03/24/2009 01:00 PM House TRANSPORTATION

HJR 9-CENTENNIAL OF FLIGHT CELEBRATION                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:06:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WILSON announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE  JOINT RESOLUTION  NO. 9,  Designating the  Alaska Aviation                                                               
Heritage Museum  located at 4721  Aircraft Drive in  Anchorage as                                                               
the official  headquarters for the  State of  Alaska's Centennial                                                               
of Flight Celebration.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:07:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PAUL LABOLLE, Staff, Representative  Richard Foster, Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, offered a  brief introduction of HJR  9, noting that                                                               
the  State of  Alaska's  Centennial of  Flight Celebration  would                                                               
take place on July 13.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:07:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LELAND  CORKRAN, Chief  Executive  Officer,  Pioneer Air  Museum,                                                               
explained  that  the  first  flight   in  Alaska  took  place  in                                                               
Fairbanks, Alaska,  on July 4,  1913.  He expressed  concern that                                                               
no one  had contacted him about  the resolution.  He  asked to be                                                               
included since this is where the first flight originated.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:08:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
NORM  LAGASSE,  Executive   Director,  Alaska  Aviation  Heritage                                                               
Museum  (AAHM),   stated  that  the  AAHM   proposed  the  actual                                                               
resolution for  the museum.   He explained that  the headquarters                                                               
designation  is  the focal  point  for  coordinating all  of  the                                                               
celebrations throughout  the state.   He offered his  belief that                                                               
although four years  of planning may seem like a  lot of time, it                                                               
is not given the magnitude of the celebration.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:09:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON inquired as  to whether Fairbanks would be                                                               
included, since the first flight took place in Fairbanks.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR.  LAGASSE answered  that the  Alaska Aviation  Heritage Museum                                                               
wants to  be the point  of contact for  coordinating celebrations                                                               
in Fairbanks, Anchorage, and throughout  the state.  He explained                                                               
there were  many "firsts" in aviation  in Alaska.  He  stated the                                                               
goal is to celebrate the "firsts."                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:10:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
GAIL  PHILLIPS, President,  Board of  Directors, Alaska  Aviation                                                               
Heritage Museum, stated  that the Board of  Directors believes it                                                               
can help facilitate interest in  the celebrations in the Lower 48                                                               
and across  the world.  She  related that the museum  is prepared                                                               
to do so since  it has a staff and also  has dual membership with                                                               
the Museum of  Flight in Seattle.  She explained  that the Alaska                                                               
Aviation  Heritage Museum  has  begun to  contact  groups in  the                                                               
Lower 48.  She opined that  if the museum can get the designation                                                               
completed, other groups can help make plans to celebrate.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:12:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MUNOZ  thanked former Representative  Phillips for                                                               
her service to the state.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:12:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. PHILLIPS  remarked that  when she was  Speaker of  the House,                                                               
the price of oil was $8 per barrel.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  WILSON, after  first  determining no  one  else wished  to                                                               
testify, closed public testimony on HJR 9.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MUNOZ moved to report  HJR 9 out of committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There  being no  objection, HJR  9  was reported  from the  House                                                               
Transportation Standing Committee.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:14:01 PM