02/16/1999 05:08 PM House WTR

       HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON WORLD TRADE                                                                                   
            AND STATE/FEDERAL RELATIONS                                                                                         
                 February 16, 1999                                                                                              
                     5:08 p.m.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
PRESENTATION:  OVERVIEW BY THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC                                                              
               DEVELOPMENT:  SPECIFICALLY, THE DIVISION OF TRADE                                                                
               AND DEVELOPMENT                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
TAPE(S)                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
99-02, SIDE(S) A                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAMONA BARNES called the House Special Committee on World                                                                 
Trade and State/Federal Relations meeting to order at 5:08 p.m.                                                                 
Members present at the call to order were Representatives Barnes,                                                               
Cowdery, Masek, Green, Berkowitz and Joule.  Representative                                                                     
Phillips was not present.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BARNES informed members that it is the intent of the House                                                                
Special Committee on World Trade and State/Federal Relations to be                                                              
active.  In that vein, she announced the formation of                                                                           
subcommittees, and members were asked to submit written memos                                                                   
identifying the areas of the world they have the most interest in.                                                              
She explained that the committee will concentrate on trade and                                                                  
trade opportunities as explained by the Division of Trade and                                                                   
Development during this overview.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
DEBORAH B. SEDWICK, Commissioner, Department of Commerce and                                                                    
Economic Development, provided a statement concerning the state of                                                              
Alaska's economic strategy regarding trade and development.  She                                                                
detailed the accomplishments of the various divisions in the                                                                    
department, and introduced the following staff:                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Greg Wolf, Director, Division of Trade and Development,                                                                    
         Department of Commerce and Economic Development;                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Tom Garrett, Director, Division of Tourism, Department of                                                                  
         Commerce and Economic Development;                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Tom Lawson, Director, Division of Administrative Services,                                                                 
         Department of Commerce and Economic Development;                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Ginny Fay, Legislative Liaison, Office of the Commissioner,                                                                
        Department of Commerce and Economic Development.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BARNES discussed separately with Commissioner Sedwick the                                                                 
developing disagreement between the Commissioner and a member of                                                                
the Legislature.  She requested a letter of apology to the                                                                      
Legislator from the Commissioner.  The Commissioner indicated her                                                               
intention to resolve the problem.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
GREG WOLF, Director, Division of Trade and Development, Department                                                              
of Commerce and Economic Development, presented the division                                                                    
overview.  He provided information about the countries upon which                                                               
the division has concentrated its efforts, and outlined its goals                                                               
for the near future.  He offered a slide presentation that followed                                                             
the handout "Alaska to the World, the World to Alaska."                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
The committee took no action.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
There being no further business, the House Special Committee on                                                                 
World Trade and State/Federal Relations meeting was adjourned by                                                                
Chair Barnes at 6:14 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 Twenty-first Alaska State Legislature, in the                                                             
Legislative Reference Library.