The
Outlying Areas Senate Presidents Caucus is an informal legislative organization created in 2007 by
leaders of the SenatesThe President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate, and is equivalent to the speaker of other assemblies.The Senate President is often a very high-ranking figure in the order of presidential succession: for example, the President of the Senate of Nigeria is...
of the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
s of
AlaskaAlaska is the largest state of the United States of America by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and Hawai'i and the United States territories of
GuamGuam is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. The island's capital is Hagåtña...
,
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands...
and the Northern Marianas Islands. The organization's initial meeting took place in the Hawai'i State Capitol on December 11, 2007 and was attended by Hawai'i Senate President
Colleen HanabusaColleen Hanabusa is a Democratic member of the Hawaii Senate, representing the 21st District since 1999 and serving as the President of the Senate since 2003. she is the first woman to lead either house in the Hawai'i legislature...
, Alaska Senate Majority Leader
Gary StevensGary Stevens is the President of the Alaska Senate. He is a Republican, representing the R District since his appointment in February 2003. He was previously a member of the Alaska House of Representatives from 2000 through 2003. Stevens was selected on November 6, 2008, as Senate President for...
, Guam Legislature Acting Speaker Eddie Baza Calvo, Senate President Joseph Mendiola of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands and Puerto Rico Senate President
Kenneth McClintockKenneth D. McClintock-Hernández is the current Secretary of State of Puerto Rico of Puerto Rican and Irish-American descent. As Secretary of State, he serves as the territory's Lieutenant Governor...
, who convened the meeting.
The Caucus was created to develop the first dialogue ever among legislative leaders of the United States' outlying states and territories, identify common problems, many of which are not shared by the forty-eight contiguous states, and seek consensus regarding possible solutions.
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The
Outlying Areas Senate Presidents Caucus is an informal legislative organization created in 2007 by
leaders of the SenatesThe President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate, and is equivalent to the speaker of other assemblies.The Senate President is often a very high-ranking figure in the order of presidential succession: for example, the President of the Senate of Nigeria is...
of the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
s of
AlaskaAlaska is the largest state of the United States of America by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and Hawai'i and the United States territories of
GuamGuam is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. The island's capital is Hagåtña...
,
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands...
and the Northern Marianas Islands. The organization's initial meeting took place in the Hawai'i State Capitol on December 11, 2007 and was attended by Hawai'i Senate President
Colleen HanabusaColleen Hanabusa is a Democratic member of the Hawaii Senate, representing the 21st District since 1999 and serving as the President of the Senate since 2003. she is the first woman to lead either house in the Hawai'i legislature...
, Alaska Senate Majority Leader
Gary StevensGary Stevens is the President of the Alaska Senate. He is a Republican, representing the R District since his appointment in February 2003. He was previously a member of the Alaska House of Representatives from 2000 through 2003. Stevens was selected on November 6, 2008, as Senate President for...
, Guam Legislature Acting Speaker Eddie Baza Calvo, Senate President Joseph Mendiola of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands and Puerto Rico Senate President
Kenneth McClintockKenneth D. McClintock-Hernández is the current Secretary of State of Puerto Rico of Puerto Rican and Irish-American descent. As Secretary of State, he serves as the territory's Lieutenant Governor...
, who convened the meeting.
The Caucus was created to develop the first dialogue ever among legislative leaders of the United States' outlying states and territories, identify common problems, many of which are not shared by the forty-eight contiguous states, and seek consensus regarding possible solutions. Among the issues initially discussed is the less-than-equal treatment by Federal agencies and private corporations, the lack of coverage of FCC-licensed satellite radio services in the non-contiguous areas of the nation and their non-inclusion in the
50 State QuartersThe 50 State Quarters program is the release of a series of commemorative coins by the United States Mint. Between 1999 and 2008, it featured each of the 50 individual U.S. states on unique designs for the reverse of the quarter....
program.
As a result of efforts by several caucus members, including a letter by them to the Federal Communications Commission included in the XM/Sirius merger docket, Sirius has committed to take steps within 90 days of FCC approval of the merger to provide coverage to the most populated outlying area, Puerto Rico.
Senate leaders in American Samoa and the United States Virgin Islands will be invited to join the caucus.