Dan Sullivan

The fentanyl crisis has devastated Alaska, visiting tragedy and death on too many Alaska communities, friends and families, including my own. On Feb. 11, 2020, a police officer knocked on my door to deliver news no parent should ever have to receive: My beautiful 22-year-old daughter, Haley, had been killed by fentanyl poisoning. And though we lost Haley more than five years ago now, the devastation and pain it caused remain.

Even in our grief and numbness, my family and I sought answers. We were compelled to take some action in an effort to save another family the tragedy we feel so acutely every day. We reached out to our elected officials and asked them bluntly to do more to prevent these tragedies. U.S. Sen. Dan S. Sullivan heard our plea, and then he took action.

Sullivan not only listened to those of us who have been impacted by this deadly crisis but also took near-immediate action in the U.S. Senate to protect Alaskans and fight for justice. Sullivan learned, for example, that while law enforcement had succeeded in identifying the person they believe sold Haley the fentanyl-laced pill, he could not be prosecuted because, by the time he was identified, the five-year statute of limitations had run out and he had fled the state. That should not happen. A person suspected of selling a deadly drug should not be able to escape responsibility simply by leaving the state and waiting for the clock to run out. Grieving families should not lose their opportunity for justice because an investigation took time or a suspect fled.

That is why I strongly support Sen. Sullivan’s TIME for Overdose Justice Act, which would eliminate the federal statute of limitations for certain drug offenses when those drugs cause death or serious injury. Had this statute existed when Haley was killed, the federal investigators who took over her case could have succeeded in bringing another purveyor of death and misery to justice.

This is also a caution: Haley was not struggling with addiction. I do not say that to diminish the tragedy of families who have lost loved ones battling addiction. I say it because every parent and every family needs to understand how dangerous fentanyl is. One fake pill — one mistake — can erase an entire future. Nothing can bring Haley back, and this legislation cannot reopen her case. But it could prevent another family from hearing that time itself had protected the person who sold the drug that killed their child.

Sen. Sullivan recognized this serious gap in the law and acted. And not for the first time.

He also co-sponsored Bruce’s Law and worked with a bipartisan group of senators to secure its core provisions in legislation signed into law last year.

Bruce’s Law is named after Robert “Bruce” Snodgrass, another 22-year-old Alaskan lost to fentanyl. It strengthens education about fentanyl-laced drugs, supports community prevention, helps federal agencies coordinate their efforts and elevates the voices of families impacted by the epidemic. Bruce’s mother, Sandy Snodgrass, turned her grief into a mission to save lives. Sen. Sullivan listened to Sandy and helped turn her advocacy into law. Now he’s continuing that work with new legislation to help other families preserve their chance at justice.

No single law will end the fentanyl epidemic. It takes prevention, treatment, enforcement, accountability and education. Sen. Sullivan started this work early in his tenure, when he held a summit in Alaska with then-U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and other senior federal officials to address Alaska’s unique challenges dealing with opioid abuse. He also authored and cosponsored bills and provisions that increase resources for those suffering from addiction.

Alaska needs leaders like Dan S. Sullivan in the U.S. Senate — leaders who listen, take action and continue fighting for Alaskan families.

That is why he has earned my vote on Nov. 3.

Nichola Ruedy is a lifelong Alaskan, mother and advocate turning unimaginable grief and loss into a call for action by fighting the prevention of fentanyl deaths, protecting our children and strengthening federal sentencing legislation.