We all know that the expansion of tribal jurisdiction over non-members of a tribe is a controversial issue in our State. My firm commitment to addressing our public safety crisis in rural Alaska by working with tribes has not changed since I was elected to the Senate ten years ago.

We all agree the status quo is not keeping our rural families safe. With nearly one in two women in rural Alaska experiencing physical or sexual violence in their life time, we face a public safety crisis in our State that elected leaders cannot ignore. But we must all find the common ground that enables us to pull in the same direction towards a better future, rather than get mired in jurisdictional battles.

We need to solve this public safety crisis together. That is the spirit of the Rural Public Safety Initiative that I proposed recently for Alaska tribes' consideration. I sent every single Tribal Leader a letter outlining my concept to allow for an integrated rural justice system, bringing together the efforts of Tribes, as well as the State of Alaska.

My proposal calls for the cross-deputization of tribal or village law enforcement officers as "special officers" that will assist in the enforcement of criminal laws in the State of Alaska. The law enforcement officer may offer civil tribal diversion remedies to offenders in drug and alcohol related state misdemeanors in the village as a possible alternative to misdemeanor criminal prosecution by the State.