Legislature(1993 - 1994)
04/27/1993 08:30 AM House ITT
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON
INTERNATIONAL TRADE & TOURISM
April 27, 1993
8:30 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Jeannette James, Chair
Representative Joe Green
Representative Jerry Sanders
Representative Cynthia Toohey
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Terry Martin
Representative Curt Menard
Representative Jim Nordlund
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
Discuss interim meeting schedule and priorities
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 93-7, SIDE A
Number 000
CHAIR JEANNETTE JAMES called the meeting of the House
Special Committee on International Trade and Tourism to
order on April 27, 1993, at 8:45 a.m. Referring to the
"I.T.T. Work Sheet for Interim Projects" in members'
packets, she requested each member to indicate their
individual areas of interest to pursue during the interim
and to prepare resolutions promoting these activities.
Number 070
REPRESENTATIVE JOE GREEN asked if he could have a staff
person work on this.
CHAIR JAMES said that was fine as long as the committee came
back with a lot of ideas for next session. She suggested
having a half-day interim meeting in Anchorage in late
September or early October to discuss members' drafts of
resolutions and hear speakers from the Alaska Visitors
Association and World Trade Center.
Number 096
REPRESENTATIVE CYNTHIA TOOHEY said her office would be
available for the meeting.
Number 105
CHAIR JAMES said she would try to get funding to pay for
speakers' lunches and room rent if necessary, plus her
travel to Anchorage. She said she had copies of all bills
and resolutions passed by the 1991-92 House and Senate
I.T.T. Committees if any members would like to look through
them to get ideas.
Number 120
REPRESENTATIVE GREEN asked what the effect of these had
been.
CHAIR JAMES said she did not know how effective the
legislation had been but that she would have her staff
person do an analysis.
Number 135
REPRESENTATIVE JERRY SANDERS asked how much money the Alaska
Pork Project was requesting.
CHAIR JAMES replied it was a $300 million project and the
developers wanted an Alaska Industrial Development and
Export Authority (AIDEA) loan of $150 million, adding that
the Danes were a credible group, having set up similar
operations in Singapore and Australia, and mainly needed
help locating land. She stated they were interested in
Alaska because of the availability of land, access to
Japanese markets, and disease-free hog production. She also
reported that AIDEA had agreed to fund half of the $235,000
for a feasibility study and the Danes would pay half.
Number 200
REPRESENTATIVE GREEN asked what Alaska would get from this
project.
CHAIR JAMES responded benefits would include about a
thousand production jobs for the Interior, plus
transportation and energy utilization. The hog breeding and
birthing would occur in the Delta area, the raising near
Nenana, and butchering and processing in the North Pole
area. Grain feed would be imported because Delta could not
provide the volume needed, and the finished product would be
shipped out of Seward or Anchorage. Spin-off industries
could include greenhouses utilizing wastes from the
operation.
Number 280
REPRESENTATIVE TOOHEY noted it all hinged upon whether the
project was economically feasible for the developers.
CHAIR JAMES agreed and said the feasibility study would be
finished by September. If it gets the "go-ahead" AIDEA
would come to the legislature asking for a resolution to
allow selling bonds for $150 million for the project. She
added another benefit would be removing the "black eye" from
agriculture due to past projects' failures if this project
succeeds.
Number 330
REPRESENTATIVE SANDERS suggested having the interim meeting
in Fairbanks.
Number 340
CHAIR JAMES discussed her letter in the packet regarding the
Alaska Tourism Marketing Council, explaining she wanted to
see advertising include all aspects of Alaska and not just
the pristine wilderness.
Number 350
REPRESENTATIVE TOOHEY said she would like to see advertising
emphasize aspects other than cruise ships.
CHAIR JAMES mentioned Representative Curt Menard's contact
with a group from Czechoslovakia interested in developing
trade with Alaska.
REPRESENTATIVE TOOHEY suggested the Department of Commerce
might provide funds for a meeting with them and other
international trade and tourism groups.
Number 390
REPRESENTATIVE GREEN wanted to invite someone who could
explain both sides of the North American Free Trade
Agreement.
CHAIR JAMES added she would also like to invite someone to
discuss the Northern Sea Route and the Circumpolar
Conference as well as overlapping areas from the Economic
Task Force plus Russian business people living in Alaska.
Number 415
CHAIR JAMES mentioned her railroad bills and added that a
representative from the Bering Straits Tunnel group would be
visiting Fairbanks from Russia, possibly in September, and
she would see if he could attend the committee's meeting.
She discussed the possibilities of building a bridge across
the 59-1/2 mile Bering Straits or using a train ferry rather
than building a tunnel.
ADJOURNMENT
Number 470
CHAIR JAMES adjourned the meeting at 9:10 a.m.
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