00Enrolled SR 3                                                                                                           
01 Relating to commemoration of Senator Frank R. Ferguson and other distinguished Senators.                                
02                                          _______________                                                                
03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:                                                                                         
04      WHEREAS Frank R. Parraq Ferguson served in both the Alaska State House of                                          
05 Representatives and the Alaska State Senate during a legislative career that spanned 16 years;                          
06 and                                                                                                                     
07      WHEREAS, during his political career, his accomplishments were numerous and led                                    
08 to major improvements in rural Alaska; and                                                                              
09      WHEREAS he was one of the principal legislators establishing a statewide                                           
10 telecommunications system that included direct telephone communications in all rural                                    
11 communities; and                                                                                                        
12      WHEREAS he led the effort to establish the rural educational attendance area                                       
13 education system that allowed rural children to be educated at home in their own                                        
14 communities; and                                                                                                        
15      WHEREAS he helped establish the University of Alaska's rural educational system;                                   
16 and                                                                                                                     

01      WHEREAS he led the effort to establish the rural housing assistance loan program,                                  
02 which paved the way for commercial lending in rural Alaska; and                                                         
03      WHEREAS he helped establish the delivery of state health care and social services                                  
04 through contracting with the Alaska Native regional nonprofit organizations; and                                        
05      WHEREAS he helped establish a village public safety officer program and supported                                  
06 search and rescue, emergency medical services, and trail staking in rural communities; and                              
07      WHEREAS he helped bring airport lighting to rural village airports so that life-safety                             
08 and other essential services could be delivered during the long, dark winter months; and                                
09      WHEREAS he helped establish a lower cost rural energy program that included the                                    
10 bulk fuel loan program, power cost equalization, and many alternative energy projects; and                              
11      WHEREAS he helped establish the village health aide program and rural clinics; and                                 
12      WHEREAS he helped establish revenue sharing for rural villages and unincorporated                                  
13 municipalities; and                                                                                                     
14      WHEREAS he helped establish the Kotzebue and Barrow courthouses; and                                               
15      WHEREAS he was a principal negotiator in establishing the Alaska permanent fund                                    
16 and its current earnings distribution system and was a key figure in oil taxation methodology;                          
17 and                                                                                                                     
18      WHEREAS he was a principal legislator in marshalling the state's financial                                         
19 investment in the port and road facilities for the Red Dog Mine and local hire; and                                     
20      WHEREAS he was known for being a consummate dealmaker with a keen ability to                                       
21 close the session during the days when there was no limit on the length of the session; and                             
22      WHEREAS his contributions to this state are many and are attributable to his ability                               
23 to bring diverse people together for the common good of the state; and                                                  
24      WHEREAS the Alaska State Senate has had a significant role in the rich history of                                  
25 the state and the progress of its citizens through the individual and collective achievements of                        
26 its members; and                                                                                                        
27      WHEREAS other Senators also merit special recognition for past accomplishments;                                    
28      BE IT RESOLVED by the Alaska State Senate that a commemorative panel be                                            
29 established at a prominent place inside the Capitol for the listing of Senators who are specially                       
30 recognized posthumously by resolution of the Alaska State Senate for the value of their                                 
31 contributions to the Alaska State Legislature and the people of Alaska; and be it                                       

01      FURTHER RESOLVED that a compilation of the accomplishments of the Senators                                         
02 listed on the commemorative panel be kept on file in the Capitol; and be it                                             
03      FURTHER RESOLVED that the name of Frank R. Ferguson be displayed on the                                            
04 Commemorative Panel of Distinguished Senators.