Juneau, Alaska – The Alaska Legislature Wednesday, with unanimous passage in the Alaska Senate, approved a resolution honoring the importance of Senator Ted Stevens’ service and legacy as a vital part of the history of Alaska.
House Joint Resolution 15, by the House Rules Committee, recognizes the long and distinguished leadership of Senator Stevens on many issues that the state still faces today including access to federal lands for oil, gas and mineral development, the role of Alaska in the nation’s defense, and the need for adequate federal services for Alaskans.
“Senator Stevens was instrumental in crafting key federal legislation that has greatly benefited Alaska, including the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and many others,” House Majority Whip Bob Herron, D-Bethel, who carried the bill on behalf of the Rules Committee, said. “As a former staff member to Senator Stevens, I’m honored to have carried this resolution for such a distinguished leader in Alaska’s history.”
The resolution also denounces the decision to reverse suspensions of the federal prosecutors who intentionally withheld exonerating evidence from Senator Stevens’ defense. Additionally, it requests that the Alaska Bar Association determine whether any of the prosecutors involved in the case violated the Alaska Rules of Professional Conduct.
“I feel it is fair that the Alaska Bar Association review the actions taken by the federal prosecutors in this case for the Stevens’ family and all Alaskans,” Herron said.
HJR 15, which passed the House unanimously on April 11, 2015, will now be sent to the president and vice-president of the United States, U.S. attorney general, chair of the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, president of the Alaska Bar Association, and members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.
