If it was all down to Murkowski, the bill wouldn't include more states than Alaska. They need more than they're letting on.
The bill is clearly not in as good of shape or as close to passing as they're pretending it is. They're getting desperate.
It's written as a population density of 15 per square mile or less. I figured they wanted more than one state to get it past the uniformity clause and decided to cut it off right below the lowest density liberal state of New Mexico.
I don't know all the precedent for the uniformity clause, but conservatives very recently learned bullshit conditionals that effect exactly one thing won't fly through the supreme court with their attempt to ban planned parenthood.
In the old days they'd just use trusty ol paper clip and add a random bridge to nowhere into a bill about healthcare when they wanted to bribe someone, but that doesn't happen anymore after people started calling that stuff out.
EDIT: Oh, I missed that they changed it to include Maine. Don't know how it's defined now, but yes, they only did that because they need more senators on board.