The Senate Appropriations Committee has removed the earmark for the two
“bridges to nowhere” in Alaska. This of course still keeps the money available
to Alaska, where their Governor is now to decide how it is best spent. The
following is from a
Sierra
Club press release:

The Senate Appropriations Committee removed earmarks for two
controversial “bridges to nowhere” in Alaska: the Gravina bridge, which
would connect Ketchikan to an island of 50 people, and the Knik Arm bridge,
which would link Anchorage to a sparsely populated area. The projects have
been the subject of strong criticism because of the general backlog of
existing roads and bridges in desperate need of repair, especially those
affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. According to the National
Association of Civil Engineers, one in four bridges nationwide is
structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, not including the damage
from Katrina and Rita.

The issue has been particularly controversial for Senator Lisa Murkowski
(R-AK) who has served as a strong advocate for the Gravina bridge despite
the fact that her family owns 33-acres of undeveloped land 3/4 of a mile
from the point where the bridge would touch down. Since the State would now
decide how the money would be spent, her father, Governor Frank Murkowski,
would now face the same ethical scrutiny.

Read the full release
here.

It will be interesting to see how Ted Stevens responds to this. He threatened
to resign from Senate a few weeks ago if the money for the bridges was touched.
Even though the earmarks have been removed, the money is still in the state. I
guess we will be stuck with his rants and hissy-fits because of a technicality
now.