Legislature(2015 - 2016)CAPITOL 106
04/09/2015 08:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HJR22 | |
| HB180 | |
| SB6 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 180 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HJR 22 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 6 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SB 6-ELIMINATE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME
8:22:42 AM
CHAIR LYNN announced that the final order of business was CS FOR
SENATE BILL NO. 6(FIN), "An Act exempting the state from
daylight saving time; petitioning the United States Department
of Transportation to change the time zones of Alaska; and
providing for an effective date."
CHAIR LYNN remarked that trying to change someone's mind on the
issue of Daylight Saving Time is more difficult than getting
someone to change his/her religion. He characterized the
proposed legislation as important.
8:23:54 AM
SENATOR ANNA MACKINNON, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, presented SB 6. She said legislation to end Daylight
Saving Time has been introduced five times. She indicated that
she had carried the legislation before as a Representative, and
now was carrying it as a Senator. She stated that Alaskans are
passionate about the issue - both those in favor and those in
opposition.
SENATOR MACKINNON said under SB 6, as of January 1, 2017, Alaska
would no longer switch back and forth [from Daylight Saving Time
to Alaska Standard Time], and the governor of Alaska would be
instructed to send a letter to the U.S. Department of
Transportation (USDOT) to ask it to reassess Alaska's time zone.
She clarified that the proposed legislation would not ask USDOT
to split time zones, but ask "if we're in the right time zone."
She said the best way to "make that case" would be to pass SB 6.
SENATOR MACKINNON related, "This bill was originally put in
place to try to save energy." She said in Benjamin Franklin's
day, the issue was about "wax and wicks" - how light was burned
- but that issue does not hold true today. She said she had
sent out a poll [entitled, "2015 Daylight Saving Time Poll,
February 7-27, 2015"]. She said the issue of Daylight Saving
has garnered a phenomenal response. She noted that when she had
carried similar legislation as a Representative, 500 Alaskans
from across the state shared different effects of Daylight
Saving Time. In Northwest Alaska, teachers noted there was
disruption in their classrooms during test-taking time in the
beginning of March. In Southeast Alaska, people talked about
needing additional daylight for floatplane operations. She
indicated that healthcare providers had related issues with the
time change and people who are bipolar and with the time change
having an effect on some people's sleep that was different from
jet lag. She mentioned a study done in Sweden that showed men
had a greater risk of heart attack in the first few days coming
out of Daylight Saving Time; although it was not characterized
as a direct result of switching time, the study showed a
"potential relationship" to the time change. She said data was
available to share with the committee if requested. She said
Australia's study mentioned heart attack and suicide rates. She
said, "That's what originally took me towards looking at
Daylight Saving Time."
8:27:13 AM
SENATOR MACKINNON related that she had served as the former
executive director of Standing Together Against Rape (STAR), and
she had observed "violence disproportionate to any other state
in the union." She then worked for seven years at Hospice of
Anchorage, where she saw people with higher rates of cancer and
other terminal illnesses. She said she began work with the
Alaska Suicide Prevention Council six years ago. Throughout her
work with these organizations, she said she questioned why
Alaska was always "at the wrong end of some of these
statistics." One idea is that Alaska's high rates of violence
and suicide may be connected to seasonal effective disorder and
low light levels. She mentioned second-hand smoke as an example
of an outside influence on social norms. She said she had no
hard data regarding the effects of flipping time back and forth
on suicide rates, but told committee members that whether or not
they felt the effects of the time changes, "there may be members
in Alaska that do."
8:29:26 AM
SENATOR MACKINNON talked about a cartoon, which she said
illustrated that for babies, animals, and farmers, Daylight
Saving Time is "outside of their norm" and was not something
they requested; "they wake up in association when their body
tells them to wake up."
8:29:56 AM
SENATOR MACKINNON relayed that the last time she had sponsored
legislation regarding Daylight Saving Time, she heard from 500
people; this time she heard from 3,700. Of those that
responded, some were highly opposed, while others were highly in
favor. She said she made a point to engage entities that, in
previous years, had been in opposition to the proposed change,
for example: The Alaska State Chamber [of Commerce], the
airline industry, and the cruise ship industry. She explained,
"I wanted to make sure that there ... [was] real consideration
for the challenges that our business community might face ... if
we were to do this ... policy change." She reported that 78
percent of those that responded [to the aforementioned poll]
wanted to eliminate Daylight Saving Time; 18.5 percent supported
keeping Daylight Saving Time. In response to Chair Lynn, she
said the poll was conducted via an on-line survey.
8:31:45 AM
CHAIR LYNN asked the bill sponsor if she had conducted any
scientific polling on the issue.
SENATOR MACKINNON answered no.
CHAIR LYNN expressed doubt that a survey has the same validity
as a scientific poll. For example, he offered his understanding
that Fox News puts out surveys to "a rather targeted audience."
SENATOR MACKINNON responded that she had never claimed the
survey had the same validity as a scientific poll, but rather
that it was "self-selecting." She mentioned a survey done when
she was a Representative, which was statistically valid and
showed 52 percent of Alaskans in support of the elimination of
Daylight Saving Time. Referring again to the 2015 survey, she
relayed that [54.8] percent of the population that responded was
from Southcentral Alaska; 26.5 percent was from the Interior;
and 15.1 percent was from Southeast Alaska. She recognized that
the proposed bill was a policy decision that would affect
individuals and businesses. As shown in the poll, the support
by region showed as follows: 74.2 percent in the Far North;
85.9 percent in the Interior; 75.7 percent in Southwest; 81.2
percent in Southcentral; and 53.7 percent in Southeast. She
said she had anticipated the majority of Southeast Alaska would
have been in opposition. She added, "And ... I believe they
represent approximately 10 percent of the population and 15 of
the population of the survey. So, again, not statistically
valid, but certainly telling."
8:34:07 AM
SENATOR MACKINNON said there are concerns related to flipping
back and forth between times during the year, which include
correlations between [road] safety and vehicle collisions; work
place environments and accidents; and school attendance and a
drop in test scores. She indicated that a study showed that
Indiana experienced an increased cost in energy when it "went
off of Daylight Saving Time." She said Arizona has functioned
well off of Daylight Saving Time.
8:34:49 AM
SENATOR MACKINNON said Alaska's banking community has asserted
that under SB 6, it would be difficult for them to participate
in financial markets. She added, "At least the general public
has spoken about this." She stated her belief that technology
has advanced in that regard, such that people could effectively
invest and manage money from Alaska, "no matter on Daylight
Saving Time or off Daylight Saving Time." She offered for
consideration that investors invest in a world market, which
holds other challenges. Referring to pilots concerned about
flying during the "twilight zone," she noted, "Alaska gains and
loses so much light, so quickly, that there is a brief period of
time where that is a ... statistically valid argument. Anywhere
from 10-21 days in the fall would be the time - in at least the
floatplane argument - for landing or flying."
SENATOR MACKINNON asked the committee to consider the policy
decision "in how it affects people and how it affects business."
8:36:11 AM
CHAIR LYNN noted that the sponsor had mentioned a study
conducted in Sweden. He mentioned a 2012 study from the
University of Alabama that alleged that switching between
Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time could cause up to a 10
percent surge in heart attacks. He asked Senator MacKinnon if
she was familiar with that study.
SENATOR MACKINNON answered no.
CHAIR LYNN questioned how many studies may have been done. He
further questioned whether setting clocks back in the fall would
result in "a corresponding decrease in heart attacks."
SENATOR MACKINNON said she could not speculate. She continued
as follows:
That is true for car accidents - when you plunge
people into darkness - for Alaska, because we go there
very quickly, and then we recover very quickly, too.
So, when you go in, we have an uptick, and when you go
out into daylight, you have the uptick the other
direction. But overall, some of the studies are
pointing to increase, even on the balance of it all.
CHAIR LYNN said he knows that "clocks do matter." He related
the effects of ever-changing shifts he worked when in the U.S.
Army on his circadian rhythm.
8:38:27 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER related his experience working a number of
summers in the Arctic, where he said clocks were insignificant.
He emphasized his interest in "the petition that's going to
[US]DOT." He asked the bill sponsor to expound on the
procedure. He asked if there may be other ways to "put more
weight behind it."
SENATOR MACKINNON responded that she had asked the governor to
request the U.S. Department of Transportation to initiate a
discussion with Alaskan communities about Alaska's time. She
said this would afford each region the opportunity to make its
case and for the state as a whole to determine its best time
zone. She said she had no interest in dividing Alaska into
multiple time zones; it currently operates on two. Senator
MacKinnon offered her understanding that after that point, it
would be outside of Alaskans' hands, except to engage in that
federal process. She said Alaska would remain on Alaska
Standard Time, which meant for five months of the year, Alaska
would be one hour off Seattle time and four hours off the time
on the East Coast, but during Daylight Saving Time, without
changing its clocks, Alaska would be two hours off Seattle's
time and five hours off the time on the East Coast. She said
she understands that "most Alaskans don't want that disconnect."
She offered her understanding that the federal government
considers only the issue of commerce in making a time zone
change. She continued as follows:
... We made our case already to be on Alaska Standard
Time. If we're making our case after we come off
Daylight Saving Time, it seems to me we'd have a new
interest in having a conversation about which time
zone we should be on: Should we be on Alaska Standard
Time or should we do something else? I wouldn't
proposed to insert my belief on Alaskans; I believe
they have to make that decision. But that would be a
conversation that we ... may be able to back up if we
pass a resolution in support of a particular time zone
- if we thought it was best to stay, as a legislature,
on Alaska [Standard] Time zone, we might want to do
that. If we thought we should be on Pacific Standard
... Time zone, then we could make a case to that. But
outside of that, I don't know another way, except
engaging, as a Representative or Senator ... in the
conversation, as [US]DOT came forward into Alaska to
make those findings.
8:42:17 AM
ERIN SHINE, Staff, Senator Anna McKinnon, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of Senator MacKinnon, prime sponsor,
stated that the aforementioned process with the U.S. Department
of Transportation is addressed in Section 2 of the proposed
legislation, which would request the governor to submit the
application 21 days after passage of SB 6. She said the process
would take six months to a year for the federal process,
including meetings and a public comment period, after which
USDOT would make a final recommendation as to what time zone
Alaska should be on or if time zone boundaries would be moved.
MS. SHINE, in response to Representative Keller's query as to
whether there may be a better option, said the sponsor's office
had asked Legislative Legal and Research Services to draft a
bill proposing adoption of Daylight Saving Time year-round;
however, the 1966 Uniform Time Act does not allow that to
happen. She clarified that the only options are to adopt
Daylight Saving Time or eliminate it. The proposed legislation
would [eliminate Daylight Saving Time, thus Alaska would remain
year-round on Alaska Standard Time.]
8:43:51 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER explained that he was questioning whether
the effort under SB 6 was enough or whether the effort could be
enhanced, for example, by contacting Alaska's delegation,
furthering the focus of the issue within a subcommittee, or by
knocking on doors. He emphasized that he was in support of what
the sponsor was trying to accomplish.
SENATOR MACKINNON reiterated that a resolution could be passed.
She indicated that SB 6 was the first step, and the proposed
effective date would allow ample time to engage in the process,
so that "businesses would not be as adversely affected."
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER directed attention to language on page 2,
line 3, which asks USDOT to hold hearings, and he suggested it
could offer the option to "gather input from Alaskans." He
explained that USDOT may balk at being asked to hold hearings.
8:45:34 AM
MS. SHINE said she had asked USDOT if it had the necessary
funding to send someone to Alaska to hold hearings, and she was
told USDOT felt it would be possible to do that. She said USDOT
"did the same process" in 2005, in response to Indiana's
petition to change its time zone boundaries when it "went onto
Daylight Saving Time." She added, "They went through the
process, and they did that then."
8:46:37 AM
CHAIR LYNN noted that he had received "a lot of pushback from
the business community," and he offered his understanding that
other members of the committee had, as well. He asked how
deeply the sponsor had vetted the business community regarding
the issue.
SENATOR MACKINNON answered that her office had sent e-mails with
specific requests. She said she had met with the cruise ship
industry; with the broadcasters association, from both large and
small stations; and with pilots. She indicated that she had
given these entities a heads up regarding the current meeting.
She emphasized that the issue being addressed under SB 6 was
about her constituents that had been "adversely affected by
switching their clocks back and forth." She stated that the
bill was about people. She said, "[We] didn't have a lot of
businesses jump up and down about trying to change the time
zones." She continued as follows:
I think that it's a fair policy discussion that the
business community can be affected by this, and we
need to consider that very much. For me, I just
raised the higher issue - as we're seeing more studies
going on regarding health - that there might be some
causation effect. And I'm not asserting that it's a
silver bullet, because it's not; I'm just saying that
there is more...
SENATOR MACKINNON said the people who approached her with the
idea for the legislation were "just tired of changing their
clocks," felt that it was a waste of time to do so. She said,
"They do not understand why the government is in the business of
telling them when the sun comes up ... at the same time every
day and we change a clock to tell them so." She reiterated that
teachers in classrooms witness disruption and do not understand
the need for [Daylight Saving Time], and now there are
indications that show it hurts test scores. She said she thinks
the business community would support the entire nation doing
away with Daylight Saving Time. She said she contacted Alaska's
delegation about the issue. She commented on the difficult
nature of addressing issues in Congress, because of the number
of people with differing passionate views. She said the largest
opposition group she had identified is the retail industry and
bars and restaurants, which all benefit from it being light out
after people get off work, because people spend more when there
is daylight. She talked about how much more energy she has with
the summer light, than during the dark hours of winter. She
concluded, "It's our nature to be associated with the climate
that's around us and the sun that raises ... every morning and
sets every evening."
8:49:52 AM
CHAIR LYNN acknowledged that the sponsor was carrying the bill
in response to her constituents. Regarding the business
community, he stated that it seems somebody had hired a lobbyist
to oppose SB 6. He questioned why the business community would
spend "something like $10,000" to oppose SB 6 unless it was
"pretty important to them." He added, "It's even on
[television] (TV) now."
SENATOR MACKINNON said, "The hired campaign to continue the
status quo is affective in generating support." She said the
3,700 that support elimination of Daylight Saving Time do not
have that luxury, but instead have her as their spokesperson.
She mentioned a chamber survey with a large group in opposition,
which she offered her understanding was self-selecting. She
said members of the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce have
contacted her directly to inform her of the information it is
generating. She indicated that the chamber wants the committee
to know that its members are not unanimous in their support or
opposition, and they believe there will be "some period of time
that people will adjust." She said that is why the bill
proposes a year and a half for the effective date and why it
would be important for the bill to move in 2015, so that
everyone has the maximum amount of time to adjust and respond.
8:52:10 AM
REPRESENTATIVE VAZQUEZ noted that many people had called or
written in to her office - most in opposition. She said the key
issue was for those who have to communicate with the Lower 48
for business and, under SB 6, would experience an increase in
the time difference to the West Coast and East Coast from one to
two hours and from four to five hours, respectively. She opined
that a "beautiful" solution would be if U.S. Congress [did away
with Daylight Saving Time for the entire country]. She stated
that she was currently was leaning toward not supporting SB 6.
She suggested a resolution from the House and Senate could be
sent to Congress. Representative Vazquez acknowledged there
have been studies done related to Daylight Saving Time's effect
on a person's body, and how it affects students. She suggested,
though, that many students have to start the school day "way too
early," and "their natural clocks are not in tune with that."
She said she saw the merits of the proposed legislation, but
wondered if "we could somehow nudge Congress."
8:54:37 AM
SENATOR MACKINNON responded that someone has to take the first
step, and everyone is in a standoff. She stated she believes in
the people of Alaska and in the state's business community, and
she did not want to create a barrier between the two. She
related that Dan Cuddy, [then Chairman of the Board] of the
First National Bank Alaska, was the first person to send a
letter of support for SB 6. She said she knows that the
business community is rallying in opposition and that Alaskans
are divided on the issue, but she reiterated that they are
divided "in a positive way." She stated that her overall belief
is that 52 percent of Alaskans want the elimination, and there
is a higher representation throughout the business community in
opposition to the proposed legislation. Regarding Chair Lynn's
mention of lobbyists being hired, she relayed that she has been
called, "the powerful co-chair of Senate Finance." She said she
was given the position and "given a bag that had nothing in it."
She said it has been a difficult year, but opined that nothing
had happened in the Senate Finance Committee in which people
could not take pride. She suggested the incentive to hire
advocates may be in the belief that she somehow would use some
perceived power in a way that was less than honorable. She
emphasized that would not be the case.
8:57:02 AM
CHAIR LYNN related that he has children living in Florida and
Indiana, and a five-hour time difference would make it more
difficult for him to talk to them.
8:57:27 AM
REPRESENTATIVE VAZQUEZ clarified that no lobbyist had contacted
her - only numerous constituents.
8:57:52 AM
SENATOR MACKINNON explained that she needed to leave to be
present at another committee hearing, but her staff would remain
to hear the public testimony for SB 6.
CHAIR LYNN noted that Alaska currently was in a fiscal crisis,
and he questioned whether the effect under SB 6 on businesses
would add to that crisis.
SENATOR MACKINNON said the business community would express its
belief about the possible effect of SB 6. She opined that the
business community is resilient and has been able to survive
other laws that have affected it in the past. She reiterated
that the policy decision to be made was about people, but the
legislature must keep in mind how such a decision may affect the
business community.
8:59:22 AM
CHAIR LYNN opened public testimony on SB 6.
8:59:41 AM
DONALD WESTLUND corrected the bill sponsor's previous statement
that there are currently two time zones in Alaska. He said in
addition to Aleutian and Alaska Standard Times, Metlakatla runs
on Pacific Standard Time. He said the elimination of Daylight
Saving Time would make it impossible for him to fly from
Ketchikan to visit family in Iowa in one day. Currently, during
Alaska Standard Time, if he flies out in the morning, he does
not connect with the flights from Seattle eastward and has to
spend the night in Seattle; it's only when he takes a 5 p.m.
flight out of Ketchikan that he can continue to Iowa, but
arriving at midnight. He said he would like the governor to
send a request to [USDOT] to assign Alaska to Pacific Standard
Time, because "that way, everybody would be at least in line
with the West Coast, where we do most of our business."
Regarding the survey, he indicated that it represents less than
one percent of Alaska's population; therefore, "it can't be very
accurate."
9:02:41 AM
SCOTT YAHR stated that although he manages a radio station,
which drives his concern regarding the proposed legislation, he
was testifying on behalf of himself. He urged the committee to
vote no on SB 6. He said the current time separation of four
hours makes doing business [with the East Coast] tricky, but "to
have our times different from winter to summer makes doing
business even more difficult; it alienates Alaskans from the
rest of the country even more, and it will put Alaskans at a
disadvantage." He said the radio he manages in Glen Allen tapes
national call-in programs. If the time does not change with the
rest of the country, it would have to change its programming
time twice a year, which would upset the station's listeners, or
multiply the work of the station's two staff members by forcing
them to record the program the day before in order to play it
back on air at the same scheduled time 24 hours later. However,
that would mean that the station's listeners would not be able
to "engage in the national conversation that takes place on
these programs." He indicated that the proposed legislation
would affect broadcasting across Alaska, which would affect
Alaskans personally, because they expect programs to air at
certain times, in alignment with the rest of the country. Mr.
Yahr opined that Daylight Saving Time is "pretty much useless";
however, as long as the majority of the country is partaking in
it, Alaska needs to align itself so that it does not alienate
Alaskans, Alaskan businesses, and Alaskan broadcasters.
9:04:55 AM
RON PHILEMONOFF stated that he is involved with businesses in
Anchorage, and is also the CEO of an Alaskan business. In
response to Chair Lynn, he said the business is an Alaska Native
corporation, which is involved in tourism, the fisheries
industry, environmental cleanup work, telecommunications, and
the wind power industry. He stated that many people living on
the west coast of Alaska, including St. Paul, Bering Sea
communities, and those on the Aleutian Islands support the
elimination of Daylight Saving Time, because they think it does
not really work as intended. He said, "In our case, it actually
wastes more daylight than it saves ...." He stated support for
SB 6, which speaks beyond the issue of whether there is more or
less daylight; it addresses economic interests and concerns
related to safety, health, and education.
MR. PHILEMONOFF indicated that teachers and parents know that
children suffer every morning when they get up to go to [school]
in the dark. Further, he said documentation shows that they do
not study well in the dark. He said he heard that health
concerns related to changing clocks has been documented, such as
incidence of heart attack.
MR. PHILEMONOFF said his focus in testifying was on safety and
economics. He said the Pribilof Islands are "technically four
time zones away from everybody else." With Daylight Saving
Time, the area is off by five time zones. He indicated that
automatic computer technology switches cell phones used in the
Pribilof Islands to "Adak Time," which is the same as Hawaiian
Standard Time. He opined that man's manipulation of time zones
has made things worse. He said the switch in time two times a
year decreases his productivity and makes him feel like he has a
hangover for about a week each time. He said there are body
changes that happen when switching from a body clock to a
manmade time zone. He said the Bering Sea is a great ocean, and
Mother Nature releases wind onto the sea; it is the place where
the show, "The Deadliest Catch," is filmed. He said residents
already deal with the fury of the elements and "for us to be
forced to work in the dark arbitrarily only makes it more
deadly." He said residents don't see the daylight sometimes
until 10 a.m. or 11 a.m., and making the switch in time only
makes that worse. He said he had seen advertisement by the
cruise ship industry trying to convince Alaskans of the merit of
Daylight Saving Time; however, he thinks the industry is wrong.
Mr. Philemonoff said he has heard the argument that Alaska needs
to stay nearer to the time zones of Seattle and the East Coast,
but he opined that is just "scare tactics." He said that may
have been a concern 20 years ago, but now people have the
ability to leave a voice mail, send an e-mail, or make a wire
transfer.
9:10:53 AM
MR. PHILEMONOFF said other states have considered this issue.
He said Hawaii had opted out of Daylight Saving Time, and he
offered his understanding that either Arizona or New Mexico had
done the same. He said Washington was considering it. He
encouraged Alaska to take the lead in doing away with Daylight
Saving Time. He said he did not have the money to pay for a
lobbyist, but opined that lobbyists do not "speak for the
people." He urged the committee to listen to the people and not
"the big dollar." He reiterated that he had testified on a
personal level, as well as from the viewpoint of a business
person, and he stated that the proposed legislation needed to be
passed in order to "go back to reality." In response to Chair
Lynn, he confirmed that although he was involved in business, he
had testified on behalf of himself.
9:13:00 AM
PAULA RAK testified in opposition to SB 6. She said that in the
past, when Alaska lowered the number of time zones it had,
Southeast Alaskans, who wanted to stay on Pacific Time, were
told that "this was a compromise" that would "unify Alaska."
She indicated that the Anchorage area also had to compromise
back then, except that it gained an hour in the evening and
Juneau lost an hour. She said the proposed legislation was
asking for further compromise, which would put Anchorage "back
to where they started from before all this happened," which she
stated seemed unfair. Ms. Rak said the bill sponsor argues that
the proposed legislation is for health reasons, but she said she
does not agree, because she has seen studies that support that
idea and others that say a person's health is not affected by
Daylight Saving Time. She reasoned that if it were true that
Daylight Saving Time was detrimental to a person's health, then
so, too, would be the effect of changing time zones when flying
back to Alaska from Seattle or just staying up an hour later.
She said she finds that hard to believe.
MS. RAK stated that time zones are set up for the convenience of
commerce. Southeast Alaska businesses have said they do not
want to lose an hour of daylight in the evening, because it
would hurt their commerce, and she said that is what needs to be
considered. She mentioned an amendment to SB 6 that would allow
time zones, such that Southeast Alaska could be on Pacific Time;
however, she said she had not heard a lot of talk about that and
had "a feeling that that'll just go away." She said she would
not mind doing away with Daylight Saving Time if there was also
[a time zone change], because then at least Southeast Alaska
would be on the same time zone as Seattle, at least part of the
year. She suggested that instead of petitioning the federal
government to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, the legislature
should send a resolution stating that it would like the entire
country to be unified, in terms of Daylight Saving Time.
9:16:09 AM
DUSTIN ADAMS, Board Chair, Explore Alaska, named the following
visitor activities that take advantage of the extended daylight
in the evenings: flight seeing, float plane trips, fishing,
wildlife viewing, hiking, and touring. He said the elimination
of Daylight Saving Time would have an adverse economic impact on
tourism businesses that conduct evening activities, especially
in the waning hours in August and September, which he said are
among the busiest months for the tour industry.
9:17:12 AM
GUS K. WAHL stated his support of SB 6. He said, "Southeast, of
course, would like to keep ... the situation the way it is,
because they're on natural time, and that's what we would like
to have, is to be on natural time." He said he operates a
business in Dillingham, and "because two o'clock in the morning
is midnight," he feels like he has to keep working to take
advantage of the daylight in the evenings, which makes him tired
in the mornings. He stated that he could not get used to "being
out of synch with nature." He said the testifier from the
Pribilof Islands "pretty much covered my way of thinking."
9:18:47 AM
DARWIN BIWER specified that although he owns a bar in Anchorage
and is the chairman of the Alaska Cabaret, Hotel, Restaurant and
Retailer's Association, Inc. ("Alaska CHARR"), he was testifying
on behalf of himself. He said in 1972, he was an area biologist
for the Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) and managed the
Bristol Bay commercial fishery. During that year, time zones
were changed: Southeast ran on Pacific Standard Time; Yakutat
ran on "Yukon Time"; Anchorage ran on Alaska Standard Time; and
then there was "Aleutian Time." He said it was problematic,
because the time zone between the Aleutian Time and Alaska Time
"came right down through the middle of Bristol Bay." He
explained this meant half of his field camps were in one time
zone, while the other half were in another. He continued as
follows:
Well, we had radio schedules back then that we had to
call in our escapement count so, as biologists, we
could open and close the commercial fishery so we had
proper management of that fishery. This caused a lot
of problems because they also overlapped with the Cook
Inlet field camp schedules. So, it was very confusing
because fisherman who were going to transfer from one
district within Bristol Bay to another district had a
48-hour waiting period. Well, which time zone were
they in? It got very, very complicated. If Southeast
did move and the vertical demarcation between
different time zones went down through Southeast, this
could cause a lot of trouble with our fisheries there
as well. So, I think this is a problem that really
needs to be addressed. We are completely against
doing away with the Daylight Saving Time.
MR. BIWER said the business community in which he currently
works deals with outdoor activities, including golf courses,
flight seeing, sport fishing charters, paragliding, "zip-
lining," bars and restaurants with sun decks, and wild life
viewing. Many businesses contact businesses outside of Alaska
to get assistance with computers, speaker installation, or
mechanical device repair, and the elimination of Daylight Saving
Time would make it more difficult to contact those businesses.
He said the general public enjoys outdoor activities, as well.
MR. BIWER noted that in 2015, Daylight Saving Time runs from
March 8 to November 1. He said the biggest argument for getting
rid of Daylight Saving Time is that Alaska has plenty of light
already. He said that is true in the latter weeks of June
through the early weeks of July. He opined, "We shouldn't be
getting rid of this just because people are too lazy to change
their clocks." He indicated that people would change their
minds about doing away with Daylight Saving Time once they
realized how negatively doing so would impact businesses. He
questioned studies that would indicate health problems related
to Daylight Saving Time, because the one-hour difference when
flying between Alaska and Washington has not caused a lot of
heart attacks. He concluded, "I'm completely against this; I
think it should be stopped right where it is."
9:24:05 AM
DAVID MEISMER said he is a 40-year resident of Alaska testifying
on behalf of himself in support of the elimination of Daylight
Saving Time, because he opined it is ridiculous, stressful, and
confusing to have to change clocks twice a year. He said that
in Minnesota, he has a business, apartments, property, and
family, and he sees no problem in eliminating Daylight Saving
Time. He stated his belief that other states would follow. He
concluded, "I believe one hour difference in Alaska, one way or
t'other, without having to change that twice a year - I believe
people will get used to that and work with it. I know I will; I
can."
9:25:48 AM
RICH SAYERS testified in opposition to SB 6, because he said it
would create hardship on his business. He relayed that he is
the general manager of a golf course in Anchorage. He said the
proposed legislation would affect all activities for which
daylight after work is a necessity, whether that is someone's
business or personal activity, such as hiking a trail. He said
the busiest time for the golf course is in the evening, "after
work" - the busiest hour being from 5:00 p.m. to 6 p.m. He
explained that under SB 6, "those people that are playing golf
at 5:30 p.m. would still be at work at 4:30 p.m., and that
busiest hour would be taken away." He said he could not imagine
how businesses, such as The Lucky Wishbone, J.C. Penny,
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc., would survive, with their busiest
hour taken away. He said he estimates over $230,000 lost in
revenue for the golf course and facility. He said the facility
has developed a Wacky Women Executive Week, for which it has
garnered national awards, and, under SB 6, participants in the
event would have one hour less to play, which would result in "a
severe drop-off." He said local vendors would suffer from the
golf course's lack of revenue, because he would spend less money
on them and throughout the Anchorage economy. Mr. Sayers said
he employs 120 throughout the summer, but if he lost that
revenue and the time for people to enjoy the facility, he would
have fewer jobs to offer. He said he also interacts with
several companies on the East Coast, such as clothing vendors
and a software provider. Currently, communications with them
must be made before 1 p.m.; under SB 6, that would be one less
hour. He said visitors from everywhere come to play golf under
the midnight sun, and they go on cruises, rent cars, and stay in
hotels. That could not happen if there is no midnight sun.
9:29:24 AM
MR. SAYERS indicated that when he saw that the proposed
legislation had passed [the Senate], he spoke with people who
said they supported getting rid of Daylight Saving Time, and
almost all of them - once they realized how they would lose an
hour of light in the evening, during which they could be walking
their dogs, cooking outdoors, and play sports - changed their
minds. He said he thinks that would also be the case if that
information had been part of the survey and people taking the
survey realized how things would change. He said, "The fall
would experience a three-week change. The daylight we have on
September 15th would then become the daylight on August 26th."
He said all the activities that occur in the evening "would take
a three-week hit." He warned that the proposed legislation
would have a negative effect on the state's economy, which he
said the state could not endure at this point in its history.
9:31:25 AM
PATTI MACKEY, President/CEO, Ketchikan Visitors Bureau (KVB),
noted that KVB had sent a resolution to the committee to express
concerns about the proposed legislation. In response to a
previous testifier's reference to the cruise industry, she said,
"The cruise lines will do what the cruise lines will do." She
stated, "But when over 93 percent of businesses in Ketchikan
that cater to the tourism trade are residents of the state of
Alaska or Ketchikan, it is a very big concern to my community."
She said Ketchikan's unique problem regarding the proposed
legislation is not so much about the time zone as it is about
"the time in hours away." She said SB 6 would put Ketchikan at
a disadvantage in securing the tourist trade from visitors that
are on ships that are leaving Alaska. She explained that 50
percent of the ships that visit Ketchikan are doing so at the
end of their voyage, and under SB 6, those ships would have to
leave one hour earlier. Based on last year's figures, she
estimated that Ketchikan could lose $9 million, just in sales of
products and services; that figure does not include municipal
sales tax and other revenues that would be lost as a result of a
shorter port stay. She relayed that in 2016 and beyond, there
would be an increase in the number of people visiting Ketchikan.
She concluded, "This is ... a very serious concern to the
business economy of Ketchikan, and I would just urge the
committee to please keep that in consideration as you consider
this bill."
RACHEL PETRO, CEO, Alaska State Chamber of Commerce (ASCC),
relayed that ASCC represents businesses throughout the state and
is the only industry association that represents every industry
sector in the state. She said ASCC also represents almost 40
local chambers of commerce throughout Alaska, and it serves as
representative to the National Association of Manufacturers in
Alaska.
MS. PETRO said the purpose of ASCC is to create a viable and
thriving economy in Alaska; therefore, its members are focused
on policies that support that goal. She indicated she had also
sent a letter to the committee. She stated that businesses are
not currently experiencing a problem with Daylight Saving Time.
She explained that she knew that because each year ASCC asks its
members what issues need to be addressed as a statewide business
community, and Daylight Saving Time is not an issue that is
raised. She surmised that the reaction to the proposed
legislation being heard today was because "changing will have an
effect." She said, "We wouldn't be here unless this ... had
been brought up."
MS. PETRO stated that in 2009, ASCC surveyed its business
members, and over 70 percent of them did not support a change
[to Daylight Saving Time]. Today, ASCC still does not support
"moving Alaska further away and changing those time zones." She
said ASCC would be "very supportive" of a national change. She
said not every business would be affected equally; therefore,
some businesses would not be weighing in on the proposed
legislation. She stated ASCC's belief that [the negative
effects of] eliminating Daylight Saving Time would outweigh any
potential benefits.
9:37:19 AM
MS. PETRO referred to Ms. Mackey's testimony about the potential
loss of $9 million a year, and said Ketchikan is expecting even
more visitors this year, so that could be a serious impact. She
reminded the committee that this number was in regard to local
businesses - not the cruise ship industry. She surmised that
everyone who had testified would be fine with a nationwide
elimination of Daylight Saving Time, but she reiterated that
ASCC opposes SB 6.
9:38:42 AM
ROSIE ROPPEL stated that she has lived in Ketchikan since 1954,
before Alaska was a state and before Ketchikan separated from
Pacific Standard Time. She stated that she has been an educator
for 35 years in Ketchikan. She explained that although she was
testifying on behalf of herself, her observations working with
students in schools and parents after school has something to do
with her opposition to the proposed elimination of Daylight
Saving Time in Alaska. She pointed out that Ketchikan is 700-
plus miles from Anchorage, south in latitude, and "more in
longitude with Seattle." She indicated that back when Alaska
had been on the same time as the Pacific Coast, sunset was at
9:30 p.m. After switching to Alaska Standard Time, [during
Daylight Saving Time] the sunset is at 8:30 p.m. Under SB 6,
sunset would be at 7:30 p.m. She said that is a lot of time to
lose. She stated, "Little kids are going to be walking home in
the dark."
MS. ROPPEL, regarding the concern about health, said she knows
that kids like to start school later and stay up later. She
said, "I'm a secondary and university level teacher, and I know
that that does affect test scores. We also know that food,
prior to taking a test affects test scores." She stated her
belief that "any study can prove anything you want," but
educators know that it has been proven repeatedly that children
really need to go to school later, but because of bus schedules
and other factors, that does not happen. She said she is "like
the Anchorage people that like to recreate outside." She
speculated that most Alaskans do. She said she knows that the
people living in Alaska's rail belt and in Bristol Bay don't
experience the same issues with light that people in Ketchikan
do.
9:41:13 AM
MS. ROPPEL said although she understands the business standpoint
of having one time zone, she would like see Southeast Alaska's
70,000 be put back on Pacific Standard Time. She reiterated
that she would like Ketchikan to [continue to use Daylight
Saving Time].
9:42:09 AM
LYNN WILLIS, testified in support of SB 6. He said five similar
bills had been introduced in previous legislatures, since 1999,
but despite some legislative progress, all of them were "held to
death" before various committees, "where hearing a final
committee decision was denied." He questioned what other state
issue had been so vetted over time. He continued as follows:
Now, after all that inquiry, what is the clear and
compelling reason to force the entire state population
of Alaska - except for those residing in the
Hawaiian/Aleutian time zone, to change the time of day
twice each year and deal with what amounts to state-
mandated jetlag. Only energy savings are mentioned as
a public benefit Congress found would be seen by using
Daylight Saving Time. Any other public benefit is
described by using the words "may" or "should." What
energy savings, due to the use of Daylight Saving
Time, are being realized by Alaskans? If they were
there, you would have heard it. Daylight Saving Time
is not intended primarily to enhance commerce; time
zones are intended to enhance commerce, and SB 6
allows for that discussion. Alaskans must pursue
their endeavors when their efforts are required;
therefore, how can you, with any sense of fairness,
favor one profession or practice over another by
forcing an entire state population to support what
arguably amounts to the personal convenience or
financial benefit of a few. You cannot make a period
of daylight any longer by simply changing the time of
day. Remember: for every hour you delay sunset, you
equally delay sunrise the next morning. Morning light
is just as important to some Alaskans as evening light
is to others. Besides, we live in the land of the
midnight sun, where naturally changing daylight
quickly offsets any artificial delay in the time of
sunset.
Alaska's constitution grants the right of privacy, so
how can you be affording Alaskans that constitutional
right when you insist that the state government enter
their home at 2 a.m., twice each year, to force them
to change the time of day for no clear compelling
reason? So, after seeing all the private efforts, my
optimism is jaded. I request you move this bill from
your committee or offer a specific justification of
why you won't. Thank you.
9:44:53 AM
CRAIG FISHER specified that although he is a small business
owner, he was testifying on behalf of himself. He explained
that he came before the committee in person to show how
important the issue is to him and because the real-time
interaction regarding SB 6 is important. He said that is what
drives his opposition to SB 6. He explained that he has
customers, vendors, and partners all over the country, and
interacting with them in real time is important. When he shows
up at work at 8:30 a.m., it is already 12:30 p.m. in New York,
which leaves about four hours - a concentrated time - to do
business with those on the East Coast. He said he has staff
that have to be ready to take on line training at 4 a.m.,
because it starts at 8 a.m. on the East Coast. He said [without
Daylight Saving Time], a 3 a.m. start time would be necessary,
and is "just one thing worse." He indicated that he would
support the entire country doing away with Daylight Saving Time.
He said, "I want to see that we stay in synch, as closely as
possible, with the rest of the country." I don't want to have
to look at a calendar to find out what time it is in Seattle,
and - more importantly - I don't want my business partners in
New York to have to do the same." In response to Chair Lynn,
Mr. Fisher said he owns a consulting firm.
9:47:45 AM
CHAIR LYNN noted that there were seven others waiting to
testify, but he wished to pause to make some comments about SB
6. He opined that there had been interesting testimony about an
important bill, with a lot of ramifications. He noted that [the
first half of the Twenty-Ninth Legislative Session] was almost
at an end. He stated his intention to appoint a subcommittee to
dig more deeply into the issue during the interim and return to
it in January.
9:49:24 AM
CHAIR LYNN, after conferring with both minority members on the
committee, appointed the following members to a subcommittee on
SB 6: Representative Kreiss-Tomkins, Representative Keller, and
Representative Vazquez, with Representative Keller as vice
chair. He invited anyone else on the House State Affairs
Standing Committee to participate.
9:50:20 AM
CHELSEA GOUCHER, Executive Director, Ketchikan Chamber of
Commerce, testified in opposition to SB 6. She stated concern
that with the passage of SB 6, when the rest of the country
shifts to Daylight Saving Time, Alaska would be two hours behind
Seattle, and southbound cruise ships would have to leave an hour
earlier to achieve parity with Pacific Daylight Time. She
echoed the testimony of Ms. Mackey that as a result, Ketchikan
could lose $9 million. Further, she expressed concern that when
the rest of the country returned to Standard Time, it would
complicate communications - particularly the scheduling of
teleconferences and appointments. She said businesses in Alaska
might have to shift their start times to earlier in the day for
half the year, and then switch back, in order to not lose
valuable time with partners on the East Coast.
MS GOUCHER said under SB 6, sunset during the summer months
would occur an hour earlier, which would detrimentally impact
flight operations, marine charters, shore businesses, and "the
safety of shift worker transportation." She said individuals
would lose opportunities for recreational activities, and those
who depend upon subsistence activities would suffer, both
culturally and economically, with the earlier onset of darkness.
She said commercial fishermen would be forced to shift their
schedules to wake up by 2 a.m. or 3 a.m., in order to maximize
their fishing time. She warned there would be a rise in
programming costs for transportation, shipping, logistics, and
broadcasting businesses Municipal governments, such as that in
Ketchikan, would lose sales tax revenue because of losses in the
tourism sector, and "the negative trickle-down effect will
damage sales at those businesses, which support other directly
impacted sectors." Ms. Goucher emphasized doing all that is
possible to protect those parts of the economy that generate
revenue for the state and its people.
MS. GOUCHER said the only acceptable compromise would be to
ensure that if Daylight Saving Time is repealed, Alaska would be
moved to Pacific Standard Time; however, she said doing that
would be complicated by the size of Alaska. She asked, "How
would that [emphasis on "that"] impact Western Alaska?" She
said populations such as Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and
Ketchikan must be able to do business with each other
efficiently, and making multiple time zones would be an "equally
messy proposition." She stated that the Ketchikan Chamber of
Commerce feels strongly that the best option for all Alaskans
would be to maintain Daylight Saving Time and continue
operations as they currently exist. She asked the committee to
consider the proposed legislation carefully and oppose the
elimination of Daylight Saving Time.
9:53:13 AM
TOM WILLIAMS, Financial Officer, Ward Air, testified in
opposition to SB 6. He related that he is also an owner of a
vacation rental business. He noted that Ward Air is an on-
demand charter air company that provides service to local
people, businesses, government, and tourists. He opined that
while the original bill version of SB 6 was harmful to Alaskans,
the committee substitute passed out of the Senate could do more
harm by potentially allowing for the possibility of many time
zones for Alaska - a decision that could be made by the U.S.
Department of Transportation. He said this could "reignite a
capital move issue."
MR. WILLIAMS said he thinks there are four critical questions to
ask when deciding whether to proceed with the proposed
legislation. The first question is whether eliminating Daylight
Saving Time would get rid of the annoying practice of changing
clocks twice a year. He prefaced the second question by
reminding the committee that the bill sponsor had said there
really was no hard data relative to the concern about health
issues, and he posited that it is incumbent upon the committee
and the legislature as a whole not to make a significant change
that would affect all Alaskans, based on no hard data. He
indicated the second question would be whether eliminating
Daylight Saving Time would result in healthy Alaskans. He
answered probably some, but said it also has the potential for
causing more health issues. He said total daylight hours do not
change; the changes would be in regard to when Alaska goes to
work and gets off of work. He said gaining an hour of light in
the evening and being able to enjoy outdoor activities is not
only a benefit to businesses, but also to the health of every
Alaskan. He talked about the effect of changing the timing of
light on those with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). He said
most people are not going to get up at 3 a.m. just because it
may be light out then, because "our cycles are not geared
towards that." He stated that having as many evening hours of
daylight in the summer is a health boon.
MR. WILLIAMS said the third question is: Would eliminating
Daylight Saving Time have adverse effects on Alaskans? He said,
"Absolutely. You've heard those reasons over and over again."
He said there would eight months during which Alaska would be
"two hours out of synch with the Lower 48." He added, "And
obviously, it provides less time ... for business to provide
light-dependent business services." He indicated the fourth
question had to do with whether it would be beneficial to put
Southeast Alaska on Pacific Time in order to alleviate "some of
the economic problems." He said yes, but warned it may create
more. He said he knows USDOT's focus is on economic activity,
which he said he thinks is "a very important element of this."
He said when he first came to Juneau, Alaska was on several
different time zones. At that time there was a big effort being
made to move the capital because it was difficult to effectively
communicate or coordinate activities between Southcentral Alaska
and the capital in Southeast Alaska. He said he thinks it would
create a problem if the state were to end up with multiple time
zones.
9:57:37 AM
MR. WILLIAMS, referring to the sponsor's remark that the
proposed legislation is based on people and businesses can
adjust, stated that "we're all Alaskans." He stated that there
are some larger business interests, but he has a small business
and he is an individual. He warned against pitting individuals
against businesses. He said, "We're all Alaskans; we're trying
to make this state work to all our benefit." He echoed Chair
Lynn's comment that the state will be facing significant
financial issues as it downsizes government. He said, "We are
going to have a double whammy if this bill passes, and not just
in Southeast, Alaska; it's going to be all over this state. If
we were ever going to do it, now is not [emphasis on "not"] the
time; now is the worst time." Notwithstanding that, he said if
the committee felt compelled to move out some version of SB 6,
he would recommend the bill be amended to ask USDOT to keep
Alaska on one time zone, but to consider "whether we go to
Pacific"; and to not make any changes in Daylight Saving Time
until USDOT would authorize us, as a state, to all go to Pacific
Daylight Time."
9:59:11 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER asked Mr. Williams to clarify if he
thought the capital move effort in the past had been solely
based on the state being in different time zones.
MR. WILLIAMS responded that his work back then had been related
to legislative audits, and there were coordination issues
brought forth by many people. He said he was happy to see
Alaska go to "one consolidated time," because he said it was
good for the state. He said he would hate to see it reverted
back to a system that would divide the state again - not just
because of the capital issue, but also for "basic internal state
commerce; [the] same sort of ... commerce issues that we have
with down south."
10:00:29 AM
CHAIR LYNN stated that the committee had run out of time and
would not hear further testimony at the present meeting.
10:00:38 AM
CHAIR LYNN announced that SB 6 was held over.