Articles & Op-eds
Indian Country Today: Tribes come together in a challenge Indian Child Welfare decision
by Jourdan Bennett-Begaye
Law was designed to give Native children "equal rights and human rights" A defending argument for the Indian Child Welfare Act was released last week with widespread support from 325 tribes, 57 organizations, 31 child welfare organizations and seven members of Congress. The legal brief asks the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, a higher court, to look at the Brackeen v. Zinke decision of a lower court, the Northern District of Texas. U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor said last October that t… Continue Reading
01.22.19
KTVA: Murkowski, Sullivan make pleas to pay Coast Guard during partial government shutdown
by Dave Leval
"This isn't a natural disaster, this is a man-made disaster," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, as she spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate Saturday in support of the Coast Guard, especially in Alaska. "When they say that we're a Coast Guard town, Kodiak is truly, truly a Coast Guard town," Murkowski said during her 25-minute speech. She says nearly 1,100 Coast Guard personnel are assigned to Kodiak. They account for about one-third of the area's economy. "Right now, Persian Gulf, Mar… Continue Reading
01.21.19
KTVA: Alaskans mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day with giving
On Monday, some Alaskans got a day off from work in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr., but others considered it a day "on," dedicated to public service in the slain civil rights leader's name. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski reflected on King's legacy from Washington, D.C. "Dr. King led a courageous fight against prejudice and discrimination, changing hearts and minds across the country," she said. "His unwavering mission to bring equality and a more civilized society to the U… Continue Reading
01.21.19
The Hill: New momentum for Equal Rights Amendment
by Lydia Wheeler
Equal rights for women could soon be enshrined in the Constitution. Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) almost 47 years ago to establish gender equality under the law, and state support is closing in on clearing a crucial obstacle. The Virginia Senate passed a resolution last week to ratify the ERA, which would make gender equality the law of the land. If the House follows suit, the commonwealth would become the 38th state needed for ratification. The proposal was rejected 4-2 by… Continue Reading
01.18.19
KTVA: 'Have a voice:' Murkowski addresses Natives' Arctic priorities
by Jennifer Summers
Alaska's senior senator spoke to Alaska Native leaders in Washington D.C. at the Alaska Federation of Natives' Alaska Day event Thursday. The event was part of a two-day briefing with Native leaders, military officials, Cabinet officials and Alaska's congressional delegation. During the briefing, Sen. Lisa Murkowski discussed the important role of Congress in working to address issues surrounding Alaska and the Arctic. She talked about working with Alaska's Sen. Dan Sullivan and Rep. Don Young… Continue Reading
01.15.19
Washington Post: Bipartisan Senate group forming in search of shutdown deal amid impasse between Trump, party leaders
by Erica Werner, Sean Sullivan and Damian Paletta
A new bipartisan group of rank-and-file senators has formed to discuss how to end the weeks-long government shutdown, with talks between congressional leaders and the White House at a standstill. But unless President Trump and Democratic leaders find common ground, it's unclear what the rank-and-file talks could yield, and even some participants were downbeat after the group held its first meeting late Monday afternoon in the basement of the Capitol. About a dozen lawmakers were in attendance,… Continue Reading
01.14.19
Oil & Gas 360: ANWR, Unfinished Energy Biz Top Senate To Do List
Against the backdrop of a bitter government shutdown, the new bipartisan leaders of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee are forging ahead with setting the panel's agenda for the 116th Congress, huddling this week to talk business before landing at a house party hosted by former ENR Chairwoman Mary Landrieu (D-La.). Following their first meeting this year as chairwoman and ranking member, Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said the committee's first order of busin… Continue Reading
01.12.19
KFGO: Heitkamp continues to push Congress to pass Savanna's Act
Former North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp is still trying to get Congress to pass Savanna's Act even though she's left office. The bill would would improve crime databases and start reporting missing and murdered indigenous people. The National Crime Information Center says there were more than 5,700 reports of killed or missing Native American women and girls in the United States in 2016. Only 116 cases were logged into a Department of Justice database. "In many times, the expectations of fami… Continue Reading
01.11.19
POPville: “This bill is a win-win for the District and the federal government by allowing the rehabilitation of a major NPS-owned park in downtown D.C.”
by Prince of Petworth
From a press release: "Norton Announces Senate Lands Package Includes Her Bill to Allow D.C. to Work with NPS to Make Improvements to Franklin Park Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced that a federal lands package introduced by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) contains Norton's bill that clarifies that the District of Columbia and the National Park Service (NPS) have the authority to enter into cooperative management agreements … Continue Reading
01.11.19
Alaska Public Media: A functioning government or border security? Murkowski wants both
by Liz Ruskin
Like most Republicans in Congress, Sen. Dan Sullivan and Congressman Don Young are sticking with President Trump, who says he'll let the partial government shutdown continue until he gets money to build a wall, or a steel barrier, on the southern border. But Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Friday she's pulled in two directions. "I've got a lot of people who are saying 'Lisa, you've got to stand with the president. You've got to stand strong on this. Because we need to have border security,'" she said… Continue Reading
01.11.19
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: Murkowski co-sponsors Senate bill to end shutdown
by Erin McGroarty
Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski continued her push against the government shutdown Friday in co-sponsoring the End Government Shutdowns Act with a group of fellow Republican senators. The legislation would end the shutdown and work to permanently avoid future government shutdowns by creating an automatic continuing resolution for any regular appropriations bills or existing resolutions, thus allowing the federal government to remain open even when budget negotiations falter before key spe… Continue Reading
01.06.19
Arctic Sounder: Movers and shakers in 2018
by Shady Grove Oliver
This year, it was both the people and the land itself that broke records and barriers across the Northwest Arctic and North Slope. Quakes shattered previous standards in the Arctic and shook up residents visiting Anchorage. Women and men alike stepped forward to call for more accountability in the justice system and to reach out a helping hand to those in need. As 2018 comes to a close, we take a look back at some of the most moving stories in the Sounder over the past 12 months. Youth step u… Continue Reading
01.06.19
Anchorage Daily News: Officials push to keep dozens of earthquake sensors slated for removal across Alaska
by Alex DeMarban
Alaska officials are working to keep in place a statewide seismic network that's scheduled to be decommissioned next year but is vital for understanding earthquake and tsunami risks in the nation's most seismically active state. The National Science Foundation next year plans to remove more than 150 seismic sensors it installed in Alaska in recent years, closing out a $50 million project that vastly improved the state's limited seismic network, said Mike West, state seismologist. But West and … Continue Reading
12.24.18
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: Honoring Ted Stevens
by U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski
Today is a special day in Alaska's history. Fifty years ago, on Christmas Eve in 1968, Gov. Wally Hickel appointed a young veteran and attorney named Ted Stevens to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate. That proved to be an exceptional choice and a great man would go on to become one of the longest-serving Republican senators of all time, the "Alaskan of the Century," and a beloved icon across our state. To be sure, even before Ted came to the Senate, he had played a key role in shaping Alaska's f… Continue Reading
12.23.18
ADN: The last earthquake shook Alaska hard. Let’s make sure we’re even better prepared for the next one.
by U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski
The recent magnitude 7.0 earthquake was a deeply unsettling experience for many Alaskans. Roads collapsed, homes were damaged, and several schools will be shut for extended periods. While we remain grateful that no one was seriously injured or killed, this event - and the now more than 5,000 aftershocks that have followed - are stark reminders of the destructive forces of nature that are present in our state. A question that many Alaskans have asked is, "What comes next?" We're no strangers… Continue Reading
12.18.18
Maui Now: Bill to Expand AMBER Alert Advances in US Senate
Maile Amber Alert. Maui Now. The US Senate unanimously passed legislation authored by US Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) that will expand the AMBER Alert system to include all US territories. The national AMBER Alert network distributes alerts on highway billboards, TVs, radio, and cellular phones to mobilize the public when a child is missing or abducted. It has helped rescue more than 900 children to date. "AMBER Alerts have helped save hundreds of children. … Continue Reading
12.18.18
Chugiak Star: In Chugiak-Eagle River, earthquake recovery will be a long-term effort
by Matt Tunseth
As the New Year approaches, it's becoming clear to Chugiak-Eagle River residents the ramifications from the Nov. 30 earthquake will be felt for months and years to come. Two special community meetings were held in Eagle River in the past week to help disseminate information about earthquake recovery efforts and allow residents to share their stories. The first, on Friday, featured Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHS&EM) incident command… Continue Reading
12.17.18
Juneau Empire: Sitka woman testifies in DC about missing, murdered Alaska Native women
by Alex McCarthy
When she got to the names of the victims, Patricia Alexander's voice began to break. Alexander, the co-chair of the Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska's (CCTHITA) Violence Against Women Task Force, was testifying before the U.S. Senate Commitee on Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C. The committee was holding a hearing specifically about missing and murdered American Indian and Alaska Native women. Alexander, who was one of three women testifying, first thanked the senator… Continue Reading
12.16.18
Arctic Sounder: Savanna's Act passes U.S. Senate
by Shady Grove Oliver
A bill calling for more law enforcement focus on cases of missing and murdered indigenous women has passed the U.S. Senate. Savanna's Act is named for 22-year-old Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, of the Spirit Lake Nation, who was murdered in North Dakota in 2017. The act passed unanimously on Dec. 6 and has now moved to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration. "This legislation combats the epidemic of murdered and missing Native women and girls by improving the federal government's re… Continue Reading
12.16.18
Cordova Times: Earthquake hazards reduction legislation becomes law
by Margaret Bauman
Bipartisan federal legislation that modernizes safety programs to help states like Alaska prepare for and respond to earthquakes has been signed into law as the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act. President Donald Trump signed the measure into law on Dec. 11. "Not even two weeks ago, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck just a few miles north of Anchorage, and there have now been close to 4,000 aftershocks," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who introduced the bil… Continue Reading
