's elections, Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) made a pact about the Indian Affairs Committee, where they were both in line to serve as the two most senior members. "We chatted before it was clear who was going to win the Senate and agreed that whether she was chair or I was the chair, it was going to be a partnership," Schatz told E&E News in an interview last month. "And that rem… Continue Reading
