ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  SENATE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON UNIVERSITY OVERSIGHT  May 1, 2006 5:09 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Senator Gary Stevens, Chair Senator Thomas Wagoner Senator Kim Elton Senator Ben Stevens MEMBERS ABSENT  Senator Ralph Seekins, Vice Chair Senator Con Bunde Senator Lyman Hoffman COMMITTEE CALENDAR CS FOR HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 14(RES) Urging the United States Congress to pass legislation to convey land to the University of Alaska. MOVED SCS CSHJR 14(UOV) OUT OF COMMITTEE PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION BILL: HJR 14 SHORT TITLE: URGE CONGRESS TO GRANT LAND TO UNIVERSITY SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) ELKINS 03/01/05 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 03/01/05 (H) EDU, RES 01/31/06 (H) EDU AT 11:00 AM CAPITOL 106 01/31/06 (H) Moved CSHJR 14(EDU) Out of Committee 01/31/06 (H) MINUTE(EDU) 02/01/06 (H) EDU RPT CS(EDU) 3DP 4NR 02/01/06 (H) DP: LYNN, WILSON, NEUMAN; 02/01/06 (H) NR: SALMON, GATTO, GARA, THOMAS 02/15/06 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 124 02/15/06 (H) Moved CSHJR 14(RES) Out of Committee 02/15/06 (H) MINUTE(RES) 02/17/06 (H) RES RPT CS(RES) 4DP 3NR 02/17/06 (H) DP: SEATON, ELKINS, SAMUELS, RAMRAS; 02/17/06 (H) NR: GATTO, LEDOUX, CRAWFORD 03/03/06 (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S) 03/03/06 (H) VERSION: CSHJR 14(RES) 03/06/06 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 03/06/06 (S) UOV, RES 04/24/06 (S) UOV AT 5:00 PM BELTZ 211 04/26/06 (S) UOV AT 5:00 PM BELTZ 211 05/01/06 (S) UOV AT 5:00 PM BELTZ 211 WITNESS REGISTER James Van Horn, Staff Representative James Elkins POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HJR 14 on behalf of the sponsor Dick Mylius, Director Division of Mining, Land and Water Department of Natural Resources 400 Willoughby Ave. Juneau, AK 99801-1724 POSITION STATEMENT: Available for questions related to HJR 14 Mari Montgomery, Director Land Management Office  University of Alaska P.O. Box 755000 Fairbanks, AK 99775  POSITION STATEMENT: Available for questions related to HJR 14 ACTION NARRATIVE CHAIR GARY STEVENS called the Senate Special Committee On University Oversight meeting to order at 5:09:09 PM. Present were Senators Kim Elton, Thomas Wagoner, and Chair Gary Stevens. Senator Ben Stevens arrived during the course of the meeting. CSHJR 14(RES)-URGE CONGRESS TO GRANT LAND TO UNIVERSITY  CHAIR GARY STEVENS announced HJR 14 to be up for consideration. 5:09:50 PM JAMES VAN HORN, Staff to Representative James Elkins, sponsor of HJR 14, said the resolution urges Congress to pass legislation to convey 250,000 acres in federal land to the University of Alaska. As the largest landholder in Alaska it is important that the federal government support the land grant to the University of Alaska to make it financially independent. SENATOR WAGONER remarked he's unaware of any land grant university in the U.S. that has become financially independent. Mr. Van Horn clarified this would make the university less dependent on the Legislature for funding. DICK MYLIUS, Director of the Division of Mining, Land and Water for the Department of Natural Resources, said he was available to answer questions. MARI MONTGOMERY, Director of the University of Alaska Land Management Office, said she was available to answer questions. 5:12:59 PM SENATOR KIM ELTON referenced page 2, line 21 and noted that Gale Norton is no longer the Secretary of the Interior. SENATOR GARY STEVENS said that is a good point and asked Mr. Van Horn to comment on whether the sponsor would object to changing the reference to the Acting Secretary of the Interior. 5:15:06 PM MR. VAN HORN responded he could see no problem with making that change. CHAIR GARY STEVENS called an at-ease from 5:15:29 PM to 5:18:11 PM. Senator Ben Stevens joined the meeting. SENATOR ELTON motioned to amend the resolution on page 2, line 21 to read "the Acting United States Secretary of the Interior;" and delete the name "Gale Norton,". There being no objection Amendment 1 passed. Senator Wagoner motioned to report SCS CSHJR 14(UOV) from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). There being no objection, the motion carried. There being no further business to come before the committee, Chair Gary Stevens adjourned the meeting at 5:20:24 PM.