HJR 9-ENDORSING ANWR LEASING  1:07:41 PM CO-CHAIR FEIGE announced that the first order of business is HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 9, Urging the United States Congress to pass legislation to open the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration, development, and production. JENNA CROUSE, Staff, Representative Lance Pruitt, Alaska State Legislature, introduced HJR 9 on behalf of Representative Pruitt, sponsor. She spoke as follows: House Joint Resolution 9 urges the United States Congress to pass legislation to open the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration and development. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 prohibited leasing or other development leading to production of oil and gas from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Today domestic demand for oil continues to rise while domestic crude production continues to fall, with the result that the United States imports additional oil from foreign sources. New technology has greatly reduced the environmental impact of development on the North Slope. If Prudhoe were built today the footprint would be as small as 1,526 acres. Oil and gas development has also proven it can successfully co-exist on Alaska's arctic. The Central Arctic Caribou Herd at Prudhoe Bay has grown from 3,000 to as high as 23,400 in the last 20 years alone. HJR 9 mirrors previous legislative resolutions and includes provisions for renewable and alternative energy sources, protection of wildlife, and the use of directional drilling. We encourage you to join these past legislative efforts in sending this unified resolution to Congress. 1:09:26 PM DIRK CRAFT, Staff, Representative Lance Pruitt, Alaska State Legislature, explained the changes that would be made to HJR 9 by the proposed committee substitute [labeled 27-LS0379\B, Luckhaupt/Bullock, 2/21/11]. He said the following language would be added to page 1, line 1, to better reflect all the language included in the resolution: relating to oil and gas exploration, development, production, and royalties; and relating to renewable and alternative energy technologies. MR. CRAFT explained that another change would be the deletion of "any" from page 3, line 21, to eliminate redundancy. On page 3, line 22, and page 4, line 5, the words "and alternative" would be added. On page 3, line 29, the words "the Alaska State Legislature urges that oil and gas exploration, development, and production" would be added for clarification. MR. CRAFT, in response to Co-Chair Seaton, clarified that the last proposed change is located in the original bill on page 3, line 29, and in the proposed committee substitute (CS) the change is located on page 3, line 28. 1:11:43 PM CO-CHAIR SEATON moved to adopt the proposed CS, Version 27- LS0379\B, Luckhaupt/Bullock, 2/21/11, as the working document. [No objection was stated, therefore Version B was before the committee.] REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER asked whether the sponsor would accept the following amendment to the original bill: Page 2, line 5: Delete "state's" Insert "state and the nation's" MR. CRAFT responded that the amendment would be accepted. REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER elaborated that it is really about national security. In response to Co-Chair Feige she said that on Version B the amendment would be located on page 2, line 6. She said national security is one of the state's strongest arguments with Washington, DC, about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). MR. CRAFT offered to have this amendment taken up in a future CS if the committee did not have time to act on it today. There being no objection the amendment was adopted. MR. CRAFT, in response to Representative Munoz, explained that the difference between HJR 9 and [HJR 11] is that HJR 11 specifically opposes wilderness designation in Area 1002 of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, whereas HJR 9 deals with the more general opening up of the refuge for development and production. 1:15:04 PM REPRESENTATIVE MUNOZ moved to report HJR 9, Version 27-LS0379\B, Luckhaupt/Bullock, 2/21/11, as amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal note. CO-CHAIR FEIGE objected for purposes of the record and asked that a roll be taken. Representatives Dick, Gardner, Kawasaki, P. Wilson, Munoz, Foster, Feige, and Seaton voted in favor of reporting HJR 9, Version 27-LS0379\B, Luckhaupt/Bullock, 2/21/11, as amended, out of committee. Therefore, CSHJR 9(RES) was reported from the House Resources Standing Committee by a vote of 8-0. 1:17:01 PM The committee took an at-ease from 1:17 p.m. to 1:19 p.m. 1:19:59 PM CO-CHAIR SEATON moved to [rescind the committee's action in reporting CSHJR 9, Version B, as amended] from committee. REPRESENTATIVE MUNOZ moved to [report CSHJR 9, Version 27- LS0379\B, Luckhaupt/Bullock, 2/21/11, as amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes]. 1:20:47 PM CO-CHAIR FEIGE asked that the roll be taken. Representatives Foster, Dick, Gardner, Kawasaki, P. Wilson, Herron, Munoz, Seaton, and Feige voted in favor of reporting HJR 9, Version 27- LS0379\B, Luckhaupt/Bullock, 2/21/11, as amended, out of committee. Therefore, CSHJR 9(RES) was reported from the House Resources Standing Committee by a vote of 9-0.