00                 CS FOR HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 8(TRA)                                                                
01 Opposing the enactment by the Washington State Legislature of a bill proposing to                                       
02 impose a fee on the processing of shipping containers in the State of Washington because                                
03 of the negative impact of the fee on the people and the economy of this state.                                          
04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
05       WHEREAS Washington state has been the primary gateway to this state since before                                
06 the first gold rush, more than 100 years ago; and                                                                       
07       WHEREAS the people of this state continue to depend on ships and barges to move                                 
08 almost all of the necessities of daily life from Washington state; and                                                  
09       WHEREAS many isolated maritime communities that do not have road access                                         
10 depend entirely on marine cargo shipped from Washington state as their lifelines; and                                   
11       WHEREAS 97 percent by weight and 60 percent of the value of all goods shipped to                                
12 Alaska are shipped by water; and                                                                                        
13       WHEREAS most seafood harvested in this state and bound for the lower 48 states is                               
14 shipped from this state to and through ports in Washington state; and                                                   
15       WHEREAS, during 2003, this state was Puget Sound's fifth largest trading partner,                             
01 aside from the aerospace industry, and the economic connection between this state and                                   
02 Washington state was responsible for at least 103,500 jobs and over $4,000,000,000 in labor                             
03 earnings; and                                                                                                           
04       WHEREAS Senate Bill 5207, which is pending before the Washington State                                          
05 Legislature, would impose a fee of $50 for each 20-foot equivalent unit on every cargo                                  
06 container traveling between Washington state and this state; most cargo containers are at least                         
07 two 20-foot equivalent units and would be subject to a fee of $100 each time the container                              
08 leaves Washington state and each time the container returns to that state, regardless of                                
09 whether the container is empty, partially loaded, or full; and                                                          
10       WHEREAS Senate Bill 5207 would be detrimental to the trading relationship                                       
11 between Washington state and this state; and                                                                            
12       WHEREAS, because of this state's unique dependence on ports in Washington state,                                
13 enactment of Senate Bill 5207 would damage this state's economy and cripple many isolated                               
14 communities in this state by raising the cost of living by several percent;                                             
15       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests that the                                 
16 Washington State Legislature recognize the negative effect Senate Bill 5207 would have on                               
17 the trading relationship between Washington state and this state and the economic costs                                 
18 associated with that negative effect to both states; and be it                                                          
19       FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests that                                   
20 the Washington State Legislature recognize the negative effect Senate Bill 5207 would have                              
21 on the people and economy of this state, particularly on maritime communities in the                                    
22 southeast part of this state; and be it                                                                                 
23       FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature opposes the enactment of                                     
24 Senate Bill 5207 and urges the Washington State Legislature to consider alternative means for                           
25 raising revenue to be used for the infrastructure of the ports of that state; and be it                                 
26       FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the attorney general                                   
27 to use the resources of the Department of Law to research the legal issues raised by the tax on                         
28 shipping containers proposed in Senate Bill 5207; and be it                                                             
29       FURTHER RESOLVED that, if the tax in Senate Bill 5207 is enacted and the facts                                  
30 and law support an action by this state challenging the tax, the Alaska Sate Legislature urges                          
31 the attorney general to immediately file a complaint and request for injunction in Federal                              
01 District Court and in any other forum that could provide relief.                                                        
02       COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Chris Gregoire, Governor of                            
03 Washington; the Honorable Brad Owen, Lieutenant Governor of Washington; the Honorable                                   
04 Frank Chopp, Speaker of the Washington House of Representatives; the Honorable Sarah                                    
05 Palin, Governor of Alaska; the Honorable Sean Parnell, Lieutenant Governor of Alaska; and                               
06 the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the                                      
07 Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.