03/28/2001 01:46 PM Senate JUD

                                                                                                                                
           HB 24-BOROUGH REVENUES FOR TOURISM MARKETING                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WHITAKER, sponsor of HB 24, said HB  24 says a local                                                            
governing body  may choose to utilize a bed tax revenue  source from                                                            
a tourism marketing effort.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COWDERY asked who would do the marketing.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WHITAKER  said  the Convention  and  Visitor  Bureau                                                            
(CVB) is the marketing  entity.  Under Title 29 of  the Alaska State                                                            
Municipal Code,  contributions to the North Star Borough  as well as                                                            
several other  boroughs throughout the state are not  lawful.  HB 24                                                            
changes  that  and allows  the  local  borough  assembly  to make  a                                                            
decision as to whether they want to contribute.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  THERRIAULT  said  even though  the  CVB's actions  were  to                                                            
market the  whole of  the Fairbanks  area, it was  not an area  wide                                                            
entity providing area wide advertising.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WHITAKER responded correct.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  DONLEY said  he understood  that  because  Anchorage was  a                                                            
unified municipality there was no problem.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WHITAKER said that was correct.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  TAYLOR said  his community  would be able  to do that  but                                                            
Ketchikan would not.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR  noted that there  were three people to testify  via                                                            
teleconference  -  Mr.  Brett  Carlson,  Ms. Deb  Hickok,  and  Matt                                                            
Atkinson.   He said that  because each member  of the committee  had                                                            
additional  assignments that  they needed to  attend to, it  was his                                                            
intent to  move HB 24  out of committee.   He  asked if each  of the                                                            
three people supported HB 24.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. BRETT CARLSON,  MS. DEB HICKOK, AND MR. MATT ATKINSON  responded                                                            
that they were  all in favor of HB 24 and they did  not need to give                                                            
further testimony.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  THERRIAULT   moved  CSHB  24  (EDT)  from  committee   with                                                            
individual recommendations  and a zero fiscal note.   There being no                                                            
objection, the bill moved from committee.