JUNEAU – House Speaker Bryce Edgmon on Friday released the following statement on the U.S. District Court’s decision to block progress on a road connecting King Cove and Cold Bay.

March 29, 2019

‘The people of King Cove deserve reliable access to healthcare,’ Speaker Edgmon says

“The people of King Cove deserve reliable access to healthcare, and the fight to build a simple gravel road affording them that basic right has taken far too long. Today’s U.S. Superior Court decision to invalidate the plan to allow a land exchange between the Interior Department and King Cove Corporation is disappointing and presents an unnecessary setback.”

– House Speaker Bryce Edgmon (I-Dillingham)

For decades, residents of King Cove – a 1,000-person community on the edge of the Alaska Peninsula – have been fighting to build a road to nearby Cold Bay. Because there is no road, King Cove residents needing medical evacuations often go without care due to bad weather, or they face treacherous rides on boats or small planes. Attached is a copy of the opinion from U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason.

The House Majority is a 25-member coalition of Democratic, Republican, and Independent representatives from large and small communities across our state. The House Majority is committed to serving all Alaskans with integrity and transparency, and to practicing informed leadership so that every citizen’s quality of life will improve for generations to come.

CONTACT
Austin Baird
Communications Director
(907) 465-6791
austin.baird@akleg.gov