03/20/2000 01:10 PM House RES

HJR 59-SUPPORT WILDLIFE & SPORT FISH RESTOR.ACT                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MASEK  announced that the  first order of  business would                                                              
be HOUSE  JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 59,  Supporting the passage  by the                                                              
United States Congress  of H.R. 3671, the Wildlife  and Sport Fish                                                              
Restoration Programs Improvement Act of 2000.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Number 0180                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
LORALI  MEIER,   Staff  to  Representative  Masek,   Alaska  State                                                              
Legislature,  read  the  sponsor  statement  into  the  record  as                                                              
follows:                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     HJR 59  demonstrates the  legislature's support  for the                                                                   
     proper  use  and management  of  money in  the  Pittman-                                                                   
     Robertson and Dingell-Johnson Trust Funds.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     The Dingell-Johnson  Trust Fund levies a 10  percent tax                                                                   
     on  all sportfishing  equipment,  motor  boat fuel,  and                                                                   
     some  boat imports.   The  Pittman-Robertson Trust  Fund                                                                   
     levies  an 11 percent  excise tax  on sporting arms  and                                                                   
     ammunition,  and a  10 percent  tax on  handguns.   Both                                                                   
     acts mandate that the money  generated from the taxes be                                                                   
     reapportioned  back to the state  in the form  of grants                                                                   
     for programs that benefit fish and wildlife.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Last year  Congressman Don  Young requested the  General                                                                   
     Accounting Office  to audit the Pittman-Robertson  Trust                                                                   
     Fund.     Uncovered   was  waste,   fraud,  abuse,   and                                                                   
     mismanagement.    Instances  include  expensive  foreign                                                                   
     travel junkets and large bonuses  for some U.S. Fish and                                                                   
     Wildlife employees.   One career U.S. Fish  and Wildlife                                                                   
     employee  testified   before  ...  Congressman   Young's                                                                   
     committee that  he was pressured to approve  handouts of                                                                   
     Pittman-Robertson  money  to so-called  "animal  rights"                                                                   
     groups that have actively worked to destroy hunting.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Last  year  about  15  percent   of  Alaskans  purchased                                                                   
     hunting   licenses  and  about   30  percent   purchased                                                                   
     sportfishing  licenses.    This  minority  deserves  the                                                                   
     benefits  of the  Pittman-Robertson and  Dingell-Johnson                                                                   
     Trust Funds to protect their rights and interests.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Number 0353                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COWDERY  asked whether this money  that is returned                                                              
to the  state as  grants would be  placed in  the general  fund or                                                              
would have to be appropriated.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS. MEIER deferred to Representative Barnes.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BARNES  answered that this  money would have  to be                                                              
appropriated.   She noted  that in  the past  this money  has been                                                              
abused here [in Alaska] because these  are primarily sport fishing                                                              
and sport  hunting funds.   In the past  some of these  funds have                                                              
been appropriated to the Division of Commercial Fisheries.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COWDERY  asked if there  is any way to  ensure that                                                              
these funds are not abused.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  BARNES pointed  out that  these funds are  audited                                                              
from time to time, as HJR 59 indicates.   If there are abuses, the                                                              
states  that abuse the  funds are  held accountable.   In  further                                                              
response  to Representative  Cowdery,  Representative Barnes  said                                                              
that  the only  way to  ensure there  are  no abuses  would be  to                                                              
ensure that the  Finance committees that appropriate  these monies                                                              
adhere to the intent and letter of the law.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Number 0530                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOULE asked:  When  the subcommittees of the Alaska                                                              
Department of Fish & Game review  these funds, could they take the                                                              
opportunity to closely scrutinize the use of the funds?                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BARNES  replied yes.   When the subcommittees  have                                                              
these funds before  them, the origins of the funds  are identified                                                              
as  well as what the funds are supposed to be appropriated for.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  MASEK asked  whether anyone  wished to  testify; no  one                                                              
came forward.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Number 0620                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  BARNES  made  a  motion  to move  HJR  59  out  of                                                              
committee  with individual  recommendations  and the  accompanying                                                              
fiscal note.   She requested  unanimous consent.   There  being no                                                              
objection,  HJR 59  was moved  from the  House Resources  Standing                                                              
Committee.