Legislature(2013 - 2014)CAPITOL 106
03/05/2013 08:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s): || Alaska Police Standards Council | |
| HB113 | |
| HCR3 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| *+ | HB 113 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HCR 3 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE STATE AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
March 5, 2013
8:07 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Bob Lynn, Chair
Representative Wes Keller, Vice Chair
Representative Lynn Gattis
Representative Doug Isaacson
Representative Charisse Millett
Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Shelley Hughes
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
Alaska Police Standards Council
Mark Mew - Eagle River
- CONFIRMATION(S) ADVANCED
HOUSE BILL NO. 113
"An Act relating to the membership of the Alaska Fire Standards
Council."
- MOVED HB 113 OUT OF COMMITTEE
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 3
Establishing the Joint Committee on Federal Overreach.
- HEARD & HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 113
SHORT TITLE: ALASKA FIRE STANDARDS COUNCIL
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) FEIGE
02/13/13 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/13/13 (H) STA, FIN
03/05/13 (H) STA AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106
BILL: HCR 3
SHORT TITLE: JOINT COMMITTEE ON FEDERAL OVERREACH
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) MILLETT
02/06/13 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/06/13 (H) STA, FIN
03/05/13 (H) STA AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106
WITNESS REGISTER
CHIEF MARK MEW, Appointee
Alaska Police Standards Council
Eagle River, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Alaska Police
Standards Council.
MICHAEL PASCHALL, Staff
Representative Eric Feige
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HB 113 on behalf of
Representative Feige, sponsor.
JEFF TUCKER, Fire Chief
North Star Volunteer Fire Department (NSVFD)
North Pole, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on behalf of the Alaska Fire
Chiefs Association in support of HB 113.
BUDDY LANE, Chair
Alaska Fire Standards Council (AFSC)
North Pole
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support HB 113.
ROBERT DENNARD
Alaska State Firefighters Association (ASFA);
Member
Alaska Fire Standards Council (AFSC)
Sitka, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on behalf of ASFA in support of
HB 113.
GORDON DESCUTNER
Executive Director
Alaska Fire Standards Council (AFSC)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Addressed the fiscal note during the
hearing on HB 113.
TOM WESCOTT, President
Alaska Professional Fire Fighters Association (AKPFFA)
Eagle River, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 113.
JOHN LEWIS, Individual Member
Alaska Support Industry Alliance (ASIA)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HCR 3.
JOE MATHIS, Founding President
Alaska Support Industry Alliance (ASIA); Board Member
Ameritide (ph);
Vice President
External Affairs
NANA Development Corporation
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HCR 3.
REED CHRISTENSEN, Treasurer
Alaska Support Industry Alliance (ASIA)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on behalf of ASIA in support of
HCR 3.
VASILIOS GIALOPSOS, Staff
Representative Charisse Millett
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Responded to testimony and answered
questions during the hearing on HCR 3, on behalf of
Representative Millett, sponsor.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:07:44 AM
CHAIR BOB LYNN called the House State Affairs Standing Committee
meeting to order at 8:07 a.m. Representatives Keller, Gattis,
Isaacson, Kreiss-Tomkins, and Lynn were present at the call to
order. Representative Millett arrived as the meeting was in
progress.
8:08:16 AM
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
^Alaska Police Standards Council
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
Alaska Police Standards Council
8:08:22 AM
CHAIR LYNN announced that the first order of business was the
confirmation hearing for the appointee to the Alaska Police
Standards Council.
8:08:42 AM
CHIEF MARK MEW, Appointee, Alaska Police Standards Council
(APSC), relayed that he started in law enforcement in 1980, in
corrections, in Eugene Oregon, and then became a patrol officer
for the Anchorage Police Department (APD) in 1983. He said he
worked in many capacities in the department, retiring in 2003 as
deputy chief of police. Following that, he worked in the
Department of Security and Emergency Preparedness for the
Anchorage School District. He said he has been serving as chief
of police for the APD since he was asked to come back to the
department in January of 2010. He said his training included a
3-month course on managing a police department, conducted at the
Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI's) National Academy, and
a similar course by the U.S. Department of Justice at the
National Executive Institute. Mr. Mew said he is married, with
two grown children, and has been a part of the Eagle River
community for about 30 years.
8:10:59 AM
MR. MEW said he has served on the Alaska Police Standards
Council since 2010; he was asked to fill "the last half of a
vacant position." He continued as follows:
We and the [Alaska State Troopers ("the Troopers)] are
the two largest ... law enforcement agencies in the
state; the Troopers are represented on the council, as
well. We both have a vested interest in what the
council does, which is set standards for hiring. They
train folks and set the training standards, and,
sadly, a lot of their work is decertifying those folks
that aren't meeting those standards.
My view, my experience, is that APD and the Troopers
are probably the ... groups that hire, train, and
release, when it's necessary, the highest number of
law enforcement people in the state of Alaska, and I
think both of us have a high ... need to see that
standards are ... appropriately set and that they're
adhered to.
CHIEF MEW stated that as a member of the council, he has to
recuse himself from cases he has generated [through the APD],
but is able to monitor cases elsewhere. He opined that it is to
the advantage of both the state and the APD that "we're able to
help the state set standards in the cases from smaller
departments and other agencies that I have nothing to do with,
because those same standards will come back and apply to the APD
in cases where I'm not voting."
CHIEF MEW imparted:
We are coming off of the [Anthony] Rollins tragedy and
the black eye that we got over the Rafael Espinoza
case. Both of those cases are good examples of why we
need rigid standards and why ... our industry needs
the ... technical ability, in terms of polygraphs and
training, and so forth, as well as the leadership
necessary to enforce those standards. We need the
high standards; we need the ability to enforce them;
otherwise we erode the public trust. And I'm very
interested in being able to do my part to uphold those
standards.
8:13:28 AM
CHIEF MEW, in response to Chair Lynn, said the council meets
twice a year and addresses anywhere between one to two dozen
cases where officers have either been fired or left in lieu of
termination, and the council makes a decision whether the
conduct of the officers is such that they should be decertified.
He emphasized the importance of preventing officers with bad
conduct from moving around from department to department. In
response to a follow-up question, he said out of roughly 370
officers, 2-3 are decertified each year. He ventured that the
APD and the Troopers might be more aggressive than other
departments.
8:16:21 AM
CHAIR LYNN thanked Mr. Mew for his service and for coming
forward as appointee.
8:17:06 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to advance the name of Mark Mew,
appointee to the Alaska Police Standards Council, for
consideration in joint session by the House and Senate. There
being no objection, the name was advanced.
8:17:30 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 8:17 a.m. to 8:20 a.m.
HB 113-ALASKA FIRE STANDARDS COUNCIL
8:20:07 AM
CHAIR LYNN announced that the next order of business was HOUSE
BILL NO. 113, "An Act relating to the membership of the Alaska
Fire Standards Council."
8:20:22 AM
MICHAEL PASCHALL, Staff, Representative Eric Feige, Alaska State
Legislature, presented HB 113 on behalf of Representative Feige,
sponsor. He disclosed that he is an assistant chief of a fire
department and Representative Feige is a chief of a fire
department; therefore, either of them could have some
interaction with the Alaska Fire Standards Council. He read the
mission statement of the Alaska Fire Standards Council, as
follows:
To establish professional standards for fire service
personnel, and curriculum requirements for the
certification of training programs.
MR. PASCHALL said the council consists of two chief
administrative officers from fire departments of local
government; four representatives of fire fighters, including one
from the Alaska [State] Fire Fighters Association; two volunteer
fire fighters - one from a large community and one from a small
community; two members of the public - one from a large
community and one from a small community; and one representative
of the Alaska State Fire Marshall's Office. The proposed
legislation would specify that one of the four fire fighters
will be a representative of the Alaska Professional Fire
Fighters' Association (APFA), which represents approximately 500
career fire fighters in Alaska and is associated with the
International Association of Firefighters. Further, HB 113
would add an additional member of the council who would
represent the Alaska Fire Chiefs Association; a membership
organization representing fire chiefs in Alaska.
MR. PASCHALL stated the purposed of the proposed bill is to
ensure the three statewide organizations, which represent the
majority of fire fighters in Alaska, will have an opportunity to
be represented in their official capacity on the council.
Currently, one of the organizations is represented, but the
other two are not. He noted that he had provided information
about the council in the committee packet, including the current
membership and a list of some of certification programs. He
relayed that a council member is available via teleconference to
answer questions.
8:23:01 AM
MR. PASCHALL continued:
There was a slight change in the wording, beginning in
Section 1, ... page 1, line 5: Because the current
standards call for the two fire chiefs and, thus, the
addition of the third fire chief to be from a
municipal fire department, ... we felt like that ...
excluded certain fire chiefs, because in some cases -
for example, in many of our boroughs - the fire chief
is actually a representative of a private, non-profit
organization under contract with the borough.
CHAIR LYNN offered his understanding that essentially the same
bill was offered last year.
MR. PASCHALL stated that the bill offered last year, by
Representative Craig Johnson, did not include that provision.
He revealed that he had "caught in the process," and he said the
council, as well as the other organizations all agreed that that
was an appropriate change to make.
8:23:59 AM
MR. PASCHALL continued:
... The membership composition is ... slightly altered
for the [Alaska State] Firefighters Association,
because the original wording said "firefighter
administrative officer" from that organization. The
organization would like to be able to recommend to the
governor an appointment of any of their membership
that they choose to represent them at the [Alaska]
Fire Standards Council.
And ... also, it adds a member, as already stated, of
the Alaska Professional Firefighters Association, and
then finally, on page 2, it adds a member of the
Alaska Fire Chiefs Association.
MR. PASCHALL stated that Section 2 of the bill would add a new
subsection defining how members are appointed; the governor
would appoint them from a list of three individuals submitted by
each of the organizations. He said, "So, the governor is still
making the appointment, but the membership organizations are
making a recommendation to the governor on who to appoint out of
their membership." Mr. Paschall explained the significance of
members being appointed via this recommendation system is that
it would give a broader depth of representation on the
committee.
8:26:11 AM
JEFF TUCKER, Fire Chief, Northstar Volunteer Fire Department
(NVFD), testified on behalf of the Alaska Fire Chiefs
Association in support of HB 113. He said the proposed bill
would include representation of all three of the major fire
service organizations in Alaska. He echoed Mr. Paschall's
statement that the proposed legislation would give a voice to
those associations that represent membership across the state,
and he said this is important to the association's 100 members.
8:27:09 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON asked if the additional representation
on the council would cost the state or be absorbed by the
association.
MR. TUCKER offered his understanding that a previous bill
addressing this issue included a fiscal note, which was just a
few hundred dollars. He said, "That is something that can be
absorbed through the [Alaska] Fire Standards Council['s] current
funding."
8:28:23 AM
BUDDY LANE, Chair, Alaska Fire Standards Council (AFSC),
testified that the council is in support of HB 113. He stated,
"We've worked with these organizations in the past, and we feel
that they bring something to the table for us, and we look
forward to having them on the council." He deferred comment
regarding the fiscal note to Gordon Descutner, the executive
director of the council.
8:29:28 AM
ROBERT DENNARD, Alaska State Firefighters Association (ASFA);
Member, Alaska Fire Standards Council (AFSC), testified on
behalf of ASFA in support of HB 113. He related that ASFA
represents approximately 1,500 fire fighters throughout Alaska
and supports "the change to this bill, as well."
8:30:00 AM
GORDON DESCUTNER, Executive Director, Alaska Fire Standards
Council (AFSC), in response to a previous question, said the
fiscal note would address the additional cost of having the
extra seats added to the council under HB 113. He related that
at this point in time, the council has seen a significant
increase in the cost of travel. He said the total of the fiscal
note identified is approximately $2,300.
8:30:53 AM
MR. DESCUTER, in response to Representative Isaacson, said it
would not be appropriate to hold one entity accountable for its
travel costs to council meetings when the council is responsible
for all other council members; therefore, the council is
requesting funding for the additional $2,300.
8:31:47 AM
TOM WESCOTT, President, Alaska Professional Fire Fighters
Association (AKPFFA), stated that [the association] has worked
with the council and the fire chiefs to gain their unanimous
support of HB 113, with the overall goal of enhancing the
council.
8:32:26 AM
CHAIR LYNN, after ascertaining that there was no one else who
wished to testify, closed public testimony.
8:32:48 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to report HB 113 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
notes. There being no objection, HB 113 was reported out of the
House State Affairs Standing Committee.
8:33:12 AM
The committee took a brief at-ease at 8:33 a.m.
HCR 3-JOINT COMMITTEE ON FEDERAL OVERREACH
[Due to technical difficulties, there is no recording from 8:33
a.m. to 8:36 a.m. The minutes from that time are reconstructed
from the secretary's log notes.]
CHAIR LYNN announced that the final order of business was HOUSE
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 3, Establishing the Joint Committee on
Federal Overreach.
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER indicated he had asked that the bill be
held over in order to work on it with the bill sponsor.
8:36:11 AM
REPRESENTATIVE MILLETT, as sponsor, presented HCR 3. She talked
about federal overreach in Alaska and said the intent of the
proposed concurrent resolution is to make up a committee of
legislators that will focus on "things that affect our ability
as Alaskans." She opined that policy put forth by President
Obama does not "fit into Alaska's lifestyle or heritage." She
listed other problems the state has had with the federal
government, including: the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) not issuing air permits; the problems the state has faced
in getting Shell up to the outer continental shelf (OCS) to
drill; and problems getting permits to build a bridge across the
Coldwell (ph) River. She expressed feeling like Alaska is
constantly under attack by the federal government. She said,
"Where we're supposed to be a cohesive part of the United
States, I feel like we're always on the deep end." The job of
the committee that would be established under HCR 3 would be to
determine what Alaska's priorities are and where the federal
government has [overreached]. Representative Millett stated
that it seems as if because the East Coast has been over
developed, the federal government feels like Alaska should be
its own national park and playground. She said that "goes
against everything we agreed to when we became a state."
8:39:11 AM
REPRESENTATIVE MILLETT stated that federal encroachment is on
every level. She said the discussion is not about seceding; it
is about creating a level playing field and "having our voices
heard." The proposed committee would not only inform the
legislature as to what issues to "stay on top of," but would
also work with the Office of the Attorney General. She said she
thinks this is where she and Representative Keller, who works
with the Citizens Advisory Commission on Federal Areas (CACFA),
can have a symbiotic relationship and "make sure that we're
united when we talk to people in the federal government about
Alaska's issues." She said the bill would require a report of
from the proposed committee by January 15, 2014, with
recommendations on how to curb federal overreach.
REPRESENTATIVE MILLETT mentioned a group called the [Energy
Producing States Coalition (EPSC)] and discussions among the
western states regarding the Endangered Species Act, land use,
and land permitting. She said Senators Murkowski and Begich
have addressed the issue of federal overreach. She used No
Child Left Behind as an example of federal overreach into Alaska
that "did not fit Alaska." She mentioned "national oceans
policy coming down the pike," which she said is "not going
through Congress," but is "actually going through a backdoor
regulatory process through the Appropriations Committee" and
will control where docks can be built and where fishing can take
place. She said there are 23 agencies involved with this policy
and Alaska does not have a voice in the design of that program.
She stated her belief that getting the House and Senate together
to discuss federal overreach and create a united front against
it is very important. She said she would like to afford the
opportunity for a group to come up with solid recommendations
that the legislature can work on next session. She indicated
that those recommendations could be how to improve
communications with the federal government or to suggest
legislation that would [prevent federal overreach].
8:43:48 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER opined that the bill sponsor has hit upon
a critical need for Alaska's state government to have a central
focal point on federal issues. He offered his understanding
that under former Governor Hickel's administration, there used
to be a division within the Department of Law (DOL) that dealt
with this issue. He posited that "we" must work closely with
several agencies, including DOL and the Department of Natural
Resources (DNR). Representative Keller listed the following
entities and people currently focused on and/or in support of
preventing federal overreach: a lawyer within DOL concerned
with R.S. 2477 issues; the current attorney general and his
predecessor; the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act
(ANILCA) team, which keeps an eye on "things related to ANILCA";
a unit working on the navigability of waters; and CACFA, located
within DNR.
8:46:15 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER said there is a staggering amount of
material related to federal overreach, and he opined that
clarifying the focal point, as the sponsor discussed, would
increase efficiency. He said one of the only options the state
has to address federal overreach is litigation; CACFA makes
recommendations to the Office of the Attorney General regarding
law suits and provides information for briefs. He said CACFA
looks for opportunities for public comment, but the comment
period is often too short and the public comment "isn't
recruited from a broad spectrum of the state" and may not
reflect the varied views of all Alaskans.
8:48:09 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER mentioned a handout in the committee
packet [dated January 16, 2013], which provides a link to all
the compendiums for the National Park Service. He talked about
superintendents of national parks making rules that
unintentionally limit Alaska's access to its own natural
resources. He suggested viewing CACFA's annual reports on the
Internet in order to get an idea of "the scope of the problem."
He mentioned an open summary brief on "the Sturgeon case," which
"really gives a good description of ANILCA and the challenge
that we have in that area." He said [CACFA] has been working to
determine what the best central focal point is, and "at this
point that's unclear."
8:51:06 AM
JOHN LEWIS, Individual Member, Alaska Support Industry Alliance
(ASIA), relayed that he is a project management consultant with
approximately 39 years of experience in the industry. He said
he is testifying in support of HCR 3, "monitoring the federal
government to stop or slow down their overreach into the state
of Alaska." He said [federal overreach] has become a critical
component of resource development in Alaska. He opined that
federal overreach has numerous impacts. For those working in
the natural resource industry, federal overreach can mean
project delay or denial, which has significant impact on jobs.
He said a recent statewide study indicates that the majority of
Alaskans see jobs and the economy as the most important issues
facing Alaska today. When the federal government imposes
critical habitat designations, either through the Endangered
Species Act or by imposing Arctic drilling moratoriums, it hurts
Alaska's economy and reduces the number of jobs available to
Alaskans. He gave further examples. Mr. Lewis continued as
follows:
An economic profile of this support industry shows
that our companies pay $2 billion in annual wages in
the state of Alaska and employ more than 10 percent of
Alaska's total workforce. When the federal government
uses executive orders to take action against Alaska,
without any congressional or public review, they are
limiting our ability to employ Alaskans and continue
to put billions of dollars into Alaska's economy via
the wages.
MR. LEWIS posited that HCR 3 is a good first step in addressing
this issue. He said he looks forward to assisting the committee
that would be established under the proposed legislation.
8:53:37 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON said he supports HCR 3, but asked Mr.
Lewis how effective he thinks the proposed committee would be in
achieving "the aims" of [ASIA] and the intent of HCR 3.
MR. LEWIS indicated that the effectiveness of the committee will
depend on the committee. He said the alternative is to not do
anything and "just sit back and let this happen," which he
opined would not be a wise choice. He said he thinks the bill
sponsor and Representative Keller are on the right track. He
said he and ASIA support the proposed legislation. In response
to Representative Isaacson, he confirmed the role of the
alliance is to assist the legislature in "helping the industry
and helping ourselves to keep the business going."
8:56:03 AM
CHAIR LYNN remarked that the legislature, with only a 90-day
session in which to address all issues, can use all the help it
can get.
8:56:27 AM
JOE MATHIS, Founding President, Alaska Support Industry Alliance
(ASIA); Board Member, Ameritide (ph); Vice President, External
Affairs, NANA Development Corporation, explained that NANA
Development Corporation is the business arm of NANA Regional
Corporation, owned by 12,500 Inupiat people that originated in
Northwest Alaska. He continued as follows:
NANA exists to improve the quality of life for our
people, in part by maximizing economic growth, and
protecting and enhancing our land. Resource
development ... is the underpinning of NANA's
operations in Alaska, from our ownership of the Red
Dog Mine to our subsidiaries that provide engineering,
construction, and a wide range of support services to
the oil and gas industry. Like many businesses that
operate in Alaska, we have struggled to develop our
resources economically, given the outside impact of
the federal government. ... The sheer size of the
federal government's land holdings in Alaska give[s]
us fewer opportunities to create economic value
through resource development, real estate, or by other
means. Our region is hemmed in on all sides by
federal parks, preserves, and monuments, which hampers
access to our lands and resources. The National
Environmental Constituency that feels that they own
these set aside lands brings frivolous lawsuits,
negative publicity, and misplaced activism that
hinders development. The layers upon layers of
required federal permits and the slow pace of federal
permitting can delay economic projects for years and
in many cases make commercially viable projects
uneconomic.
Authors Meyers and Kent have coined the term,
"environmental" or "conservation refugees," and that
definition is: ... "persons who no longer gain a
secure livelihood in their traditional homelands
because of what are primarily environmental factors of
unusual scope. In the context of that definition, I
would propose that the federal government has created
environmental factors of unusual scope through its
agencies. In short, federal overreach is creating
environmental refugees in rural Alaska and Native
communities.
People in the NANA region have become conservation
refugees, because access to NANA lands and resource
development is restrained by the federal ownership of
the majority of land that surrounds NANA land, which
has been designated as national parks and monuments.
One would have to seriously question that if we built
the Red Dog Mine today, whether or not it would happen
in a time period that would be attractive to
investors.
9:00:03 AM
MR. MATHIS said a recent example of federal overreach is when
Kent Salazar, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, denied the
residents of King Cove, Alaska, access to federal land, which
would have allowed them to build a road to access a year-round
airport. He opined that Alaskans have the right to voice
concerns over federal actions that create "refugees in their own
land" and need to be vigilant in doing so. He urged the support
and passage of HCR 3.
CHAIR LYNN commented that having access to an airport is a
matter of public safety, because an airport can be a connection
to medical care.
MR. MATHIS said that is correct.
9:01:09 AM
REED CHRISTENSEN, Treasurer, Alaska Support Industry Alliance
(ASIA), testified on behalf of ASIA in support of HCR 3. He
related that he has worked for Dowland-Bach, a local
manufacturing company specializing in oil field instrumentation
systems, for 18 years. He said ASIA's membership crosses
multiple sectors of Alaska's economy, beyond the resource
extraction industry. He said other industries in which ASIA's
member companies employ Alaskans include: construction,
transportation, finance, insurance, real estate, education,
health services, and leisure and hospitality. The combined
wages of these member companies is over $1.99 billion annually.
MR. CHRISTENSEN stated that ASIA supports "all six approaches to
help address federal overreach," as outlined by Dan Sullivan,
the commission of DNR, in his testimony before "the state Senate
Affairs Committee" in January 2013. He related that the first
item on Mr. Sullivan's list was to monitor activities,
decisions, and litigation strategies that could infringe upon
state sovereignty and the rights of Alaska citizens to create
their own economic future. The third item on Mr. Sullivan's
list was to build alliances with other government entities to
advocate for shared rights and interests. Mr. Christensen
opined that establishing [the Joint Committee on Access and
Federal Overreach] could go far in supporting both approaches.
MR. CHRISTENSEN stated that federal overreach harms ASIA's
membership in two ways: delays and preemptive cancellation of
potential projects. He said President Obama and his
administration state they are for an "all of the above energy
policy," but their actions do not support such claims. He said
he has a difficult time believing that the administration does
not realize the economic impact of delays such as the permits
for ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc., and the CD-5 development, or
the drilling moratorium "that supposedly did not apply to
Alaska." He said the critical habitat designation for the polar
bear and the preemptive mining impact study by the EPA before a
development plan has even been submitted create serious concerns
for possible future projects. He said both strategies are in
direct opposition to the Alaska Statehood Act, under which
Alaska was promised to be able to develop its natural resources
for its own economic benefit. He said he finds it ironic that a
federal government that continues to overspend and produce
regulations it cannot keep up with would also meddle in the
affairs of Alaska. He ventured there may be some truth to U.S.
Representative Don Young's remark that Washington, D.C., would
like Alaska to become "a national park for the rest of the
country to come visit while they're on vacation." He said ASIA
does not share this view, and it considers the creation of a
joint committee a small step in the right direction toward
curbing federal overreach. He requested that the committee let
the alliance know how it can be of help.
9:04:59 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS asked Mr. Christensen if, from an
industry perspective, it would be helpful to appoint non-
legislative members to the proposed joint committee.
MR. CHRISTENSEN suggested one advantage might be that someone in
the industry could bring to the attention of the legislature
projects that the industry is concerned are being derailed or
delayed by the federal government.
9:06:40 AM
VASILIOS GIALOPSOS, Staff, Representative Charisse Millett,
Alaska State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Millett,
sponsor, referred to Representative Isaacson's previously stated
concern and said because session is only 90 days, and because
committees have many other issues to address, time is of the
essence. He emphasized the importance of having a committee
that can focus on one issue and "triage these priorities." He
questioned how the outcome for King Cove would have changed if
the proposed committee had already existed.
CHAIR LYNN remarked upon the variety of issue heard by
legislative committees, and he said he thinks having a committee
focused solely on federal overreach may be helpful to the
process.
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER questioned the proposed sunset of 2015,
because he said he does not see "our problems going away that
quickly."
MR. GIALOPSOS said the reason the bill sponsor included a sunset
clause was to give future legislatures the ability to modify the
legislation.
CHAIR LYNN emphasized that Alaska is a sovereign state, not a
colony to be controlled by the federal government.
9:11:37 AM
CHAIR LYNN, after ascertaining that there was no one else who
wished to testify, closed public testimony. He stated he may
reopen public testimony at the next bill hearing.
CHAIR LYNN announced that HCR 3 was held over.
9:12:05 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
State Affairs Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 9:12
a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Police Standards - Mew #3.pdf |
HSTA 3/5/2013 8:00:00 AM |
Governor's Appointee - Mark Mew - Alaska Police Standards Council |
| 01 HB113 28-LS0442U Fire Standards Council.pdf |
HSTA 3/5/2013 8:00:00 AM |
HB 113 |
| 02 HB 113 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HSTA 3/5/2013 8:00:00 AM |
HB 113 |
| 03 HB113-DPS-FLS-02-28-13.pdf |
HSTA 3/5/2013 8:00:00 AM |
HB 113 |
| 01 HCR003A.pdf |
HSTA 3/5/2013 8:00:00 AM |
HCR 3 |
| 02 HCR 3 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HSTA 3/5/2013 8:00:00 AM |
HCR 3 |
| 04 HB 113 Alaska Fire Standards Council Information.pdf |
HSTA 3/5/2013 8:00:00 AM |
HB 113 |
| 05 HB 113 AFSC Roster.pdf |
HSTA 3/5/2013 8:00:00 AM |
HB 113 |
| 06 HB 113 Standards Certification Levels.pdf |
HSTA 3/5/2013 8:00:00 AM |
HB 113 |
| 03 HCR3v2 3-2-13.pdf |
HSTA 3/5/2013 8:00:00 AM |
HCR 3 Revised Fiscal Note |