02/21/2008 11:00 AM House ECONOMIC DEV., TRADE, AND TOURISM

SB  97-ALASKA NATIVE ART IDENTIFICATION SEALS                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
11:46:01 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR NEUMAN announced  that the only order of  business would be                                                               
CS   FOR  SENATE   BILL  NO.   97(JUD),  "An   Act  relating   to                                                               
identification seals  for certain articles created  or crafted in                                                               
the state by Alaska Native  persons; relating to the Alaska State                                                               
Council  on  the Arts;  and  making  certain identification  seal                                                               
violations unfair trade practices."                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
11:46:13 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  NEUMAN   asked  the  sponsor's  staff   to  introduce  the                                                               
committee substitute.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
11:46:21 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
TIM  LAMKIN,   Staff  to  Senator  Gary   Stevens,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  introduced the  committee substitute  on behalf  of                                                               
Senator  Stevens, sponsor.   Mr.  Lamkin  informed the  committee                                                               
that the sponsor  has worked hard to address  the concerns raised                                                               
about  the  bill and  Version  K  satisfactorily addresses  three                                                               
issues:  the program being  under the Department of Education and                                                               
Early  Development  (DEED),  versus the  Department  of  Commerce                                                               
Community  &   Economic  Development  (DCCED);   artists  working                                                               
outside of the State of  Alaska; and re-defining "Alaska Native."                                                               
On the last issue, Mr.  Lamkin explained that the current version                                                               
references the  federal statutes and improves  and modernizes the                                                               
language  of "Alaska  Native."   However, he  indicated that  the                                                               
sponsor  feels that  this component  of  the bill  might best  be                                                               
addressed by the House Judiciary Standing Committee.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
11:47:36 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  NEUMAN  observed that  the  Alaska  Federation of  Natives                                                               
(AFN) is  supportive of the bill  in its present form,  and added                                                               
that the  intent of the  chair is to  ensure that control  of the                                                               
issue is in the hands of the local people.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
11:48:10 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
L.  SAUNDERS   MCNEILL,  Director,  Community  and   Native  Arts                                                               
Program,  Alaska  State  Council   on  the  Arts,  Department  of                                                               
Education  and  Early  Development  (DEED),  said  that  she  was                                                               
available to answer questions.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
11:48:40 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GATTO referred  to  page two,  line fifteen,  and                                                               
asked for  the current  definition of "an  Alaska Native"  in the                                                               
bill.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
11:49:04 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR.  LAMKIN said,  "  ... do  you mean  what's  currently on  the                                                               
books?"                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
11:49:16 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GATTO remarked:                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Well, with regards to this bill, we have the words "an                                                                     
     Alaskan Native" in it, so tell us how we define it.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
11:49:29 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR.  LAMKIN  answered  that  the  definition  of  "Alaska  Native                                                               
person" is found on  page 4, line 13, of the  bill.  He clarified                                                               
that there  is an additional reference  on page 2, line  15, that                                                               
specifies that the "Alaska Native person" is making the art.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
11:50:06 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GATTO  opined that  the bill  refers to  an Alaska                                                               
Native person  who creates  the Alaska Native  art and,  with the                                                               
definition, the language should be fine.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
11:50:29 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DOLL asked for the definition of art.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
11:50:43 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. LAMKIN deferred the question to Ms. McNeill.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
11:50:57 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. MCNEILL  pointed out that  the definition is located  on page                                                               
4, starting on line 22, in the bill.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
11:51:18 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DOOGAN  asked whether the Alaska  State Council on                                                               
the Arts (ASCA) supports this bill.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
11:51:44 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS.  MCNEILL  confirmed that  the  ASCA  absolutely supports  the                                                               
bill.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
11:51:49 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR NEUMAN closed testimony.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
11:52:04 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LYNN   moved  to  report  CSSB   97(JUD)  out  of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
zero  fiscal  notes.   Hearing  no  objection, CSSB  97(JUD)  was                                                               
reported  out   of  the  House  Special   Committee  on  Economic                                                               
Development, International Trade and Tourism.