Murkowski Morning Meeting for Wednesday, July 18, 2012

U.S. Senate Events

Better Technology, Better Justice

Alaskan Impact: Alaska’s new scientific crime detection laboratory opened its doors in June, with new technology to assist Alaskan law enforcement. It’s just one more improvement needed in the American judicial system. High profile Alaskan cold cases like Bonnie Craig’s have been solved using new technology on old evidence, but more than 100 cold case murders remain open. Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee heard about what forensic science need to move forward effectively.

6:00am AKDT
Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing
Topic: “Improving Forensic Science in the Criminal Justice System”
Testimony from:

• Stephanie Stoiloff, Miami-Dade Police Department’s Crime Laboratory Bureau
• Jill Spriggs, chief of the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Forensic Science
• Peter Neufeld, co-director of The Innocence Project, New York, N.Y.

Watch the entire hearing online: http://bit.ly/LhO6HK

(click image for video)

Neufeld: Faulty evidence has put too many Americans behind bars.

House of Representatives Events

Fighting Against VA Backlogs

Alaskan Impact: Alaska has more veterans per capita than any other state in the nation. And on the heels of a recent study which called for a better assessment of federal PTSD programs, the Department of Veterans Affairs claims backlog continues to grow – ballooning to 870,000 pending cases nationwide. This morning the House asked VA officials what is being done to solve the problem.

6:00am AKDT
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Hearing
Topic: “Eliminating VA Claims Backlog”
Testimony from:

• Allison Hickey, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Benefits
• Gerald Manar, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States
• Joseph A. Violante, Disabled American Veterans

Watch the entire hearing online: http://1.usa.gov/Pd0tdi

In Case You Missed It

Campaign Finance is a Critical Issue, but Current DISCLOSE Act Falls Short

Alaskan Impact: Yesterday, the Senate voted to consider the most recent version of the DISCLOSE Act, but it did not reach the 60 vote threshold to move forward with debate. Senator Murkowski took to the Senate floor to discuss the critical need for campaign finance reform, but noted a number of inconsistencies in the bill that need to be addressed on a bipartisan basis to truly resolve this issue.

(click image to watch Senator Murkowski’s speech)