HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON WORLD TRADE AND STATE FEDERAL RELATIONS March 21, 1995 5:20 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Ramona Barnes, Chairman Representative Gail Phillips, Vice Chairman Representative Eldon Mulder Representative Gene Kubina MEMBERS ABSENT Representative Gary Davis Representative Bill Williams Representative Jerry Mackie COMMITTEE CALENDAR *HJR 30: Relating to an amendment to the Constitution of the United States prohibiting federal courts from ordering a state or a political subdivision of a state to increase or impose taxes. PASSED OUT OF COMMITTEE SJR 12: Relating to the United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, relating to the United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, strategic plan known as "Reinvention of the Forest Service"; and advocating that implementation of the plan be suspended pending Congressional review and consultation with local governments. PASSED OUT OF COMMITTEE (* First public hearing) WITNESS REGISTER REPRESENTATIVE AL VEZEY Alaska State Legislature State Capitol, Room 216 Juneau, Alaska 99801-1182 Telephone: 465-3719 POSITION STATEMENT: Offered sponsor statement for HJR 30 JOE AMBROSE, Legislative Assistant Senator Robin Taylor Alaska State Legislature State Capitol, Room 30 Juneau, Alaska 99801-1182 Telephone: 465-4906 POSITION STATEMENT: Provided position statement for SJR 12 PREVIOUS ACTION BILL: HJR 30 SHORT TITLE: AMEND US CONSTIT. TO LIMIT FED. COURTS SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) VEZEY,Toohey JRN-DATE JRN-PG ACTION 02/08/95 271 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S) 02/08/95 271 (H) WTR, JUD 03/21/95 (H) WTR AT 05:00 PM CAPITOL 203 BILL: SJR 12 SHORT TITLE: U.S. FOREST SERVICE PLAN SPONSOR(S): SENATOR(S) TAYLOR,Pearce JRN-DATE JRN-PG ACTION 01/25/95 81 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S) 01/25/95 81 (S) RESOURCES 02/10/95 (S) RES AT 03:30 PM BUTROVICH ROOM 205 02/10/95 (S) MINUTE(RES) 02/14/95 266 (S) RES RPT CS 4DP SAME TITLE 02/14/95 267 (S) ZERO FISCAL NOTE (DNR) 02/20/95 (S) RLS AT 11:25 AM FAHRENKAMP ROOM 203 02/20/95 (S) MINUTE(RLS) 02/22/95 367 (S) RULES TO CALENDAR 2/22/95 02/22/95 368 (S) READ THE SECOND TIME 02/22/95 368 (S) RES CS ADOPTED UNAN CONSENT 02/22/95 368 (S) AM NO 1 FAILED Y8 N11 A1 02/22/95 369 (S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING UNAN CONSENT 02/22/95 369 (S) READ THE THIRD TIME CSSJR 12(RES) 02/22/95 370 (S) PASSED Y18 N1 A1 02/22/95 370 (S) HALFORD NOTICE OF RECONSIDERATION 02/23/95 386 (S) RECONSIDERATION NOT TAKEN UP 02/23/95 390 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H) 02/27/95 479 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S) 02/27/95 479 (H) RESOURCES 03/03/95 575 (H) WTR REFERRAL ADDED 03/21/95 (H) WTR AT 05:00 PM CAPITOL 203 ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 95-5, SIDE A Number 000 The meeting of the House Special Committee on World Trade and State/Federal Relations was called to order by Chairman Ramona Barnes at 5:20 p.m. Members present at the call to order were Representatives Barnes, Phillips, Mulder and Kubina. Members absent were Representatives G. Davis, Williams and Mackie. CHAIRMAN RAMONA BARNES stated there was a quorum present. HWTR - 03/21/95 HJR 30 - AMEND US CONSTIT. TO LIMIT FED. COURTS Number 019 REPRESENTATIVE AL VEZEY, sponsor of the measure, stated that HJR 30 is to petition the Congress of the United States to prepare and present to the legislatures of all the states an amendment to the Constitution of the United States. This amendment would prohibit the Supreme Court or any inferior court of the U.S. from ordering a state or political subdivision of a state to levy or increase taxes. This resolution comes as a request from the office of Representative Bill Skaggs, from Missouri. This effort was brought about by a court case in Missouri, whereby the Supreme Court mandated the city of Kansas City to charge a tax to fund desegregation expenses ordered by the courts. Presently there are ten states which have introduced a similar resolution. Number 035 REPRESENTATIVE GAIL PHILLIPS made a motion that the committee pass HJR 30 out of committee with individual recommendations. REPRESENTATIVE ELDON MULDER made a motion to move a zero fiscal note. CHAIRMAN BARNES called for the question. Hearing no objection, HJR 30 passed out of committee. HWTR - 03/21/95 SJR 12 - U.S. FOREST SERVICE PLAN Number 057 JOE AMBROSE, Legislative Assistant to Senator Robin Taylor, stated that SJR 12 is to centralize decision making in Washington, D.C. Under "Reinvention," regional forest supervisors and other front line leaders who now have decision making authority would be replaced with four-person "leadership" teams answerable only to the Chief of the Forest Service and the Secretary of Agriculture. Gone is the pretense of involving local and state governments in United States Forest Service decisions. The plan goes so far as to consolidate the regional offices now located in Alaska and Montana to a central office in Oregon. SJR 12 calls for suspension of this plan and true partnership meetings with states, communities and tribal governments. The goal would be the development of a new plan, one that would involve affected entities up-front. The "Reinvention" scheme goes far beyond the relocation of regional offices. If left to stand, it will mean a new era of Forest Service policy dictated from on high, without consulting the very people most impacted by those policies. Number 099 REPRESENTATIVE MULDER asked a clarifying question, if the resolve pertained to "former" Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Espy. MR. AMBROSE said yes, and there is no objection to many elements of the Reinvention Plan; it is the fact that plan, if implemented, removes the decision making process even farther away than it is now. It is more than just moving a regional office from Alaska to Oregon. It's moving the decision making authority to Washington, D.C. Number 114 REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS asked if the Alaska congressional delegation had been approached about this idea and what their position is. MR. AMBROSE said the delegation is in full agreement with the resolution. REPRESENTATIVE MULDER made the motion to pass SJR 12 out of committee with individual recommendations. REPRESENTATIVE BARNES called for the question. Hearing no objections, SJR 12 passed out of committee. Number 130 ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the House Special Committee on World Trade and State/Federal Relations, CHAIRMAN BARNES adjourned the meeting at 5:30 p.m.