Articles & Op-eds
The Daily Beast: Alaska Native Man’s Unsolved Murder Part of ‘Epidemic’
by Matthew Murphy
Nancy Furlow knew something was wrong with her 20-year-old grandson Brandon the moment the phone rang at 1 a.m. on a winter morning and a "woman with a very cold voice" told her two police officers were at her front door. "You know if two police officers are outside your home at that time, it isn't good," Furlow told The Daily Beast. "I answered the door and I tried to get them to tell me at the door but they insisted on coming inside. Then they said, 'I am so sorry to tell you that Brandon … Continue Reading
05.29.22
Anchorage Daily News OPINION: Honoring the fallen — and caring for veterans
by Senator Lisa Murkowski
On Memorial Day, we honor the men and women who have served and given their lives for our nation. These Americans deserve our utmost respect and admiration, today and every day. Alaska has lost servicemembers in conflicts ranging from the Battle of Attu to the Global War on Terror. They left their homes to fight for our country, selflessly and courageously and knowing they might never come back. We can never fully thank them for their ultimate sacrifice, but we must try. Recent events, includi… Continue Reading
05.20.22
Nome Nugget: Nomeite Volunteered With Ukrainian Foreign Legion
by Peter Loewi
Still jetlagged, Mark Hayward opened his bag and took out an ammo can stuffed with memorabilia and makeshift battery parts. He then detailed how he, a clinical field instructor for Norton Sound Health Corporation's Village Health Services, came to spend two months driving across Ukraine in an old ambulance volunteering to teach Ukrainians how to use anti-tank missiles. "I had no desire to be in a war, I've been there and done that, but this can't be tolerated," he said in an interview with T… Continue Reading
05.08.22
Anchorage Daily News: An Alaskan spent 2 months training troops in Ukraine. Now, he’s pushing for defense policy changes.
by Zachariah Hughes
Mark Hayward was in Savoonga, closer to the Russian Far East than the Alaska mainland, when the International Legion of the Defense of Ukraine formally invited him to join the war effort. The 53-year-old retired Green Beret lives in Nome and works for the local health care system as a trainer for village health aides in communities in the Bering Strait region. While on St. Lawrence Island, a clinician let him use the internet to do a Skype interview with Ukrainian military coordinators. … Continue Reading
04.24.22
Alaska Journal of Commerce: Going nuclear: Alaska is a big target for small reactors
by Elwood Brehmer
Nuclear industry giant Westinghouse is targeting Alaska for deployment of its small-scale reactor technology. Representatives from Westinghouse's nuclear division have been traveling to Alaska in recent months and talking with key decision-makers in the state about their eVinci micro-reactor, which they insist utilizes a design that makes it a totally safe, economically viable alternative to the diesel-powered generators relied upon across the vast majority of Alaska. "It will enable economic … Continue Reading
04.21.22
Nome Nugget: Senator Lisa Murkowski Visits Nome
by Peter Loewi
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) was in town on Monday and Tuesday this week to talk about the work she has been doing in Washington D.C. and to hear from Nome about the work going on here. It was well past time, she said, since the pandemic shutdown curbed the ability to get out into Alaska communities. "I have been itching to come back up," she said. "We've watched the numbers very carefully for COVID, because we need to respect what's happening on the ground and respect how people are feel… Continue Reading
04.11.22
Anchorage Daily News: At symposium, Alaska communities pursue their share of ‘transformational’ infrastructure bill funding
by Iris Samuels
The federal infrastructure bill signed last year could transform Alaska similar to how the trans-Alaska pipeline did more than 40 years ago, Alaska leaders say. But that's possible only if local leaders capitalize on myriad funding opportunities available through the bill, Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Monday during a symposium organized by her office. Well over 1,000 people -- including state lawmakers, mayors, and tribal leaders -- attended a first-of-its-kind symposium that brought federal agency… Continue Reading
04.05.22
OPINION: A law that supports and protects women
by Senator Lisa Murkowski
In March, we celebrated Women's History Month and the many accomplishments of women across the board. But as we continue to recognize the remarkable achievements of women, we must also acknowledge the public safety threat that women continue to face in Alaska. In 2020, more than half of the women surveyed in the Alaska Victimization Survey reported experiencing intimate partner violence, sexual violence or both in their lifetime. Alaska Native women continue to suffer the highest rate of forcib… Continue Reading
03.29.22
OPINION: Kodiak Daily Mirror: $210M heading to Coast Guard Base Kodiak
by Senator Lisa Murkowski
Last week, the U.S. Coast Guard released a spending plan for the $429 million that Congress allocated to it through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. In a welcome development for Alaska, Base Kodiak will receive nearly half of that total - $210 million - for key projects including a new fuel pier, housing, and a child development center. This is great news for Kodiak and one of the biggest victories Alaska has yet had under the new infrastructure law. But it didn't happen by accident.… Continue Reading
03.26.22
OPINION: CNN: The US Constitution does not guarantee women equality. We intend to change that.
by By Ben Cardin and Lisa Murkowski
The US Constitution does not guarantee women the same rights and protections as men. To the surprise of many, it contains no explicit protection against discrimination on the basis of sex. We intend to change that to ensure that "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex." We represent Alaska and Maryland, states with vastly different constituencies and geographies, but we are working together to advance equality for… Continue Reading
03.16.22
Federal spending bill includes $2 million to link Wrangell’s water plant to upper reservoir
by Sage Smiley
This week, the president signed a $1.5 trillion federal spending bill into law. The bipartisan bill keeps the federal government running, and includes billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine. The spending package also includes hundreds of millions for lawmakers' pet projects. A little over $2 million from the bill will go towards funding a pipe on Wrangell Island. Listen to this story here. Wrangell's drinking water comes from two artificial lakes perched on a hill south of town. But the wa… Continue Reading
03.16.22
KINY: Murkowski offers reaction to Zelensky's speech, speaks to Biden about getting canned salmon to Ukraine
by KINY
Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - During an interview with News of the North, Alaska Senior United States Senator Lisa Murkowski offered her reaction to the speech by Ukrainian President Zelensky. "It was very clear to me he was not just addressing members of Congress. He was not just addressing President Biden. He was addressing the world. He was addressing every person who comes from a free and democratic country." Murkowski added that Zelensky was urging us to see that the people of Ukraine are f… Continue Reading
03.16.22
KINY: Murkowski hails signing of Violence against Women Act
by KINY
Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Alaska Senior United States Senator Lisa Murkowski celebrated at the White House Wednesday when President Biden signed her Violence Against Women Act into law. The senator says she's very proud of what they were able to do with the reauthorization of the act and what it means to ensure that women and children feel safe in their communities and in their homes and to reduce the levels of domestic violence in Alaska. She points out that Alaska's statistics are some of th… Continue Reading
02.23.22
Murkowski: Russian aggression shows importance of resource extraction in Alaska
by Iris Samuels
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski is using Russian aggression towards Ukraine to call for investment in resource extraction in Alaska to supplant oil and mineral imports from Russia and other foreign powers. "No administration should defend a Russian pipeline instead of refilling ours," the Republican senator, widely seen as a moderate, said in her annual address to the state Legislature on Tuesday. Murkowski said a full scale invasion of Russian forces in Ukraine could have "massive implications… Continue Reading
02.23.22
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: Sen. Murkowski urges lawmakers to address military housing needs in the Interior
by Linda Hersey
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski urged the Alaska Legislature to find solutions to the housing shortage impacting military families in the Fairbanks North Star Borough. In her annual address to lawmakers, Murkowski underscored the immediate housing needs for service members and their families as the presence of the U.S. military grows in the Interior. She highlighted the importance of Eielson Air Force Base to Alaska and the nation's security. Murkowski noted that Eielson is expanding its fleet … Continue Reading
02.23.22
The Midnight Sun: ‘This is our time.’ Murkowski calls on legislators to maximize federal infrastructure bill
by Matt Buxton
Alaska's U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski delivered her annual address to the Alaska Legislature today, urging legislators to help the state maximize the benefit of the landmark infrastructure legislation that she helped negotiate. The more than $600 million that's already been allocated for Alaska on everything from the Alaska Marine Highway to other infrastructure investments featured as a the main theme for the day. "As we gain those benefits, we will be creating jobs, we will restore, we will gr… Continue Reading
02.22.22
Juneau Empire: Murkowski: Good things can come together with bipartisanship
by Peter Segall
Sen. Lisa Murkowski extolled the virtues of bipartisanship Tuesday in her annual speech to the Alaska State Legislature. During her remarks, Murkowski, a Republican who has held one of Alaska's U.S. Senate seats since 2002, touted the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. "Good things can come together with bipartisanship, we can actually approach this from a common-sense approach," Murkowski told a joint session of the Legislature in the chambers of the Alaska House of Representatives. "I promise … Continue Reading
02.18.22
Wilson Quarterly: U.S. Engagement in the Arctic, Present and Future
by Senator Lisa Murkowski
Investing in the Arctic will strengthen U.S. security, our economy, and more. When I joined the U.S. Senate in 2002, conversations about the Arctic were rare. There was no comprehensive strategy to guide our actions. There were few Arctic-focused leadership positions within the federal government. Aside from the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, there were no think tanks with dedicated centers or institutes with scholars and experts. The Arctic Council, an intergovernmental forum with eight Ar… Continue Reading
02.04.22
Juneau Empire: Delegation: Work together to plan, optimize infrastructure money
by Peter Segall
Alaska's congressional delegation urged state lawmakers to work together to capture as much funding as possible from last year's massive federal infrastructure bill. "I don't want to see any bickering," said U.S. Rep. Don. Young, R-Alaska, speaking to the House Labor and Commerce Committee Friday morning. All three members of the delegation emphasized that preparation would be necessary to capture funds and it would take members of the Legislature, the governor's administration and the delegat… Continue Reading
02.03.22
Alaska Fish Radio: Relief funds for fishery disasters can take years to receive: Sen. Murkowski aims to ease the process
by Laine Welch
Earlier this month, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce declared disasters for over a dozen fisheries in Alaska - more than the federal government usually approves at once. The designation is supposed to unlock funds to help the communities impacted by those fisheries failures, including communities around Cook Inlet. But it can take years for the money to reach fishermen's pockets. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said the timing is one of the problems with the process. "If you've had a disaster… Continue Reading
