Q: Do you believe that limiting the liability of corporations or physicians for mistakes is necessary to curb rising medical costs?
KNOWLES: Just like I did as governor, I'll bring all parties together to figure out a way to reform the system
while still protecting everyone's right to their day in court. Take the most famous case in Alaska history, the Exxon Valdez damages. The 32,000 injured Alaska private property owners, fishermen and Native villagers deserve their day in court.
MURKOWSKI: Limiting liability by capping non-economic damages is necessary to reduce medical costs. In Alaska, two of our four liability insurers left the state in the past year because of large liability damage awards.
The result is higher insurance rates for doctors and higher rates for patients. If the trend continues, the ability for patients to access a doctor will decrease.
Responding to news reports that many Anchorage sexual assaults and rapist were not being prosecuted because of lack of funds Murkowski won $2 million in federal funds to assist the Anchorage Police Department and prosecutors in these efforts.
Source: Campaign website, LisaMurkowski.com
Jun 30, 2004
$5M to fight domestic violence
Responding to the needs of battered women and children across Alaska , Murkowski secured $5 million for improvements in domestic violence shelters so that police have more tools to handle domestic situations.
Source: Campaign website, LisaMurkowski.com
Jun 30, 2004
Supported Protect Act with mandatory sentences
Murkowski supported the federal Protect Act, tightening penalties for sexual offenders and implementing mandatory life sentences for twice-convicted sexual offenders, denying pretrial release for alleged child rapists or child abductors and extending the
statute of limitations for child abductions and sex crimes to the life of the alleged victim. The law also expands the ability of prosecutors and police to obtain wiretaps for monitoring those suspected of sex crimes.
Source: Campaign website, LisaMurkowski.com
Jun 30, 2004
End parole for repeat violent offenders
Murkowski supports the following principles regarding crime:
Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
End parole for repeat violent offenders.
Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
Source: 2002 Alaska State Legislative NPAT
Jul 2, 2002
Voted YES on reinstating $1.15 billion funding for the COPS Program.
Amendment would increase funding for the COPS Program to $1.15 billion for FY 2008 to provide state and local law enforcement with critical resources. The funding is offset by an unallocated reduction to non-defense discretionary spending.
Proponents recommend voting YES because:
This amendment reinstates the COPS Program. I remind everyone, when the COPS Program was functioning, violent crime in America reduced 8.5% a year for 7 years in a row. Throughout the 1990s, we funded the COPS Program at roughly $1.2 billion, and it drove down crime. Now crime is rising again. The COPS Program in the crime bill worked, and the Government Accounting Office found a statistical link between the COPS grants and a reduction in crime.
The Brookings Institution reported the COPS Program is one of the most cost-effective programs we have ever had in this country. Local officials urgently need this support.
Opponents recommend voting NO because:
The COPS Program has some history. It was started by President Clinton. He asked for 100,000 police officers. He said that when we got to 100,000, the program would stop. We got to 110,000 police officers and the program continues on and on and on.
This program should have ended 5 years ago or 6 years ago, but it continues. It is similar to so many Federal programs that get constituencies that go on well past what their original purpose was. It may be well intentioned, but we cannot afford it and we shouldn't continue it. It was never thought it would be continued this long.
Rated 87% by the NCJA, indicating a "tough-on-crime" stance.
Murkowski scores 87% by the NCJA on crime issues
OnTheIssues.org interprets the 2005 NCJA scores as follows:
0%- 74%: "soft-on-crime" record (approx. 133 members)
75%- 84%: mixed record on criminal justice (approx. 114 members)
85%-100%: "tough-on-crime" record (approx. 216 members)
About the NCJA (from their website, www.ncja.org):
The National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) exists to promote the development of justice systems in states, tribal nations, and units of local government that enhance public safety; prevent and reduce the harmful effects of criminal and delinquent behavior on victims, individuals and communities; adjudicate defendants and sanction offenders fairly and justly; and that are effective and efficient.
Toward this end, the Association:
Maintains the focus of state, tribal, local and federal governments on the needs of the criminal and juvenile justice systems;
Represents state, tribal, and local criminal and juvenile justice system concerns to the federal government;
Provides support for the development of criminal and juvenile justice policy for the nation's governors and tribal leaders;
Supports the public and all levels of government in the achievement of public safety by the coordination of education, community and social service systems, in addition to law enforcement and criminal justice measures;
Serves as a catalyst for the careful consideration and promotion of effective and efficient criminal and juvenile justice policies and practices;
Advocates for the commitment of adequate resources to support all components of the criminal and juvenile justice systems; and
Coordinates between the different branches and levels of government and promotes broad philosophical agreement.
