02/28/2019 03:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

          HB  34-NAMING SCOTT JOHNSON MEMORIAL BRIDGE                                                                       
                                                                                                                              
3:01:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS  announced  that   the  first  order  of                                                               
business would  be HOUSE BILL  NO. 34,  "An Act naming  the Scott                                                               
Johnson Memorial Bridge."                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:02:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DAVID  TALERICO,  Alaska  State  Legislature,  as                                                               
prime sponsor of  HB 34, paraphrased from  the sponsor statement,                                                               
which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     The legislation  amends Alaska Statute 35.40  by naming                                                                    
     bridge number  506 over the  Tok River at mile  1309 of                                                                    
     the  Alaska  Highway  to be  named  the  Scott  Johnson                                                                    
     Memorial Bridge.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Scott was a person who led  from the front. He set very                                                                    
     high  standards  for   himself.  After  graduating  his                                                                    
     recruit  class as  valedictorian,  he  was assigned  to                                                                    
     Fairbanks  patrol.  Scott   became  involved  with  the                                                                    
     Special  Emergency  Response  Team  (S.E.R.T.)  for  19                                                                    
     years  and held  positions  of  perimeter team  leader,                                                                    
     entry team leader and acting  team leader. He was a K-9                                                                    
     handler,  instructor  and   coordinator.  In  addition,                                                                    
     Scott  trained at  least 33  dual  purpose and/or  drug                                                                    
     detection  canine  teams  throughout  Alaska.  He  also                                                                    
     worked  in the  Alaska Bureau  of Investigation  and at                                                                    
     the age of  36 was promoted to  sergeant. Scott oversaw                                                                    
     patrol  shift  and  later  transferred  to  the  Alaska                                                                    
     Bureau of  Alcohol and  Drug Enforcement.  Scott earned                                                                    
     at  least 43  letters  of  commendation, including  two                                                                    
     commendations for honorable service during his career.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Scott  Johnson was  an Alaska  State Trooper  killed in                                                                    
     the line  of duty  on May  1, 2014.  He had  served the                                                                    
     State of Alaska 23 years.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Let this  be a lasting memorial  to a man who  gave his                                                                    
     life in the  line of duty to the citizens  of the State                                                                    
     of Alaska.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TALERICO  directed the committee's attention  to a                                                               
document by  Brandy Johnson [surviving spouse  to Scott Johnson],                                                               
entitled "Scott  Johnson Memorial Scholarship January  12, 1969 -                                                               
May 1,  2014," included in the  committee packet.  He  added that                                                               
Brandy Johnson  would support [the  naming of the  bridge through                                                               
legislation], if there  is public support for doing  so; he urges                                                               
public  testimony [on  HB 34]  to be  taken to  determine whether                                                               
public  support exists  to move  forward with  the naming  of the                                                               
bridge; if the public support is  not there, he will abide by Ms.                                                               
Johnson's wishes.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:05:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BRANDY JOHNSON, surviving spouse to  Scott Johnson, read from her                                                               
written testimony as follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Chairpersons and members of the committee,                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     After  much self  thought, I  have found  I must  think                                                                    
     about  policy  change  beyond myself  and  what  change                                                                    
     brings to others.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     I  realize there  is  not an  inadequacy  in policy  to                                                                    
     address  here today.   I  like  the fact  that the  Tok                                                                    
     River Bridge is named what it  is.  The bridge has held                                                                    
     that name  for many  years.  Scott  and I  have floated                                                                    
     the river  from dawn till  dusk hunting moose  from the                                                                    
     Glenn Highway  to the Alcan  Highway ending at  the Tok                                                                    
     River Bridge.   In that same segment of  the Tok River,                                                                    
     Scott told me  stories of camping with his  family as a                                                                    
     young boy.   He and  I crossed the bridge  twice yearly                                                                    
     traveling  to and  from  Eagle,  Alaska during  hunting                                                                    
     season for at  least eighteen years prior  to him being                                                                    
     murdered.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     We must remember, policies  that are clearly understood                                                                    
     and  supported  by  all factions  of  a  community  are                                                                    
     respected and  formulated in a  constructive way.   I'd                                                                    
     appreciate  hearing   supportive  testimony   from  the                                                                    
     communities that  centralize the area of  the Tok River                                                                    
     Bridge.  Testimony from  just family,  friends and  co-                                                                    
     workers  limits the  space for  community participation                                                                    
     and tailors the  policy to a few  individuals.  Through                                                                    
     public  deliberation  across  all  factions,  community                                                                    
     members  will  voice their  respect  for  change or  no                                                                    
     change.  Not everybody  likes change.  Change shouldn't                                                                    
     be based  on tradition,  personal or political  gain of                                                                    
     groups or  individuals.  Allowing and  encouraging such                                                                    
     involvement  can  be  realized  in a  way  that  allows                                                                    
     community   representatives  to   become  more   active                                                                    
     members in the policymaking process.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     After  Scott  was  murdered,  I  was  asked  if  I  was                                                                    
     interested  in naming  a bridge  after  Scott and  Gabe                                                                    
     Rich.  I was not, based  on the location of the bridge.                                                                    
     I don't  want to  drive past a  sign with  Scott's name                                                                    
     and  see that  it has  been  shot up  with bullets  and                                                                    
     spray painted.   The disrespect  and hurt  is terrible.                                                                    
     What is  going through  my child's  mind when  they see                                                                    
     this kind  of vandalism?   As much as I  appreciate the                                                                    
     thoughtfulness of the honor,  none of these honors take                                                                    
     away  the pain  and loss.   If  anything, they  make it                                                                    
     worse for me.  This is  where I must look beyond myself                                                                    
     for others.   Scott's job was that of  a public servant                                                                    
     and now  I have  found that his  death, for  many, will                                                                    
     always be remembered  by his job and not  the person he                                                                    
     was.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     In conclusion, I support the  renaming of the Tok River                                                                    
     Bridge to  the Scott  Johnson Memorial Bridge  if there                                                                    
     is  broadspread community  support  of the  centralized                                                                    
     area of  the bridge.   How  our lawmakers  measure that                                                                    
     support I will leave to them.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:08:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY commented  that she was honored  to learn of                                                               
Scott Johnson's life and work.   She offered that she appreciated                                                               
Ms. Johnson's desire for public testimony.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:08:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SHAW  commented that  honoring  a  person with  a                                                               
memorial road sign  is heartfelt and meaningful.   It affords one                                                               
the opportunity to take a moment and remember a valuable life.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS stated that HB 34 would be held over.