Legislature(2017 - 2018)BUTROVICH 205

02/01/2018 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ SCR 10 ALASKA YEAR OF INNOVATION TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSSCR 10(STA) Out of Committee
*+ SB 152 SEPT. 11: PATRIOT DAY TELECONFERENCED
Moved SB 152 Out of Committee
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
                SCR 10-ALASKA YEAR OF INNOVATION                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:37:43 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MEYER announced the consideration of Senate Concurrent                                                                    
Resolution 10 (SCR 10). He asked the sponsor if she wanted the                                                                  
committee to adopt the committee substitute (CS).                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:38:15 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MIA COSTELLO, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska,                                                                 
sponsor of SCR 10, explained that the proposed CS simply changes                                                                
the year to 2019.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:38:28 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GIESSEL moved to adopt the CS for SCR 10, version 30-                                                                   
LS0618\U, as the working document.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:38:43 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MEYER announced that hearing no objection, the CS is                                                                      
before the committee.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:39:12 PM                                                                                                                    
DAKOTA ORM, Staff, Senator Costello, Alaska State Legislature,                                                                  
Juneau, Alaska, provided an overview of SCR 10 as follows:                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Senate Concurrent Resolution 10  would proclaim 2019 as                                                                    
     the "year  of innovation"  in Alaska;  this designation                                                                    
     spotlights an  issue or  theme that  is crucial  to the                                                                    
     state  and  highlights  the  work  being  done  by  the                                                                    
     Legislature  and  Alaskans  statewide.  Innovation  can                                                                    
     help address all challenges  facing Alaska whether that                                                                    
     be   harnessing   technology    or   growing   economic                                                                    
     diversification. Alaskans  are innovators  by tradition                                                                    
     and  necessity.  There's  a pioneering  spirit  in  our                                                                    
     state that  really requires innovation  and adaptation;                                                                    
     this goes  back not  only to  the founders  that helped                                                                    
     build our state,  but also the public policy  in how we                                                                    
     manage our resources.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Declaring  a  "year  of   innovation"  not  only  spurs                                                                    
     conversations   but   allows  organizations   to   take                                                                    
     advantage of  it in different ways;  it also recognizes                                                                    
     innovation that  is already happening in  our state now                                                                    
     from the university level to  groups like Lego Robotics                                                                    
     to  Lemonade Day.  Alaska  constructs  a culture  where                                                                    
     innovation,   entrepreneurship,    and   out-of-the-box                                                                    
     thinking  is encouraged  and accepted  and declaring  a                                                                    
     "year of  innovation" will  aid in  the growth  of this                                                                    
     culture as well as Alaska's overall economy.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:40:41 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MEYER opened public testimony                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:40:52 PM                                                                                                                    
NIRAV DESAI, representing self, Seattle, Washington, testified                                                                  
in support of SCR 10. He said establishing a "year of                                                                           
innovation"   lets  the   nation   know   that  Alaska   embraces                                                               
innovation.  He opined  that Alaska's  unique characteristics  as                                                               
the country's only Arctic state  provides an environment to drive                                                               
innovation and test technologies in harsh conditions.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:42:59 PM                                                                                                                    
MATT  MORRISON, Executive  Director,  Pacific NorthWest  Economic                                                               
Region, Seattle, Alaska, testified in  support of SCR 10. He said                                                               
Alaska has  a great opportunity  to lead  the nation in  terms of                                                               
arctic technologies and adapting to climate change innovations.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:45:32 PM                                                                                                                    
ROBERT  COKER, Ambassador,  Office of  Intellectual Property  and                                                               
Commercialization (OPIC),  University of  Alaska-Fairbanks (UAF),                                                               
Fairbanks, Alaska, testified in support  of SCR 10. He noted that                                                               
he  is also  an associate  professor at  the Institute  of Arctic                                                               
Biology  at UAF.  He  added that  he started  a  company in  2013                                                               
called Essential Blends, a company  focused on the development of                                                               
clinical nutrition  for conditions like muscle  atrophy, obesity,                                                               
and substance abuse. He revealed  that Essential Blends leads the                                                               
state in funding  from the National Institutes of  Health and has                                                               
worked with  local health-care providers to  improve the efficacy                                                               
of its products.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
He  said he  is very  passionate  about developing  a culture  of                                                               
academic  entrepreneurship   in  Alaska  that   engages  faculty,                                                               
students,  staff, and  communities. He  summarized that  he fully                                                               
supports SCR  10 and asserted that  the state needs to  promote a                                                               
culture of  innovation and commercialization. He  emphasized that                                                               
the university  environment should  contribute to  the innovation                                                               
opportunity.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:47:48 PM                                                                                                                    
MARK  BILLINGSLEY, employee,  Technology Transfer  Office, Office                                                               
of   Intellectual   Property    and   Commercialization   (OIPC),                                                               
University of  Alaska-Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska,  testified in                                                               
support of SCR 10. He  explained that OIPC works to commercialize                                                               
the research that  is done at UAF. He said  OIPC looks to license                                                               
and sell  its research, often  to startup companies.  He asserted                                                               
that OIPC fosters  innovation to keep its  "pipeline flowing." He                                                               
noted that the  University of Alaska system is a  major source of                                                               
innovation and encourages everyone to  look to the university for                                                               
innovation.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
He summarized that innovation represents  a great opportunity for                                                               
Alaska's  economy-of-tomorrow by  keeping  the state's  best-and-                                                               
brightest  children   in  the  state   to  develop   a  stronger,                                                               
diversified and  sustainable economy.  He added  that legislators                                                               
are  welcome  to  attend the  Arctic  Innovation  Competition  in                                                               
Fairbanks in October.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:49:33 PM                                                                                                                    
LARRY  HINZMAN, Vice  Chancellor-Research, University  of Alaska-                                                               
Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, testified in  support of SCR 10. He                                                               
explained that  his job  is to  help promote  research activities                                                               
throughout the campus and across  the state. He asserted that SCR
10 will help in  many respects. He opined that the  state is in a                                                               
tough time  with its economy,  but the  state cannot cut  its way                                                               
out. He  set forth that the  state must grow by  diversifying its                                                               
economy.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:51:45 PM                                                                                                                    
PAUL  LAYER,  Vice  President,   Academic  and  Student  Affairs,                                                               
University of Alaska, Fairbanks,  Alaska, testified in support of                                                               
SCR  10. He  said  the University  of Alaska  system  has a  long                                                               
tradition   of   advancing  innovation   and   entrepreneurialism                                                               
throughout  Alaska.   He  asserted  that  innovation   is  a  key                                                               
component to moving Alaska to  a more sustainable and diversified                                                               
economy.  He  summarized  that the  University  of  Alaska  looks                                                               
forward  to highlighting  its  activities, encourages  innovation                                                               
across  the state,  and to  develop new  partnerships during  the                                                               
Alaska "year of innovation."                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:54:41 PM                                                                                                                    
NOLAN KLOUDA, Director, University  of Alaska Center for Economic                                                               
Development  (CED),  University of  Alaska-Anchorage,  Anchorage,                                                               
Alaska, testified  in support  of SCR  10. He  referenced Senator                                                               
Costello's   sponsor's   statement   that   said   startups   are                                                               
responsible for  creating virtually all net-employment  growth in                                                               
the private  sector in the U.S.  and the same is  true in Alaska.                                                               
He disclosed that  CED has found that  startup companies annually                                                               
create approximately 4,000 to 6,000  jobs in Alaska, a trend that                                                               
continues  during the  state's recession.  He  asserted that  the                                                               
startup  statistics testify  to the  importance of  innovation by                                                               
adding employment to the economy.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
He  summarized that  the "year  of innovation"  designation would                                                               
add attention to the innovative  things that Alaskans are already                                                               
doing  as  well  as  direct  more  focus  about  how  to  support                                                               
innovation  in the  state's economy  as  well as  how to  further                                                               
position Alaska's entrepreneurs for success.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:58:03 PM                                                                                                                    
JULIET SHEPHERD,  Technology Project Manager,  Fairbanks Economic                                                               
Development Corporation, Fairbanks,  Alaska, testified in support                                                               
of  SCR 10.  She  disclosed that  she  works with  entrepreneurs,                                                               
startups, and  with the  extended economic  development community                                                               
in Fairbanks  and across  Alaska. She  opined that  combining the                                                               
"year  of innovation"  with  other  institutional and  university                                                               
efforts  will  provide  entry  points  for  individuals  who  are                                                               
interested in developing entrepreneurial  skills or business idea                                                               
to be  able to  increase their skill  level, develop  their team,                                                               
and gain access to capital.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:01:09 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MEYER closed public testimony.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:01:44 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  GIESSEL moved  to report  [CSSCR  10(STA)], version  30-                                                               
LS0618\U  from  committee  with  individual  recommendations  and                                                               
attached zero fiscal note.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:02:04 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MEYER said being no objection, the motion carried.                                                                        

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
SCR 10 CS version U.pdf SSTA 2/1/2018 3:30:00 PM
SCR 10
SCR 10 Version O.PDF SSTA 2/1/2018 3:30:00 PM
SCR 10
SCR 10 Sponsor Statement.pdf SSTA 2/1/2018 3:30:00 PM
SCR 10
SCR 10 Summary of Changes.pdf SSTA 2/1/2018 3:30:00 PM
SCR 10
SCR 10 Letters of Support.pdf SSTA 2/1/2018 3:30:00 PM
SCR 10
SCR 10 List of Testifiers.pdf SSTA 2/1/2018 3:30:00 PM
SCR 10
SCR10 Updated Fiscal Note LEG-LEG-01-25-18.pdf SSTA 2/1/2018 3:30:00 PM
SCR 10
SB 152 Version A.pdf SSTA 2/1/2018 3:30:00 PM
SB 152
SB 152 Sponsor Statement.pdf SSTA 2/1/2018 3:30:00 PM
SB 152
SB 152 Patriot Day in the United States.pdf SSTA 2/1/2018 3:30:00 PM
SB 152
SB 152 Donald J Trump Proclamation 9635.pdf SSTA 2/1/2018 3:30:00 PM
SB 152
SB 152 President Obama Proclamation.pdf SSTA 2/1/2018 3:30:00 PM
SB 152
SB 152 President Bush Proclamation Patriot Day, 2002.pdf SSTA 2/1/2018 3:30:00 PM
SB 152
SB 152 Fiscal Note DOA.pdf SSTA 2/1/2018 3:30:00 PM
SB 152