Federal Government

Yesterday, state attorneys filed a challenge to the federal Voting Rights Act in district court in Washington, DC.

Earmarks are the local pet projects of lawmakers that the federal government pays for. There’s political chatter in Washington, D.C. that Congress may alter its self-imposed ban on them come January, but it’s unlikely to revert back to rampant times of the earlier part of this century.

The House and Senate are offering different versions of the bill that change the jurisdiction tribal authorities have over offenders.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is planning a three-day trip to Alaska. Salazar is preparing to decide whether to issue final drilling permits to Shell Oil, which hopes to drill exploratory wells this summer in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas.

Murkowski says good health care should be more accessible for Alaskans but she says this law isn’t the answer for providing that.

Environmental groups in five states are suing the federal government, claiming Environmental Protection Agency rules on chemical dispersants used in oil spills do not meet clean water requirements.

The federal government has reached agreement with one of Alaska’s largest shipping companies, providing a conditional waiver for new fuel standards while Totem Ocean Trailer Express converts to cleaner-burning fuel.

Alaska Natives are in Washington, D.C. – urging lawmakers to pass climate change legislation. Some believe that’s the best way to get federal money for relocating several villages.