Outlying Areas Senate Presidents Caucus
Encyclopedia
The Outlying Areas Senate Presidents Caucus is an informal legislative organization created in 2007 by leaders of the Senates
of the U.S. state
s of Alaska
and Hawai'i and the United States territories of Guam
, Puerto Rico
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 Hanabusa
, Alaska Senate Majority Leader Gary Stevens
, 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 McClintock
, 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 Quarters
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 committed to take steps within 90 days of FCC approval of the merger to provide coverage to the most populated outlying area, Puerto Rico. Since 2009, the Sirius/XM signal is available to subscribers in Puerto Rico.
Senate leaders in American Samoa and the United States Virgin Islands will be invited to join the caucus.
President of the Senate
The President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate, and is the speaker of other assemblies.The senate president often ranks high in a jurisdiction's succession for its top executive office: for example, the President of the Senate of Nigeria is second in line...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 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. Four states use the official title of...
s of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States 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 Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
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 Hanabusa
Colleen Hanabusa
Colleen Wakako Hanabusa is the U.S. Representative for . She is a member of the Democratic Party. She was formerly a member of the Hawaii Senate, representing the 21st District since 1998...
, Alaska Senate Majority Leader Gary Stevens
Gary Stevens (Alaska politician)
Gary 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 McClintock
Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth D. McClintock-Hernández is the current Secretary of State of Puerto Rico. Mr. McClintock served as co-chair of Hillary Clinton presidential campaign's National Hispanic Leadership Council in 2008, co-chaired Clinton's successful Puerto Rico primary campaign that year and served as the...
, 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 Quarters
50 State Quarters
The 50 State Quarters program is the release of a series of circulating commemorative coins by the United States Mint. Between 1999 and 2008, it featured each of the 50 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 committed to take steps within 90 days of FCC approval of the merger to provide coverage to the most populated outlying area, Puerto Rico. Since 2009, the Sirius/XM signal is available to subscribers in Puerto Rico.
Senate leaders in American Samoa and the United States Virgin Islands will be invited to join the caucus.