2006-02-01                     Senate Journal                      Page 2036
SB 261                                                                                            
SENATE BILL NO. 261 BY THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE                                                   
BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, entitled:                                                               
                                                                                                    
          "An Act relating to the designation of traffic safety                                     
          corridors; relating to the bail or fine for an offense                                    
          committed in a traffic safety corridor and to                                             
          separately accounting for such fines; and providing                                       
          for an effective date."                                                                   
                                                                                                    
was read the first time and referred to the Transportation and Finance                              
Committees.                                                                                         

2006-02-01                     Senate Journal                      Page 2037
The following fiscal information was published today:                                               
 Fiscal Note No. 1, Department of Transportation and Public                                         
       Facilities                                                                                   
 Fiscal Note No. 2, zero, Department of Public Safety                                               
                                                                                                    
Governor's transmittal letter dated January 31, 2006:                                               
                                                                                                    
Dear President Stevens:                                                                             
                                                                                                    
Under the authority of art. III, section 18, of the Alaska Constitution, I                          
am transmitting a bill relating to the designation of traffic safety                                
corridors; and relating to the bail or fine for an offense committed in a                           
traffic safety corridor and to separately accounting for such fines.                                
                                                                                                    
This bill would authorize the Department of Transportation and Public                               
Facilities to designate a portion of a highway to be a traffic safety                               
corridor by posting signs at the beginning and end of the corridor.  The                            
designation would be made to promote traffic safety in that area.                                   
                                                                                                    
The Alaska Supreme Court and each municipality would be required                                    
to provide that the scheduled amount of a fine or bail for a motor                                  
vehicle or traffic offense in a traffic safety corridor would be double                             
the amount of the fine or bail if the offense had not been committed in                             
a traffic safety corridor.                                                                          
                                                                                                    
The provisions of AS 28.05.151(d) and AS 28.40.070 currently                                        
provide for double fines or bail for motor vehicle or traffic offenses in                           
areas designated as highway work zones.  These provisions would be                                  
amended by adding references to traffic safety corridors.                                           
                                                                                                    
The bill also would provide for separate accounting for fines collected                             
for traffic safety corridor offenses, and for appropriation of 50 percent                           
of those collected fines to the Department of Transportation and Public                             
Facilities, highway safety planning agency, for highway safety                                      
programs.                                                                                           
                                                                                                    
The bill would have an immediate effective date so that traffic safety                              
corridors could be designated as soon as possible.                                                  
                                                                                                    
I urge your prompt and favorable action on this measure.                                            
                                                                                                    

2006-02-01                     Senate Journal                      Page 2038
Sincerely yours,                                                                                    
/s/                                                                                                 
Frank H. Murkowski                                                                                  
Governor