Murkowski says spending time with her family keeps her grounded.
To lessen the impact her demanding job has on her
working to improve housing for rural teachers. Often,
children, Murkowski’s husband, Verne Martell, a small
teachers in bush communities live in tiny, substandard
business owner, has assumed the role of “Mr. Mom” in
quarters, a fact that makes attracting and retaining
caring for their children, Nicolas and Matthew. The
teachers difficult. She recently secured $10 million
Senator also flies back to Alaska every weekend, log-
through the Denali Commission to construct and reno-
ging more than a quarter million air miles between
vate teacher housing.
Washington, D.C., and Alaska since she took office.
One of the battles she constantly faces is translating
She devotes Sundays entirely to family. “I tell my staff
Alaskan issues for “outsiders.” Like most Alaskans,
they can book me as tight as they want during the
Murkowski resents people in the Lower 48 who want to
week, but they can’t have Sunday because it’s my time
decide Alaska’s future and think they know best how to
with my family. We go to church, we go skiing, we have
deal with issues like developing Alaska’s vast resources.
a good Sunday dinner. Being able to be a mom and a
She favors developing Alaska’s gas, oil, mineral, timber
wife at least one day a week keeps me grounded.”
and fish resources in ways that protect the environment
Her experience as a mother and her knowledge of the
and create good-paying jobs throughout the state.
Alaska school system has prompted her to fight for
“When it comes to our natural resources, Alaskans
waivers to the No Child Left Behind Act. She says the
know what they’re doing,” Murkowski recently said
great distances between Alaskan communities make
in an address before the Alaska State Legislature in
enforcing school choice provisions unrealistic. The
Juneau. “We live here, and work and play and raise our
diversity represented in Alaskan schools make specific
families here. It’s in our best interest to balance devel-
language requirements unreasonable. She’s also been
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