Alaska

October 6, 2009, Anchorage, Alaska – Alaska Governor Sean Parnell today unveiled a proposal that would allow all Alaska high school students to earn tuition scholarships for use after high school at qualifying Alaska schools. The Governor’s Performance Scholarship, or GPS, is a merit-based scholarship for Alaska high school students. To qualify, students will have to take four years of math, language arts and science, in addition to three years of social studies.

“We’ve seen too many young people leave high school without graduating and too many young people need remedial help after graduating high school,” Governor Parnell said. “I want to set the bar higher for our high school students to promote preparedness.”    » read more »

Bill moves to the Senate floor with ATG language, support for Locality Pay

October 7, 2009 -- Successfully making the case that members of Alaska Territorial Guard (ATG) who defended Alaska and the interests of the United States during World War II earned and deserve retirement pay, U.S. Senator Mark Begich today announced the language supporting the retirement benefits is part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 as it moves to the Senate floor for a final vote.

Working with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Begich succeeded in keeping language supporting the benefits in the bill after a Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) came out from the Obama administration late last month opposing the benefits.    » read more »

October 7, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. - The final conference agreement on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (NDAA) released today contains important Federal workforce provisions, including the Non-Foreign Area Retirement Equity Assurance Act (S. 507), sponsored by Senator Daniel K. Akaka and cosponsored by Senators Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Mark Begich (D-Alaska), which would provide fairness in retirement pay for the roughly 50,000 Federal workers in Hawai‘i, Alaska, and the Territories.

After sponsoring the original legislation, Senator Akaka spoke in support of the provision on the Senate floor and advocated for it during the Armed Services Committee conference.    » read more »

Legislation impacting Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories still active

October 2, 2009 -- Continuing the fight to ensure fair pay and retirement benefits for federal employees in Alaska, U.S. Senator Mark Begich continues to push to bring parity between federal workers' retirement in Alaska, Hawaii, and the U.S. territories with those in the continental U.S.

Begich joined Sen. Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii in March in introducing The Non-Foreign Area Retirement Equity Assurance Act, which allows for the gradual transition to locality pay from cost of living allowance (COLA) increases.    » read more »

October 2, 2009, Anchorage, Alaska – Alaska Governor Sean Parnell expressed concern with federal legislation that would consolidate parts of various energy minerals management and leasing programs into another entity.

In a letter to House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick J. Rahall II, Governor Parnell said the legislation goes too far and will result in less domestic oil and gas production and fewer energy-related jobs in the U.S.

“This bill would create unnecessary delays and impediments in federal leasing programs,” Governor Parnell said. “It is in the best interest of Alaska and the nation that oil and gas leasing not be adversely impacted by ill-conceived federal legislation.”    » read more »

Calls on DOD to review impact on GMD at Fort Greely

September 17, 2009 -- The Obama administration's decision to cancel deployment of a European-based missile defense system makes full deployment of Alaska's ground-based midcourse defense (GMD) system even more vital for the nation's defense, Senator Mark Begich said today.

A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Begich said America's defense against missiles launched by nations such as North Korea and Iran will now largely rely on the missile defense system at Fort Greely.    » read more »

September 14, 2009 -- U.S. Senator Mark Begich today announced $3 million dollars in energy efficiency block grants to support jobs, cut energy bills, and increase energy independence. The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), provides formula grants for projects that reduce total energy use and improve energy efficiency. Five Alaska communities will receive the grants, including more than $2.6 million for Anchorage.    » read more »

Grants bring total HUD's Recovery Act investment in Native American and Alaskan communities to over a half billion dollars

August 25, 2009 -- WASHINGTON - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced that HUD is awarding five grants, totaling $2.5 million, to Native American and Native Alaskan communities across the country to improve housing and stimulate community development (see below for detailed grant list).

The Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) funds being awarded today are provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act). These grants will help Native American tribes improve the quality of their housing stock, develop viable communities, promote energy efficiency and create jobs.    » read more »

August 24, 2009 -- ANCHORAGE, AK—United States Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced that on August 21, 2009, lead defendant Lance Lockard was sentenced to 70 months in prison for his leadership of a large-scale mortgage fraud scheme.    » read more »

August 28, 2009, Homer, Alaska – Alaska Governor Sean Parnell welcomed the news that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the Beaufort Sea 2007 oil and gas lease sale did not violate environmental laws.

The decision means that Shell Alaska can continue with its plans to explore and develop its Beaufort Sea leases.

“This is good news for the State of Alaska,” Governor Parnell said. “Outer Continental Shelf development is critical to the state’s long-term economic future. The OCS offers the greatest opportunity for new oil discoveries in the Arctic, and barriers against exploration and development there continue to fall.”

The decision comes on the heels of two favorable federal court decisions.    » read more »

Federal Fisheries Disaster for Yukon Chinook

August 7, 2009, Juneau, Alaska – Alaska Governor Sean Parnell today sought to secure federal disaster relief for Yukon River residents. Parnell urged the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to declare a fishery disaster due to poor returns of chinook salmon on the Yukon River.

“I trust Secretary Locke will recognize the severity of the situation on the Yukon and declare a fishery disaster,” Governor Parnell said. “I look forward to working with federal agencies and Alaska’s congressional delegation to secure disaster relief assistance for this region.”    » read more »

Sen. Begich and Coast Guard commandant affirm need to increase Arctic capacity

July 7, 2009 -- Climate change in the Arctic is making the Coast Guard's role in Alaska even more critical, and highlighting the need for additional ice-breaking vessels, the Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Thad Allen, testified today under questioning by Alaska Senator Mark Begich.

Admiral Allen said the Coast Guard is undergoing a major analysis of its needs in the Arctic as a result of global warming, which should be completed by year-end. Meanwhile, Allen said the nation's current fleet of two ice-breakers, plus an ice-breaking research vessel, may be insufficient to deal with increased shipping in the Arctic.    » read more »

Palin Opposes Waxman-Markey Energy Bill

June 29, 2009, Anchorage, Alaska – Alaska Governor Sarah Palin announced today she does not support a controversial piece of federal climate change legislation that is making its way through Congress. The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 is authored by U.S. Representatives Henry Waxman and Ed Markey.    » read more »

Announces Funding for Alaska Projects in the Interior, the Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill

June 23, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, a member of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, today announced subcommittee approval of a number of important projects for Alaska in the Fiscal Year 2010 Department of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Following today’s action by the subcommittee, the bill goes to the full Appropriations Committee for consideration.    » read more »

The Report Supports the Delegation’s February 2009 Letter Objecting to TSA’s Proposed Large Aircraft Security Program as Disproportionate with the Actual Threat

June 23, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. –The Alaska Delegation responded today to a recent finding by the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security that General Aviation poses little risk to aircraft security.

In a report entitled “TSA’s (Transportation Security Administration) Role in General Aviation Security,” the Inspector General’s office concluded, “We determined that general aviation presents only limited and mostly hypothetical threats to security.”    » read more »