This time, Murkowski votes with Democrats on Planned Parenthood
Sen. Lisa Murkowski was one of eight Republicans to vote against advancing a bill that would have defunded Planned Parenthood. She also explains why she missed an abortion-related vote on Tuesday: She was in Texas, fundraising.
Murkowski missed – didn’t duck – abortion vote, staffer says
Sen. Lisa Murkowski was absent today for a procedural vote on banning abortion after the 20th week. As her spokeswoman explains it, Murkowski did not intentionally duck the abortion vote, but missed it due to "prior travel commitments."
Murkowski’s Planned Parenthood Vote Has Left Seething, Right Unmoved
Reaction to Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s 'yes' vote, in favor of moving a bill to defund Planned Parenthood, is ricocheting around Alaska and social media. Alaskans who support abortion rights feel burned while conservatives aren’t giving Murkowski much credit for it.
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Tale of 2 Murkowski Bills: Bipartisan and Not
Sen. Lisa Murkowski passed two major bills out of the Senate Energy Committee today, each containing priorities she’s been working on since she became the panel's chairman. One passed on a strict party-line vote while the other passed overwhelmingly, but each bill reflects elements of the senator’s legislative style.
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Alaska Senators No Fans of Iran Deal
The Obama administration faced a tough crowd this morning as it defended its nuclear agreement with Iran in Congress. Both of Alaska’s senators are among the chorus of lawmakers who say the deal is bad for the U.S.
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Murkowski Fends Off Thorny Add-Ons to Energy Bill
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s big energy policy bill, if it passes, would be the first since 2007. Several national energy bills have washed up on the rocks since then. Murkowski’s strategy is to keep controversies out of the package, and it was tested at a Senate Energy Committee meeting this morning.
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Division of Elections director resigns at Lt. Governor’s request
Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott has asked the state's Division of Elections director Gail Fenumiai to resign. Claire Richardson is special assistant to Mallott. She says they accepted Fenumiai's resignation on Friday.
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Young a Lonely GOP Voice for Puerto Rican Statehood
Rep. Don Young took some flack for holding a fundraiser in Puerto Rico last week, just days before chairing a subcommittee hearing on statehood for the U.S. territory. But at the hearing back in Washington this afternoon, Young made it clear he’s no Johnny-come-lately to the question.
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Sen. Sullivan Moves D.C. Office to Hart Building
Sen. Dan Sullivan is out of the basement. His staff announced today that they’ve moved to their new office location in the nation’s capital, on the 7th floor of the Hart Building.
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As PAC Money Pours Into Runoff, Some Numbers Still Missing
Candidate Ethan Berkowitz has an overwhelming lead in terms of donors and funds, but with no polling data released by either campaign, the results are difficult to predict.
Sen. Sullivan: Alaska one Family, Obama not its Friend
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan returned to Juneau and today gave his first speech as a senator to a joint session of the Alaska Legislature. The first-term Republican established an “us versus them” theme – a united Alaska up against the Obama administration.
Crowded Anchorage Mayoral Race Heats Up
Today we’re discussing the race for mayor in Alaska’s largest city. Anchorage’s city politics have ripples across the state, whether in terms of funding coming from the Legislature, or launching political careers into higher office. The election is on April 7th, but recently we’ve seen the race start to take off. It’s a crowded field, with 11 candidates, hundreds of thousands of dollars pouring in from donations, and expectations of an eventual run off.
KSKA: Friday, 2/27 at 2:00pm and Saturday, 2/28 at 6:00pm
KAKM: Friday, 2/27 at 7:30pm and Saturday, 2/28 at 4:30pm
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In Underground Rooms, Sullivan’s Senate Office Takes Shape
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, like other Republicans in Congress, is on a two-day retreat in Hershey Penn. Speakers include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Jay Leno. Meanwhile, Sullivan Chief of Staff Joe Balash provides a status report on new hires and how long he expects they'll work in their underground office.
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Young, Credited With Effectiveness, Says Personality is Part of his M.O.
Alaska Congressman Don Young was sworn in today for his 22nd term, having missed the main swearing-in last week due to the death of his brother. Recent research by two political scientists say Young is one of the 20 most effective lawmakers in the U.S. House. Nationally, though, he is more known for his big, sometimes brash personality. Young says that's how he likes it.
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Alaska’s New U.S. Senator Takes the Oath
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan was sworn in today, in the U.S. Senate Chamber, by Vice President Joe Biden. Sullivan is celebrating the milestone in a series of receptions and dinners in Washington this week, attended by scores of Alaskan supporters and family members.
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Sullivan Takes Oath Tomorrow, Rep. Young Misses First Week Due to Death of Brother
A new Congress begins tomorrow and former DNR Commissioner Dan Sullivan will be sworn in as Alaska’s eighth U.S. senator since statehood. Sullivan spokesman Mike Anderson says guests for the event include Sullivan's family, Gov. Bill Walker and several state legislators.
On the other side of the U.S. Capitol, the entire House of Representatives is to be sworn in tomorrow, but Alaska Congressman Don Young won’t be present, says spokesman Matt Shuckerow. His older brother died a few days ago and Young is in California with family members.
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Goodbye, Campaigns. Hello, New Campaign Contributions
The campaign for U.S. Senate is over, but the accounting is not. The latest batch of campaign finance reports show Democrat Mark Begich spent nearly $10 million, and Sen.-elect Dan Sullivan spent$7.6 million, pushing the total spent on the race above $60 million. For some of the big contributors, the giving doesn't end with Election Day.
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Sullivan Delighted with U.S. Senate Committee Assignments
Senator-Elect Dan Sullivan will come in with the lowest seniority of the 100 senators, primarily because he’s never held elected office before. But it doesn’t seem to have hurt him on the committee score. He'll serve on Armed Services, Veterans Affairs, Commerce, and Environment & Public Works,
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Walker, Mallott Sworn Into Office
It was a celebratory tone in Juneau today during the inauguration ceremony for Governor Bill Walker and Lieutenant Governor Byron Mallott.
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Parnell to Walker: Use Guard Bureau Reform Recommendations
Gov. Sean Parnell says he doesn't know what's next for him, but he expects to keep working on the issues his administration prioritized.