Legislature(2001 - 2002)

03/19/2002 03:40 PM Senate STA

Audio Topic
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                    
                 SENATE STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE                                                                               
                         March 19, 2002                                                                                         
                            3:40 p.m.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Gene Therriault, Chair                                                                                                  
Senator Ben Stevens                                                                                                             
Senator Bettye Davis                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator Randy Phillips, Vice Chair                                                                                              
Senator Rick Halford                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                              
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                              
CS FOR HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 33(MLV) am                                                                                    
Expressing  gratitude   to  President  George  W.   Bush,  to  the                                                              
President's cabinet,  to the  men and women  of the United  States                                                              
armed  forces, and  to the  United States  Congress and  declaring                                                              
support for  the war on terrorism  and for the  President's effort                                                              
to support democracies and promote peace worldwide.                                                                             
     MOVED CS HJR 33 (MLV) am OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CS FOR HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 20(MLV)                                                                                  
Relating to declaring September 11, 2002, as a Day of                                                                           
Remembrance.                                                                                                                    
     HEARD AND HELD                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
HJR 33 - No previous action to record.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
HCR 20 - No previous action to record.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Representative Jeannette James                                                                                                  
Alaska State Capitol, Room 214                                                                                                  
Juneau, AK  99801-1182                                                                                                          
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of HJR 33                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative Gary Stevens                                                                                                     
Alaska State Capitol, Room 428                                                                                                  
Juneau, AK  99801-1182                                                                                                          
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of HCR 20                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Doug Letch                                                                                                                      
Aide to Representative Gary Stevens                                                                                             
Alaska State Capitol, Room 428                                                                                                  
Juneau, AK  99801-1182                                                                                                          
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions on HCR 20                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
TAPE 02-15, SIDE A                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  GENE   THERRIAULT  called   the  Senate  State   Affairs                                                            
Committee  meeting to  order at  3:40 p.m.  Present were  Senators                                                              
Davis, Stevens and Chairman Therriault.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
The first order of business was HJR 33.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
         HJR 33-SUPPORT WAR ON TERRORISM & SUPPORT PEACE                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JEANNETTE JAMES, sponsor  of HJR 33, explained that                                                              
the resolution  expresses gratitude and support  to the president,                                                              
his Cabinet, Congress  and the men and women of  the United States                                                              
Armed forces for  the war on terrorism as well  as the President's                                                              
effort to support democracy and to promote peace world wide.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
She spoke with a South Dakota Legislator  and two individuals from                                                              
the White  House recently  regarding the  resolutions and  she was                                                              
gratified to  hear that  the statements had  a positive  effect on                                                              
them.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
There were no questions.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT  said he had no wording changes  and there was                                                              
a zero fiscal note.                                                                                                             
He asked for the will of the committee.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DAVIS  made a motion  to move  HJR 33 and attached  fiscal                                                              
note from committee with individual recommendations.                                                                            
There being no objection, the bill moved from committee.                                                                        
                                                                                                                              
                HCR 20-SEPT 11 DAY OF REMEMBRANCE                                                                           
REPRESENTATIVE  GARY STEVENS,  resolution  sponsor, declared  that                                                              
September 11,  2001 would  remain in our  history as  an important                                                              
and  significant   date.  Just  as   for  Pearl  Harbor   and  the                                                              
assassination of  President John Kennedy, future  generations will                                                              
ask, "Where  were you  when that  occurred?"   It brought  out the                                                              
best and the worst  in human nature and although  it can't be made                                                              
right, we can certainly honor and  not forget the efforts of those                                                              
involved in the aftermath.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
The resolution asks the governor  to declare September 11, 2002 as                                                              
a day of remembrance  so that we, as Alaskans can  pay respect and                                                              
honor to the  firefighters, paramedics, policeman,  National Guard                                                              
and armed forces  personnel who responded to that  tragedy and are                                                              
ready, every day, to respond to additional tragedies.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  THERRIAULT apologized  for not  having had  the time  to                                                              
meet with him to discuss some of  the wording in the resolution. A                                                              
"Whereas" on  the first page talks  about Flight 11 and  the lives                                                              
lost onboard then a separate "Whereas"  talks about Flight 175 and                                                              
the people  on board. The  third "Whereas" speaks  of firefighters                                                              
and police officers.  He asked what the source  of information was                                                              
for the number of firefighters and police listed.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
DOUG LETCH,  aide to  Representative Stevens,  responded  that the                                                              
information  came from the  official World  Trade Center  Web site                                                              
that displays  the names  and numbers  of firefighters  and police                                                              
officers. As  more recovery work  is accomplished, the  death toll                                                              
does change so some language change is probably in order.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  THERRIAULT   asked  whether   firefighters  and   police                                                              
officers were the only two categories listed.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. LETCH said that was the case.  The number of passengers aboard                                                              
each flight  has remained  static while the  numbers in  the other                                                              
two categories has  continued to rise with the  continued recovery                                                              
efforts  so the  numbers  have changed  since  the resolution  was                                                              
drafted.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT noted lines 15  and 16 speak of Flight 77 that                                                              
crashed  into  the Pentagon.  The  number  of  lives lost  is  the                                                              
cumulative  of those  from the  plane and  those who  were on  the                                                              
ground. We know  how many people were on that flight  but there is                                                              
no separate "Whereas"  for those people like there  is for the two                                                              
flights that  went into the Trade  Center. He asked  whether there                                                              
was a reason why they were combined.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR. LETCH replied there was no particular reason and they could                                                                 
work together to change the language.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT then referred to page 2, lines 2-4.                                                                         
Specifically, he didn't agree with using the word "sacrificed."                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
He said he would work with Representative Stevens to revise the                                                                 
wording before the next hearing.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
The bill was held in committee.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
There being no further business to come before the committee, the                                                               
meeting was adjourned.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects