Legislature(2021 - 2022)ADAMS 519
04/13/2021 01:30 PM House FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB79 | |
| HB80 | |
| SB22 | |
| HB126 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 79 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 80 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 22 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 126 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HOUSE BILL NO. 79
"An Act relating to salt water sport fishing operators
and salt water sport fishing guides; and providing for
an effective date."
1:34:21 PM
Co-Chair Merrick OPENED public testimony.
DICK ROHRER, SELF, KODIAK (via teleconference), thanked the
committee for the opportunity to testify. He remarked on
the financing portion of the legislation. He found it
interesting there was not a higher fee on nonresidents;
there was precedent for it related to big game. He shared
that he was a big game and a sport fish guide. He pointed
out that a resident license for big game was $850 and a
nonresident license was $1,700. The assistant big game
license fee was $410 for residents and $820 for
nonresidents. He noted the fees were biennial. He pointed
out that an annual commercial fishing crew member license
fee was $60 for residents and $280 for nonresidents. He
considered how to fund the saltwater logbook program and
thought it would be appropriate to charge the nonresident
operator and guide at least twice the amount of the
resident guide license. He was supportive of the license
fee to help with the saltwater logbook program. He
understood the program's importance. He noted his concern
that the license fee for freshwater would be a segue back
into a freshwater logbook system, which he opposed. He
noted concern with the penalty section where the court may
revoke a guide's license if the guide had two violations in
a three-year period. He thought that was a severe
consequence. He was primarily concerned about the fees.
1:37:52 PM
RON CARMON, SELF, KENAI (via teleconference), was concerned
with number 4 which required guides to satisfy the rules
adopted by the Board of Fish. He thought it should read
that guides adopt the rules of the constitution. He thought
the commissioner of Department of Fish and Game was
dictating over the Board of Fish rules. He remarked that
the commissioner could only rule on licensed people. He
pointed out that guides and charter boats were not
licensed; however, commercial fishery was licensed. He
pointed out that current guides and charter boats fished
for free and provided almost zero income to the General
Fund. He reminded the committee that 6.4 million guides
frequented Alaska and took 3 million fish out of the Kenai
River and 3 million fish out of the Kasilof River. He
stated that catch and release fishing was a blood sport. He
highlighted that charter boats fished for free and had
taken $44.3 billion in fish over the last 20 years from the
Kenai Peninsula. The dip net fisheries took 543 million
fish per year from the Kenai Peninsula, which brought zero
income to the General Fund. He referenced the money the
federal government brought in from marijuana growers. He
felt legislators were giving revenue away for free. He had
asked the Department of Fish and Game why some guides were
licensed, and others were not. He suggested that it was a
commerce problem started by Representative Don Young in
1975. He wanted the legislature to change the law to suit
Alaska's needs. He thought the Board of Fisheries should be
eliminated.
Representative Wool clarified that the marijuana tax was
paid to the state, not the federal government.
1:43:36 PM
BEN MOHR, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KENAI RIVER SPORT FISHING
ASSOCIATION, SOLDOTNA (via teleconference), supported HB 79
in its original form. He explained that the saltwater
logbook program met an obligation for reporting on
activities related to the Halibut Treaty and Salmon Treaty.
He shared that the data generated and reported was not
optional. He relayed that hunters and sport fishermen had
long supported the user pays model for fish and game
conservation. He stated that accurate information coming
into managers and treaty negotiators was essential to
making good calls in Alaska's fisheries. As beneficiaries
of those management calls and treaty positions, it was
fitting for the user to cover the costs.
Mr. Mohr thought freshwater issues should remain out of the
bill. He stated there was no reason a pike guide in
Fairbanks should be paying for a program required for a
charter guide in Ketchikan. He stated that establishing
guide registration fees under the guise of programs
necessary for treaty obligations like the saltwater
logbook, looked to be somewhat inappropriate. He suggested
that if the legislature wanted to create a new fee for
small businesses it should be taken up under separate
legislation. He stated that the reporting requirements
under the salmon and halibut treaties were unlikely to
change and managers would continue to need data. Alaska
sport fishing communities could continue being self-
supporting. He reiterated his support for the governor's
version of the bill.
Representative Wool asked if association believed
nonresident and resident guiding fees should be different.
He asked if a nonresident guide should pay more than a
resident guide.
Mr. Mohr responded that the guide sector had been looking
at the topic on the Kenai River recently. He relayed that
the costs for a guide license on the Kenai had changed. In
the past there had been a difference in the fees for
resident versus nonresident guides; however, the fees were
currently the same. He suggested asking parks why the fees
were now equal. He suspected the reason had something to do
with obligations under the Commerce Clause of the
constitution related to operating businesses and where they
are based. He noted it was just a guess.
1:46:55 PM
Representative Wool asked if Mr. Mohr supported different
rates for resident and nonresident guides.
Mr. Mohr replied that he had not given the issue much
thought. He had given much more thought to the difference
on licensing between instate and out-of-state anglers. He
noted it was a different question for businesses.
1:47:40 PM
Co-Chair Merrick CLOSED public testimony.
Co-Chair Merrick indicated amendments were due in her
office by the end of Saturday, April 17, 2021.
HB 79 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.