Legislature(2009 - 2010)BARNES 124
03/03/2009 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB74 | |
| HB19 | |
| HJR20 | |
| HB19 | |
| HB153 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 74 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 19 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HJR 20 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 153 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 19-ELIMINATE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME 8:13:07 AM CO-CHAIR HERRON announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 19, "An Act exempting the state and its political subdivisions from daylight saving time." 8:13:40 AM REPRESENTATIVE ANNA FAIRCLOUGH, Alaska State Legislature, speaking as the sponsor of HB 19, related that over the past two years her community has raised the need to eliminate the use of daylight saving time. 8:14:32 AM CRYSTAL KOENEMAN, Staff, Representative Anna Fairclough, Alaska State Legislature, informed the committee that daylight saving time (DST) began in 1918 in order to conserve resources for World War I. Congress placed the nation on DST for seven months. However, DST was so unpopular that it was repealed. During World War II Congress enacted the Wartime Act, which reinstated year round DST as a measure to conserve energy and it remained in effect until after the war. From 1945-1966, U.S. federal law didn't address DST, and therefore states and different localities were able to choose DST or not. Most [states and localities] chose to follow DST from the last Sunday in April until the last Sunday in September. During the 1950s many states and localities in the Northeastern U.S. extended DST until the last Sunday in October. Therefore, the lack of federal standardization resulted in a patchwork of time [zones] caused some difficulties with regard to trains and general travel. In 1966 the Uniform Time Act was instated. Although it doesn't require that states observe DST, if it is observed it must be done uniformly. In response to the 1973 energy crisis, DST in the U.S. began earlier in 1974 and 1975, commencing on the first Sunday in January to the last Sunday in February 1975. The extension of DST wasn't continued due to public opposition to the last sunrise times during the winter months. In 1976 the nation reverted back to the Uniform Time Act. Ms. Koeneman related that the last change to DST took place on March 11, 2007, at which point there was an extension to begin on the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November. 8:17:31 AM REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH clarified that in 1983 Alaska Standard Time was created, which all but a remote area of the Aleutian Chain followed. She then informed the committee that when Alaska goes on and off DST, particularly the northern latitudes are three hours off of their biological clocks and sun time. Northern Alaska communities are off cycle all the time. Furthermore, within a week of going on or off DST, the light [and the time] are in sync in the Interior and mid latitude areas. Daylight saving time doesn't achieve in Alaska what it is intended to do on a national level. She noted that the multiple attempts to repeal DST since 1983 have not been successful. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH, referring to a letter her office produced seeking comments from Alaskans regarding DST, said that she received 364 responses of which 264 supported the repeal of DST while 68 opposed the repeal of DST, 12 supported year round DST, 15 respondents didn't care, and 5 preferred to be three hours different from the East Coast. The responses from the Northern regions related that there were disruptions for the schools in terms of student behavior and testing. The responses from Southeast Alaska related the desire to stay the same and remain in sync with Seattle, Washington. She told the committee of a study performed in Sweden, which found that the heart attack rate in hospitals increases during the transition on and off DST. The aforementioned is attributed to the disruption in sleep, the circadian rhythms, when the time change occurs. Representative Fairclough reiterated that Alaska's northern communities are typically off of sun time by three hours for most of the year. Still, the northern communities are asked to function like everyone else who is close to the equator. There were also concerns related regarding safety issues with schools and students coming to school in the dark. The largest issue in support of not repealing DST is that businesses won't be able to communicate on a regular basis with the East Coast and the rest of the world. However, many believe technology can be successful in communicating across the world. She then mentioned a chart that shows the progression of DST across the world. This chart illustrates that the world is seeing the need to repeal DST. Representative Fairclough related that she believes the biggest issue for folks is the need to be consistent. In conclusion, she highlighted that although there has been some opposition from businesses in Southeast, there is overwhelming support for the repeal of DST. In fact, one of the presidents of a major bank in Alaska is in support of the repeal of DST. 8:24:40 AM REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA related her understanding that originally the reason for DST had to do with conserving energy and fuel crises. She then opined that Alaska isn't really in touch with the impacts of the market crash on the Lower 48. However, Alaska is in touch with the enormous cost of fuel experienced within the state. She expressed the need for Representative Fairclough's study to include energy. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH informed the committee that there are national studies that illustrate that DST costs more money. She reiterated that DST [correlates with the actual sun time] within a week. Typically, those in the northern communities overwhelmingly dislike DST. MS. KOENEMAN pointed out that the committee packet should include a National Geographic article that specifies that in Indiana when the entire state implemented DST, the Spring 2006, the residential electricity bills of Indiana homeowners increased by almost $7 million. The aforementioned can mainly be attributed to heating and air conditioning use. Some of the counties didn't use DST while others did, which afforded a comparison in costs. 8:29:23 AM REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA noted that rural Alaska and Indiana are very different. 8:29:47 AM REPRESENTATIVE KELLER related his understanding that in 1983 when Alaska went to Alaska Standard Time (AST) it was a federal act not a state act. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH clarified that her understanding was that it was an Alaska issue that had to be cleared through the federal government. REPRESENTATIVE KELLER remarked that he supports [a time zone] that makes more sense in Alaska. However, he opined that the only choice Alaska has is to go on or off DST. He then pointed out that there are two kinds of consistency, that is consistency with neighbors in Alaska and consistency with the East Coast. Therefore, he questioned what can be done to address both. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH said she would follow-up regarding whether it was a federal decision. She then opined it would be optimum for everyone in Alaska to stop using DST. 8:33:03 AM CO-CHAIR MUNOZ inquired as to the net impact of repealing DST on Alaskans. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH explained that when Alaska goes on DST in spring, for seven months the time is three hours off. When Alaska goes off DST, then Alaska would be four hours different for five months. Hawaii and Arizona don't rotate on and off DST. 8:35:39 AM REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA asked if Representative Fairclough's survey was a random sample or self-selecting responses. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH explained that she put out a press release and then put out her email address to various communities. Therefore, it was a random survey that logged the community from which the response came. The results relate large differences in opinion depending upon the latitude of one's residence. REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA suggested that sometimes the aforementioned doesn't result in a cross section of people. Therefore, she expressed interest in more of a random sample "by energy or by work." REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH informed the committee that two surveys that weren't random had results supporting the repeal of DST. In 2005 Helenthal performed a study showing 49 percent of people in Alaska favored repeal of DST. In 2004, Dittman performed a study showing 58 percent [of Alaskans surveyed] supported a repeal of DST of which 70 percent of the respondents were from rural communities. 8:38:02 AM CO-CHAIR HERRON asked if there are other states close to making a change similar to what's proposed in HB 19. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH informed the committee that the National Conference of State Legislatures is tracking this issue, but no other states are addressing DST in the same manner as Alaska. Although 6-10 states are continually asking questions about DST, most of the matter comes back to asking Congress and the Department of Transportation & Public Facilities to perform a study. 8:40:26 AM LYNN WILLIS related support for HB 19. Mr. Willis said, "I simply resent being subjected to such an invasive law that seems to have no compelling reason for its continued use." He noted that he maintains a web site relating to Alaska DST and was part of the effort to place this issue before voters via initiative. Mr. Willis, noting that the committee packet should include his written testimony, said that today he would focus on 3 of the 15 reasons to repeal DST in Alaska. With regard to the argument claiming that DST is necessary to do business in Alaska, he highlighted that advances in communication technology allows 24 hour contact. Furthermore, the purported benefit of never being more than one hour behind Seattle or four hours behind New York may not exist for all businesses. Alaska now has business relations with the Pacific Far East where DST isn't used, specifically China and Japan. He then suggested members consider the impact of DST on an air cargo operation. For example, in Anchorage a scheduled flight originating from Japan where DST isn't observed will arrive in Anchorage at noon. After the change to DST, the flight will then arrive in Anchorage at 1:00 p.m. He pointed out that since the flight must leave Anchorage for the Lower 48 at the same local time it left prior to the change to DST, valuable ground time in Anchorage for maintenance and cargo sorting will be shortened by one hour. Mr. Willis then turned to the second reason for the repeal of DST that being that energy savings is the official reason the federal government allows individual states to use DST. However, those at local energy utilities in Anchorage have related the length of day combined with ambient temperature impacts energy use in the Railbelt region not changing the time of sunrise and sunset. Although nationwide energy grids show a reduction in consumption when DST is in use, regional variances aren't uniform. In fact, Arizona opted out of DST due to the increased need for air conditioning when the time of sunset is delayed during the summer months. The aforementioned is also being found in Indiana. Alaska isn't on any large power grid and can't benefit from large power grid energy savings attributed to the use of DST. Mr. Willis echoed the sponsor's earlier remarks that the Dittman survey found that 58 percent of Alaskans surveyed want to keep clocks the same year round while 37 percent favor changing clocks. The Helenthal survey found that 39.9 percent of those surveyed wanted to repeal DST and 36.6 percent wanted to keep DST. In conclusion, Mr. Willis urged the committee to vote for HB 19. 8:44:28 AM REPRESENTATIVE KELLER expressed hope that there is resolution to this issue that provides consistency all around. He then thanked Mr. Willis for his work on the issue. MR. WILLIS pointed out that the US Department of Transportation creates time zones. The merger of Alaska's three time zones in 1983 was done by the US Department of Transportation. 8:45:32 AM MR. WILLIS, in response to Representative Cissna, specified that the Dittman survey asked respondents whether they wanted to keep their clock the same all year, repeal DST, or change their clocks. In that poll, 5 percent were unsure. He mentioned that this poll is on his web site, www.endalaskadst.com. 8:47:03 AM CO-CHAIR HERRON announced that HB 19 would be held over. [HB 19 was taken up later in this meeting.] HB 19-ELIMINATE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME 8:56:53 AM CO-CHAIR HERRON returned the committee's attention to HB 19. 8:57:03 AM CO-CHAIR HERRON highlighted that the committee packet includes written testimony from Wrangell Public Schools in opposition to HB 19. However, other Southeast communities support HB 19. 8:57:23 AM REPRESENTATIVE ANNA FAIRCLOUGH, Alaska State Legislature, speaking as the sponsor of HB 19, said she didn't want to speak to that. However, she stated that Southeast overall has been the most energetic in wanting to keep DST. She reviewed some of the responses from Seward, Seward Chamber of Commerce, and Eagle River Chamber of Commerce. 8:58:40 AM CO-CHAIR HERRON announced that HB 19 would be held over and that the sponsor and Representative Cissna should work together. 8:59:02 AM REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH asked if Representative Cissna's major concern is oil consumption and energy costs. REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA expressed the need for solid scientific information rather than anecdotal and emotional information. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH said that she doesn't have the resources to perform a scientific survey, and therefore she reached out in the manner that she could. 9:01:15 AM REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA suggested that the Department of Commerce, Community, & Economic Development (DCCED) has resources that could perhaps address this. She also suggested that Homeland Security could be involved since it closely monitors fuel costs. 9:02:21 AM CO-CHAIR MUNOZ opined that it's important to recognize that HJR 20 has an additional committee of referral. "And that it's appropriate, we believe, to move the bill in the near future," she related. She then suggested that Representative Cissna and Representative Fairclough could meet about this issue. REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA indicated the possibility of tapping into information that already exists, and expressed interest in doing so. REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH said that she is happy to reach out to the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) and the departments mentioned earlier in order to determine if there is a way to quantify those [energy] costs. 9:04:04 AM CO-CHAIR HERRON announced his intent to schedule HB 19 for March 12th at which time further debate can occur. In response to Representative Fairclough, Co-Chair Herron said the next hearing would have invited testimony only.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Draft CSHB74(CRA).PDF |
HCRA 3/3/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 74 |
| HB 153 Presentation_handout.doc |
HCRA 3/3/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 153 |
| HB153 Packet_2-26-09.pdf |
HCRA 3/3/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 153 |
| HB 74 Amendment 1.doc |
HCRA 3/3/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 74 |
| HB19billpacket.PDF |
HCRA 3/3/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 19 |
| HB019-FISCALNOTEGOV-OMB-3-2-09.pdf |
HCRA 3/3/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 19 |
| HB153-FISCALNOTE-CED-CRA-03-02-09 .pdf |
HCRA 3/3/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 153 |
| HJR20 Study-Does Daylight Saving Save Energy.pdf |
HCRA 3/3/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HJR 20 |
| HJR20BillPacket.PDF |
HCRA 3/3/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HJR 20 |
| HJR20FISCALNOTE-LEG-COU-3-2-09.pdf |
HCRA 3/3/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HJR 20 |
| HB074-FISCAL NOTE-DNR-DCOM-02-06-2009.pdf |
HCRA 3/3/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 74 |
| HB74-FISCALNOTE-DEC-CO-2-6-09.pdf |
HCRA 3/3/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 74 |