Legislature(1997 - 1998)

04/22/1997 04:37 PM House ITT

Audio Topic
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
txt
      HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL                                 
                  TRADE AND TOURISM                                            
                   April 22, 1997                                              
                      4:37 p.m.                                                
                                                                               
                                                                               
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                
                                                                               
Representative John Cowdery, Chairman                                          
Representative Eldon Mulder                                                    
Representative Pete Kott                                                       
Representative Gail Phillips                                                   
Representative Kim Elton                                                       
Representative Reggie Joule                                                    
                                                                               
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                 
                                                                               
Representative Ramona Barnes                                                   
Representative Reggie Joule                                                    
                                                                               
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                             
                                                                               
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 19                                                 
Relating to naming Anchorage as the location of the 2001 Special               
Olympics World Winter Games.                                                   
                                                                               
     - MOVED SJR 19 FROM COMMITTEE                                             
                                                                               
REVIEW INFORMATION FROM SAKHALIN ISLAND OVERVIEW OF 3/20/97                    
                                                                               
(* First public hearing)                                                       
                                                                               
PREVIOUS ACTION                                                                
                                                                               
BILL:  SJR 19                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD WINTER GAMES                               
SPONSOR(S):SENATOR(S) TAYLOR, Miller, Pearce, Leman, Kelly, Duncan,            
Donley;                                                                        
REPRESENTATIVE(S) Kubina, Mulder                                               
                                                                               
JRN-DATE     JRN-DATE             ACTION                                       
03/05/97       568    (S)   READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S)                  
03/05/97       568    (S)   JUDICIARY                                          
03/21/97              (S)   JUD AT  3:30 PM ANCHORAGE LIO                      
03/21/97              (S)   MINUTE(JUD)                                        
03/24/97              (S)   MINUTE(JUD)                                        
03/26/97              (S)   MINUTE(JUD)                                        
03/27/97       891    (S)   JUD RPT  3DP                                       
03/27/97       891    (S)   DP: TAYLOR, MILLER, PEARCE                         
03/27/97       891    (S)   ZERO FISCAL NOTE (S.JUD)                           
04/03/97              (S)   RLS AT 10:45 AM FAHRENKAMP RM 203                  
04/03/97              (S)   MINUTE(RLS)                                        
04/03/97       957    (S)   RULES TO CALENDAR  4/3/97                          
04/03/97       960    (S)   READ THE SECOND TIME                               
04/03/97       960    (S)   ADVANCED TO THIRD READING UNAN CONSENT             
04/03/97       961    (S)   READ THE THIRD TIME  SJR 19                        
04/03/97       961    (S)   PASSED Y20 N-                                      
04/03/97       966    (S)   TRANSMITTED TO (H)                                 
04/04/97       982    (H)   READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S)                  
04/04/97       983    (H)   ITT                                                
04/04/97       999    (H)   CROSS SPONSOR(S): KUBINA                           
04/22/97              (H)   ITT AT  4:30 PM CAPITOL 124                        
                                                                               
WITNESS REGISTER                                                               
                                                                               
JOE AMBROSE, Legislative Assistant                                             
  for Senator Taylor                                                           
Alaska State Legislature                                                       
Capitol Building, Room 30                                                      
Juneau, Alaska  99801                                                          
Telephone:  (907) 465-4906                                                     
POSITION STATEMENT:  Presented sponsor statement for SJR 19                    
                                                                               
JIM BALAMACI, Executive Director                                               
Special Olympics Alaska                                                        
21-410 Second Street                                                           
Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska  99506                                        
Telephone:  (907) 753-2182                                                     
POSITION STATEMENT:  Testified on SJR 19                                       
                                                                               
WILLIAM HENSLEY, Commissioner                                                  
Office of the Commissioner                                                     
Department of Commerce and Economic Development                                
P.O. Box 110800                                                                
Juneau, Alaska 99811                                                           
Telephone:  (907) 465-2500                                                     
POSITION STATEMENT:  Participated in the overview of Sakhalin                  
                     Island.                                                   
                                                                               
DEBBIE SEDWICK, Assistant Commissioner                                         
Division Trade and Development                                                 
Department of Commerce and Economic Development                                
3601 C Street, Suite 700                                                       
Anchorage, Alaska 99503                                                        
Telephone:  (907) 269-8110                                                     
POSITION STATEMENT:  Participated in the overview of Sakhalin                  
                     Island.                                                   
                                                                               
DONNA LOGAN, Trade Specialist                                                  
Division of Trade and Development                                              
Department of Commerce and Economic Development                                
3601 C Street, Suite 700                                                       
Anchorage, Alaska 99503                                                        
Telephone:  (907) 269-8118                                                     
POSITION STATEMENT:  Participated in the overview of Sakhalin                  
                     Island.                                                   
                                                                               
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                               
                                                                               
TAPE 97-7, SIDE A                                                              
Number 0000                                                                    
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN JOHN COWDERY called the meeting of the House Special                  
Committee on International Trade and Tourism to order at 4:37 p.m.             
Members present at the call to order were Representatives Cowdery,             
Kott, Phillips and Joule.  Representative Mulder arrived at 4:39               
p.m. and Representative Elton arrived at 4:50 p.m.  Representative             
Barnes was absent.                                                             
                                                                               
SJR 19 - SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD WINTER GAMES                                   
                                                                               
Number 0040                                                                    
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN COWDERY announced the first item on the agenda was SJR 19,            
Relating to naming Anchorage as the location of the 2001 Special               
Olympics World Winter Games.                                                   
                                                                               
Number 0068                                                                    
                                                                               
JOE AMBROSE, Legislative Assistant for Senator Taylor, said SJR 19             
offers the support of the Alaska State Legislature to the effort to            
bring the Special Olympics World Winter Games to Anchorage in 2001.            
He said last week the organizing committee in Anchorage was visited            
by a site selection committee.  The Anchorage committee will be                
making their formal bid next month.  According to this committee,              
it would beneficial to have this resolution in hand when they make             
their formal bid, on May 16, 1997.  Senator Taylor has said that he            
wanted a continued emphasis on the event.  The event provides these            
worldwide Special Olympians the chance to experience the joy of                
competition, demonstrate courage and share in gifts, skills and                
friendship which personify Special Olympics.                                   
                                                                               
Number 0216                                                                    
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE ELDON MULDER stated that he is on the Board of                  
Directors of the Special Olympics.                                             
                                                                               
Number 0227                                                                    
                                                                               
JIM BALAMACI, Executive Director, Special Olympics Alaska,                     
testified next via teleconference from Anchorage.  He said this                
event would bring 2,000 athletes from 85 countries to Anchorage.               
This event would bring tremendous goodwill to all of Alaska and                
have a beneficial economic impact.                                             
                                                                               
Number 0295                                                                    
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE PETE KOTT asked who the main competitors were for               
this bid.                                                                      
                                                                               
MR. BALAMACI said that the bid selection committee visited                     
Anchorage last week.  Right now the determination will be based on             
a financial package to be presented by May 16, 1997.  Lake Placid              
is in the running, but they are currently on hold.  Basically the              
event is Anchorage's.                                                          
                                                                               
Number 0353                                                                    
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS referred to the funding for the games and              
the attachment located in the committee file.  She clarified that              
they were going to try raising between $5 million and $7 million in            
cash and in-kind donations.  She asked if there was a separate fund            
raising committee, apart from the general organization committee.              
                                                                               
Number 0380                                                                    
                                                                               
MR. BALAMACI said yes.  He thought the budget was at $8 million, of            
which $3 million has been identified as in-kind donations through              
the city and the military.  There is a completely new 501C3, called            
the games organizing committee.  He listed the executive board and             
Senator Stevens as the honorary chair.  The board of directors will            
be responsible to raise the needed funds.  They will also hire an              
executive director and a fundraising person to attain the funding.             
Presently there are organizations who have come on line.  A                    
guarantee has been made that if there is a monetary short fall,                
money would be available to pay off the event.                                 
                                                                               
Number 0454                                                                    
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS referred to his letter, located in the                 
committee file, requesting $85,000 from the legislature through a              
reappropriation fund and asked where he was with this request.                 
                                                                               
Number 0465                                                                    
                                                                               
MR. BALAMACI explained that this request is for the state Special              
Olympic program which is separate from the games organization.                 
                                                                               
Number 0493                                                                    
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS asked about the legislative appropriation              
for the program.                                                               
                                                                               
Number 0497                                                                    
                                                                               
MR. BALAMACI hadn't heard an answer to his request.  There is                  
support, but it is difficult finding those funds.                              
                                                                               
Number 0525                                                                    
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS made a motion to move SJR 19 from the House            
Special Committee on International Trade and Tourism with                      
individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal note.  Hearing              
no objection, it was so moved.                                                 
                                                                               
REVIEW INFORMATION FROM SAKHALIN ISLAND OVERVIEW OF 3/20/97                    
                                                                               
TAPE 97-7, SIDE(S) A                                                           
                                                                               
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                         
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS discussed the benefits and outcome of her              
trip to Sakhalin.                                                              
                                                                               
WILLIAM HENSLEY, Commissioner, Office of the Commissioner,                     
Department of Commerce and Economic Development, discussed the                 
outcome of his trip to Sakhalin and answered questions.                        
                                                                               
DEBBIE SEDWICK, Assistant Commissioner, Division Trade and                     
Development, Department of Commerce and Economic Development,                  
discussed the benefit of having representatives from the federal               
government on the trip.                                                        
                                                                               
DONNA LOGAN, Trade Specialist, Division of Trade and Development,              
Department of Commerce and Economic Development, discussed the                 
results of the meetings regarding the oil industry.                            
                                                                               
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                               
                                                                               
The committee took no action.                                                  
                                                                               
ADJOURNMENT                                                                    
                                                                               
The meeting was adjourned at 5:21 p.m.                                         
                                                                               
NOTE:                                                                          
                                                                               
THE MEETING WAS RECORDED AND HANDWRITTEN LOG NOTES WERE TAKEN.  A              
COPY OF THE TAPE(S) AND LOG NOTES MAY BE OBTAINED BY CONTACTING THE            
HOUSE RECORDS OFFICE AT 130 SEWARD STREET, SUITE 211, JUNEAU,                  
ALASKA 99801-1182, (907) 465-2214, AND AFTER ADJOURNMENT OF THE                
SECOND SESSION OF THE TWENTIETH ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE, IN THE               
LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE LIBRARY.                                                 
                                                                               

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