05/02/2006 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE

                CSHCR  4(JUD)-METH WATCH PROGRAM                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR   CON  BUNDE   announced  CSHCR   4(JUD)  to   be  up   for                                                               
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JAY  RAMRAS, sponsor of  HCR 4, explained  that it                                                               
is  a mechanism  to  attract dollars  to  an educational  program                                                               
teaching  the  evils  of methamphetamine  use  -  mainly  through                                                               
schools. The  second prong was  education of retailers  about the                                                               
products  necessary to  produce  the product.  He mentioned  that                                                               
Mayor  Begich has  raised $200,000,  Mayor  Whittaker has  raised                                                               
$20,000,  he,  personally,  had  requested  $100,000  from  House                                                               
Finance  and Senator  Murkowski was  working on  getting matching                                                               
federal  dollars.  He  said  it   is  an  excellent  preventative                                                               
program.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  BUNDE noted  that it  has a  zero fiscal  note and  has no                                                               
opposition.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:277:06 PM                                                                                                                   
SENATOR SEEKINS  moved to pass  CSHCR 4(JUD) from  committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations   and  zero  fiscal   note.  Senators                                                               
Seekins, Ben Stevens and Chair  Bunde voted yea; and CSHCR 4(JUD)                                                               
moved from committee.