03/21/2019 01:30 PM House TRANSPORTATION

        HB  88-NAMING TROOPER GABE RICH MEMORIAL BRIDGE                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
2:20:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR WOOL announced that the final order of business would                                                                  
be HOUSE BILL NO. 88, "An Act naming the Trooper Gabe Rich                                                                      
Memorial Bridge."                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:20:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TALERICO, as prime sponsor, presented HB 88.  He                                                                 
paraphrased the sponsor statement, which read as follows                                                                        
[original punctuation provided]:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     The legislation  amends Alaska Statute 35.40  by naming                                                                    
     bridge  number 392  over the  Chatanika  River at  mile                                                                    
     38.8  of the  Steese Highway  to be  named the  Trooper                                                                    
     Gabe Rich Memorial Bridge.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     On May  1, 2014,  Gabriel "Gabe"  Lenox Rich,  gave his                                                                    
     life while answering  the call of duty  in Tanana. Gabe                                                                    
     attended Lathrop  High School,  graduating in  2006. He                                                                    
     attended  Montana State  University and  the University                                                                    
     of Alaska Anchorage before  pursuing his lifelong dream                                                                    
     of  entering  the  ranks   of  law  enforcement.  After                                                                    
     graduating from  the Fairbanks Police Academy  in 2007,                                                                    
     he went  to work for  the North Pole  Police department                                                                    
     until being  accepted by the  Alaska State  Troopers in                                                                    
     2011.  Of  all of  his  achievements,  the greatest  of                                                                    
     these soon followed when he became a father.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Integrity  was  the  foundation  of  his  career  as  a                                                                    
     trooper,  and love  was his  foundation at  home. As  a                                                                    
     father and spouse,  you couldn't have asked  for a more                                                                    
     dedicated and  compassionate man.  In his  career, Gabe                                                                    
     was  dependable,  kind and  had  an  innate ability  to                                                                    
     bring  comfort in  difficult situations.  He loved  his                                                                    
     work and those he worked with.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
      Gabe Rich was an Alaska State Trooper killed in the                                                                       
      line of duty on May 1, 2014. He had served the State                                                                      
     of Alaska over 7 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.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:22:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY  shared her appreciation for  the showing of                                                               
public support  for the honor  that would be bestowed  through HB
.                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
2:22:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  WOOL  expressed  his gratitude  to  have  the  proposed                                                               
legislation before  the House Transportation  Standing Committee.                                                               
He characterized it as both sad and good.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:23:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR WOOL opened public testimony on HB 88.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:23:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CAPTAIN  RONALD  WALL,  Commander,  Detachment  D,  Alaska  State                                                               
Troopers,  Department of  Public  Safety (DPS),  stated that  the                                                               
late Trooper  Rich had  had a great  impact on  the organization.                                                               
He said Trooper  Rich worked on the control unit  and rural unit,                                                               
and he  had planned  to transfer to  Southeast, Alaska.   Captain                                                               
Wall  called   the  quality   of  work   done  by   Trooper  Rich                                                               
outstanding, and he said he  brought joy and happiness into every                                                               
contact.  He  characterized Trooper Rich as someone  who had been                                                               
"a joy  to be around"  and "a  terrific employee."   Captain Wall                                                               
stated that the proposed bridge would honor him.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:25:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR WOOL  noted that  the widows of  the slain  troopers had                                                               
worked with  the legislature in  the past year to  increase death                                                               
benefits for the families of slain troopers.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:25:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR WOOL closed public testimony on HB 88.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:25:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  STUTES moved  to report  HB  88 out  of committee  with                                                               
individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  zero  fiscal                                                               
note.   There being no objection,  HB 88 was reported  out of the                                                               
House Transportation Standing Committee.