Legislature(2009 - 2010)CAPITOL 106
02/26/2009 08:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB14 | |
| HB136 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 14 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 136 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 14-ALASKAN MALAMUTE AS STATE DOG 8:05:18 AM CHAIR LYNN announced that the first order of business was HOUSE BILL NO. 14, "An Act designating the Alaskan malamute as the official state dog." 8:05:58 AM REPRESENTATIVE BERTA GARDNER, Alaska State Legislature, as prime sponsor, presented HB 14. She said the bill proposes that the Alaskan Malamute be declared the official state dog, but that the importance of the bill far outreaches its subject. She explained the process that took place from the moment children from Polaris K-12 School in Anchorage approached her with the idea for the bill to its hearing today. She said many people think of the Husky when they think of Alaska, but the students - having done their research - persuaded her that the state dog should be the Alaskan Malamute. Every word supplied in the committee packet was either written by the students or at their request. The only role that the students could not take part in was the actual drafting of the bill. Representative Gardner stated that whatever the outcome of the hearing, her purpose was to show those children the process of "representative/citizen democracy." She said the children have learned a lot, especially that in a democracy, citizens can do more than simply vote. 8:12:19 AM CHAIR LYNN read the bill. 8:12:39 AM PAIGE HILL, Second-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, told the committee that her grandmother - a former teacher from North Carolina, during a visit two years ago, spent the day with Ms. Hill's kindergarten class and informed the class that the official state dog in North Carolina is the Plott Hound. This information led to discussion and the discovery that Alaska has no official state dog. The students discovered that other state symbols, such as the Willow Ptarmigan, established in 1955, and the Fur-Spotted Skimmer Dragonfly, established in 1995, became symbols because of "kids working hard just like us." She said the students held discussions over whether to choose the husky or the Alaskan Malamute, and they chose the Alaskan Malamute because it is big like Alaska and is a hard worker like the people of Alaska. MS. HILL said the following school year, two upper classes were asked to join the students in researching the history of the Alaskan Malamute. The students found out that the Alaskan Malamute has been in Alaska for thousands of years, is one of 12 ancient breeds, and is the only dog native to the United States. She stated, "We know that once people understand Alaskan Malamute's monumental history, they will realize that this is the ... dog to be our official state dog." Ms. Hill thanked the committee for taking the bill seriously. 8:16:36 AM CIARA BRADY, Fourth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, said some of the students initially thought that the husky should be chosen, but the information found convinced them that the Alaskan Malamute is the right choice to be Alaska's official state dog. 8:17:27 AM RAIA STAMM, Fifth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, stated that the Alaskan Malamute is a fine example of a breed of dog developed for a particular purpose. She explained that it helped early Arctic dwellers hunt and pull heavy sleds. The dogs were able to work for weeks on end without negative effects from the daily strain. Alaskan Malamutes helped during the gold rush. Ms. Stamm concluded that not only is the dog helpful, but it is also smart, loyal, works well with people, and sometimes even helped "raise the kids." 8:18:26 AM KAI ROBERTS, Fourth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, related that the Alaskan Malamute is around today and its characteristics have been preserved; therefore, theoretically today's Alaskan Malamutes are able to do the same job as their forefathers. Mr. Roberts concluded, "In other words, they continue to be the same amazing dogs that they were throughout Alaska's history." 8:21:42 AM SANNE CASSEE, Second-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, reported that the Alaskan Malamute - one of the oldest Arctic sled dogs - was named after a Native Inuit tribe called Malamutes that settled along the shores of Kotzebue Sound, in the upper-western part of Alaska, within the Arctic circle. 8:22:16 AM CALLY SHAFER, Fifth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, told the committee that there are claims of the Alaskan Malamute's history in Alaska reaching from over 5,000 to up to 20,000 years. These claims are based on bone and ivory carvings found by archeologists, which show ancient Malamutes almost identical to today's breeds. Mr. Shafer noted that recent deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) analysis confirms that the Alaskan Malamute is one of the oldest breeds of dog - one of 12 ancient breeds. 8:23:10 AM THOMAS TUNNELL, Third-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, relayed that Eskimos originated the Malamute breed, and the original dogs weighed 120-180 pounds. Today's Malamute weighs approximately 85 pounds. 8:23:44 AM ATTICUS MADLAND, Fifth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, stated that the Alaskan Malamute is a Native Alaskan Arctic breed that is close cousins to the Eskimo dogs of Canada, Greenland, and Labrador. It is also cousin to the Samoyed of Russia and the Siberian Husky. Also in this group are dogs from Japan, Norway, Finland, Holland, and many other countries. Mr. Madland emphasized that out of over 150 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club, the Alaskan Malamute is the only breed that is native to the United States. 8:24:37 AM ADELINE WRIGHT, Second-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, noted that the Alaskan Malamute can stand severe cold temperatures. Because of their slow metabolisms, they eat only as much as a smaller dog, which makes them easier to feed and care for, she said. Furthermore, Alaskan Malamutes love people, especially children, and are good companions. Ms. Wright remarked that malamutes are often mistaken for huskies. In response to a question from Chair Lynn, she confirmed that Malamutes are typically larger than huskies. 8:25:57 AM WALKER PLATZEK, Fifth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, stated that the Alaskan Malamute was never destined to be a racing sled dog; it was a working dog. It is a heavy-boned dog, with powerfully built, strong shoulders. When working, the Malamute has a steady and tireless gate, Mr. Platzek said, and the dog was used for heavy freight - pulling thousands of pounds of supplies to villages and camps. They were also used to hunt, set loose in packs to track polar bears. 8:26:47 AM CHRIS GRAY, Fifth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, reported that the Alaskan Malamute's ability was amazing and widely respected. Eskimos who lived inland traveled to the Kotzebue Sound to trade furs for dogs and supplies, which is how the Malamute found its way to other regions of Alaska and beyond to parts of Canada, including the Yukon, during the gold rush. The gold diggers and their dogs made the acquaintance of the Malamute "some 100 years ago." 8:27:43 AM ROSEMARY FLESHER, Fifth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, said during the students' research, they discovered that dog-mushing is Alaska's official sport. She stated, "To the people who feel that the husky should be our official state dog, we respectfully point out that they already are. Alaskan dog mushing would not be what it is today without the contributions of the husky. They are dog mushing." 8:28:32 AM KAITLAN McLALLEN, Fourth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, opined that designating the Alaskan Malamute as the official state dog would not only honor the dog's long history and important role in the earliest cultures of Alaska, but would also honor the first Alaskans who worked in partnership with this amazing dog. 8:29:21 AM ABBIGALE SEITZ, Third-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, reported that Malamutes stayed with Inuit children while parents were out on hunts. The dogs are so gentle, Ms. Seitz said, that they allow human babies to "snuggle up with their puppies." She characterized the Malamute people's use of dogs as "a partnership for survival." 8:30:16 AM ONNI ENNIS-COCHRAN, Fourth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, related that in summer, the Malamute people hunted inland, while in winter, they hunted sea animals on the coast. Their dogs, the Alaskan Malamutes, hauled their possessions between locations, assisted with the hunt, and served to look out for bears during the caribou hunt. 8:31:20 AM JASMINE RISKI, Fifth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, noted that in the 1700s and 1800s, European explorers to Alaska were impressed with the Alaskan Malamute - not only by the hardiness of the dogs, but also by their owners obvious attachment to them. Early writings indicate that the dogs kept by the Malamute people were better cared for than other Arctic sled dogs, which Ms. Riski said seemingly accounts for the breed's affectionate disposition. 8:32:08 AM KENJI MATSUOKA, Fifth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, relayed that travel logs of the early Russian and English explorers often reported a superior work dog kept by the Malamute people. The dogs were described as less wild, friendlier, easy going, and capable of an enormous amount of work - both hunting and hauling. In response to a question from Representative Seaton, he said the people referred to as Malamutes are today referred to as the Inuit Tribe. 8:33:25 AM CLARA VEELMAN, Fourth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, reported that Captain James Cook came to Alaska in 1776 to find the fabled Northwest Passage from Europe to Asia. His journal shows that he was impressed by the "big, strong, hard-working Alaskan Malamute" - a dog that got along and worked well with humans. 8:34:27 AM SABRINA URBAN, Second-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, said that by the time of the gold rush, the Alaskan Malamutes were in high demand because of their ability to haul equipment and people. In fact, prospectors would paid $500 for one good dog and $1,500 for a small team. 8:35:05 AM RALEIGH PIGG, Fourth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, told the committee that many dogs were being transported to Alaska during the gold rush, including Irish and English Setters, and Siberian Huskies from Russia. The demand for dogs outweighed their supply, he said. 8:35:49 AM OCEANA GAMEL-HOWES, Third-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, shared that many people cross-bred their dogs with Alaskan Malamutes in an attempt to make them bigger, stronger, and more adapted to the climate. The Alaskan Malamute breed was almost lost during the gold rush era; however, a few dedicated Malamute enthusiasts helped to save the breed. 8:36:24 AM DESIREE ARMSTRONG, Third-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, stated that long after the gold rush, Alaskan Malamutes continued to be a viable freight dog, because they were easy to care for and could pull heavy loads to areas that would otherwise not be accessible. 8:36:54 AM RYAN TERRY, Fifth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, reported that the Alaskan Malamute helped haul freight supplies and mail in Bush Alaska. After the gold rush, Alaskans, both Native and non- Native, continued to make good use of sled dogs for travel, hunting, and trapping. Most importantly, during the winter when mail could not be delivered by ship, dog teams carried mail in relays of 300 miles each over 1,000 miles of Alaska terrain. Mr. Terry said Alaskan Malamutes played a huge part in this. He continued: "They were the Mack trucks of their day. Often they were carrying 1,000 pounds of mail at one time, and it is said they would arrive in Nome, frisky and ready to run again." Mr. Terry, in response to Representative Wilson, confirmed that the Alaskan Malamute was not used for racing, but rather for working. 8:39:23 AM WILLIAM ROBERSON, Fourth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, said the Siberian Husky was imported to Alaska in 1908 in an effort to have a faster sled dog for racing. People continued to "mix their dogs," and the Alaska Husky, Alaska's sled dog was developed. Mr. Roberson noted that dog mushing became the official state sport in 1972. 8:40:34 AM JOEY AIST, Third-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, stated that during the 1925 serum run to Nome, Alaska, about 150 sled dogs relayed Diphtheria anti-toxin 674 miles by dog sled in a record-breaking 5.5 days, saving the people of Nome and the surrounding communities from an epidemic. Alaskan Malamutes played a role in this important event, he said, doing their part to carry that medicine to Nome. 8:41:32 AM TRENT DEVEREUX, Fifth-Grader, Polaris K-12, related that Malamutes contributed to the polar expeditions of [Commander Robert E.] Perry, [Roald] Amundsen, and Admiral [Richard E.] Byrd to the South Pole. He said, "The successful of this vast continent could not have been accomplished without these dogs." 8:42:06 AM GWYNETH MEEK, Third-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, said the Alaskan Malamute was important to America's efforts during World War II (WWII). The dogs pulled sleds in snow-covered areas that were not accessible to other, more mechanical means of transportation. 8:42:44 AM TAYLOR BAGDON, Fifth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, stated that during WWII, Alaskan Malamutes were used as pack animals to carry weaponry and ammunition across the frozen ground. They also served as search and rescue dogs and sniffed for land mines. In response to a question from Representative Gatto, he said the entire Polaris K-12 School student body and student government supports the efforts of the students who instigated the bill. [Herein was a conversation between committee members regarding school mascots.] 8:48:11 AM JESSICA HUSA, Third-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, said during WWII, the United States Military tried to make the Alaskan Malamute a guard dog, but it failed the test, because it likes people too much to attack them. 8:48:37 AM DUNCAN WRIGHT, Fifth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, expressed the need for the "m" in Malamute to be capitalized. He reviewed the use of proper nouns in support of this position. 8:50:29 AM REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER explained that Legislative Legal and Research Services maintains that the word "malamute" should be written in lower case. 8:51:13 AM YUNGSHU WONG, Fifth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, said the school children researched other state symbols and found that they are very specific. For example, the official state marine mammal of Alaska is not "the whale" - it's "the Bowhead whale"; and the state insect is not "the dragonfly" - it's "the Four-Spotted Skimmer dragonfly." He said the nine states that have an official state dog name a specific breed. The terms sled dog, mutt, and Alaska husky are general names, while the Alaskan Malamute is specific breed, he concluded. 8:52:18 AM SAMUEL MARTIN BROWN, Fifth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, indicated that there have been comments made in The Anchorage Daily News regarding choices for a state dog. He said while the students recognize that the Alaska husky has made a great contribution to Alaskans as a light working dog and a recreational sled dog, it does not have the extremely long history of the Alaskan Malamute. 8:53:28 AM KAYA PORTER, Fourth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, relayed that the history of the Alaskan Husky began with the gold rush in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The Siberian Husky was important to Alaska in 1908. In comparison, she said, the Alaskan Malamute has been in Alaska for at least 5,000 years. 8:54:12 AM OWEN McGEE, Fifth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, talked about the Alaska husky as a racing dog, and the adoption of dog mushing as the official state sport of Alaska. 8:54:39 AM MAEVE WILEY, Third-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, stated that the Alaskan Malamute represents Alaskans' proud, independent, and sometimes stubborn character, is friendly and fun-loving like Alaskans, and is huge like the state. 8:55:09 AM MADELINE FLORES, Fifth-Grader, Polaris K-12 School, said Alaskans love dogs, and the Alaskan Malamute is Alaska's oldest dog, having been around for at least 5,000 years. The dog is intelligent, hardworking, and loyal, she said, and by honoring the Alaskan Malamute, the state would also be honoring the first people of Alaska. The dog has been actively involved in creating Alaska's history, she said. Ms. Flores concluded that the Alaskan Malamute deserves to be recognized as the official state dog of Alaska. CHAIR LYNN congratulated the teachers of Polaris K-12 School for their assistance in this project. 8:57:38 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked whether the American Kennel Club calls the dog Alaskan Malamute or Alaska Malamute. 8:58:08 AM MS. FLORES answered that the dog is called the Alaskan Malamute. 8:58:25 AM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG noted that [the American Kennel Club] capitalizes "Malamute." 8:59:20 AM CHAIR LYNN closed public testimony. 8:59:29 AM REPRESENTATIVE WILSON moved to adopt Conceptual Amendment 1, to capitalize the initial "m" in Malamute where it occurs in the bill on lines 1 and 4. REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON objected for the purpose of discussion. REPRESENTATIVE WILSON explained the meaning of a conceptual amendment to the children. 9:01:51 AM REPRESENTATIVE PETERSEN said it is because of the previous testimony of [Mr. Wright] regarding the use of proper nouns that he supports Amendment 1. 9:02:24 AM REPRESENTATIVE GATTO noted that Malamute can also be spelled Malemute, but indicated that the committee would not change the spelling chosen by the children. 9:03:04 AM REPRESENTATIVE WILSON, in response to a question from Chair Lynn, confirmed that Conceptual Amendment 1 addresses the capitalization of the word Malamute, not the spelling. 9:03:27 AM REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON removed his objection to the adoption of Conceptual Amendment 1. CHAIR LYNN noted that [although there was no further objection to Conceptual Amendment 1], he would ask for a roll call vote so that the children could experience how it is done. 9:03:46 AM A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Gruenberg, Petersen, Seaton, Wilson, Gatto, Johnson, and Lynn voted in favor of adopting Conceptual Amendment 1. Therefore, Conceptual Amendment 1 was adopted by a vote of 7-0. 9:04:40 AM REPRESENTATIVE GATTO talked about a weight pulling contest during which the Alaskan Malamute is used. 9:05:51 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON moved to report HB 14 [as amended] out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. 9:06:33 AM REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON objected [in order to illustrate the process for the children]. 9:07:15 AM A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Petersen, Seaton, Wilson, Gatto, Johnson, Gruenberg, and Lynn voted in favor of moving HB 14, as amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. Therefore, CSHB 14(STA) was reported out of the House State Affairs Standing Committee by a vote of 7-0. 9:07:51 AM REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER said HB 14 is a reminder of the wonderful things that are happening in schools today.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| 01 HSTA - HB 14 Bill.pdf |
HSTA 2/26/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 14 |
| 02 HSTA - HB 14 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HSTA 2/26/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 14 |
| 03 HSTA - HB 14 News Articles.pdf |
HSTA 2/26/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 14 |
| 04 HSTA - HB 14 Backup.pdf |
HSTA 2/26/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 14 |
| 05 HSTA - HB 14 Letters of Support.pdf |
HSTA 2/26/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 14 |
| HB014-GOV-OMB-2-20-09.pdf |
HSTA 2/26/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 14 |
| HSTA - 2-20-09 HB 14 Testimony via email Fred Agree.doc |
HSTA 2/26/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 14 |
| HSTA - Amendment A.1 2-23-09 HB 14 25-LS0079-A.1.pdf |
HSTA 2/26/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 14 |
| HSTA - Amendment A.2 2-23-09 HB 14 25-LS0079-A.2.pdf |
HSTA 2/26/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 14 |
| HB136-DNR-SSD-02-23-09.pdf |
HSTA 2/26/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 136 |
| HB136-DPS-DET-02-23-09.pdf |
HSTA 2/26/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 136 |
| HSTA - CSHB 136.pdf |
HSTA 2/26/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 136 |
| HSTA - HB 136 PSEA Rob Cox Testimony.pdf |
HSTA 2/26/2009 8:00:00 AM |
HB 136 |