04/16/2011 11:00 AM House FIN

SENATE BILL NO. 108                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act naming the Dowling Road overpass at milepost                                                                       
     123.7 on the New Seward Highway the Spc. Stephen "Max"                                                                     
     Cavanaugh, Jr., Memorial Overpass."                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
11:01:27 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  LESIL MCGUIRE,  SPONSOR,  explained  that the  bill                                                                    
would rename  the Dowling Road  overpass, mile 123.7  on the                                                                    
New  Seward Highway  as the  "Spc. Stephen  "Max" Cavanaugh,                                                                    
Jr.,  Memorial Overpass."  She commented  that although  the                                                                    
bill  was  only  one  sentence long,  it  was  an  important                                                                    
tribute. She  discussed the  life of  Max Cavanaugh,  Jr. He                                                                    
was  an  Alaskan  soldier  that  died  as  a  result  of  an                                                                    
automobile  collision with  a moose  on the  Seward Highway.                                                                    
Spc.  Cavanaugh served  on 300  convoys [in  Iraq] with  the                                                                    
Warrior Transition Unit  based at Fort Richardson.  He was a                                                                    
well-respected  member  of  his  unit. He  was  residing  in                                                                    
Alaska and  was healing from  a traumatic brain  injury when                                                                    
the  crash  occurred.  His organs  were  donated  after  his                                                                    
death.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Senator McGuire relayed that his  parents traveled to Alaska                                                                    
from Georgia after their son  passed away, to participate in                                                                    
a road safety effort aimed  at mitigating the dangers on the                                                                    
overpass.  The  highway  corridor was  frequented  by  moose                                                                    
making  driving dangerous.  She  noted that  the effort  was                                                                    
assisted  by the  Department  of  Transportation and  Public                                                                    
Facilities  (DOT),   Department  of  Public   Safety  (DPS),                                                                    
Department  of  Fish  and Game  (DFG),  Governor  and  Sandy                                                                    
Parnell and AmeriCorps volunteers.  Brush that was comprised                                                                    
of willow,  cottonwood, birch, and  aspen trees was  cut and                                                                    
cleared  for four  days. She  directed attention  to efforts                                                                    
related to identifying the vegetation  types planted next to                                                                    
traffic corridors.  She informed the committee  that certain                                                                    
vegetation  such as;  willow, cottonwood,  birch, and  aspen                                                                    
attracted moose to the corridor,  which caused the danger on                                                                    
the highway. She  added that if the  legislation passed, DOT                                                                    
would  post  four  signs  on  the  overpass  to  honor  Spc.                                                                    
Cavanaugh and warn motorist of the dangers on the corridor.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
11:07:15 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Senator  McGuire  felt  that   passage  of  the  bill  would                                                                    
continue Spc. Cavanaugh's legacy of saving lives.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze was  glad that the story  of Spc. Cavanaugh                                                                    
was put on the record.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Thomas  remarked  that Senator  McGuire  supported                                                                    
traumatic  brain  injury  [treatment]. He  expressed  strong                                                                    
support for the  legislation. He was troubled  by the danger                                                                    
caused by moose on any traffic corridor.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze OPENED and CLOSED public testimony.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Representative Neuman  relayed that every  time a car  hit a                                                                    
moose expenses  of up  to $35,000  were incurred.  He shared                                                                    
his advocacy for road safety.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stoltze  noted the  $10,000  DOT  fiscal note.  He                                                                    
believed that it was money well spent.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Vice-chair  Fairclough  MOVED  to   report  SB  108  out  of                                                                    
committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal note.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SB  108 was  REPORTED  out  of committee  with  a "do  pass"                                                                    
recommendation  and with  previously published  fiscal note:                                                                    
FN 1 (DOT).                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
11:10:39 AM                                                                                                                   
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
11:11:27 AM                                                                                                                   
RECONVENED