2002-01-16                     Senate Journal                      Page 1954
SB 236                                                                                            
SENATE BILL NO. 236 BY THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE                                                   
BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, entitled:                                                               
                                                                                                    
                    "An Act making supplemental and other                                          
             appropriations for homeland security; and providing                                   
          for an effective date."                                                                   
                                                                                                    
was read the first time and referred to the State Affairs and Finance                               
Committees.                                                                                         
                                                                                                    
Governor's transmittal letter dated January 14, 2002:                                               
                                                                                                    
Dear President Halford:                                                                             
                                                                                                    
Today I am formally transmitting to the Legislature an appropriations                               
bill to implement the recommendations of the administration's                                       
Terrorism Disaster Policy Cabinet regarding state security and                                      
                                                                  th                                
response capabilities in the aftermath of September 11. The bill                                    
covers costs incurred to date fulfilling immediate requirements such as                             
airport security, as well as increased preparedness and response                                    
capabilities for the rest of FY2002 and all of FY2003. This                                         
comprehensive bill also funds capital investments for transportation                                
security, emergency response equipment and other high priority                                      
recommendations of the cabinet group.                                                               
                                                                                                    
I forwarded a draft of this legislation to you in November with a                                   
request for advance hearings to facilitate prompt consideration of the                              
proposal in the beginning weeks of the session. Although those                                      
hearings were not held, we made the Terrorism Disaster Policy                                       
Cabinet's report  and  budget  detail  on their recommendations widely                              
                                                                                                    
                                                                                                    

2002-01-16                     Senate Journal                      Page 1955
available to legislators and the public via the Internet. As anticipated                            
in my November letter, the final bill has some updates from that                                    
earlier version although there are no changes to the basic                                          
recommendations for action.                                                                         
                                                                                                    
Detecting and responding to threats of terrorism is no longer a                                     
theoretical exercise. Like all other states, Alaska must make its own                               
risk assessment and determine the appropriate levels of security and                                
emergency response capabilities to meet our responsibilities to our                                 
citizens.                                                                                           
                                                                                                    
This critical state policy decision requires the best efforts of the                                
administration and the legislature. I pledge the full assistance of my                              
commissioners and others to assisting you in your earliest possible                                 
review of these recommendations.                                                                    
                                                                                                    
Sincerely,                                                                                          
/s/                                                                                                 
Tony Knowles                                                                                        
Governor                                                                                            
                                                                                                    
A spreadsheet of cost estimates by department from the Office of                                    
Management and Budget was attached and is on file in the Senate                                     
Secretary's Office.