2000-07-14                     House Journal                      Page 3901
HB 287                                                                       
The following letter dated June 30, 2000, was received:                        
                                                                               
"Dear Speaker Porter:                                                          
                                                                               
On this date I have signed the following bill passed by the second             
session of the Twenty-first Alaska State Legislature and am                    
transmitting the engrossed and enrolled copies to the Lieutenant               
Governor's Office for permanent filing:                                        
                                                                               
SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 287(FIN)                                  
"An Act making capital appropriations that are funded from the                
sale of revenue bonds that are issued by the Alaska Housing                    
Finance Corporation or a subsidiary of the Alaska Housing                      
Finance Corporation and that are to be repaid either from the                  
revenue derived from the settlement of State of Alaska v. Philip               
Morris, Incorporated, or from revenue of the Alaska Housing                    
Finance Corporation to the Department of Education and Early                   
Development for public school facilities, to the University of                 
Alaska for facilities for the University of Alaska, and to the                 
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities for facilities for          
ports and harbors; and providing for an effective date."                       
                                                                               
	Chapter No. 131, SLA 2000                                                     
	¦Effective Date:  July 1, 2000á                                               
                                                                               
I am signing this bill because it appropriates money for many vitally          
needed projects throughout the state.  However, it is what the bill does       
not include which merits mention and which will require additional             
action in the future.                                                          
                                                                               
Most of the projects cited by the state Board of Education and Early           
Development as critically needed new school construction or major              
maintenance are not funded in this bill.  I had proposed a funding             
method to address the 40 top-ranked new school construction projects           
and all of the major maintenance projects throughout the state.  This          
bill funds only the first five new school construction projects plus the       
24th ranked project.  A bill which I signed several weeks ago, HB 281,         
authorizes bond reimbursement for only a fraction of the many major            

2000-07-14                     House Journal                      Page 3902
HB 287                                                                       
maintenance projects scattered throughout the Board list.  There remain        
dozens of critically needed construction and maintenance projects,             
particularly in rural Alaska, which I will be recommending that the            
legislature address next session.                                              
                                                                               
							Sincerely,                                                              
							/s/                                                                     
							Tony Knowles                                                            
							Governor"