03/19/2009 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

SB  29-NAMING THOMAS B. STEWART LEG. OFFICE BLDG                                                                              
                                                                                                                              
8:03:52 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MUNOZ  announced that the  only order of  business would                                                               
be  SENATE BILL  NO. 29,  "An Act  naming the  Capitol Annex  the                                                               
Thomas B. Stewart Legislative Office Building."                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:04:24 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KRISTEN  BRESSETTE,  Staff,  Senator   Kim  Elton,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, related the following:                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     SB  29  would name  the  Capitol  Annex the  Thomas  B.                                                                    
     Stewart Legislative  Office Building in honor  of Judge                                                                    
     Thomas B.  Stewart and  his countless  contributions to                                                                    
     the State  of Alaska.   The Capitol Annex  was formerly                                                                    
     known  as the  Scottish  Rite Temple  and is  currently                                                                    
     under renovation  with an estimated completion  date of                                                                    
     the renovation of Capitol Annex is August 31, 2009.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Tom  Stewart was  an  exemplary  Alaskan and  extremely                                                                    
     honorable.  He was a  decorated war veteran, serving in                                                                    
                                                  th                                                                            
     World War II as  a US Army Captain of the  10  Mountain                                                                    
     Division Ski  Troops in the  Italian Alps for  which he                                                                    
     earned  bronze  and silver  stars.    He served  as  an                                                                    
     assistant attorney  general, served in  the territorial                                                                    
     House  of  Representatives.   He  was  a driving  force                                                                    
     behind  the  Alaska  Constitutional  Convention.    Tom                                                                    
     travelled  around  the  country  on  his  own  dime  to                                                                    
     research  and  collect  information  on  other  states'                                                                    
     constitutions  prior to  the convention.   Tom  was the                                                                    
     secretary of  the convention, which was  ultimately key                                                                    
     to statehood.   Tom  served as a  senator in  the first                                                                    
     session  of  the Alaska  Legislature  and  served as  a                                                                    
     Superior Court judge.  He  served in all three branches                                                                    
     of government.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Tom was known and  respected for his character, wisdom,                                                                    
                                                           th                                                                   
     and  leadership.     As   we  celebrate  Alaska's   50                                                                     
     anniversary   of   statehood   this   year,   it's   an                                                                    
     appropriate time to honor Tom Stewart.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. BRESSETTE  noted that [the  committee packet  should include]                                                               
letters  of  support from  former  Governors  Hickel and  Cooper.                                                               
Governor Palin has also expressed support for SB 29.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:06:19 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CALEB STEWART, speaking as the  son of Judge Stewart, thanked the                                                               
committee for hearing  SB 29.  He mentioned  his appreciation for                                                               
Co-Chair Munoz signing on as a  cross sponsor of SB 29.  Although                                                               
this  is exciting,  there isn't  unanimity in  the family  as one                                                               
individual  wants trails  to  be named  after  Judge Stewart  and                                                               
believes  SB 29  may interfere  with  that effort.   Mr.  Stewart                                                               
expressed hope  that naming  the Scottish  Rite Temple  after his                                                               
father might help  those younger citizens to stop  and ponder the                                                               
history of Judge Stewart.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:07:59 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KATIE HURLEY, expressed hope that SB  29 would move forward.  She                                                               
then  mentioned  that  Tom  was  the  chair  of  the  legislative                                                               
committee in 1955  and saw to it that the  convention was held in                                                               
Fairbanks.   The  aforementioned was  the key  to the  penning of                                                               
Alaska's  very successful  constitution, she  opined.   She noted                                                               
that she was the Secretary of the Senate in 1955.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:10:40 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MUNOZ recalled  that Judge Stewart was a  good friend of                                                               
her father-in-law  both of  which where  adventurous outdoorsmen.                                                               
She  further  recalled  that   Judge  Stewart  offered  beautiful                                                               
remarks at her wedding.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR.  HURLEY  related that  Judge  Stewart  graduated from  Juneau                                                               
Douglas High  School where he was  a great debater and  editor of                                                               
the Totem in 1936.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  MUNOZ  characterized  Judge  Stewart as  a  great  man,                                                               
dedicated father, dedicated husband, and dedicated neighbor.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:12:15 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HARRIS moved  to report  SB 29  out of  committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no objection, it was so ordered.