03/16/2009 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

HB 19-ELIMINATE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:55:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON announced that the final order of business would be                                                                 
HOUSE BILL NO. 19, "An Act  exempting the state and its political                                                               
subdivisions from daylight saving time."                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:56:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   ANNA  FAIRCLOUGH,   Alaska  State   Legislature,                                                               
recalled that  the Anchorage Fire Department  would remind people                                                               
to  change  batteries in  their  smoke  detectors twice  annually                                                               
during  the  time   change.    She  related   that  she  received                                                               
overwhelming response  to a survey  question related to  DST from                                                               
her constituents  at end  of the last  legislature.   She related                                                               
during the summer, many Alaskans  asked her to exempt Alaska from                                                               
DST.   Thus, HB  19 was introduced.   Additionally,  surveys were                                                               
conducted  in  2004  and  2005 by  Hellenthal  &  Associates  and                                                               
Dittman Research & Communications  Corporation, which resulted in                                                               
favorable results to repeal DST.   She mentioned that a KTUU poll                                                               
ran last  week that showed  70 percent of Alaskans  who responded                                                               
to the  poll favored  repealing DST.   However, she  recalled the                                                               
State  Chamber  of  Commerce  did   a  poll  and  70  percent  of                                                               
businesses were  opposed to the  repeal since  communication with                                                               
the rest of the nation and world would be adversely affected.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  FAIRCLOUGH related  that her  survey resulted  in                                                               
442  responses, of  which 329  supported  the repeal  of DST,  or                                                               
approximately 71.4 percent of those  surveyed.  She added that 75                                                               
responded  in opposition  to the  repeal of  DST, 15  supported a                                                               
year round  DST, and the  remainder provided other  comments such                                                               
as indicating a  preference to be 3 hours behind  the East Coast.                                                               
She  mentioned  that  her  outreach  was  to  municipalities  and                                                               
various chamber of commerce organizations.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:59:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.   KOENEMAN   elaborated   that   an  e-mail   was   sent   to                                                               
municipalities,  school  districts  various chamber  of  commerce                                                               
organizations.    The  e-mails  were  subsequently  forwarded  to                                                               
others, she stated.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH also offered  that she was contacted by                                                               
many others  including the Fairbanks Daily  New-Miner, a Soldotna                                                               
radio  station, and  Anchorage  Daily News  with  respect to  the                                                               
issue.  She said that she  asked those who spoke in opposition to                                                               
the repeal due to time change  between Alaska and the East Coast.                                                               
She  related  that  the  analysts  who work  with  the  New  York                                                               
financial market begin work  at 5 a.m. since it is  9 a.m. on the                                                               
East Coast when the financial markets  open.  She related that HB
 would impact  the analysts such that they would  begin work at                                                               
4 a.m. or lose an hour  of interaction with the financial market.                                                               
However, she noted that Dan Cuddy,  who is the president of First                                                               
National  Bank Alaska,  spoke in  support of  the repeal  of DST.                                                               
She related that he provided a  letter of support in favor of the                                                               
repeal.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:01:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH  expressed that another  concern raised                                                               
was  safety.   She explained  that  she researched  safety.   She                                                               
explained that  First Student,  Inc. sends  new alerts  to notify                                                               
school  bus   drivers.    She   noted  that  the   Department  of                                                               
Transportation & Public Facilities  provided accident rates.  She                                                               
stated that accident rates were  initially down in the first week                                                               
of DST  in the spring, variable  to the weather and  climate with                                                               
an increase  in accidents  in the  fall.   She indicated  that on                                                               
March 15, 2009,  the DOT&PF noted, 839 crashes prior  to DST, and                                                               
516  accidents after  the spring  change,  dependent on  weather.                                                               
However, in the  fall when an hour of daylight  is lost, accident                                                               
rates increase from  988 prior to the fall time  change and 1,020                                                               
after  the  fall  time  change.   Additionally,  she  stated  the                                                               
Anchorage  municipal  chief  of  police  advises  that  accidents                                                               
decrease with an added hour  of daylight.  She recalled testimony                                                               
that related  to the effects  of being thrown into  an additional                                                               
hour  of  darkness  during  driving   hours,  which  she  related                                                               
represents a  valid observation.   However, she  reminded members                                                               
that her research did show fewer accidents.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:03:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE     FAIRCLOUGH    recalled     discussions    with                                                               
Representative   Holmes   about   technology  questions.      She                                                               
reiterated that the  state's central main frame  sets an internal                                                               
"heartbeat" in  its system  so that all  computers in  the system                                                               
have the  same time stamp.   She  related that the  Department of                                                               
Administration  anecdotally believed  that eliminating  DST would                                                               
save labor and money.   She opined that one reason  for DST is to                                                               
achieve increased recreational time  for daylight in the evening.                                                               
However,  in Alaska,  the Land  of the  Midnight Sun,  "that just                                                               
doesn't play out."   She maintained that in about  ten days, most                                                               
of the state  makes up the entire hour.   She opined that largest                                                               
disadvantage is in western and  northern Alaska.  She opined that                                                               
during DST, a  person's internal time clock in  western Alaska is                                                               
three  hours  off.    She related  that  teachers  see  increased                                                               
disruption, even in  Anchorage, inside the classroom,  as well as                                                               
tardiness by  staff and students,  increased absences,  and lower                                                               
productivity which is generally disruptive.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:06:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  FAIRCLOUGH pointed  out that  the average  person                                                               
adjusts to  the time  change in  about 12  days.   She reiterated                                                               
that the largest reason to oppose  the repeal of DST is for those                                                               
who wish to  minimize the time difference between  Alaska and the                                                               
East  Coast.   She also  reiterated  that the  biggest reason  to                                                               
repeal DST is for health reasons.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  FAIRCLOUGH related  that the  northern hemisphere                                                               
receives  little advantage  to DST,  but experiences  not only  a                                                               
loss of  productivity, but a  two to four percent  increased risk                                                               
for  heart  attacks, according  to  a  study done  in  Stockholm,                                                               
Sweden.   She reiterated that  Indiana has the energy  study that                                                               
indicates  that indicates  that it  costs  more, that  it is  not                                                               
doing   what  it   was   supposed  to   do   in  saving   energy.                                                               
Additionally,  the Stockholm  study  shows a  health  risk.   She                                                               
stated  that  she  received several  comments  from  people:  one                                                               
discussing the  biological clock,  while several  doctors related                                                               
that  due  to  the  circadian   rhythm  sleep  disruption  causes                                                               
problems for  Alaska.  She  also mentioned that  Anchorage School                                                               
District administrators  and principals and teachers  support the                                                               
repeal,  including  school  board  president  Jeff  Friedman  and                                                               
superintendant  Carol Comeau.   She  related that  one dissenting                                                               
comment  was that  the  time/date stamp  is  off on  surveillance                                                               
security systems.  However, she  noted that results in a one-time                                                               
fix, rather  than the necessity  to go  back and forth  in spring                                                               
and fall.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:10:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON  inquired as to  whether the sponsor spoke  to Alaska                                                               
Airlines.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH surmised that  passengers would need to                                                               
show up an hour earlier.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON inquired as to whether  HB 19 would have an impact on                                                               
transfers within Alaska.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS. KOENEMAN related  that the airlines operate in  Hawaii and in                                                               
Arizona and make the schedules work.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL  commented that  he currently  is impacted                                                               
in Fairbanks and  frequently has a lengthy  layover in Anchorage.                                                               
He surmised  that Alaska  Airlines would  not be  concerned about                                                               
any impacts time changes would have on its passengers.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HOLMES offered that  the state is challenged since                                                               
it  is so  large.   She inquired  as to  whether the  sponsor has                                                               
received general comments from Southeast Alaska.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:13:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   FAIRCLOUGH   pointed   out  that   support   and                                                               
opposition  to  repealing the  DST  is  specific to  geographical                                                               
differences.   She  opined that  people in  Southeast Alaska  are                                                               
overwhelmingly opposed to the repeal  in part due to Seattle time                                                               
and  the west  coast,  which  participate in  DST.   She  further                                                               
opined that  Alaskans who reside  in Northern and  Western Alaska                                                               
overwhelmingly favor  the repeal  of DST.   She pointed  out that                                                               
the resolution  provides the means  for a national  discussion on                                                               
health issues.   A second reason  to repeal the DST  in Alaska to                                                               
better align our  internal clocks, and a third reason  is to look                                                               
at  Alaska perhaps  having different  time zones.   She  asserted                                                               
that  her  intent  is not  to  disenfranchise  Southeast  Alaska.                                                               
However,  she pointed  out that  the  remainder of  the state  is                                                               
disenfranchised by DST for over a decade.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:15:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RICHARD BRAUN, Professional  Land Surveyor, stated that  HB 19 is                                                               
a really  bad idea for Southeast  Alaska.  He opined  it would be                                                               
nice not to  change time twice a year, and  he supports one time,                                                               
but not Alaska Standard Time.   He opined that he would prefer to                                                               
leave the  time year  round on DST.   He opined  Alaska is  a big                                                               
state  that stretches  across three  time zones.   Thus,  someone                                                               
will  be inconvenienced.    He pointed  out  that the  geographic                                                               
location of  two states that  repealed DST, Hawaii,  and Arizona,                                                               
but both are states with lots of sunshine.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. BRAUN  professed that Alaska  Standard Time is not  ideal for                                                               
Southeast  Alaska.   He opined  that  the natural  time zone  for                                                               
Southeast Alaska  is the Pacific  Time Zone.   In the  summer, we                                                               
arise  too late  to take  advantage  of sunlight.   However,  the                                                               
recreational  time ends  too early  due  to early  darkness.   He                                                               
further  opined that  DST corrects  that  problem a  little.   He                                                               
related  that HB  19 would  keep Alaska  on Alaska  Standard Time                                                               
year  round.   Thus, when  the  rest of  the country  is on  DST,                                                               
Alaska will be two hours later  than Seattle and five hours later                                                               
than  the East  Coast.   He noted  that Whitehorse  in the  Yukon                                                               
Territory, Canada,  is further  west than  Juneau, but  under the                                                               
bill would  be two  hours ahead of  Juneau.  He  said, "HB  19 is                                                               
politics ignoring geography."  He  maintained that HB 19 might be                                                               
a good idea  for Southcentral and Western Alaska but  it is a bad                                                               
idea for  Southeast Alaska.  He  said, "Southeast also has  a lot                                                               
fewer sunny days.   Every minute of sunlight is  precious to us."                                                               
He surmised  that in  1983, a compromise  was achieved  for state                                                               
unity.   This bill completely  ignores that compromise,  he said.                                                               
He suggested  that Alaska should  not change without the  rest of                                                               
the  nation and  Canada also  changing their  time since  it will                                                               
make it  awkward to conduct  business.  He highlighted  that when                                                               
he is  conducting business with  the East  Coast and a  five hour                                                               
time gap exists, only three hours  overlap and one of those falls                                                               
over  the lunch  hour.   Thus, he  related that  he only  has two                                                               
hours to conduct  his business with people and  businesses on the                                                               
East  Coast.   He suggested  the legislature  should examine  how                                                               
much this  will affect Southeast  Alaska.   He said, "It's  not a                                                               
good idea for Southeast Alaska."                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:20:20 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LYNN  WILLIS related  that he  has no  financial interest  in the                                                               
legislation and  has submitted  written testimony,  as well.   He                                                               
stated  that twice  annually, the  law to  change clocks  impacts                                                               
every Alaska  resident, regardless  of age, gender,  or location.                                                               
He said,  "I personally believe  that absent a  compelling reason                                                               
for its continued use in Alaska  this practice should now end.  I                                                               
further  believe that  personal convenience  and benefit  are not                                                               
compelling  reasons  to  keep  using   daylight  saving  time  in                                                               
Alaska."   He  pointed out  that  energy savings  is the  primary                                                               
reason that states  are allowed to use DST.   However, its impact                                                               
on  commerce can  not be  ignored, he  stated.   He offered  that                                                               
since 1967  that Alaska has  been using DST.   He asked  what the                                                               
compelling  reason  is  to  continue its  use  to  enhance  state                                                               
commerce.   He surmised one  reason might be to  enhance business                                                               
communications.    However,   in  1967,  business  communications                                                               
relied on hardwired office telephones  and telegrams.  He related                                                               
that  Alaskans now  have  cell phones,  the  Internet, and  other                                                               
advances that allow  commercial transactions to be  made 24 hours                                                               
a day.   Another reason  to consider  DST might be  to compensate                                                               
for the time zone differences in other areas.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR.  WILLIS provided  a brief  history of  time differences  such                                                               
that  in 1967,  businesses in  Anchorage and  Fairbanks were  two                                                               
hours  behind Seattle  and Juneau.   Without  observing DST,  the                                                               
time  difference  between  the  Railbelt and  Seattle  was  three                                                               
hours, and  for Nome  and Bethel the  difference was  four hours.                                                               
However,  in  1983 Alaska's  current  time  zone was  created  by                                                               
merging the  Yukon, Alaska,  and Bering time  zones.   Except for                                                               
the Aleutian  Islands, Alaska has  been one hour  behind Seattle,                                                               
he noted.   If DST is repealed, Seattle would  be ahead of Alaska                                                               
by two hours for only a portion  of the year.  The 1983 time zone                                                               
change overcame a compelling reason  to keep using DST in Alaska.                                                               
Finally, another  reason to consider  DST might be that  in 1967,                                                               
minimizing  the  time  differences   was  essential  for  Alaskan                                                               
businesses  primarily  oriented  towards  the  Lower  48  states.                                                               
However, in 2009, Alaskans  participate in international commerce                                                               
with nations of the Pacific  Rim including Japan and China, where                                                               
DST is not used.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. WILLIS said, "When we  spring forward towards Seattle and New                                                               
York, we  leap away from China  and Japan."  He  related that for                                                               
purpose of finance,  Alaska sits at the crossroads  of the world.                                                               
He  offered  that during  normal  business  hours, a  person  can                                                               
contact  others ranging  from New  York City  to Beijing,  China.                                                               
However, only  without DST  does Beijing  become accessible  at 4                                                               
p.m.  Alaska time,  thus, allowing  time for  communication.   He                                                               
maintained  that time  to  conduct business  with  this range  of                                                               
nations can  only be accomplished  without DST.  He  concluded by                                                               
stating  that  the  compelling   reasons  to  minimize  the  time                                                               
difference between  Alaska and  the Lower 48  have been  muted by                                                               
the changing world economy.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:23:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JEFF PASCO stated  that he is not surprised at  the opposition by                                                               
the chambers of commerce.   He recalled earlier opposition by the                                                               
organizations on prior  similar legislation.  He  related that he                                                               
agrees with Mr. Willis's testimony.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  OLSON,  after first  determining  no  one else  wished  to                                                               
testify, closed public testimony on HB 19.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:25:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  NEUMAN  made  a  motion  to  adopt  Amendment  1,                                                               
labeled 26-LS0188\A.1, Bannister, 3/13/09, as follows:                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 1, following "time":                                                                                        
         Insert "; and providing for an effective date"                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, following line 10:                                                                                                 
          Insert a new bill section to read:                                                                                    
        "* Sec. 2. This Act takes effect January 1, 2011."                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON objected for the purpose of discussion.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH  explained the  purpose of  Amendment 1                                                               
is  to  allow  an  opportunity  for  organizations  such  as  the                                                               
chambers of commerce  and businesses to be prepared  for the time                                                               
change.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL  inquired as  to whether the  Amendment 1,                                                               
would place Alaska in the Alaska Standard time zone.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH agreed.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN  suggested that it  is might be better  to do                                                               
this in October.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  FAIRCLOUGH agreed  that  would be  the time  that                                                               
most would change from DST to  Alaska Standard Time.  She offered                                                               
that  there may  be some  anomalies and  Amendment 1  would allow                                                               
people three months to make changes.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON removed his objection.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
There being no further objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:27:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  NEUMAN  moved  to   report  HB  19,  labeled  26-                                                               
LS0118\A,   as  amended,   out  of   committee  with   individual                                                               
recommendations and  the accompanying  fiscal note.   There being                                                               
no objection, CSHB 19(L&C) was  reported from the House Labor and                                                               
Commerce Standing Committee.