01/31/2008 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

                                                                                                                                
             HB  37-ESTABLISHING SUSAN BUTCHER DAY                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MCGUIRE announced  the consideration of HB 37.  [HB 37 (EFD                                                               
ADD) was before the committee.]                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DAVID   GUTTENBERG,  Alaska   State  Legislature,                                                               
sponsor of  HB 37, said  the bill establishes the  first Saturday                                                               
of March  as Susan Butcher day.  She was larger than  life in his                                                               
world. When  he attended  her memorial  service he  realized "how                                                               
much of  a person she  was on a national  level and what  she was                                                               
doing  for Alaska."  George Lucas  and [Bill  and Melinda]  Gates                                                               
attended the  memorial. Besides being a  phenomenal musher, Susan                                                               
was an American most of us  only read about in history books. Her                                                               
family downplayed  that role. She  was very down-to-earth.  HB 37                                                               
is a good thing to do for the state and the nation.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  MCGUIRE introduced  David  Monson and  noted  that he  has                                                               
spent a  year testifying for  this legislation. She  welcomed him                                                               
and thanked him for his efforts.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
DAVID  MONSON, Husband  of  Susan  Butcher, said  if  he had  the                                                               
choice he wouldn't  be here; "I would be at  home with her." Life                                                               
doesn't  give you  those choices.  He always  imagined her  at 80                                                               
years of  age and  walking determinedly  down the  street telling                                                               
people to get out of the  way because she had something important                                                               
to do. In 50  years she probable got more out  of life than most.                                                               
He wondered how he could condense  his 25 years with her into two                                                               
minutes. "I can't do it."                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:08:19 AM                                                                                                                    
MR. MONSON  said he has learned  from the letters that  came from                                                               
other people;  she wasn't  just "Susan the  musher," she  was the                                                               
representation of  Alaska and the  inspiration for  young people.                                                               
He said  he was humbled  that so many people,  including military                                                               
leaders  and national  media people,  thought so  highly of  her.                                                               
Melinda [Gates] said Susan helped her  find her voice as a woman.                                                               
It  really struck  him that  he heard  from many  women who  were                                                               
inspired by Susan  to do whatever it was that  they wanted to do.                                                               
One said,  "If you can  be out there  on the  trail … then  I can                                                               
walk across the  room … because I have  arthritis." A seven-year-                                                               
old girl  said she was going  to grow up  to be a doctor,  "and I                                                               
know  that,  because you  could  do  something that  you  weren't                                                               
supposed  to be  able to  do." When  Susan first  started racing,                                                               
people didn't  want her  to win because  she was  doing something                                                               
that women  were not supposed  to be doing. She  never complained                                                               
about that but  just wanted to do her best.  When she failed, she                                                               
tried and tried  again. She had been attacked by  a moose and put                                                               
out of the race, and she  came back without regrets, and she won.                                                               
Over the years, that sent a message, he opined.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:10:37 AM                                                                                                                    
MR.  MONSON  said  Susan  was   genuine.  We  met  six  different                                                               
presidents,  and she  treated them  the  same as  any plumber  or                                                               
anyone.  She wasn't  afraid to  say  what she  thought. You  knew                                                               
where she  stood. It is difficult  to be here to  talk about her,                                                               
but "when  I see  how much  she inspired others,  and when  I see                                                               
what she did in a very positive  way to bring the image of Alaska                                                               
of  hard  work,  dedication,  self  reliance,  and  love  of  the                                                               
wilderness to the people in the  United States and in the world -                                                               
- she really served a mighty  role in presenting our state in the                                                               
most positive  way and bringing  many, many people …  to Alaska."                                                               
It served  the state well, and  it will continue, he  stated. She                                                               
was a  role model.  "My children  were very,  very lucky  to have                                                               
her; I was lucky  to have her." The state was  lucky to have her.                                                               
It took a year  to get here, but in that  year, he learned things                                                               
about Susan that he  did not know. It gave him  time to pause and                                                               
read what people had to say  about her. "Sometimes life gives you                                                               
what you need, and maybe this was it."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:12:59 AM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE  JAY RAMRAS,  Alaska  State  Legislature, said  he                                                               
used one  of Susan Butcher's  dogs in a television  commercial in                                                               
1986. He used to do food drops  for her during races. He knew her                                                               
and David  for years. On behalf  of the state, Susan  Butcher was                                                               
such a transcending figure of self  reliance, and she is good for                                                               
the brand  of Alaska and  the support  of dog mushing,  which has                                                               
its critics.  Recognizing Susan is  good for gender  equality and                                                               
for everyone  in Alaska. At  her funeral Herbie Nayokpuk  was not                                                               
in  good health,  but  he spoke,  and  Representative Ramras  saw                                                               
"passing Alaska  history." Susan had  a unique ability  to bridge                                                               
the Native and non-Native world.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:15:38 AM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE RAMRAS  said she had a  certain majesty connecting                                                               
the two cultures  and connecting Alaska to the lower  48. This is                                                               
an appropriate  honor and  will pay  dividends to  Alaska. Alaska                                                               
needs more legends because it doesn't have any Paul Reveres.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:16:40 AM                                                                                                                    
JOHN BINKLEY,  Former State  Senator, said  his family  has known                                                               
Susan for many  years. She was caring for musk  ox and his family                                                               
loaned her  a garage.  He once  served in this  body and  she and                                                               
David were constituents.  Mr. Binkley said he  helped promote the                                                               
Iditarod. When Susan  and David moved to Fairbanks  they became a                                                               
part of  his [tourism]  operation, giving  visitors a  glimpse of                                                               
life  in  Alaska. The  Iditarod  was  brought  to Alaska  by  Joe                                                               
Redington,  but Susan  brought the  Iditarod to  the rest  of the                                                               
world. She  embodied and represented  Alaskans around  the world,                                                               
showing we are  independent people and regardless  of gender "you                                                               
can compete equally." Alaskans should be  proud of her, and HB 37                                                               
is a way to keep that alive.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:19:40 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  MCGUIRE  said that  some  people  have asked  about  other                                                               
Iditarod  mushers,  and  if  there  should  be  an  Iditarod  Day                                                               
instead.  She spoke  of the  Elizabeth  Peratrovich gallery,  and                                                               
without a specific  day honoring her, her story  and legend would                                                               
be lost. Chair McGuire didn't  know who Peratrovich was at first,                                                               
and then she learned her story  about standing up in that gallery                                                               
to  speak about  Native rights,  and making  Alaska ahead  of the                                                               
civil rights movement.  That was incredible. A  Susan Butcher Day                                                               
sends a story too.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR. BINKLEY said  Susan transcends the Iditarod  itself. The race                                                               
was her  platform, but it  was more about the  personification of                                                               
her  to  the rest  of  the  world about  Alaska.  It  is not  the                                                               
accomplishments in the race itself, and  that is why it should be                                                               
a Susan  Butcher Day and not  be diminished to all  who have been                                                               
involved in the Iditarod.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:22:25 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR BUNDE said  he understands not wanting to  clutter up the                                                               
statutes with specific days, but Susan was extraordinary.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MCGUIRE noted that that debate  has gone on, but Susan is a                                                               
role model,  an Alaska  story, a national  story, and  a positive                                                               
story about the race.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:23:43 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  FRENCH  moved  to  report  HB  37  from  committee  with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  attached  fiscal note(s).  There                                                               
being no objection, HB 37(efd add) moved out of committee.