04/07/2011 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

                   HCR  7-DECORATION OF HONOR                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:38:57 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI announced the next  order of business would be                                                               
HCR  7, which  would award  the  Alaska Declaration  of Honor  to                                                               
certain members  of the military.  The award was created  in 2007                                                               
to honor Alaskans  who have made the ultimate  sacrifice and lost                                                               
their lives  while serving  the nation. In  2009 the  Joint Armed                                                               
Services  Committee   organized  a   ceremony  in   Anchorage  to                                                               
recognize the  more than  170 Alaskans  since statehood  who have                                                               
been  killed  while  serving  in the  armed  forces.  He  thanked                                                               
Representative   Saddler  for   bringing   forward  this   year's                                                               
resolution.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DAN   SADDLER,  sponsor   of  HCR  7,   said  the                                                               
Declaration  of Honor  was created  in 2007.  A medal  is awarded                                                               
posthumously to  military service  members either from  Alaska or                                                               
deployed while stationed  in Alaska who were killed  in action or                                                               
in support of combat action.  The legislature must authorize this                                                               
by resolution.  To date a total  of 177 have been  awarded. HCR 7                                                               
will award  another 30  medals to  service members  and authorize                                                               
their families  to receive them.  While it  is his hope  to never                                                               
have to  award this medal  again, everyone knows that  freedom is                                                               
not free.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:41:05 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI closed public testimony.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI  asked the  sponsor if  he had  conferred with                                                               
the Department  of Military  and Veterans  Affairs for  the names                                                               
and correct spellings.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER answered yes.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  PASKVAN moved  to report  HCR  7 from  the Senate  State                                                               
Affairs  Standing Committee  with individual  recommendations and                                                               
attached  fiscal note(s).  There being  no objection,  it was  so                                                               
ordered.