02/13/2020 01:00 PM House TRANSPORTATION

          HB 208-RENAMING COLLEGE RD AS ALAN BORAAS RD                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:19:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL NO. 208, "An Act  renaming College Road in Soldotna as                                                               
Alan Boraas Road."                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:19:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  STUTES  sought  to  reverse the  previous  action  of  the                                                               
committee [in failing  to move HB 208 out of  committee by a vote                                                               
of 2-3 during  its hearing on 2/6/20]. She explained  that it had                                                               
been her intent to set HB 208 aside for further consideration.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:20:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN moved to reconsider his vote on HB 208.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:20:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES reported that, there  being no objection, HB 208 was                                                               
back before the committee.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:20:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GARY KNOPP,  Alaska State  Legislature, as  prime                                                               
sponsor of HB 208, reminded  the committee that the community [of                                                               
Soldotna] had  requested to  change the name  of College  Road in                                                               
Soldotna to  Alan Boraas Road  after Alan Boraas, PhD,  a faculty                                                               
member at Kenai Peninsula College  (KPC) for 46 years, who "lived                                                               
and  breathed"  the Dena'ina  language  and  the Kenaitze  Indian                                                               
Tribe heritage  and culture.   Representative Knopp  also brought                                                               
the committee's attention  to a letter from  Joel Isaak [included                                                               
in  the   committee  packet],  which   had  come  in   since  the                                                               
committee's first hearing of HB 208.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:23:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN let the committee  know that he appreciated                                                               
Mr. Isaak's  letter, especially  in that  it identified  that the                                                               
[KPC] anthropology  lab had already  used the Dena'ina  name that                                                               
his honorary tribe  had bestowed upon Dr. Boraas.   He added that                                                               
he  was in  full  support  of the  road's  renaming  and that  he                                                               
considered  it especially  fitting  considering the  relationship                                                               
between  Dr.  Boraas  and  Peter   Kalifornsky,  after  whom  the                                                               
intersecting highway is named.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:23:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  EDGMON echoed  Representative Claman's  sentiment                                                               
of support  and gratitude for  Dr. Boraas, his connection  to the                                                               
Kenaitze Indian Tribe, and his writings.   He went on to say that                                                               
HB 208  was an important  measure and  that he looked  forward to                                                               
supporting it.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:24:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ERIC BORAAS, Dr. Boraas's son,  imparted to the committee that he                                                               
sought to  recognize his  father's almost  five decades  of work,                                                               
primarily in the  Kenai Peninsula and Soldotna  with the Kenaitze                                                               
Indian Tribe,  and also  let the committee  know that  the entire                                                               
family  was behind  the  decision to  rename  College Road  "Alan                                                               
Boraas Road."                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:26:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES  announced that she would  like to move HB  208 from                                                               
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:26:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN  moved to  report HB  208 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no objection,  HB 208 was reported out of the                                                               
House Transportation Standing Committee.