Legislature(2023 - 2024)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

02/06/2024 01:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

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Audio Topic
01:37:27 PM Start
01:38:04 PM SJR13
01:44:20 PM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= SJR 13 AMEND ALASKA NATIVE CLAIMS SETTLEMENT ACT TELECONFERENCED
Moved SJR 13 Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
    SENATE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                  
                        February 6, 2024                                                                                        
                           1:37 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
                             DRAFT                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Forrest Dunbar, Chair                                                                                                   
Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson                                                                                                       
Senator Jesse Bjorkman                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator Donald Olson, Vice Chair                                                                                                
Senator Cathy Giessel                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 13                                                                                                  
Encouraging the United  States Congress and the  President of the                                                               
United States  to pass and  sign legislation amending  the Alaska                                                               
Native  Claims Settlement  Act to  release certain  land held  in                                                               
trust back to affected Alaska Native village corporations.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED SJR 13 OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: SJR 13                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: AMEND ALASKA NATIVE CLAIMS SETTLEMENT ACT                                                                          
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) DUNBAR                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
01/26/24       (S)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        

01/26/24 (S) CRA 02/01/24 (S) CRA AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg) 02/01/24 (S) Heard & Held 02/01/24 (S) MINUTE(CRA) 02/06/24 (S) CRA AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg) WITNESS REGISTER MARJORIE MERRY, President Baan O Yeel Kon Corporation Fairbanks, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SJR 13. ACTION NARRATIVE 1:37:27 PM CHAIR FORREST DUNBAR called the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee meeting to order at 1:37 p.m. Present at the call to order were Senators Gray-Jackson, Bjorkman, and Chair Dunbar. SJR 13-AMEND ALASKA NATIVE CLAIMS SETTLEMENT ACT 1:38:04 PM CHAIR DUNBAR announced the consideration of SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 13 Encouraging the United States Congress and the President of the United States to pass and sign legislation amending the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to release certain land held in trust back to affected Alaska Native village corporations. This is the second hearing of SJR 13 in the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Committee. The intention is to open public testimony and move SJR 13 from the committee. 1:38:36 PM CHAIR DUNBAR opened public testimony on SJR 13. 1:39:12 PM MARJORIE MERRY, President, Baan O Yeel Kon Corporation (BOYK), Fairbanks, Alaska, stated BOYK is the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) corporation for the federally recognized tribe of Rampart Village, where she is a tribal member. Initially, Rampart Village enrolled 174 individuals. It now has over 200 shareholders, many of whom still reside there. The Rampart Village Council governs the community, maintaining essential services like the power plant, washeteria, school, health clinic, communications equipment, road service, landfill, and all the other services a typical municipality would assume. MS. MERRY stated that BOYK supports the Rampart Village Council in enhancing its community's health, safety, and well-being, as all shareholders are tribal members. She described the location of BOYK-selected lands and noted that sec. 14(c)(3) of ANCSA has been problematic since its passage. BOYK has always supported Rampart, but most village lands are far outside the city center. She said that 50 years ago, it was difficult for the village to anticipate future municipal land needs. As a result, the selection of sec. 14(c)(3) ANCSA lands was not completed. Instead of providing land through the Municipal Land Trust (MLT) model, BOYK has opted to lease lands directly to the council or transfer deeds via quitclaim. 1:41:11 PM MS. MERRY recounted that recently, BOYK quitclaimed ten acres to the Rampart Village Council for a new landfill, a critical community need. She said that BOYK attempted to transfer land into the Municipal Land Trust, but MLT rejected the application. While BOYK wishes to comply with all the terms of ANCSA, it has a duty to support its shareholders and community. She described land processing delays due to an understaffed and underfunded MLT program, emphasizing that it takes MLT years to accept land selections into the trust. She opined that the management of MLT has been one of the major impediments to rural Alaska's economic development. MS. MERRY urged full consideration of SJR 13 and thanked the chair for bringing it before the legislature. 1:43:06 PM CHAIR DUNBAR closed public testimony on SJR 13. CHAIR DUNBAR solicited the will of the committee. 1:43:29 PM SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON moved to report SJR 13, work order 33- LS1205\B, from committee with individual recommendations and any attached fiscal note(s). 1:43:47 PM CHAIR DUNBAR found no objection and SJR 13 was reported from the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee. 1:43:51 PM At ease. 1:44:06 PM CHAIR DUNBAR reconvened the meeting. 1:44:20 PM There being no further business to come before the committee, Chair Dunbar adjourned the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee meeting at 1:44 p.m.

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
SJR 13 Fiscal Note.pdf SCRA 2/6/2024 1:30:00 PM
SJR 13