03/14/2005 09:30 AM Senate FINANCE

9:38:00 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     SENATE BILL NO. 63                                                                                                         
     "An Act  relating to road signs  encouraging the use  of safety                                                            
     belts."                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 63(TRA)                                                                                             
     "An Act  relating to road signs  encouraging the use  of safety                                                            
     belts."                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
This was  the second  hearing for  this bill in  the Senate  Finance                                                            
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Wilken  stated  this  bill,  "Allows   the  Department  of                                                            
Transportation  [and Public Facilities]  to erect and maintain  road                                                            
signs that  encourage the use of seat  belts at the site  of a fatal                                                            
motor vehicle accident."                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHERYL  SUTTON, Staff  to Senator  Ben Stevens,  asserted that  this                                                            
bill "serves  great purpose".  She read  letter to  the editor  of a                                                            
newspaper from  Carol Kampen, the mother of a man  killed in a motor                                                            
vehicle accident who was not wearing a seatbelt, as follows.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     It seems  there may be some confusion over Ben  Stevens' Senate                                                            
     Bill  63.  This  is legislation  allowing  the  erection  of  a                                                            
     roadside  memorial sign encouraging  the use of seat  belts. In                                                            
     the Daily  News article "Buckling up high on  legislators to-do                                                            
     list"  Feb. 9, it states  there are six  House members  who are                                                            
     opposed to  this legislation. A roadside memorial  sign program                                                            
     is already  available to the  public; you know the little  blue                                                            
     signs that say "Please  Don't Drink and Drive" or "Please Drive                                                            
     Safely"  and  under the  sign it  lists  the name  or names  of                                                            
     people  who  have  lost  their lives.  Why  would  they  oppose                                                            
     something  that really  isn't going to  cost anything  and will                                                            
     draw  attention to  the terrible  loss of life  due to  lack of                                                            
     wearing seat belts?                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     I lost  my youngest son, Nathan  Kampen, in a car accident.  He                                                            
     was  not wearing  his seat belt.  When I  requested a  memorial                                                            
     sign  saying "Please  Buckle Up"  or something  similar,  I was                                                            
     told  it was not available.  So I presented  by problem  to Ben                                                            
     Stevens, and he was  kind enough to help. I truly see no reason                                                            
     to oppose  this legislation.  I could always put up  one of the                                                            
     other  signs available,  but  my hope  is to  remind our  young                                                            
     people to "Buckle Up."                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sutton added  her astonishment in learning that  over 50 percent                                                            
of  motor vehicle  related  fatalities  in  Alaska could  have  been                                                            
prevented if the individual had been wearing a seatbelt.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson  noted  numerous  testimony  in  opposition  to  this                                                            
legislation and asked the reason.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sutton  knew of no reason, and  surmised that the objection  was                                                            
to separate legislation  sponsored by Senator Bunde  relating to the                                                            
use of seatbelts.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
DON  ROBERTS  testified  via  teleconference  from  Kodiak  that  he                                                            
supported the  enforcement of laws  requiring seatbelt use.  However                                                            
governance  of road  signs  is an  administrative  function and  the                                                            
legislative  process  should not  be hampered  with  these types  of                                                            
issues.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sutton  informed that Mrs. Kampen  attempted unsuccessfully  for                                                            
months address this matter  through the Department of Transportation                                                            
and Public Facilities  before she requested assistance  from Senator                                                            
B. Stevens. The Department does not oppose this bill.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Wilken considering version "G"                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Senator Dyson  offered a motion to  report SB 63, 24-LS0363\G,  from                                                            
Committee with  individual recommendations  and accompanying  fiscal                                                            
note.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Without objection,  SB 63 MOVED from  Committee with fiscal  note #1                                                            
from the Department  of Transportation  and Public Facilities  in an                                                            
indeterminate amount.