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Murkowski introduces menopause research bill

Suzanne Downing
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Murkowski introduces menopause research bill

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and other women senators, mainly Democrat, introduced legislation that adds money to research into menopause and mid-life women’s health. 

The Advancing Menopause and Mid-Life Women’s Health Act, authorized at $275 million over five years, or $55 million per year, would expand federal research on menopause, health care workforce training, awareness and education efforts, and public health promotion and prevention to better address menopause and mid-life women’s health issues. 

Sponsors and cosponsors besides Murkowski include: Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ).

“Menopause is a reality in every woman’s life – yet it is astonishing how little research has been done to address the multitude of symptoms and treatments,” said Sen. Murkowski. “This bipartisan legislation I’m leading alongside Senator Murray, with support from countless advocates in Alaska and around the country, is an important step towards closing the gap in research for women’s health. It is past time for us to extend our research focus to be inclusive of women across the full spectrum of life.”

“Women should not have to face menopause alone, nor should we accept a status quo that treats menopause—which half the population will experience—as something to be swept under the rug. Menopause is a key part of women’s health that deserves serious attention and investment,” said Sen. Murray. “This bill will help empower the federal government, the public, and health care providers to better understand women’s mid-life health issues and improve every woman’s experience of menopause—this really matters.”

The bill has the support of Halle Berry, an actress and former beauty pageant contestant.

“By advocating for my own health and wellbeing during menopause, I am not only standing up for myself but for all women,” said Berry. “Because, if we are fortunate enough to live this long, we will all experience this phase of life. Today is  a call to action for each and every one of us to stand together and demand the care and attention that we so vitally deserve.”

The Advancing Menopause and Mid-Life Women’s Health Act would:

  • Expand federal research on menopause and mid-life women’s health:
    • Authorize $25 million per year over five fiscal years for NIH to award grants to support biomedical, public health, clinical, and translational research and innovation related to menopause and mid-life women’s health.
    • Establish new Research, Condition, and Disease Categorization (RCDC) categories for chronic or debilitating conditions among women related to menopause and mid-life women’s health.
    • Strengthen coordination within the NIH and across HHS to expand federal research into menopause and mid-life women’s health and prevent adverse health outcomes among women experiencing menopause and postmenopausal syndrome.
    • Support translational research activities to speed the translation of federal research to support health care delivery of perimenopause and menopause care and related women’s health services.
    • Require HHS to expand public health research, health care quality research, data collection and reporting, and occupational health research related to menopause and mid-life women’s health.
  • Support public health promotion activities to address chronic conditions affecting mid-life women’s health, strengthen early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of menopausal symptoms; improve health care delivery; and support the development of recommendations and best practices to expand access to mental and behavioral health care services for women experiencing perimenopause or menopausal symptoms. Authorized at $10 million per year over five fiscal years.
  • Establish a national public health awareness, education, and outreach program on menopause and mid-life women’s health. Authorized at $10 million per year over five fiscal years.
  • Improve professional training resources for health care providers on menopause and mid-life women’s health through a new grant program. Authorized at $10 million per year over five fiscal years.
  • Direct the designation of Centers of Excellence in Menopause and Mid-Life Women’s Health, and authorize grants to support the improvement of professional training resources for health care providers on menopause and mid-life women’s health.
  • Require HHS to report to Congress on federal research activities related to menopause and mid-life women’s health, related barriers to care for patients in rural and underserved areas; barriers to training for health care providers, and recommendations to expand access to care and increase public awareness.­­
  • Support coordination between HHS and other federal departments and agencies—including the VA and DoD—related to menopausal symptoms, mid-life women’s health, again, and public health promotion activities.

A one-page explanation of the act is at this link.

On CNN, Murkowski again says door is open to leaving GOP

NYPD says protesters had weapons, gas masks and ‘Death to America!’ pamphlets

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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NYPD says protesters had weapons, gas masks and ‘Death to America!’ pamphlets

By TOM GANTERT | THE CENTER SQUARE

A high-ranking official with the New York Police Department said protesters had weapons including knives and hammers as well as pamphlets with “Death to America!” written on them.

Michael Kemper, a NYPD’s chief of transit, posted photos Friday of what police confiscated from the protesters.

“For those romanticizing the protests occurring on college campuses, ‘Death to America!’ is one sentiment that runs counter to what we believe in, what we stand for, and what many have fought for on behalf of this country,” Kemper stated on X. “And if you think the words written on this piece of paper are disturbing … you should hear the vile, disgusting, hateful, & threatening words coming out of the mouths of far too many of these so called ‘peaceful protestors.’”

Kemper posted a video of a pamphlet that stated, “Death to Israeli Real Estate” and “Death to America!” The pamphlet also stated, “DISRUPT/RECLAIM/DESTROY Zionist business interests everywhere!”

NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry posted on X photos of items he said the police confiscated from protesters who took over Hamilton Hall at Columbia University. The photo showed gas masks, ear plugs, helmets, goggles, tape, hammers, knives, ropes, and a book on terrorism. The book is by Charles Townshend, Professor of International History at Keele University in England. It was published in 2011 and is 161 pages.

“These are not the tools of students protesting, these are the tools of agitators, of people who were working on something nefarious,” Daughtry said on X. “Thankfully, your NYPD was able to prevent whatever they were planning and stop them before they could do it.”

Kemper asked who was organizing the protests.

“However, as we have been stating for the past 2 weeks, there is an underlying radical indoctrination of some of these students. Vulnerable and young people being influenced by professional agitators. Who is funding and leading this movement?” Kemper asked on X.

Kemper also posted a letter from The New School requesting the NYPD’s assistance in removing protesters from their campus on Friday.

“The actions and continuing escalation of these individuals are a substantial disruption of the educational environment and regular operations of the university,” the letter stated.

The New School is a university in New York City. It closed all academic building on Friday and classes were moved to online. The college said classes on campus would resume Saturday. Fox News reported that 56 protesters were arrested at The New School and New York University.

No-budge judge who killed correspondence courses for Alaskans says decision is in effect June 30

Suzanne Downing
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48
No-budge judge who killed correspondence courses for Alaskans says decision is in effect June 30

The Alaska Superior Court judge who killed state funding for correspondence classes said on Thursday he will only pause his ruling from going into effect until June 30. The Dunleavy Administration had asked for it to be stayed, or set aside, until an appeal is heard at the Supreme Court.

Judge Adolf Zeman ruled in favor of the education industry, and against the governor in his initial decision and in this second decision, determining when his ruling will be in effect.

The state law that allows parents to enroll their students in correspondence or home school programs was struck down by Zeman, who said that the laws governing these programs are unconstitutional.

Over 24,000 students and at about 48,000 parents of Alaska students are impacted by the judge’s decision, which favored the the National Education Association-Alaska, and a cluster of parents who were litigants in the case who are hostile to homeschool and correspondence students.

In denying the extended stay, Zeman said that the Dunleavy Administration was not likely to win on its appeal.

“Accordingly, this Court finds that a limited stay is the best solution to ensure that students, families, and school districts are protected from undue disruption and all parties are protected from unnecessary uncertainty and related harms. A limited stay until the end of the fiscal year will ensure that any correspondence allotments that were taken in reliance on AS 14.03.300-310, will be honored, while minimizing the potential for continued unfettered unconstitutional spending,” Zeman wrote.

Zeman faces a retention vote later this year and will be the subject of a public hearing on May 8 to help the Alaska Judicial Council determine his worthiness to continue serving Alaskans as a Superior Court judge.

Public hearing set for May 8 on Judge Zeman, who ruled against correspondence classes in Alaska
An Alaska judge just destroyed correspondence education in Alaska. What else did Judge Adolf Zeman destroy?

Breaking: Anchorage Assembly blows through tax cap, violates charter with revised budget

Suzanne Downing
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45
Breaking: Anchorage Assembly blows through tax cap, violates charter with revised budget

The revised operating budget passed by the Anchorage Assembly earlier this week has blown through the tax cap, an action that makes the budget illegal because it violates the charter. This is a first time in Anchorage history that an Assembly has broken the law on the tax cap in 45 years since the tax cap was enacted by voters.

But Mayor Dave Bronson on Thursday offered an olive branch to the Assembly dominated by hostile leftists, saying he is willing to help bring the budget back into a legal framework. It is $605,147 over the tax cap due to a math error by the Assembly, he said in a statement.

During the budget meeting earlier this week, Assemblywoman Meg Zaletel commented that the budget was $500 under the tax cap. She was wrong.

“While it’s unfortunate the Assembly made this error, we will work with them to fix it,”  said Mayor Bronson. “Anchorage residents expect us to work together to solve problems, and we will do that. Budgets must be legal, adhere to fiscal policies, and protect taxpayers.”

The issue started when multiple amendments were assessed incorrectly, leading to a misunderstanding that the budget was within legal limits.

In contrast, the budget proposed by Mayor Bronson was designed to be $682,873 under the tax cap, reflecting his understanding of the financial limits and the current economic challenges faced by taxpayers, including continued inflation, his office said.

A special meeting has been scheduled for Friday, May 3, when the Assembly will have to correct the budget.

“Mayor Bronson remains committed to working closely with the Assembly to improve the budget process and maintain Anchorage’s fiscal integrity,” his office said.

Anchorage Assembly wants a lot more added back to budget, busting tax cap

Eaglexit education committee to unveil school district proposal at upcoming public meeting

Suzanne Downing
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15
Eaglexit education committee to unveil school district proposal at upcoming public meeting

The Eaglexit Education Committee will introduce a groundbreaking charter school district proposal at an upcoming public forum meeting on May 7 at 7 p.m. This proposed model places students at the center, with an emphasis on a rich and dynamic educational experience for each child.

The public forum, to take place at the Chugiak Senior Center in Chugiak, will give residents insight into what the education system of a new borough could be, if Eagle River and Chugiak detach from the Municipality of Anchorage and form their own home rule borough.

At the core of the proposal is a commitment to adhering to the principle of “money follows the student.” This innovative approach empowers families with the autonomy to select the educational environment best suited to their child’s unique needs, thereby directing resources to where they are most essential.

Ric Smith, Chair of the Education Committee, explained, “We firmly believe that every child deserves access to a high-quality education that empowers them to reach their full potential. Our proposed new charter school district places students and families at the heart of the educational journey.”

In addition to financial autonomy, the Eaglexit Education Committee is dedicated to fostering meaningful parental involvement in the educational process, the group said. Through a collaborative hiring process, educators and staff will be selected in consultation with parents, ensuring a team that is not only highly qualified but also deeply invested in the success and well-being of their students.

The forthcoming public forum will provide an opportunity for both education professionals and community members to engage directly with the Education Committee, posing questions and offering feedback on the proposed model.

“We invite all members of the community to join us at the town hall and contribute to this exciting new chapter in education,” urged the Eaglexit Board and Education Committee.

For further information, please contact Ric Smith, Chair of the Chugach Regional Borough Education Committee at [email protected].

About Eaglexit: Eaglexit and its Education Committee are at the forefront of educational innovation in Alaska. Committed to reshaping the educational landscape through creativity, collaboration, and cutting-edge solutions, Eaglexit and its members empower educators, engage families, and inspire communities to unlock the full potential of every child.

Greg Sarber: Local autonomy in education is one of Eaglexit’s strongest arguments for detachment
Michael Tavoliero: Eaglexit, two years later and the paperwork is about to be submitted

Chickaloon Tribal Police will not get Alaska State Troopers’ special commissions after all

Suzanne Downing
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22
Chickaloon Tribal Police will not get Alaska State Troopers’ special commissions after all

Today Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner James Cockrell released the following statement regarding the proposed issuance of State of Alaska Special Commissions to the Chickaloon Tribal Police Department:

“After receiving hundreds of comments from across the Matanuska Susitna Valley, I have decided to not move forward with issuing special commissions to the Chickaloon Tribal Police Department. My team and I received a significant amount of feedback from community members which demonstrated continued community consultation and relationship building is needed before special commissions can be considered. Without public trust, policing in any community would be nearly impossible. DPS will continue to work with tribes across the state to improve public safety outcomes for Alaska’s first people.” 

This decision does not impact any of the inherent criminal justice authority held by tribal governments or currently delegated to tribal governments by the federal government.

The matter is highly controversial in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, where some members of the Chickaloon area want tribal police to have expanded powers, while others object to it.

Under the terms of the memorandum of understanding between DPS and select members of the Chickaloon Police Department, officers would have been authorized to address State of Alaska Title 11 misdemeanor crimes, misconduct involving controlled substances, and sex trafficking offenses. However, the enforcement would be limited in scope, with no authority granted for traffic enforcement, traffic stops, or vehicle pursuits on the Glenn Highway.

The decision to grant a special commission has sparked debate within the community, particularly regarding the implications for tribal sovereignty and jurisdiction.

Watch proceedings from a community town hall meeting about the proposal that took place in 2022:

Debate rages over tribal sovereignty and Chickaloon policing authority expansion

Skip day: Peltola ditches House Resources budget hearing after not defending Alaska or holding Interior Sec. Deb Haaland accountable

Suzanne Downing
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20
Skip day: Peltola ditches House Resources budget hearing after not defending Alaska or holding Interior Sec. Deb Haaland accountable

One day after Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola acted against energy development on the North Slope, Peltola skipped out on a House Resources Committee budget hearing featuring Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, who is responsible for executing so much of the Biden Administration war on Alaska.

Although she made a brief appearance, Peltola asked no questions of Haaland, and slipped out shortly after arriving. It appears that most of the Democrats on the committee staged a coordinated walk out, Peltola among them.

Over in the Senate, there was a similar hearing with Haaland. There, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who endorsed Peltola in 2022, criticized Haaland and President Joe Biden for locking up Alaska.

“Our environmental record is second to none. We’ll put it up against anyone out there. But now it’s effectively being held against us because Interior’s decisions are punishing us for decades of responsible development,” Murkowski said. “The Department needs to follow the law. They need to follow the law, they need to consult with all Alaska Natives – all Alaska Natives – and frankly, I think clean house at the BLM.”

“This administration is sanctioning Alaska. Sanctioning Alaska, while you’re boosting foreign resources, and you don’t pay attention. You overlook the pollution, the human rights abuses, the regimes that it enables, from Russia to Iran,” Murkowski continued. “The administration has effectively reduced Alaska to nothing more than a debit card to pay off national environmental groups in an election year. I know that’s tough, but we can’t look at it any other way.”

On Tuesday, Rep. Peltola refused to support Alaska in the Alaska’s Right to Produce Act, voting simply “present,” after sending a note to all the Democrats in the House telling them to vote no.

Peltola takes a pass on Alaska’s Right to Produce Act, refusing to stand for Arctic Slope communities
Two faces of Peltola: Told colleagues to vote ‘no’ on Alaska’s Right to Produce, while she voted ‘present’

Then, during the House Resources Committee hearing that featured Haaland, Peltola vanished when the criticism of Haaland intensified. She had not made a single comment on the record to hold Haaland and Biden accountable.

Instead, it was Arkansas Rep. Bruce Westerman, the committee’s chairman, who defended Alaska and let Haaland know how damaging the Administration policies are to the 49th state:

“America is in jeopardy, and we need to take immediate action. Congress holds the power of the purse, and we will not just rubber stamp an administration that completely disregards oversight authorities and the communities most impacted by their decisions. The Biden administration continues to recklessly spend American tax dollars with historically devastating results in communities across the country. Despite its claims to the contrary, at every turn, this administration is ignoring local voices and silencing community input in pursuit of a radical environmental agenda,” Westerman said.

“Just this past month DOI threatened the entire western way of life by finalizing an anti-multiple-use rule, locked up a massive reserve of domestic energy in Alaska with blatant disregard for indigenous voices and dealt a crushing blow to American mineral production,” Westerman continued.

“Every community is now a border community, as we have seen illegal drug cartels target Indian lands, threatening their members with violence. The permitting logjam threatens infrastructure projects nationwide, and the regulatory headaches are made worse and worse by each rulemaking handed down by D.C. bureaucrats. Today is another critical step forward in our continued commitment to hold these bureaucrats accountable and put a stop to Biden’s unchecked spending spree,” Westerman said.

Congressional candidate Nick Begich took notice.

“Yesterday, Peltola would only vote ‘present’ on a bill critical for Alaskan jobs and national energy security. After embarrassing our state by waffling on the Alaska’s Right to Produce Act, she couldn’t even be present in the House Resources Committee to stand up for Alaska against Sec. Haaland. Alaska is voiceless as long as Peltola is our representative,” said Begich. “What good does it do Alaska to have Peltola in office when she is not showing up for the meetings? She talks about how important itis that she is on Resources, but she’s not even there.”

Watch the House hearing that Peltola skipped out on at this link:

Peltola takes a pass on Alaska’s Right to Produce Act, refusing to stand for Arctic Slope communities

Alaska Senate passes operating budget with funds for education, homeless sheltering, snow removal, small PFD, energy relief

Suzanne Downing
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50
Alaska Senate passes operating budget with funds for education, homeless sheltering, snow removal, small PFD, energy relief

Unlike last year, the Alaska Senate this year didn’t pull a fast one on the Alaska House of Representatives and hold the budget hostage this month. Instead, senators passed the operating budget with nearly two weeks to go before the constitutionally mandated end date for this year’s session.

The decision to not repeat last year’s drama, in which the budget was held by the Senate until it was too late for the House to make decisions, is likely a reflection of 2024 being an election year in which half of the Senate will be facing voters in August. Forcing a special session would not be a good strategy for this Democrat-dominated Senate majority.

House Bill 268 passed on Wednesday with the liberal majority voting yes, and the three conservative Republicans voting no.

In the budget, the Permanent Fund dividend amount for qualifying Alaskans follows the Senate’s own 75-25 formula, in which the government takes more from Alaskans’ Permanent Fund dividends than allowed to take by statute. The Legislature has not followed the statutory formula since Gov. Bill Walker broke the formula in 2016 and vetoed half of Alaskans’ dividends, awarding the money to state workers.

Using the Senate’s own flexible formula, fully 75% of the available funds in the Senate version go to government, and only 25% of the oil royalties available for a dividend goes to Alaskans, for a dividend this year of $1,360.

But then, the Senate added back in a novel “energy relief payment” of $220 to bring the amount up to $1,580.

The House version of the budget has a Permanent Fund dividend of $2,223, closer to the statutory formula, including an energy relief payment. The two amounts must be negotiated in a conference committee.

The governor’s budget proposed the statutory formula of $3,500 per Alaskan, but it meant using $2.3 billion in funds to do so.

During floor debate over the budget, majority member Democrat Sen. Forrest Dunbar said he supports a large dividend because he claimed he represents one of the poorest districts in the state (East Anchorage). But he called for a state income tax: “We need a broad-based tax, we need a progressive income tax, it is the most equitable way to do it. If we want to have a healthy, sustainable PFD, we cannot any longer be the only state in the country without any kind of broad-based revenue measures.”

Sen. Mike Shower, Sen. Shelley Hughes, and Sen. Robb Myers, the three-member Republican team excluded from the liberal majority, argued for a 50-50 formula for the PFD, to be paid for with either earnings reserve funds or by simply not filling state vacancies that exist.

House passes operating budget early, with Permanent Fund dividend at $2,273

The Senate budget has $6.5 billion in state spending, which includes the following:

  • $174.7 million for additional resources outside of the Base Student Allocation, the basic formula for K-12 education. This is the equivalent of a $680 increase to the funding per student, but is not baked in as a permanent item for future years.
  • $7.3 million in additional pupil transportation for school district increased costs;
  • $5.2 million for the Alaska Reads Act to help with K-3 reading;
  • $5.2 million for Head Start to match federal funds to serve more children;
  • $1.2 million for rural Public Broadcasting to enhance emergency communication capability;
  • $30 million for Community Assistance for FY 25 and 26 to help lower local property taxes throughout the state;
  • $4 million to the Municipality of Anchorage for the summer operations of the municipal homeless shelter;
  • $1.3 million for Central Region recruitment and hiring of highway and aviation staff to support snow removal;
  • $7.5 million for grants to childcare providers to increase access to services;
  • $15 million for in-home and personal care assistant services; and
  • $3.7 million to the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.
Senate tactic fails to deliver budget, and special session starts Thursday

Mining votes: Peltola files House bill to lock into law EPA’s preemptive veto of Pebble Mine

Suzanne Downing
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38
Mining votes: Peltola files House bill to lock into law EPA’s preemptive veto of Pebble Mine

Rep. Mary Peltola introduced the Bristol Bay Protection Act, new legislation that would codify an agency-level 2023 Environmental Protection Agency decision to preemptively veto mining in the Bristol Bay region.

The move comes after Peltola suddenly flipped her position on the proposed Donlin Mine. Earlier in her career as a fish activist, she worked against the mine, but recently she reversed her position and now says she favors it. Her position-flipping has cost her some support in the Western Alaska region.

Peltola votes against Confidence in Clean Water Act

Although the new Pebble bill has “Bristol Bay Protection” in its title, the bill actually targets one company, the Pebble Partnership, and its project, a proposed copper-gold-molybdenum mining project that is far inland from Bristol Bay, but that is considered within the watershed of the salmon fishery.

The bill was drafted back in January, but appears to have been held for a time when it could be politically helpful.

May 1 was the day to get some media cover for other votes. In addition to this bill being filed on Wednesday, Peltola controversially voted against oil and gas development in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, vote sure to upset many of her constituents.

“I came to DC to stand up for fish – to make fishing and the livelihoods of our fishing communities the national issue it deserves to be,” said Peltola, in a statement about Pebble. “Whole communities rely on Bristol Bay’s watershed for subsistence and as a deeply interwoven part of their social and cultural practices. In introducing this bill, we’re moving to protect our fisheries and streams, water supply, and the deep value that these waters have had to Alaska Natives who have relied on them for thousands of years.”

The Pebble Partnership commented that the bill is bad public policy to put in law a regulatory action. It’s interfering in an active court case the State of Alaska has over the EPA decision. The Pebble Project also has its own lawsuit.

Pebble mine parent company sues EPA over unlawful actions related to ‘takings’ and veto of copper and gold mine

“This legislation attempts to codify what many in Alaska’s development community view as a concerning and legally questionable action by the EPA. It is poor public policy and will be of great concern to people in Alaska who support responsible development and fair process for evaluating projects. It is worth noting that Alaska’s two senators remain very opposed to this EPA action. Pebble and the state of Alaska have challenged EPAs action in court and we believe that is the best place to sort out the many policy issues generated by the EPA against the project,” the company said in a statement.

Pebble is located on state-owned land set aside for mining, but the EPA has exerted its authority through its interpretation of the Clean Water Act.

Rick Whitbeck: Greens should follow the science on Pebble
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