04/27/2017 10:00 AM House FISHERIES

        HB  14-LEG. APPROVAL OF BRISTOL BAY SULFIDE MINE                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
10:02:51 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES announced  that the only order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL NO. 14, "An Act  relating to the Bristol Bay Fisheries                                                               
Reserve; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
[Before the committee was the  proposed committee substitute (CS)                                                               
for HB  14, Version  30-LS0161\D, Shutts/Bullard,  1/27/17, which                                                               
was adopted as the work draft on 1/31/17.]                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
10:03:12 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ANDY JOSEPHSON,  Alaska State Legislature, offered                                                               
to take questions should any arise.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
10:03:38 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES opened public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
10:03:51 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
KATI   CAPOZZI,  Communication   Manager,  Resource   Development                                                               
Council for Alaska  (RDC), stated opposition for HB  14, and said                                                               
it  creates uncertainty  for current  and future  projects.   She                                                               
stressed  that Alaska  has a  rigorous permit  process in  place.                                                               
Developers  may   view  passage  of   the  bill  as  a   sign  of                                                               
unstableness  and  unpredictability;   thus,  serving  to  hinder                                                               
developer's  interests for  pursuing projects  within the  state.                                                               
In previous  testimony, she  reminded, it  has been  brought that                                                               
the  Bristol Bay  Forever Initiative  is unconstitutional,  as it                                                               
violates the separation of powers.   Finally, she underscored the                                                               
importance for  supporting economic  resource development  in the                                                               
state and urged that HB 14 be rejected.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
10:06:07 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  STUTES  solicited  further  testimony  and,  seeing  none,                                                               
closed public testimony.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
10:06:37 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE FANSLER  moved to  report the  proposed CS  for HB
,   Version  30-LS0161\D,   Shutts/Bullard,   1/27/17  out   of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.    There  being no  objection,  CSHB  24(FSH)  was                                                               
reported from the House Special Committee on Fisheries.