Legislature(2003 - 2004)
05/19/2003 09:05 AM House STA
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE STATE AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
May 19, 2003
9:05 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Bruce Weyhrauch, Chair
Representative Jim Holm, Vice Chair
Representative Bob Lynn
Representative Paul Seaton
Representative Max Gruenberg
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Nancy Dahlstrom
Representative Harry Crawford
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 223
"An Act naming the state ferry first operating to serve between
Metlakatla and Ketchikan; and providing for an effective date."
- MOVED SB 223 OUT OF COMMITTEE
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 13
Encouraging the Department of Corrections to provide canned
Alaska pink salmon to inmates of the Alaska prison system.
- MOVED SCR 13 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS ACTION
BILL: SB 223
SHORT TITLE:NAMING THE FERRY LITUYA
SPONSOR(S): RLS
Jrn-Date Jrn-Page Action
05/14/03 1390 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME -
REFERRALS
05/14/03 1390 (S) STA
05/17/03 1501 (S) STA RPT 3DP
05/17/03 1501 (S) DP: STEVENS G, COWDERY, GUESS
05/17/03 1501 (S) FN1: ZERO(DOT)
05/17/03 1509 (S) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/17/2003
05/17/03 1509 (S) READ THE SECOND TIME
05/17/03 1509 (S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
5/18 CALENDAR
05/17/03 (S) STA AT 11:30 AM FAHRENKAMP
203
05/17/03 (S) Moved Out of Committee --
Time and Location Change --
05/17/03 (S) MINUTE(STA)
05/18/03 1558 (S) READ THE THIRD TIME SB 223
05/18/03 1558 (S) PASSED Y19 N- E1
05/18/03 1558 (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS
PASSAGE
05/18/03 1576 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)
05/18/03 1576 (S) VERSION: SB 223
05/18/03 1881 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME -
REFERRALS
05/18/03 1881 (H) STA
05/19/03 1917 (H) STA RPT 5DP
05/19/03 1917 (H) DP: SEATON, HOLM, LYNN,
GRUENBERG,
05/19/03 1917 (H) WEYHRAUCH
05/19/03 1917 (H) LETTER OF INTENT WITH STA
REPORT
05/19/03 1917 (H) FN1: ZERO(DOT)
05/19/03 1932 (H) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/19/2003
05/19/03 1932 (H) READ THE SECOND TIME
05/19/03 1932 (H) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
5/20 CALENDAR
05/19/03 (H) STA AT 9:00 AM CAPITOL 102
BILL: SCR 13
SHORT TITLE:CANNED SALMON FOR PRISONERS
SPONSOR(S): SENATOR(S) LINCOLN
Jrn-Date Jrn-Page Action
05/03/03 1129 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME -
REFERRALS
05/03/03 1129 (S) STA
05/15/03 (S) STA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 211
05/15/03 (S) -- Meeting Postponed to
5/17/03 --
05/17/03 1507 (S) STA RPT 4DP
05/17/03 1507 (S) DP: STEVENS G, DYSON, GUESS,
COWDERY
05/17/03 1507 (S) FN1: ZERO(COR)
05/17/03 (S) STA AT 11:30 AM FAHRENKAMP
203
05/17/03 (S) Moved Out of Committee --
Time and Location Change --
05/17/03 (S) MINUTE(STA)
05/18/03 1571 (S) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/18/2003
05/18/03 1571 (S) READ THE SECOND TIME
05/18/03 1572 (S) PASSED Y19 N- E1
05/18/03 1577 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)
05/18/03 1577 (S) VERSION: SCR 13
05/18/03 1880 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME -
REFERRALS
05/18/03 1880 (H) STA
05/19/03 1915 (H) STA RPT 5DP
05/19/03 1915 (H) DP: SEATON, HOLM, LYNN,
GRUENBERG,
05/19/03 1915 (H) WEYHRAUCH
05/19/03 1916 (H) FN1: ZERO(COR)
05/19/03 (H) STA AT 9:00 AM CAPITOL 102
WITNESS REGISTER
TOM BRIGGS, Deputy Commissioner
Office of the Commissioner
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented SB 223 and answered questions for
the committee.
MARK STOPHA, Staff
to Senator Georgianna Lincoln
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented SCR 13 on behalf of Senator
Lincoln, sponsor.
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 03-71, SIDE A
Number 0001
CHAIR BRUCE WEYHRAUCH called the House State Affairs Standing
Committee meeting to order at 9:05 a.m. Representatives Holm,
Seaton, Lynn, and Weyhrauch were present at the call to order.
Representative Gruenberg arrived as the meeting was in progress.
SB 223-NAMING THE FERRY LITUYA
Number 0022
CHAIR WEYHRAUCH announced that the first order of business was
SENATE BILL NO. 223, "An Act naming the state ferry first
operating to serve between Metlakatla and Ketchikan; and
providing for an effective date."
Number 0065
TOM BRIGGS, Deputy Commissioner, Office of the Commissioner,
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF), told
the committee that the vessel from Metlakatla was [modeled]
after the North Sea supply boats and was named through a contest
with the children of Metlakatla. Lieutenant Governor Loren
Leman selected the name, Lituya, from the final candidates'
entries.
MR. BRIGGS reminded the committee that Lituya Bay is an
historical place and the glacier located there was the cause of
a major tidal wave back in the 1950s that had cataclysmic
consequences on many of the vessels that were in the bay at the
time. He noted that a man named La Perouse was the first to
record Lituya Bay. He said that the department, as well as the
people of Metlakatla, feel that [Motor Vessel Lituya] is an
appropriate name for a vessel in southern Southeast Alaska.
Number 0222
MR. BRIGGS, in response to questions by Chair Weyhrauch, said
that he doesn't know the meaning of the name Lituya, but
surmised that it is probably an aboriginal name of Tlingit
origin.
Number 0330
CHAIR WEYHRAUCH asked if the bill would limit the route of the
vessel to service between Metlakatla and Ketchikan.
MR. BRIGGS interpreted that the language of the bill states
where the ferry vessel would run initially; however, he stated
that he hopes the Marine Highway System would reserve the right
to reassign the ferry vessel to wherever it might do the most
good. He noted that the vessel was designed specifically to
serve the people of Metlakatla. He referred to the language [of
Section 1] in the bill, which read as follows:
*Section 1. AS 19.65.020 is amended by adding a new
subsection to read:
(f) The Motor Vessel Lituya is the
authorized name for the state ferry first
operating as part of the Alaska marine highway
system to serve between Metlakatla and Ketchikan
on or after the effective date of this section.
CHAIR WEYHRAUCH stated that he really has no interest in hearing
bills in the future to decide upon changes in the scheduling
order of ferry destinations. He clarified that he does not want
to bind the hands of the Marine Highway System by limiting the
service area of the ferry now.
MR. BRIGGS responded that that was not the intent of the bill.
CHAIR WEYHRAUCH suggested an amendment to add "first" between
the words "to" and "serve".
REPRESENTATIVE HOLM asked if that is a title amendment.
CHAIR WEYHRAUCH, upon reflection, said that he doesn't want to
have to send [SB 223] back to the Senate for concurrence;
therefore, he asked Mr. Briggs to send a letter of intent to the
committee stating that the language will not bind the hands of
the Marine Highway System. Chair Weyhrauch said that the
committee would then make that letter part of the record.
MR. BRIGGS agreed to do that today.
Number 0563
REPRESENTATIVE HOLM moved to report SB 223 out of committee with
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal note.
CHAIR WEYHRAUCH asked the committee if he could have the
discretion to sign the letter when he receives it. [No
objection was stated.]
Number 0598
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN suggested that the letter allow the ferry to
travel to any place in Alaska.
CHAIR WEYHRAUCH said, "If it's so needed, yes." He offered the
example of the [Exxon Valdez Oil Spill of 1989] when it was
necessary to move ferries all around the system.
CHAIR WEYHRAUCH [indicated that there was no objection to
reporting SB 223 from committee]. Therefore, SB 223 was
reported out of the House State Affairs Standing Committee.
SCR 13-CANNED SALMON FOR PRISONERS
Number 0650
CHAIR WEYHRAUCH announced that the next order of business was
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 13, Encouraging the Department
of Corrections to provide canned Alaska pink salmon to inmates
of the Alaska prison system.
Number 0670
MARK STOPHA, Staff to Senator Georgianna Lincoln, Alaska State
Legislature, sponsor of SCR 13, informed the committee that
there is a projected surplus supply of approximately 60 million
"tall" cans of pink salmon in inventory, with a strong year of
pink salmon returns projected for the 2003 [fishing] season.
Mr. Stopha said that salmon is a traditional Alaskan food, yet
Alaskan inmates - particularly those in Arizona - receive little
Alaskan salmon in their diet. That fact was observed during
Senator Lincoln's recent visit to the prison facility in Arizona
[where many Alaskan inmates are housed], and was the impetus for
this legislation, he noted.
MR. STOPHA stated that canned pink salmon is an inexpensive
source of Omega-3, a fatty acid known to decrease the risk of
heart disease and other ailments. Furthermore, he noted, canned
pink salmon inventories are readily available in state, as well
as from Seattle "if they choose to ship to Arizona." Mr. Stopha
stated that SCR 13 encourages correctional facilities throughout
[Alaska] and in Florence, Arizona to serve Alaska canned pink
salmon to promote inmate health. He pointed to the fiscal note,
which shows that [those facilities] serve approximately 600,000
meals annually. He stated that the intent of this legislation
is that the increased consumption of canned pink salmon will
"benefit the state's commercial sale and industry by reducing
surplus inventories."
Number 0815
CHAIR WEYHRAUCH echoed a question he credited as Representative
Holm's, asking why a resolution is necessary to carry this plan
out. He added that he is not opposed to SCR 13.
Number 0820
MR. STOPHA responded that he thinks [SCR 13] is just another
promotion of Alaska's [fishing] industry and canned pink salmon.
He noted that the Department of Corrections (DOC) has a contract
with a food service company; this resolution would add pink
salmon to that contract.
CHAIR WEYHRAUCH said that if there was more time left in the
legislative session he would be inclined to expand this
legislation to include agencies that house children, or finance
hospitals, for example. He said that the State of Alaska has an
inherent interest in this product and the bill should be
"incredibly broad." He clarified that he is not criticizing Mr.
Stopha or the sponsor, but that "it's just one of those
government things."
Number 0900
REPRESENTATIVE HOLM stated that another consideration is to ask
where this stops. He asked if [the legislature] then should
promote reindeer or buffalo, or anything else that might be
produced in the state. He indicated concern over determining
contracts.
Number 0954
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON noted, "At least it doesn't designate who
we have to buy pink salmon from for the prisons."
REPRESENTATIVE HOLM said the problem is that the salmon could be
produced in Russia, for example.
Number 0980
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON noted that the resolution specifies that
the product would be "canned Alaska pink salmon".
Number 0998
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN commented that the resolution was not going
to be changed; however, he opined that it should include any
product grown in Alaska [for consumption].
Number 1050
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON moved to report SCR 13 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal
note. There being no objection, SCR 13 was reported out of the
House State Affairs Standing Committee.
Number 1079
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN thanked all the members of the committee,
especially Chair Weyhrauch, [for doing] an outstanding job. He
also thanked the committee secretary, Legislative Information
Office staff, and all other legislative staff who helped out
during the session.
CHAIR WEYHRAUCH expressed his appreciation for his committee
members' work.
ADJOURNMENT
Number 1233
There being no further business before the committee, the House
State Affairs Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 9:20
a.m.
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