02/19/2002 01:37 PM House TRA

HB 374-NAMING DOUTHIT VETERANS' MEMORIAL BRIDGE                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  KOHRING  announced that  the  first  matter before  the                                                               
committee  was HOUSE  BILL  NO.  374, "An  Act  naming the  David                                                               
Douthit Veterans' Memorial Bridge."                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Number 014                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KEN  LANCASTER, Alaska State  Legislature, sponsor                                                               
of  HB 374,  said that  the Soldotna  City Council  asked him  to                                                               
bring  HB   374  forward  and   characterized  it  as   a  fairly                                                               
straightforward bill.   He  said the bill  would name  the bridge                                                               
over  the   Kenai  River  the  David   Douthit  Memorial  Bridge.                                                               
Representative Lancaster said that  the bill was widely supported                                                               
by the  community of Soldotna  and within the  military community                                                               
throughout the state.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LANCASTER  told the  committee that  David Douthit                                                               
grew up  in Soldotna next  door to him.   Mr. Douthit  was killed                                                               
February 27,  1991.  Mr.  Douthit served  as a staff  sergeant in                                                               
the U.S. Army, and he was  the only Alaskan killed in the Persian                                                               
Gulf War.   His wife Jesse, young daughter  Rebecca, parents, and                                                               
brothers and sisters.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Number 037                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON asked  if there were plans to  put names on                                                               
the bridge.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LANCASTER said that to his knowledge, it was not.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Number 070                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
NITA   DOUTHIT,   mother   of  David   Douthit,   testified   via                                                               
teleconference.   She  said the  Douthit family  wanted to  thank                                                               
Representative Lancaster for sponsoring  the bill, and she called                                                               
him  a good  family  friend.   She  said  Mr. Douthit's  daughter                                                               
Rebecca  would  be honored  by  the  bridge  being named  in  his                                                               
memory.   She said it  would honor  all veterans, as  David would                                                               
have approved.   She thanked the committee  for its consideration                                                               
and the time spent on the matter.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN KOHRING  said it  was an honor  to have  the legislation                                                               
before  the committee,  and he  expressed his  gratitude for  Mr.                                                               
Douthit's service to the country.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Number 090                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
TOM  BOEDEKER,  City Manager,  City  of  Soldotna, testified  via                                                               
teleconference.  He expressed the  city's wholehearted support of                                                               
the bill.  He thanked the committee for its action.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Number 102                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SCALZI  moved to  report HB  374 out  of committee                                                               
with individual recommendations and zero fiscal notes.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN KOHRING  asked if there would  be signage put up  on the                                                               
bridge.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Number 105                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
DENNIS POSHARD, Legislative Liaison,  Office of the Commissioner,                                                               
Department  of  Transportation  &  Public  Facilities,  testified                                                               
before the  committee.   He said that  the department  intends to                                                               
put a sign on either end of the bridge with the new name.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Number 120                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN KOHRING asked  if there was any objection  to moving the                                                               
bill.   There being  no objection,  HB 374 was  moved out  of the                                                               
House Transportation Standing Committee.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  OGAN said  that to  his knowledge,  there was  no                                                               
sign on  a bridge that he  had brought forth legislation  to name                                                               
[in a previous year].