02/23/2010 01:00 PM House TRANSPORTATION

        HB   7-ROBERT E. BUSH VETERANS' MEMORIAL BRIDGE                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:08:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR P. WILSON announced that  the first order of business would                                                               
be HOUSE BILL  NO. 7, "An Act naming the  bridge over the Kasilof                                                               
River on the Sterling Highway  the Robert E. Bush, Jr., Veterans'                                                               
Memorial Bridge."                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:09:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
THOMAS WRIGHT, Staff, Representative  Mike Chenault, Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, on behalf of the  prime sponsor, Representative Mike                                                               
Chenault,  paraphrased from  the  sponsor  statement, which  read                                                               
[original punctuation provided]:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     House  Bill 7  was  introduced at  the  request of  the                                                                    
     uncle of Robert  Bush. Robert Bush passed  away on July                                                                    
     12, 2007.  He served  with the  United States  Army and                                                                    
     served his country in Operation  Desert Storm. Upon his                                                                    
     discharge he returned home and  was diagnosed with Type                                                                    
     1 diabetes.  This disease eventually claimed  his life.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     His  children drive  over the  Kasilof River  daily and                                                                    
      naming the bridge in Robert's honor would remind his                                                                      
        family and the public of his contribution to his                                                                        
     community and his country.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:12:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MUNOZ  pointed out that the  possessive apostrophe                                                               
in Veterans' is not needed.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG  agreed.  He  remarked at the  number of                                                               
people who supported this.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. WRIGHT, in response to  Chair Wilson, explained that Mr. Bush                                                               
was  not  killed in  action.    He related  widespread  community                                                               
support, and rather few negative comments.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:13:51 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR P. WILSON related that  typically the legislature will name                                                               
a bridge  after a veteran  if the  veteran was killed  in action.                                                               
She asked how long he served.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. WRIGHT responded that he does not have his service record.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR P.  WILSON surmised  that Mr. Bush's  illness or  death was                                                               
not  connected  to his  military  service.    She asked  for  the                                                               
committee's input  since this  is unusual.   She remarked  on the                                                               
number of people that expressed interest in this bill.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR. WRIGHT commented  that the area for the  proposed memorial is                                                               
more of a community than a town.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:15:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PETERSEN asked about the fiscal note.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR. WRIGHT  referred to the  fiscal note submitted by  the DOT&PF                                                               
in the amount of $3,700 dollars to install signs.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:15:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG  stated that he  was not certain  of the                                                               
length of time of  service for Mr. Bush.  He  said he was unaware                                                               
of any  instance in which the  state has honored people  who have                                                               
died from  diabetes.  He  commented from his  personal experience                                                               
his  awareness of  the  deadliness  of diabetes.    He asked  how                                                               
committee  members and  the family  would feel  about naming  the                                                               
bridge the  "Robert E.  Bush, Jr. Memorial  Bridge."   This would                                                               
honor not  only Mr.  Bush, but  would also  honor all  people who                                                               
suffer from diabetes.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR.  WRIGHT offered  that the  sponsor would  not object  to that                                                               
change.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  P.   WILSON  characterized   this  solution  as   "a  nice                                                               
solution".                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG agreed.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:17:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRUENBERG  made  a  motion  to  adopt  Conceptual                                                               
Amendment 1, on page 1, lines 2, 5, and 7 to strike "Veterans'".                                                                
                                                                                                                                
There being no objection, Conceptual Amendment 1, was adopted.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR P.  WILSON, after first  determining no one else  wished to                                                               
testify, closed public testimony on HB 7.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:18:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MUNOZ  moved to  report HB 7,  as amended,  out of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal notes.   There being no objection, HB 7  was reported from                                                               
the House Transportation Standing Committee.