03/23/2018 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 65                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act establishing the Jonesville Public Use Area."                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:02:13 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon relayed that  the committee had heard the                                                                    
bill  on March  20,  2018 and  had  heard public  testimony.                                                                    
There  had been  no proposed  amendments. The  committee had                                                                    
discussed the fiscal notes.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  MIKE SHOWER,  SPONSOR, hoped  that he  had answered                                                                    
the committee's questions. He had  learned more on the topic                                                                    
of the bill  and continued to work on the  bill as the first                                                                    
phase of  a three-part plan.  He stated that there  would be                                                                    
additional steps  in the  plan that would  come in  three to                                                                    
five years.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon  asked  the   sponsor  to  describe  the                                                                    
purpose of the bill.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Shower explained  that SB  65 established  a public                                                                    
use area  that was north  of Palmer, Alaska. There  had been                                                                    
frequent public  safety concerns  in the area  including one                                                                    
fatal shooting. Additionally, there  was litter and drug use                                                                    
in the  area as well as  an uptick in population  and use of                                                                    
the area. There  was heavy usage of the area  in the summer,                                                                    
which had led to collisions  between people and vehicles and                                                                    
people  using  multi-use  areas  for  discharging  firearms.                                                                    
There  were conflicting  uses of  areas  that caused  public                                                                    
safety concern.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Shower  continued  discussing the  purpose  of  the                                                                    
bill.  He  stated  that  by  establishing  the  area  and  a                                                                    
management plan to  follow, it was hoped  that public safety                                                                    
would be  increased and mitigate  the negative  effects that                                                                    
had been  prevalent in the  area. He relayed that  the local                                                                    
community  and  Mat-Su Borough  had  been  very involved  in                                                                    
cleaning up to the area to  the best of its ability but were                                                                    
overwhelmed by  the over-usage.  He hoped  the establishment                                                                    
of  the  public  use  area  along with  the  creation  of  a                                                                    
management  plan  by  the   commissioner  of  Department  of                                                                    
Natural  Resources (DNR)  would  enhance  public safety  and                                                                    
keep the area clean for future use.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:05:12 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Stevens recalled  that  there was  a good  shooting                                                                    
range  space in  the area  that  would be  safe and  protect                                                                    
other users.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Shower  answered in the affirmative.  He stated that                                                                    
there were several  gravel pits in the area  where there had                                                                    
been  random public  use for  shooting. He  detailed that  a                                                                    
photographer had been shot in such  an area. The goal was to                                                                    
find   areas  with   an   appropriate   backdrop  to   build                                                                    
established gun ranges.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair   Bishop  reiterated   that  the   committee  had                                                                    
addressed the zero fiscal notes.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Bishop  MOVED  to report  CSSB  65(RES)  out  of                                                                    
Committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal notes. There  being NO OBJECTION, it was                                                                    
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CSSB 65(RES) was REPORTED out  of committee with a "do pass"                                                                    
recommendation with  a new Statement  of Zero  Fiscal Impact                                                                    
by the  Office of  the Governor for  the Department  of Fish                                                                    
and Game,  and the  Department of Public  Safety; and  a new                                                                    
zero fiscal note from Department of Natural Resources.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:07:00 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:08:56 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon discussed the  schedule for the following                                                                    
week. She  relayed that the committee  anticipated receiving                                                                    
the  operating budget  the following  week  and that  public                                                                    
testimony  had  been  scheduled. She  advised  of  potential                                                                    
schedule changes.