Legislature(2021 - 2022)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
05/05/2021 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
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| Start | |
| SJR15 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SJR 15 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE LABOR AND COMMERCE STANDING COMMITTEE
May 5, 2021
1:30 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Mia Costello, Chair
Senator Joshua Revak, Vice Chair
Senator Gary Stevens
Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Peter Micciche
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 15
Recognizing and honoring the relationship between Canada and the
state; and recognizing the importance of the United States-
Mexico-Canada Agreement.
- MOVED SJR 15 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SJR 15
SHORT TITLE: RECOGNIZING ALASKA/CANADA RELATIONSHIP
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) BEGICH
04/28/21 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
04/28/21 (S) L&C
05/05/21 (S) L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
WITNESS REGISTER
SENATOR TOM BEGICH
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of SJR 15.
BRANDON LEE, Consul General of Canada to the Pacific Northwest
and Alaska
Seattle, Washington
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SJR 15 by invitation.
KAREN MATTHIAS, Honorary Consul of Canada in Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SJR 15 by invitation.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:30:02 PM
CHAIR MIA COSTELLO called the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Gray-Jackson, Revak, and Chair Costello.
Senator Stevens arrived soon thereafter.
SJR 15-RECOGNIZING ALASKA/CANADA RELATIONSHIP
1:30:46 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO announced the consideration of SENATE JOINT
RESOLUTION NO. 15 Recognizing and honoring the relationship
between Canada and the state; and recognizing the importance of
the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
1:31:27 PM
SENATOR TOM BEGICH, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska,
sponsor of SJR 15, stated that SJR 15 is an opportunity for
everyone to work together on the close and symbiotic
relationship between Alaska and Canada. He said this is
particularly important to him this year as he is the co-chair of
the Council on State Governments' Canada Relations Committee. He
continued the introduction of SJR 15 paraphrasing the following
sponsor statement.
Senate Joint Resolution 15 honors the relationship
shared between Canada and Alaska. Canada and the
United States share the world's longest border, 5,522
miles1,538 of which is shared with just Alaska, Yukon
Territory, and the Province of British Columbia.
Canada and Alaska are both rich in our natural beauty,
abundant renewable resources, indigenous peoples and
cultures, history, and government ties. We share a
border, airspace, and environment. Together we defend
North America against external threats.
Our people share families, friends, jobs, and one of
the most successful international relationships in the
modern world. We move goods and transport people
between our borders regularly. Our cruise and tourism
industries are dependent on each other's. The North
West Passage is our shared gateway to the Arctic.
Together we have built longstanding collaborations on
economic opportunities, health, education, energy
security, environmental protections, infrastructure,
and public safety issues. We have worked to advance
and sustain the health and resiliency of the Arctic
and northern peoples and communities by strengthening
economic, cultural, and family connections across the
region.
Trade between our countries totals over $1.3 billion
across multiple industries and contributes to nearly
11,000 jobs between us allowing for more than 50
Canadian-owned companies to operate in Alaska.
Our interdependent communities are uniquely
intertwined, as is Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
(JBER) with its American Commander and Canadian Deputy
Commander.
Together, Canada and Alaska create better lives for
our respective residents and citizens. This should be
formally recognized. I look forward to continued
cooperation friendship, trade, tourism, culture
exchange, and good will between us.
SENATOR BEGICH related that every year except this year there
has been a reception in Juneau hosted by the Canadian Consulate
from Seattle. He and Brandon Lee discussed last year putting the
nature of this relationship in writing. SJR 15 emerged from that
discussion. He noted the supporting documents in the packet and
thanked the committee for its consideration.
1:36:19 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO thanked the sponsor for providing the handout in
the bill packet titled, "Alaska's at Large Congressional
District and Canada" that lists top Canadian-owned businesses
and exports and other information. She welcomed Mr. Lee to
provide his testimony.
1:37:05 PM
BRANDON LEE, Consul General of Canada to the Pacific Northwest
and Alaska, Seattle, Washington, thanked the sponsor for
introducing the resolution and the committee for providing the
opportunity to speak in support of SJR 15. It recognizes the
important relationship between Canada and Alaska. He listed
things Canada and Alaska have in common including responsible
energy producers, wide open spaces, cultural ties, and like
Alaskans, Canadians sometimes feel that "the Lower 48 just
doesn't get us."
MR. LEE recognized Canada's honorary Consul to Alaska, Karen
Matthias, as a key link in maintaining the strong link between
Canada and Alaska. He agreed that Canada and Alaska are bound by
history, values, economy, and environment. He said no two
nations depend more on one another for their mutual prosperity
and security. Economically, Canada is by far America's largest
customer. They buy more from the U.S. than China, Japan, and the
United Kingdom combined. This economic relationship supports
millions of well-paying jobs in all congressional districts
throughout the U.S. He highlighted that in pre-COVID-19 times,
$2 billion in goods and services crossed the Canada/U.S. boarder
every day. Even during the pandemic in 2020, Canada and Alaska
traded almost $1.4 billion in goods and services, supported many
jobs on both sides of the border and the 50 Canadian business
that operate in the state continued to do so. These companies
include Teck Resources, Alaska Commercial Company, and Icicle
Seafoods. Together, the 50 companies contribute $265 million in
salaries for nearly 4,500 Alaskan jobs and they are major
contributors to the Alaskan economy. In addition, he said there
are hundreds of millions of dollars in two-way trade in seafood,
metals, minerals, and energy.
1:39:36 PM
SENATOR STEVENS joined the committee.
MR. LEE said as Canada builds back after the pandemic, it can
look to U.S. Mexico Canada (USMCA) free trade zone to help. It
is the largest economic region in the world that has a $22
trillion regional market of over 450 million consumers. He said
this landmark agreement reaffirms that working together North
America will remain the most competitive region in the world. He
agreed with the sponsor that Canada and the U.S. are also
dedicated allies that collaborate on homeland protections and
global peace and security.
MR. LEE identified the U.S. as Canada's premier partner in the
Arctic. Cooperation is longstanding on a wide range of issues
including Arctic science, search and rescue, Continental Shelf
delineation, security, and the people-to-people connections. He
said he would be remiss if he neglected to mention the
cooperation between Canada and Alaska during and managing the
pandemic to ensure the safety and security of all citizens while
maintaining the flow of essential goods and services and
workers. He cited examples. He thanked the committee for its
time and consideration of SJR 15.
1:42:47 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO thanked him for the eloquent remarks.
SENATOR STEVENS apologized for arriving late and asked if
anybody mentioned that Alaska and Canada share a remarkably long
common border.
MR. LEE said it is something to celebrate.
CHAIR COSTELLO asked the sponsor if this was the first
resolution relating to the relationship between Alaska and
Canada.
1:43:53 PM
SENATOR BEGICH replied he can only say that this is the first
formal recognition of the friendship between Alaska and Canada
since 1983.
CHAIR COSTELLO thanked Mr. Lee and asked Ms. Matthias to offer
her testimony.
1:44:59 PM
KAREN MATTHIAS, Honorary Consul of Canada in Alaska, Anchorage,
Alaska, informed the committee that she was born and raised in
British Columbia. She said she was a Canadian foreign services
officer for some time after which she had the opportunity to
open the first consulate in Alaska in 2004. She said the sponsor
asked her to speak about the people-to-people connections, which
has always been a favorite part of the job. She said Alaskans
often relay that they feel they have more in common with
Canadians than their fellow citizens in the Lower 48 and it
warms her heart. Alaskans have connections with Canadians
through family, work, and travel and Alaska Natives from
Metlakatla to Kaktovik share family and traditional lands with
Canadian First Nations since long before there was a border.
MS. MATTHIAS shared that she met a group of students from
Nunavik who were visiting Utqiagvik during a whale harvest and
they were amazed that while their languages were different, the
words related to the whale hunt and their traditions were very
similar. She said that is despite the fact that thousands of
miles separate Nunavik in far eastern Canada and the North
Slope. She said given the shared climate and geography, Alaskans
and Canadians can learn a lot from each other. She related that
one of the first Canadian visits she worked on was when the
Premier of the Northwest Territories came to Alaska with a
delegation of First Nations business leaders. They came because
they were interested in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
(ANCSA) and learning more about Alaska Native corporations and
their structure.
1:47:26 PM
MS. MATTHIAS related that just before the pandemic, the Canadian
Minister of Health visited Alaska to learn about the
Southcentral Foundation's Nuka System of Care to see if it could
be modeled in Canada. She said she has also been privileged to
attend and get involved in a number of cross-border events like
the Yukon Quest and the Klondike Road Relay from Skagway to
Whitehorse. She described the latter in particular as a good
example of Alaska/Canada/US cooperation. She also mentioned
shared Olympic athletes. She said that she has also had the
opportunity to visit the shared border post building on the Top
of the World Highway between Dawson and Chicken.
MS. MATTHIAS shared that she came to Alaska for a four-year
assignment 16 years ago. She learned she is not the first
Canadian to marry an Alaskan and decide to make it home. She
noted that she lives in district K so Senator Costello is her
Senator. She said she and her husband named their son Elias in
part because it is on the border between Canada and Alaska. She
thanked Senator Begich for introducing SJR 15 and the committee
for its consideration of the resolution.
SENATOR BEGICH said he has great regret that Ms. Matthias is not
his constituent. He read a note handed to him by staff that
read:
UAF students say their hockey team is so good because it is
mostly Canadian.
He commented that that is apparently a UAF joke.
CHAIR COSTELLO expressed support for the formal recognition of
the relationship between Canada and Alaska. She thanked Ms.
Matthias and commented that it is not often that senators fight
over a constituent.
1:51:03 PM
SENATOR REVAK commented that the resolution mentions the
partnership with the Canadian military in the Alaska Command and
NORAD region, but he has witnessed it firsthand over the past
many years. It has been a valuable relationship for both Canada
and the U.S. He thanked the sponsor for the very appropriate
resolution.
SENATOR STEVENS said the commonalities are often mentioned but
there are important differences that need to be acknowledged.
One difference he finds fascinating is the difference between
governments. He shared that he spent time with the Victoria
Legislature, which is more closely aligned to the British
legislature than American legislatures. He said the Pacific
NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) conference provides an
opportunity to look at the differences and understand that they
both work well.
CHAIR COSTELLO noted that she too is a member of PNWER and is a
co-chair of the Innovation Caucus.
1:53:03 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO opened public testimony on SJR 15; finding none,
she closed public testimony.
1:53:18 PM
SENATOR REVAK moved to report SJR 15, work order 32-LS0855\A,
from committee with individual recommendations and attached
fiscal note(s).
CHAIR COSTELLO found no objection and SJR 15 was reported from
the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee.
1:53:43 PM
SENATOR BEGICH thanked the chair for hearing the resolution and
expressed hope that this critical relationship will finally be
formally acknowledged. In response to Senator Steven's comment,
he said that as the co-chair for the Canadian Relations
Committee for the Council of State Governments it is his intent
to promote the differences in the government structures, energy
resource development, and to explore issues such as the railway
link between Edmonton and Fairbanks. He said this is a good
start.
1:54:51 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Costello adjourned the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing
Committee meeting at 1:54 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SJR 15 Sponsor Statement 4.30.2021.pdf |
SL&C 5/5/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SJR 15 |
| SJR 15 Zero Fiscal Note.pdf |
SL&C 5/5/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SJR 15 |
| SJR 15 Letter of Support - Canada.pdf |
SL&C 5/5/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SJR 15 |
| SJR 15 Supporting Document - Canada Fact Sheet.pdf |
SL&C 5/5/2021 1:30:00 PM |
SJR 15 |