02/06/2007 08:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS

HB  21-DISPOSAL OF STATE FLAG                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN announced  that the first order of  business was HOUSE                                                               
BILL  NO. 21,  "An Act  relating to  the proper  disposal of  the                                                               
state flag."                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:04:35 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOHANSEN  moved to adopt the  committee substitute                                                               
(CS),  Version 25-LS0137\E,  Bullock,  2/1/07, as  a work  draft.                                                               
There being no objection, Version E was before the committee.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:05:04 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PETER FELLMAN, Staff to Representative  John Harris, on behalf of                                                               
Representative Harris, joint prime  sponsor, explained that HB 21                                                               
is before the  committee again in order to  address the questions                                                               
of Representative Doll  regarding the size and  proportions of an                                                               
official state flag.  He  pointed out the committee packet should                                                               
include the standard  proportions of the U.S. flag  and the state                                                               
flag.   Mr. Fellman clarified that  the size of the  flag doesn't                                                               
matter but rather  if the proportions are accurate,  then it's an                                                               
official  state  flag.    Therefore, Version  E  was  changed  to                                                               
specify that the flag "may be  respectfully retired by fire."  He                                                               
noted  that the  committee packet  should also  include the  U.S.                                                               
flag code in which Section 176(k)  specifies:  "The flag, when it                                                               
is in  such condition that it  is no longer a  fitting emblem for                                                               
display, should  be destroyed in  a dignified way,  preferably by                                                               
burning."                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  LYNN  noted  the  word "may"  is  permissive  rather  than                                                               
mandatory.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:07:17 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DOLL  [moved to adopt]  Amendment 1,  which simply                                                               
updates  the  language to  reflect  that  Alaska is  already  the                                                               
forty-ninth star in the national emblem.  Amendment 1 read:                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 1, following "Act":                                                                                         
          Insert "relating to the state flag; and"                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, following line 2:                                                                                                  
          Insert a new bill section to read:                                                                                    
        "* Section 1. AS 44.09.020 is amended to read:                                                                      
          Sec. 44.09.020. State flag. The design of the                                                                       
     official flag is  eight gold stars in a  field of blue,                                                                    
     so selected  for its  simplicity, its  originality, and                                                                    
     its symbolism.  The blue, one  of the  national colors,                                                                    
     typifies the  evening sky, the  blue of the sea  and of                                                                    
     mountain  lakes,  and  of wild  flowers  that  grow  in                                                                    
     Alaskan soil, the gold being  significant of the wealth                                                                    
     that lies hidden in Alaska's hills and streams.                                                                            
     The stars,  seven of which form  the constellation Ursa                                                                    
     Major,   the   Great   Bear,   the   most   conspicuous                                                                    
     constellation in  the northern sky, contains  the stars                                                                    
     which  form  the  "Dipper,"  including  the  "Pointers"                                                                    
     which  point  toward  the  eighth  star  in  the  flag,                                                                    
     Polaris,  the North  Star, the  ever constant  star for                                                                    
     the   mariner,    the   explorer,    hunter,   trapper,                                                                    
     prospector, woodsman, and the  surveyor. For Alaska the                                                                    
     northernmost  star in  the galaxy  of stars  represents                                                                
     Alaska, [AND  WHICH AT SOME  FUTURE TIME WILL  TAKE ITS                                                                
     PLACE AS] the forty-ninth star in the national emblem.                                                                     
     The flag  of the  Territory of  Alaska is  the official                                                                    
     flag of  the state.  The standard proportions  and size                                                                    
     graphically  delineated herein  shall  be  used in  the                                                                    
     manufacture of  the official flag of  Alaska. The stars                                                                    
     shall  be the  color  of natural  yellow  gold and  the                                                                    
     field of blue  shall be of the same shade  of blue used                                                                    
     in the  official manufacture of the  national emblem of                                                                    
     the  United States.  The design,  standard proportions,                                                                    
     and size are as follows:                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     (THE  DESIGN, STANDARD  PROPORTIONS,  AND  SIZE OF  THE                                                                    
     STATE FLAG ARE SET OUT IN THE PRINTED STATUTES.)"                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 3:                                                                                                            
          Delete "Section 1"                                                                                                  
          Insert "Sec. 2"                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:07:58 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN objected for discussion purposes.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  FELLMAN, in  response  to  Representative Johansen,  related                                                               
that Representative Harris agrees with Amendment 1.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  LYNN  removed  his  objection.   There  being  no  further                                                               
objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:09:06 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
VERN JONES, Chief Procurement Officer,  State of Alaska, Division                                                               
of General  Services, Department of Administration,  informed the                                                               
committee  that the  division is  responsible  for 13  buildings,                                                               
most  of which  are located  in  Juneau.   The maintenance  staff                                                               
raises  and  lowers  the  flags  in  most  of  the  state  office                                                               
buildings.   He  related the  division's support  of HB  21.   In                                                               
fact, the division is already retiring  the state flag as it does                                                               
the U.S. flag and thus, HB 21 wouldn't impact the division.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  COGHILL  expressed   gratitude  for  the  actions                                                               
already taken by the division.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:10:32 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  COGHILL  moved to  report  CSHB  21, Version  25-                                                               
LS0137\E,   Bullock,   2/1/07,   as  amended,   with   individual                                                               
recommendations and  the accompanying fiscal notes.   There being                                                               
no  objection, CSHB  21(STA) was  reported from  the House  State                                                               
Affairs Standing Committee.