HJR 13-RETAIN ARMY FORCES IN ALASKA  1:08:08 PM CHAIR HERRON announced that the first order of business would be HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 13, Urging the United States Department of the Army to maintain the current level of its combat-capable structure in the state and not to take structural realignment actions with regard to Fort Wainwright and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. 1:08:18 PM REPRESENTATIVE LORA REINBOLD, Alaska State Legislature, speaking as the sponsor of HJR 13, stated that the U.S. Army plays a role important to Alaska, the nation, and the world. As co-chair of the Joint Armed Services Committee, she sponsored HJR 13 because 30 military installations are being considered for reductions nationwide. It is critical to maintain the number of Army personnel in Alaska at its current level due to the fact that Alaska is in a unique situation, and she highlighted three important roles for Alaska. She directed attention to the bill on page 2, lines 17-19, which read: WHEREAS the geographic location of Alaska, including its access to polar air routes, provides a vital strategic advantage for current and future Department of the Army missions, force mobilizations, offensive operations, and defensive operations; and REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD said Alaska's geographic location is one facet of its very unique role. Also, on page 2, lines [26-28], which read: WHEREAS, the six major military installations, more than 23,000 active duty service members, and more than 37,000 family members of active duty service members in Alaska make the military presence in the state economically important to Alaska; and REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD directed attention to another point, on page 3, lines [17-20] which read: WHEREAS Alaska has demonstrated its strong commitment to the United States Army by investing more than $88,000,000 in transportation infrastructure to provide the United States Army with access throughout the year to training areas for maneuvers in the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex; and REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD stated that Alaska is the only state with direct access to the Arctic thus Alaskan military members are experts in extreme cold weather operations. She concluded that these three unique factors are very important. About 5,000 positions at Fort Wainwright and another 5,000 military positions in Anchorage are at risk. She read a quote from Major General Mitchell, and urged support for HJR 13, for national security and for Alaska. In response to Chair Herron, Representative Reinbold said she would be attending [listening sessions on this matter scheduled for 2/23-24/15 in Anchorage]. 1:12:36 PM CHAIR HERRON noted that the committee and the House Judiciary Standing Committee would also be represented in order to send a clear message from the legislature in support of the resolution. 1:13:29 PM REPRESENTATIVE LYNN said these are hazardous times in which to live and expressed his surprise that there are proposed cuts to the military. He expressed his support for the bill. 1:15:22 PM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG said he noted several minor grammatical problems with the bill and directed attention to page 1, line 1, and page 4, line 1, which read respectively in part: Urging the United States Department of the Army to maintain the current level of its Department of the Army to maintain the current level of its combat-capable structure in REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG then proposed a conceptual amendment that after the word "maintain" in both sentences add "and strengthen." He asked whether the chair wanted his conceptual amendments to be numbered consecutively or to be included in one conceptual amendment. CHAIR HERRON said "we will take note of them and then we will make a motion at the end ... so, just so the committee signs off on each one as we go." He restated that the conceptual amendment was to read "maintain and strengthen" to line 1, page 1, and to line 1, page 4, of the bill. In response to Representative Gruenberg, Chair Herron said the proposed change was approved by the bill's sponsor and asked the committee for comments. [There were no comments made by committee members.] [The committee treated the conceptual amendment as accepted by the chair.] [All of the following conceptual amendments that were accepted by the chair were incorporated into Conceptual Amendment 1 moved by Representative Gruenberg at the conclusion of the hearing of HJR 13.] REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG turned to page 1, lines 1-3, which read: Urging the United States Department of the Army to maintain the current level of its combat-capable structure in the state and not to take structural realignment actions with regard to Fort Wainwright and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG proposed a conceptual amendment to specify "structural realignment actions that reduce" the force and noted that this term appears elsewhere in the bill on page 1, line 7, and on page 4, line 4. REPRESENTATIVE COLVER suggested that on page 1, line 3, the conceptual amendment replace "with regard to" with "that reduce." CHAIR HERRON remarked: This is a conceptual amendment, we'll just talk about the potential of a full amendment at the end and I understand, in those three places, it's: We don't want it to reduce. Is that correct?" REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG said yes. He then proposed that on page 1, line 3, the committee replace "with regard to" with "at." CHAIR HERRON said, "So we have "at" we're at ... page 1, line 3, and then in those three other locations, there will be an adjective that talks about reductions. ... You and my staff and the sponsor, we will make sure that [legislative] legal understands the intent." 1:19:15 PM ELIJAH VERHAGEN, Staff, Representative Lora Reinbold, Alaska State Legislature, expressed concurrence with the first change to add "and strengthen." However, he said the sponsor would not accept the deletion of "with regard to," or an amendment to page 1, line 2; even though these are minor changes, the intent of the resolution is clear that a reduction in the number of troops is unwanted. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG questioned whether the sponsor did not wish to say "reduce or decrease." MR. VERHAGEN responded that the intent is clear as the bill is written. REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD remarked: It's always the will of the committee. So if you guys believe that this is ... what needs to be done in the title, then we obviously are yielding to the committee, so, in regards to that. CHAIR HERRON noted that the sponsor does not want to use the word "reduce." REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG asked whether the sponsor did not want to make the foregoing change just in the title, or anywhere in the bill. REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD pointed out the term is written throughout the bill, and she was "open to the option;" however, she also wanted to ensure there is time to advance the resolution to the other body. CHAIR HERRON recommended that the committee not add a "reduce adjective" because the intent of attending the listening sessions is to speak against reductions. In response to Representative LeDoux, he said the committee can approve a committee substitute (CS) with conceptual amendments, and "we're not going to hold it up." CHAIR HERRON, in response to Representative Gruenberg's proposed change on page 1, line 3, to "at", said, "The chair will make a ruling on that ... sometimes we disagree with [legislative] legal, but it survived their review, so ... Representative Gruenberg, I'm fine with it staying that way." [The committee treated the foregoing conceptual amendment as not accepted by the chair.] REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG turned to page 2, line 3, and proposed a conceptual amendment replacing "chairman" with "Chair;" and on page 2, lines 8-9, change "members of an affected community" to "members of affected communities;." CHAIR HERRON said he accepted the foregoing technical changes made by the conceptual amendment. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG continued to page 2, line 11, and proposed a conceptual amendment replacing "WHEREAS Anchorage" with "WHEREAS Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson." REPRESENTATIVE COLVER said the conceptual amendment is redundant. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG clarified the proposed change. MR. VERHAGEN stated the sponsor's wish to retain the original language on this point. [The committee treated the foregoing conceptual amendment as not accepted by the chair.] 1:26:17 PM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG continued to page 2, line 18, and proposed a conceptual amendment replacing "Department of the" with "United States." CHAIR HERRON said he accepted the foregoing technical change made by the conceptual amendment. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG continued to page 2, line 24, and proposed a conceptual amendment adding ", Asia," preceding "and Europe." CHAIR HERRON stated there was no objection and said he accepted the foregoing addition made by the conceptual amendment. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG continued to page 2, line 28, and proposed a conceptual amendment replacing "important" with "vital." CHAIR HERRON stated there was no objection and said he accepted the foregoing conceptual amendment. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG continued to page 3, line 3, and proposed a conceptual amendment replacing "distance delivery" with "off campus communications." CHAIR HERRON noted there was an objection, and said he did not accept the aforementioned conceptual amendment. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG continued to page 3, line 14, and proposed a conceptual amendment replacing "the United States Army and the United States Air Force" with "United States Army and United States Air Force facilities." CHAIR HERRON stated there was no objection, and said he accepted the foregoing conceptual amendment. There followed discussion about the use of the term "co-located" or "located together." CHAIR HERRON ruled to retain "located together" as currently found in the bill. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG continued to page 3, line 15, and proposed a conceptual amendment replacing "providing a unique and efficient" with "providing an ideal." REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD indicated her objection. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG withdrew the foregoing conceptual amendment. 1:30:47 PM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG proposed a conceptual amendment replacing "with regard to both" with "at" on line 4, page 4. REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD said this conceptual amendment had already been discussed earlier in the meeting and was not acceptable to the sponsor. {The committee treated the foregoing conceptual amendment as not accepted by the chair.] REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG then proposed a conceptual amendment that the resolution should be sent to General Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and to the Army Chief of Staff. CHAIR HERRON stated there was no objection, said he accepted the conceptual amendment, and directed staff and [legislative] legal to add the foregoing names. REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD returned attention to page 2, line 11, and proposed a conceptual amendment adding "and vicinity" following "Anchorage." CHAIR HERRON stated there was no objection and said he accepted the foregoing conceptual amendment. REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX [proposed a conceptual amendment] expanding the distribution list to include the President and Vice-President of the U.S. REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD agreed. CHAIR HERRON said he accepted the conceptual amendment to the distribution list. 1:33:14 PM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG moved to adopt [Conceptual Amendment 1]. [The committee treated Conceptual Amendment 1 as incorporating all of the conceptual amendments that Chair Herron stated were accepted.] There being no objection, Conceptual Amendment 1 was adopted. Before the committee was HJR 13, as amended. 1:33:56 PM CHAIR HERRON [opened public testimony on HJR 13. After ascertaining that no one wished to testify, Chair Herron closed public testimony.] 1:34:22 PM REPRESENTATIVE COLVER moved to report HJR 13, as amended, with individual recommendations and [zero] fiscal note. There being no objection, CSHJR 13(MLV) was reported from the House Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs. 1:34:49 PM The committee took an at ease from 1:34 p.m. to 1:37 p.m.