Supporting Victim Services, Public Safety and Services Efforts, and Vulnerable Populations
Murkowski continues to focus on preventing domestic violence and sexual assault in Alaska and providing critical services for victims. From funding the Sexual Assault Services Program at $80 million, to advocating for increases to the Services for Rural Victims program—she is working to provide significant support for Alaskans who are at risk or in need. Murkowski is also dedicated to supporting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault while investing in projects that work to stop the violence from occurring in the first place.
- Statewide: $4 million for the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault to support victim services organizations.
- Haines: $5 million for the Haines Borough to construct a safety and training center.
- Anchorage: $380,000 for the Abused Women’s Aid In Crisis (AWAIC) to make facility improvements.
- Juneau: $98,000 for the non-profit organization, AWARE, for facility and safety improvements to continue providing safe shelter and supportive services for survivors of domestic or sexual violence.
- Haines: $99,000 for the nonprofit Becky’s Place for facility improvements to continue assisting women and children who have been subjected to domestic violence or sexual abuse.
- Fairbanks: $1 million for the Interior Alaska Center for Non-Violent Living to renovate a domestic violence shelter.
- Girdwood: $1.5 million for the Challenge Alaska center to make capital improvements, including accessibility upgrades.
- Ketchikan: $1.65 million for the SeaLevel Community Youth Center to establish a youth center.
- Haines: $5 million for the Haines Community Safety and Training Center.
- Anchorage: $400,000 for the Standing Together Against Rape (STAR) program to expand STAR’s office.
- Anchorage: $227,000 for the Anchorage Police Department for a Special Weapons and Tactics command response vehicle.
- Fairbanks: $2.2 million for the Fairbanks Emergency Communication Center to upgrade the Alaska Land Mobile Radio system.
- Soldotna: $110,000 for the Soldotna Police Department to supply emergency care equipment.
- Northwest Arctic Borough: $2.6 million for the Northwest Arctic Borough Public Safety, Fire, and Rescue Facilities.
- Craig: $4.1 million for the Craig Firehall and EMS Building Construction.
- Juneau:?$2 million for the City and Borough of Juneau to upgrade their first responder radio communications system.
Wildfire Protection
In response to the growing threat of wildfires in Alaska, Murkowski helped ensure that wildland firefighter pay increases from the bipartisan infrastructure bill will continue and secured investments to maintain firefighter capacity. The CDS projects she secured to protect communities from wildfires include:
- Anchorage: $3.75 million for the Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility for a fire protection well in the Anchorage Terraces subdivision.
- Statewide: $3.5 million for the Alaska Division of Forestry to provide funding to carry out fuels reduction projects that align with community wildfire protection plans.
- Fairbanks: $3 million for the State of Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection to replace Wildland Firefighter Response Facilities.
Aiding Alaskan Communities and Recreation
Many local governments in Alaska rely on PILT, which provides compensation for federal lands not subject to state or local taxation. Murkowski was able to help PILT receive full funding in her Interior-Environment bill. These funds help local governments provide vital services.
Additional programmatic wins include direction to the Bureau of Land Management to support the Alaska Long Trail as the project comes together, and prohibition that ensures EPA will not regulate lead in fishing tackles and ammunition.
Supporting Alaska Native Communities
One of Murkowski’s major victories this year is a $1.1 billion increase for the Indian Housing Block Grant, a 41 percent increase compared to FY 2023. With Alaska receiving nearly 15 percent of the entire block grant, this means an estimated $165 million more for tribes and tribal housing authorities to build affordable housing to communities across the state.
Murkowski also secured:
- $20 million for EPA’s ANCSA Contaminated Lands grant program, which she established to remediate contaminated Alaska Native Land Allotments.
- $31.7 million for BLM Alaska’s Conveyance program, which provides for accelerated land conveyances in the state and the continued implementation of the Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans allotment program.
- A 32 percent increase for Native American housing programs, bringing total funding to $1.34 billion.
- Up to $7.5 million for the Tribal HUD Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) voucher program.
- $150 million in new funding for the Tribal Transportation Program, in addition to amounts already appropriated via the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Highway Trust Fund, bringing total investment to $985 million for FY 2024.