05/02/2007 05:00 PM House RULES

                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
                 HOUSE RULES STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                               
                          May 2, 2007                                                                                           
                           5:58 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative John Coghill, Chair                                                                                              
Representative John Harris                                                                                                      
Representative Craig Johnson                                                                                                    
Representative Ralph Samuels                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Anna Fairclough                                                                                                  
Representative Beth Kerttula                                                                                                    
Representative David Guttenberg                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 20                                                                                                   
Urging the  United States Congress  to intervene to  eliminate or                                                               
reduce the  planned parcel  post and  bypass mail  rate increases                                                               
adopted  by  the United  States  Postal  Service because  of  the                                                               
severe effect the rate increases will have on rural Alaska.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED HJR 20 OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HJR 20                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: BYPASS MAIL RATE INCREASE                                                                                          
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) NELSON                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
04/25/07       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
04/25/07       (H)       STA                                                                                                    
04/27/07       (H)       STA REFERRAL REMOVED                                                                                   
05/01/07       (H)       STA AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106                                                                             
05/01/07       (H)       <Bill Hearing Canceled>                                                                                
05/02/07       (H)       RLS AT 5:00 PM CAPITOL 106                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
KATE SANGSTER, Staff                                                                                                            
to Representative Mary Nelson                                                                                                   
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION  STATEMENT:    Speaking   on  behalf  of  Representative                                                               
Nelson, sponsor, explained HJR 20.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  JOHN COGHILL  called the  House  Rules Standing  Committee                                                             
meeting  to  order  at  5:58:22  PM.    Representatives  Coghill,                                                             
Harris, Johnson, and Samuels were present at the call to order.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
HJR 20-BYPASS MAIL RATE INCREASE                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
5:58:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR COGHILL announced that the  only order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 20,  Urging the United States Congress                                                               
to intervene to  eliminate or reduce the planned  parcel post and                                                               
bypass mail  rate increases adopted  by the United  States Postal                                                               
Service  because of  the severe  effect the  rate increases  will                                                               
have on rural Alaska.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
5:58:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KATE SANGSTER, Staff to Representative  Mary Nelson, Alaska State                                                               
Legislature,  speaking   on  behalf  of   Representative  Nelson,                                                               
sponsor,  explained that  HJR 20  simply urges  the congressional                                                               
delegation to examine  and intervene in the  proposed bypass mail                                                               
rate increase,  which is also a  parcel post rate increase.   The                                                               
aforementioned increase  is scheduled  to go  into effect  on May                                                               
14, 2007.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
5:59:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SAMUELS  moved to report  HJR 20 out  of committee                                                               
with individual recommendations and  the accompanying zero fiscal                                                               
notes.   There being no objection,  HJR 20 was reported  from the                                                               
House Rules Standing Committee.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
5:59:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no  further business before the  committee, the House                                                               
Rules Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 5:59:53 PM.