Legislature(2003 - 2004)

06/17/2004 01:07 PM Senate L&C

Audio Topic
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
          SENATE LABOR AND COMMERCE STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                        
                         June 17, 2004                                                                                          
                           1:07 p.m.                                                                                            
TAPES 04-41, 42                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Con Bunde, Chair                                                                                                        
Senator Gary Stevens                                                                                                            
Senator Bettye Davis                                                                                                            
Senator Hollis French                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator Ralph Seekins, Vice Chair                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
OTHER MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative Mike Hawker                                                                                                      
Representative Ralph Samuels                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
^Overview: Tobacco Tax Issues                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  CON BUNDE  convened the  meeting of  the Senate  Labor and                                                             
Commerce Standing Committee at 1:07 p.m.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER STEVE  GILBERTSON, Department  of Health  and Social                                                               
Services (DHSS),  summarized use  of tobacco  and its  effects on                                                               
health related issues.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS. JOANNA  BALES, Program Manager, Cigarette  and Tobacco Excise                                                               
Tax  Division,   Department  of   Revenue  (DOR),   apprised  the                                                               
committee  on the  fiscal and  administrative  impacts of  likely                                                               
changes in the tobacco tax law.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. PAT LUBY, AARP, testified on  the effects of tobacco usage on                                                               
society and individual health.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS.  KATARYNA   STILES,  Alaska   Native  Health   Board  (ANHB),                                                               
emphasized  ways  tobacco  use   impacts  the  health  of  Native                                                               
Alaskans, primarily its youth, and how important prevention is.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. STACY  THEUSCH, Girdwood resident, informed  the committee of                                                               
the community's support of the tax.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MS. JENNIFER APP, Advocacy  Director, American Heart Association,                                                               
related how  tobacco use is the  number one cause of  disease and                                                               
preventable death in general.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. EMILY  NENON, CEO, American  Cancer Society, related  how the                                                               
tax is the single best way to prevent youth from smoking.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MS.  CHRISTIE  GARBE,  CEO,   American  Lung  Association,  urged                                                               
legislators to  act quickly  and related  how youth,  in general,                                                               
would be  sensitive to the  tax increase and that  public support                                                               
for it is great and growing.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ANNOUNCEMENTS                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
No announcements.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
No committee action.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                              
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CON BUNDE adjourned the meeting at 2:48 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  Senate Records Office  at State Capitol,  Room 3,                                                               
Juneau,  Alaska  99801  (mailing address),  (907)  465-2870,  and                                                               
after  adjournment  of the  second  session  of the  Twenty-Third                                                               
Alaska  State Legislature  this  information may  be obtained  by                                                               
contacting the Legislative Reference Library at (907) 465-3808.                                                                 

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