03/29/2011 08:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS

                     HB 101-TED STEVENS DAY                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN announced  that the first order of  business was HOUSE                                                               
BILL NO.  101, "An Act establishing  November 18 of each  year as                                                               
Ted Stevens Day."                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:17:45 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KELLER moved  to adopt  the committee  substitute                                                               
(CS) for HB  101, Version 27-LS0221\B, Wayne, 1/27/11,  as a work                                                               
draft.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON objected for discussion purposes.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:17:59 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   CRAIG   JOHNSON,   Alaska   State   Legislature,                                                               
introduced  HB  101   as  chair  of  the   House  Rules  Standing                                                               
Committee, sponsor.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:18:36 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ERIN  SHINE, Staff,  Representative Craig  Johnson, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  presented  HB  101   on  behalf  of  Representative                                                               
Johnson, chair  of the House  Rules Standing  Committee, sponsor.                                                               
She  said  following  former  U.S.   Senator  Theodore  F.  "Ted"                                                               
Stevens' death on August 9,  2010, Governor Sean Parnell declared                                                               
November 18  - Senator  Stevens' birthday  - in  2010 to  be "Ted                                                               
Stevens Day."   Ms. Shine said HB 101 initially  was drafted with                                                               
the  intent  to  establish  Ted  Stevens  Day  in  Alaska  to  be                                                               
celebrated each year  on November 18; however  the Stevens family                                                               
requested the date  be changed to the fourth Saturday  in July, a                                                               
summer  date  that  would  make   it  possible  for  Alaskans  to                                                               
celebrate  the day  in the  great  outdoors so  loved by  Senator                                                               
Stevens.    She  explained  that Version  B  reflects  that  date                                                               
change.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:21:24 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON  removed her objection to  the motion to                                                               
adopt  the committee  substitute  (CS) for  HB  101, Version  27-                                                               
LS0221\B,  Wayne, 1/27/11,  as  a  work draft.    There being  no                                                               
further objection, Version B was before the committee.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:22:16 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MITCH ROSE  testified in  support of  HB 101.   He noted  that he                                                               
worked  for Senator  Ted Stevens  in Washington,  D.C., for  nine                                                               
years,  both as  Senator Stevens'  press secretary  and chief  of                                                               
staff, during which  time he accompanied Senator  Stevens on nine                                                               
of  his addresses  to  the  Alaska State  Legislature.   He  said                                                               
Senator Stevens spoke  to him about his memories  of "his service                                                               
in  Juneau" and  the important  role  of [the  legislature].   He                                                               
thanked the  legislature for  considering this bill  as a  way to                                                               
honor Senator Stevens.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR. ROSE  quoted U.S.  Senator [Lisa]  Murkowski as  having said,                                                               
"Ted was Alaska."   Mr. Rose said the list  of accomplishments of                                                               
Senator Stevens is  too long to fully recite, but  he gave credit                                                               
to Senator Stevens  for his work regarding:  ANCSA,  Title 9, The                                                               
Marine Mammal Protection  Act, The Magnuson Stevens  Act, The Ted                                                               
Stevens   Olympic   and   Amateur  Sports   Act,   The   Pipeline                                                               
Authorization Act,  and the Denali  Commission.  He  said Senator                                                               
Stevens touched many people's lives  and devoted his life to hard                                                               
work and bipartisan effort.   He credited Senator Stevens for his                                                               
work related to airports, railroads,  hospitals, and schools, and                                                               
for his  devotion to  Alaska.  Mr.  Rose concluded  by expressing                                                               
his hope that  the adoption of Ted Stevens Day  would provide the                                                               
opportunity for  people to  enjoy the outdoors  and think  of the                                                               
man who tirelessly supported Alaska.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN noted that U.S.  Senator Stevens had previously served                                                               
in the Alaska State Legislature and in the military.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:24:43 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG  reminisced about once having  worked as                                                               
Ted Stevens' staff.   He said he thinks that  Senator Stevens was                                                               
the most remarkable  person he met, and HB 101  is the least that                                                               
can be done to honor the man.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:25:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TARA  SWEENEY, Senior  Vice President,  External Affairs,  Arctic                                                               
Slope Regional Corporation, testified in  support of HB 101.  She                                                               
echoed Mr.  Rose's remarks about  the many lives touched  by U.S.                                                               
Senator Stevens.   She said  modern-day Alaska was  built because                                                               
of the  representation of  Senator Stevens.   She  indicated that                                                               
moving  Ted Stevens  Day to  the fourth  [Saturday] of  July will                                                               
promote enjoyment of  the outdoors that Senator  Stevens loved so                                                               
much.   She said it is  also a great opportunity  for Alaskans to                                                               
teach future generations about the legacy of Senator Stevens.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:27:47 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LILY SEAMAN  BECKER (ph)  testified in  support of  HB 101.   She                                                               
relayed that  she is the  youngest of Ted Stevens'  six children.                                                               
She  stated that  the  family is  honored that  HB  101 has  been                                                               
proposed, and  she confirmed Ms.  Shine's remark that the  end of                                                               
July  is  a fitting  time  to  celebrate  the memory  of  Senator                                                               
Stevens.   Ms.  Becker said  that is  the time  her father  would                                                               
return  home to  Alaska  to  enjoy the  U.S.  Senate's recess  in                                                               
August.  She shared memories  of discovering fishing holes around                                                               
the  state with  her father,  and  his insistence  that those  in                                                               
Washington, D.C., making decisions  that affect Alaska, must come                                                               
experience its  rugged beauty  for themselves.   Ms.  Becker said                                                               
her father's  service of  over 40 years  inspires her  daily, and                                                               
she expressed  her hope that  Ted Stevens Day  will be a  day for                                                               
Alaskans to enjoy  the great outdoors, to be  healthy and active,                                                               
and to celebrate the state.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. BECKER quoted her father as  having said the following to the                                                               
Alaska State Legislature:                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     While we may at times disagree on the path, we can all                                                                     
      agree on our goal:  Just do what's right for Alaska;                                                                      
     Alaska succeeds when Alaskans work together.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MS. BECKER urged the committee to support HB 101.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN offered his condolences  to the family of U.S. Senator                                                               
Stevens for their  loss, and remarked upon the loss  to the state                                                               
with his passing.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:30:17 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN,  after ascertaining  that there was  no one  else who                                                               
wished to testify, closed public testimony.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:30:26 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON emphasized  her appreciation for HB 101,                                                               
and said she is amazed by the work of U.S. Senator Stevens.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:31:03 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JOHANSEN  said  he   only  interfaced  with  U.S.                                                               
Senator Stevens  for a short while,  but is honored to  have done                                                               
so.  He expressed his support of HB 101.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:32:15 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON opined that HB  101 is a fitting tribute to                                                               
the work  of U.S.  Senator Stevens,  who worked  toward solutions                                                               
for Alaska.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:33:11 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER  moved to report  (CS) for HB  101, Version                                                               
27-LS0221\B,  Wayne, 1/27/11,  out of  committee with  individual                                                               
recommendations and  the accompanying fiscal notes.   There being                                                               
no objection, CSHB  101(STA) was reported out of  the House State                                                               
Affairs Standing Committee.