Legislature(2023 - 2024)BARNES 124
04/18/2024 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB161 | |
| HB134 | |
| HB30 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 161 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 134 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 30 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
HB 30-OBSERVE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ALL YEAR
8:26:18 AM
CHAIR MCCORMICK announced that the final order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 30, "An Act relating to daylight saving time;
and providing for an effective date."
8:26:39 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DAN ORTIZ, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, gave an overview of HB 30. He addressed an unanswered
question Representative McCabe had asked at the previous
committee hearing, noting where daylight saving time (DST) is
observed in other countries and stating that in New York there
are seven bills related to this topic. He reminded the committee
that if Alaska were to adopt standard time, it would put Alaska
on a two-hour difference from western states.
8:29:58 AM
CHAIR MCCORMICK opened public testimony on HB 30.
8:30:25 AM
TOM WILLIAMS, Financial Officer, Ward Air, testified in support
of HB 30. He discussed the benefits of adopting DST year-round.
He said that while total daylight time wouldn't change, it would
only change the time for four months in the year, avoid
inflicting economic damage to the visitor industry in Alaska,
avoid reducing outdoor recreational opportunities during the
spring and fall, add an hour of daylight after school hours
during the winter, reduce the time zone difference between
Alaska and the east coast financial markets to three hours
instead of four during the winter, and provide an economic
benefit with the later daylight hours during the winter months.
He said the significant impact HB 30 would have on the economy
and the general health of the public far outweighs the benefit
of eliminating the twice per year time change that has been law
for decades. He urged the committee to pass HB 30 with "do
pass" recommendations.
8:33:22 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT asked how DST is beneficial for
tourists.
MR. WILLIAMS explained that during the summertime there is a lot
of light hours in the evening, providing ample time for
recreational opportunities during that time. He said in the
winter, certain flight operations could provide better service
to those who want to leave later in the morning and return later
in the evening.
8:35:05 AM
JAY PEA, President, Save Standard Time, testified in opposition
to HB 30. He said Save Standard Time would prefer to make
standard time permanent, as having permanent DST extend into
winter is not desirable. He gave a list of possible effects of
permanent DST, saying it would force earlier waking times,
significantly increase car accidents and depression rates, all
of which he said create an unnecessary risk to public safety.
He said that based on a number of studies, standard time is more
closely reflective of the sun and comes with numerous health and
social benefits. He named several states and countries which
have adopted permanent standard time and gave evidence of how
that positively impacted the health and well-being of the people
of those places. He argued that permanent DST would not lower
crime rates, but actually increase crime rates per a study by
the European Union considering permanent standard time.
8:39:20 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT asked whether any studies on the
effects of DST have taken Alaska into account specifically.
MR. PEA said none were specific to Alaska, but Russia tried
permanent DST for three years before reversing that decision and
going to permanent standard time after determining that DST was
the cause of a significant increase in car crashes and
depression.
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT asked where she could find the Russian
study Mr. Pea had mentioned.
MR. PEA cited Boris Enkov's 2016 study titled "Seven Year Survey
of Sleep Timing in Russian Children in Adolescence" and offered
to email studies to the committee.
8:40:57 AM
REPRESENTATIVE MEARS said she appreciated any research or
science specifically related to Alaska, because the impacts of
such a decision would not be uniform across the state due to its
size.
8:42:10 AM
CHAIR MCCORMICK, after ascertaining there was no one else who
wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 30.
8:42:15 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 8:42 a.m. to 8:43 a.m.
8:43:17 AM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE moved to report HB 30 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
notes.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE objected.
8:43:40 AM
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE said he is okay with allowing the bill
to pass, but he is not convinced that DST is the appropriate
time for the entire state of Alaska. He said that the citizens
who live here should be prioritized, not tourists or operators
within those industries. He expressed his "deep reservations
and concerns" related to DST but said he would remain a "yes"
vote.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE said he was in favor of keeping standard
time if we were to eliminate the current twice per year time
switch. He cited a decade worth of information related to
fatigue risk management studies in the airline pilot industry
and said it would be a mistake for Alaska to adopt permanent
DST.
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT said she doesn't have a firm sense of
which time system is better than the other, she just wants to
choose one or the other.
REPRESENATIVE BAKER commented that he is okay with moving HB 30
out of committee but is apprehensive about uniform DST because
of the potential for harm to northern communities that receive
very little light in the winter.
CHAIR MCCORMICK said he is in agreement with his colleagues and
acknowledged that the twice per year time change needs to be
eliminated.
8:48:12 AM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE removed his objection.
8:48:23 AM
REPRESENTATIVE MEARS objected for the purpose of discussion.
REPRESENTATIVE MEARS said she got the sense from the discussion
that standard time is the correct way to move forward and asked
whether changes should be made to HB 30 before moving it out of
committee.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCORMICK reminded committee members that an
amendment deadline for HB 30 had passed.
REPRESENTATIVE MEARS removed her objection. There being no
further objection, HB 30 was reported from the House Community
and Regional Affairs Standing Committee.