U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski addressed a joint session of the State Legislature yesterday. I had the pleasure of escorting Senator Murkowski into the House Chamber.
Senator Murkowski spoke on several issues of importance to Alaska and our nation. She emphasized the need to bring new oil production online, referring to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline as our state’s “lifeline.” Additionally, she expressed frustration that the U.S. Senate has not passed the bill that the U.S. House did earlier this month to open the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil exploration. I strongly agree with her. Opening of ANWR is too important to our state and nation to ignore any longer. Senator Murkowski also shares my concerns regarding the unacceptable high costs of energy in our state and voiced support for an increased role for the United States and Alaska in the Arctic. The Alaska Northern Waters Task Force, of which I serve as Vice-Chairman, recently published its findings calling for a greater role for our state in Arctic issues. This session I’ve sponsored legislation to continue the Legislature’s work advancing on Alaska’s interest in the Arctic by creating a commission to develop a strategic Arctic policy for the State of Alaska.
I enjoyed seeing Senator Murkowski again in Juneau, and talking with her and her staff on issues of importance to our state. Coordination and communication between our state’s congressional delegation and the Legislature is critical to advance our state’s interests.
You can watch video of Senator Murkowski’s address here. And you can listen to the press conference that followed her address here.
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