Legislature(2003 - 2004)
01/20/2004 09:35 AM House RLS
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE RULES STANDING COMMITTEE
January 20, 2004
9:35 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Norman Rokeberg, Chair
Representative Pete Kott
Representative John Coghill
Representative Lesil McGuire
Representative Beth Kerttula
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Carl Morgan
Representative Ethan Berkowitz
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 288
"An Act changing the name of the Department of Community and
Economic Development."
- MOVED 2d CSHB 288(RLS) OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 288
SHORT TITLE: CHANGING NAME OF DEPT OF COMM & ECON DEV.
REPRESENTATIVE(s): KOHRING
04/28/03 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
04/28/03 (H) STA, L&C
05/06/03 (H) STA AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 102
05/06/03 (H) Moved CSHB 288(STA) Out of Committee
05/06/03 (H) MINUTE(STA)
05/08/03 (H) STA RPT CS(STA) NT 3DP 1DNP 3NR
05/08/03 (H) DP: DAHLSTROM, LYNN, HOLM;
05/08/03 (H) DNP: BERKOWITZ; NR: SEATON, GRUENBERG,
05/08/03 (H) WEYHRAUCH
05/08/03 (H) CRA REFERRAL ADDED AFTER L&C
05/09/03 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM CAPITOL 17
05/09/03 (H) Moved CSHB 288(STA) Out of Committee
05/09/03 (H) MINUTE(L&C)
05/10/03 (H) L&C RPT CS(STA) NT 3DP 1NR 2AM
05/10/03 (H) DP: GATTO, DAHLSTROM, LYNN;
05/10/03 (H) NR: ROKEBERG; AM: CRAWFORD, GUTTENBERG
05/13/03 (H) CRA RPT CS(STA) NT 2DP 3NR
05/13/03 (H) DP: WOLF, KOTT; NR: SAMUELS, CISSNA,
05/13/03 (H) MORGAN
05/13/03 (H) CRA AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 124
05/13/03 (H) Moved CSHB 288(STA) Out of Committee
05/13/03 (H) MINUTE(CRA)
05/19/03 (S) L&C AT 8:00 AM BELTZ 211
05/19/03 (S) <Above Item Removed from Agenda>
05/19/03 (S) MINUTE(L&C)
WITNESS REGISTER
REPRESENTATIVE VIC KOHRING
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Spoke as the sponsor of HB 288.
SALLY SADDLER, Legislative Liaison
Division of Community Advocacy
Department of Community & Economic Development
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Related the department's support of CSHB
288, Version H.
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 04-1, SIDE A
Number 0001
CHAIR NORMAN ROKEBERG called the House Rules Standing Committee
meeting to order at 9:35 a.m. Representatives Rokeberg,
Coghill, McGuire, and Kerttula were present at the call to
order. Representative Kott arrived as the meeting was in
progress.
HB 288-CHANGING NAME OF DEPT OF COMM & ECON DEV.
CHAIR ROKEBERG announced that the first order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 288, "An Act changing the name of the
Department of Community and Economic Development."
Number 0110
REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE moved to adopt 2d CSHB 288, Version 23-
LS1030\H, Bullock, 1/15/04, as the working document. There
being no objection, Version H was before the committee.
Number 0129
REPRESENTATIVE VIC KOHRING, Alaska State Legislature, spoke as
the sponsor of HB 288. Representative Kohring explained that
the original intent of HB 288 was to achieve the desire of the
administration by including the word "Commerce" in the
Department of Community & Economic Development's name because it
would more accurately reflect the intent and mission of the
department. However, when the proposal to delete the word
"Community" from the department's name was made some members
expressed the need to maintain "Community" in the department's
name in order to reflect the rural programs that are part of the
department. Therefore, Version H would keep the word
"Community" in the department's name. Under Version H the
department's name would be the Department of Commerce and
Community and Economic Development.
Number 0207
REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE inquired as to the difference between
commerce and economic development.
CHAIR ROKEBERG explained that economic development refers to new
development whereas commerce refers to existing or established
development.
REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE inquired as to whether this change is
necessary. She turned to the analysis section of the zero
fiscal note, which specifies that the "department will implement
the change to the new name as supplies need to be replenished".
Although the aforementioned may be a good way to deal with this
change in that it results in a zero fiscal note, she related her
belief that it could create confusion because there may be
letterhead circulating under both names. She highlighted that
this department interacts with foreign nations and other states.
REPRESENTATIVE KOHRING agreed that changing the name of a
department would likely bring confusion until time passes and
people become accustomed to the change. Furthermore, any name
change would necessitate some expense due to the change in
letterhead and business cards. He reminded the committee that
the aforementioned was experienced back in 1999 when this
department's name was changed when two agencies were combined.
The question is whether a greater benefit is achieved in
comparison to the confusion and expense involved.
Number 0498
REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE maintained her belief that economic
development incorporates enough of the commerce concept that
[the department's current name] isn't confusing to people.
REPRESENTATIVE KOHRING noted that for many years "Commerce" was
included in the department's name. He also noted that
"Commerce" is used in the name describing similar agencies in
other states. Therefore, this name change will minimize any
confusion with regard to what this department does in Alaska.
Similar agencies in North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and other
western states include the name "Commerce".
REPRESENTATIVE KERTTULA asked if there is any evidence regarding
the confusion surrounding what the Department of Community &
Economic Development does in terms of supporting economic
development in Alaska.
Number 0673
SALLY SADDLER, Legislative Liaison, Division of Community
Advocacy, Department of Community & Economic Development,
announced that the department does support the name change as
proposed in Version H. Part of the reason for this is that
there is some confusion with regard to the department's
identity; the department is frequently referred to as the
Department of Commerce. With regard to the department's role in
addressing the international community, Ms. Saddler informed the
committee that there is a executive order to transfer many of
those functions to the governor's office. Ms. Saddler noted her
agreement with Chair Rokeberg regarding the differing
definitions of commerce and economic development. The
department views its commerce functions as regulating and
enforcing industry to help protect the consumer as well as to
provide a stable business climate. The department views its
economic development functions as those in which the department
coordinates, develops, and implements those programs that bring
about sustainable economic development for the state.
Number 0743
CHAIR ROKEBERG related his understanding that the department
currently has two fundamental divisions.
MS. SADDLER clarified that the department houses several
divisions such as the Division of Community Advocacy, which is
one of the larger divisions. The Division of Community Advocacy
is dedicated to providing support to local communities. Many of
the regulatory functions occur in the Division of Banking,
Securities, & Corporations; the Division of Insurance; and the
Division of Occupational Licensing. The department's economic
development activities have been housed in the [Division of
Trade and Development]. She noted that part of the functions of
the aforementioned division were previously in the Division of
Community Advocacy. As the members will see in the proposed
budget, an office of economic development is being created in
order to deal with resource-based issues and promote economic
development activities.
Number 0816
REPRESENTATIVE KERTTULA inquired as to what happens in rural
Alaska when the departmental name changes such as this occur.
She mentioned the sense of loss of identity for communities and
inquired as to what the department is doing to overcome that.
MS. SADDLER pointed out that Version H still includes the word
"Community", which the department believes to be one of the
three core functions the department provides. She noted that
the department will continue to have many functions in the
various communities in the state that try to meet the needs of
the communities that try to achieve self-sufficiency.
REPRESENTATIVE KERTTULA inquired as to what is going to happen
with the stationary.
MS. SADDLER said that the department would probably reflect the
new name by placing a sticker over the old name.
Number 0912
CHAIR ROKEBERG directed attention to the committee packet and
highlighted that HB 288 originally deleted the language
"Community and Economic Development" and inserted "Commerce" and
thus changed the name of Department of Community & Economic
Development to the Department of Commerce. Then CSHB 288(STA)
re-inserted "and Economic Development". The version before the
committee today, Version H, would re-insert "Community". Chair
Rokeberg informed the committee that due to a grammatical rule
the proposed departmental name would read as follows:
Department of Commerce and Community and Economic Development.
He also informed the committee that the acronym for this new
name would be DCCED. After determining no one else wished to
testify, Chair Rokeberg closed public testimony.
Number 1003
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL moved to report 2d CSHB 288, Version 23-
LS1030\H, Bullock, 1/15/04, out of committee with individual
recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal note.
REPRESENTATIVE KERTTULA related her belief that this is
unnecessary and pointed out that the dictionary's definition of
commerce is "the buying and selling of goods" while the
definition for the economic development "is of or relating to
the development, production, and management of material wealth
as of a country, household, or business enterprise". She
mentioned that the definition of economic development seems to
be more in line with what the department does. However, she
noted her appreciation to the chair's addition to the name.
There being no objection, 2d CSHB 288(RLS) was reported from the
House Rules Standing Committee.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Rules Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 9:50 a.m.
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