03/23/1995 08:00 AM House STA

 HSTA - 03/23/95                                                               
 HB 239 - DRAGONFLY AS STATE INSECT                                           
                                                                               
 Number 579                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE IRENE NICHOLIA said HB 239 amends Alaska statutes              
 to declare the dragonfly as the official state insect.  This                  
 suggestion was first brought to the attention of the legislature              
 by a group of students from Aniak, Alaska, she said.  She stated              
 nominations for the official state insect first started being                 
 collected in 1992.  Besides the nomination for the dragonfly,                 
 there were nominations for the mosquito, the butterfly, and the               
 bumblebee.  Following the nomination process, ballots were sent               
 to every public school in the state.  The winning nomination was              
 the four spot skimmer dragonfly by 3,941 votes.  This nomination              
 won by a margin of 868 votes.  She recognized many Alaskans may               
 feel the mosquito would be a wiser choice for state insect, but               
 encouraged support for the dragonfly, as it was a predator of the             
 mosquito, was one of the largest insects in the largest state,                
 the ability of the dragonfly to hover was reminiscent of Alaskas              
 bush pilots, and its large eyes reflected the diversity of                    
 culture and beliefs in our state.  Thus, the dragonfly is the                 
 most appropriate candidate.  She encouraged the committee to                  
 support the choice of Alaskas students.                                       
                                                                               
 CHAIR JAMES mentioned there was eight students and one teacher                
 wishing to testify from Aniak.  She called for them to testify.               
                                                                               
 Number 621                                                                    
                                                                               
 RUTH BRADFORD, Teacher at Auntie Mary Nicoli Elementary School,               
 informed the committee the students had short presentation to                 
 explain their cause to make the dragonfly the official state                  
 insect.                                                                       
                                                                               
 While recognizing the important concerns facing the legislature,              
 they wanted to emphasize this was a grassroots effort from the                
 students of this state.                                                       
                                                                               
 BRUCK CLIFT, 7th grade student at Auntie Mary Nicoli Elementary               
 School, stated the dragonfly had been around since prehistoric                
 times.  By outlasting the dinosaurs, they show Alaska has more                
 than a history of snow and ice.                                               
                                                                               
 RAINY DIEHL, 8th grade student at Auntie Mary Nicoli Elementary               
 School, argued the dragonfly is unique, because of its colors and             
 is larger than most flying insects.  He thought it was                        
 unfortunate there was not enough to destroy all of the mosquitoes             
 in Alaska.                                                                    
                                                                               
 DANA DIEHL, 6th grade student at Auntie Mary Nicoli Elementary                
 School, said she voted for the dragonfly, because they eat                    
 mosquitoes.  She thought Alaska was better with fewer mosquitoes.             
                                                                               
 DEIDRE BUSH, 8th grade student at Auntie Mary Nicoli Elementary               
 School, metaphorically mentioned she flew high as a four spot                 
 skimmer dragonfly.  She said she represented Alaska, because                  
 shes an awesome guy.  Shell eat mosquitoes until the day she                  
 dies.                                                                         
                                                                               
 RACHEL BOELENS, 7th grade student at Auntie Mary Nicoli                       
 Elementary School, says she likes mosquitoes, but they are a                  
 pest.  Because they eat mosquitoes, dragonflies are the best.                 
                                                                               
 ANDREA GUSTY, 6th grade student at Auntie Mary Nicoli Elementary              
 School, thought the dragonfly deserves to be the state insect,                
 because it is slender and graceful, and was the choice of most                
 Alaska students.                                                              
                                                                               
 DEREK ALUIA, 7th grade student at Auntie Mary Nicoli Elementary               
 School, thought that any insect as big and beautiful as the                   
 dragonfly and can survive Interior Alaskas winters, deserves to               
 be the official state insect.                                                 
                                                                               
 MELANIE MATTER, 5th grade student at Auntie Mary Nicoli                       
 Elementary School, said she worked hard on this project.  She                 
 promised not to stop working until the dragonfly was the official             
 state insect.                                                                 
                                                                               
 Number 694                                                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE PORTER confessed he was one of those who had                   
 originally been a supporter of the mosquito.  Having heard the                
 testimony, he was persuaded and is switching his vote.                        
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE OGAN agreed with Representative Porter.  He                    
 mentioned he had drafted an amendment to change the word                      
 dragonfly to mosquito, but had been persuaded by the testimony of             
 the Dragonfly Lobby Team to support the dragonfly.  He said he                
 would hate to be accused of being a mean spirited Republican."                
 He thought the students were doing a good job.                                
                                                                               
 CHAIR JAMES called for a motion to pass this bill out of                      
 committee.                                                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE GREEN stated he was overwhelmed by the                         
 forcefulness of the argument by the Dragonfly Lobby Team, and                 
 would move the committee pass this bill out of committee.                     
                                                                               
 TAPE 95-34, SIDE B                                                            
 Number 000                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIR JAMES was pleased the students used this as an educational              
 process to learn how government works.  She asked if there was                
 any objection to passing this bill out of committee, but was                  
 reminded there was a proposed committee substitute for HB 239.                
 She explained the committee substitute clarified that it was the              
 four spot skimmer dragonfly intended as the official state                    
 insect.                                                                       
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE GREEN said he would withdraw his previous motion               
 to allow the committee substitute to be adopted.                              
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE PORTER moved to adopt CSHB 239 version C, dated                
 3-17-95, as the working document.                                             
                                                                               
 CHAIR JAMES asked if there was an objection.  Hearing none, the               
 committee substitute was adopted.                                             
                                                                               
 Number 036                                                                    
 REPRESENTATIVE GREEN moved to pass CSHB 239, version C, with                  
 unanimous consent out of committee with individual                            
 recommendations.                                                              
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE WILLIS thought maybe the motion should say the                 
 committee shoos the dragonfly out of committee.                               
                                                                               
 CHAIR JAMES asked if there was any objections.  Hearing none, the             
 bill passed out of committee.