01/29/2026 03:15 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

                          HB 124-AIDEA                                                                                      
3:51:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARRICK  announced that the  final order of  business would                                                               
be HOUSE BILL  NO. 124 "An Act relating to  the Alaska Industrial                                                               
Development and Export Authority;  and providing for an effective                                                               
date."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARRICK, prime  sponsor of HB 124,  announced the committee                                                               
would continue hearing public testimony,  which she had left open                                                               
from the hearing on 1/27/26.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:53:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JIM CLARK, Attorney, testified on HB  124.  He has had clients in                                                               
the natural  resource field for 30  years; he was chief  of staff                                                               
for then Governor Frank Murkowski  for four years; and has worked                                                               
with mining clients  for a few years.   In all that  time, he has                                                               
dealt  with   the  Alaska   Industrial  Development   and  Export                                                               
Authority  (AIDEA), Alaska's  industrial  development  bank.   He                                                               
stated  that any  attempt  to make  changes  may have  unintended                                                               
consequences.   He  asked  for this  bill to  be  held until  due                                                               
diligence has  been done with  AIDEA.   Mr. Ruaro will  deal with                                                               
concerns if  the committee  works with him.   The  legislation is                                                               
premature as  there are unintended consequences,  particularly in                                                               
Sections 7  and 8.   He described  projects in  Southeast Alaska.                                                               
Again,  he  requested  the  bill be  set  aside  until  oversight                                                               
hearings  have  occurred and  more  due  diligence has  been  met                                                               
because the risk of unintended consequences is high.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:56:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CAROLYN  KELLER, representing  self, testified  in support  of HB
.     She  thinks   that  it  is   valuable  to   have  public                                                               
participation to  ensure the  work is  in the  public's interest.                                                               
She  likes   that  board  members   will  be  confirmed   by  the                                                               
legislature including an environmental member.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:57:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JAZMINE  VENT,  representing  self,  thanked  Chair  Carrick  for                                                               
introducing  this  important legislation.    She  said AIDEA  has                                                               
operated far  too long without  oversight.  She stated  AIDEA has                                                               
advanced  projects   without  public  input,   especially  tribal                                                               
voices.  She said HB  124 would improve accountability with large                                                               
projects  receiving legislative  review.   She said  transparency                                                               
and oversight are essential.   She urges the committee to support                                                               
HB 124, especially for the Native communities.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:59:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RIKA MOUW, representing  self, was thrilled HB 124  is before the                                                               
committee and  being considered.  She  is in full support  of the                                                               
language  in  the   bill.    There  is  a  true   need  for  more                                                               
accountability to the legislature and  public.  She said AIDEA is                                                               
a public  corporation, and it  must answer to  accountability and                                                               
transparency.  She urges the bill to pass through the committee.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:01:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MEGAN LINGLE, representing self, said  she was born and raised in                                                               
Alaska.   She  said for  Native people,  the land  is their  food                                                               
source, not just an economic resource.   She stated that when the                                                               
land is harmed, the people are  harmed.  She expressed that AIDEA                                                               
has  played  a  major  role   in  the  Ambler  Road  with  little                                                               
legislative  oversight  and  accountability   to  the  people  it                                                               
effects.   She  said HB  124 doesn't  stop development,  the bill                                                               
ensures AIDEA has increased oversight.   Alaska constitution says                                                               
that Alaska lands must be managed  for the maximum benefit of the                                                               
people.  She urged the committee  to support HB 124 so that AIDEA                                                               
cannot    move   forward    to   industrial    projects   without                                                               
accountability to the people, land, and future generations.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:03:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
GRACE KIRKEY, representing self, testified  in support of HB 124.                                                               
She stated Alaskans deserve  transparency and stronger oversight.                                                               
She   said  HB   124  is   a  commonsense   step  to   strengthen                                                               
accountability and meets  the need of Alaskans.   She stated that                                                               
development should not come before the expense of public trust.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:04:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DAVID DELONG, representing self, testified  in support of HB 124.                                                               
To the  public, AIDEA is like  a black hole where  a great amount                                                               
of money  is poured into.   He said there  is no idea of  what is                                                               
going on,  except for projects  which directly affect  people who                                                               
are very much  against them.  He urged the  committee to pass the                                                               
bill.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:06:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DON DUNCAN, representing  self, said he has made his  living as a                                                               
wilderness, hunting, and  fishing guide.  He has  worked all over                                                               
the state  since 1979.   He said,  "HB 124 is  a wolf  in sheep's                                                               
clothing.  If  passed, it will be  a death by 1,000 cuts.   It is                                                               
never going  to please everyone."   People that benefit  the most                                                               
from resource  development are  the people  that get  that money.                                                               
People profit  and Alaskans don't  get a permanent  fund dividend                                                               
(PFD) full allotment.   For those that want to  see AIDEA pay out                                                               
a dividend,  he strongly  suggests looking  to the  University of                                                               
Alaska to  run as a  for-profit returning  a dividend.   The haul                                                               
road is  50 years  old; he  is still waiting  for a  boat launch.                                                               
The small business  loan might have been something  that he could                                                               
have  used;  he stated  that  they  are  paying off  without  any                                                               
default.  He  stated AIDEA needs to provide a  salmon hatchery on                                                               
the Yukon  River.  He stated  AIDEA is doing the  best thing that                                                               
it can to bring money into the state.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:09:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BERNIE  HOFFMAN, representing  self,  thanked  the committee  for                                                               
bringing  forth  HB 124.    She  stated  there  does need  to  be                                                               
accountability.   She  said the  resources need  to be  developed                                                               
with the public's knowledge.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:11:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JAMIE BITMAR, representing self, said  she is a business owner in                                                               
support  of  HB  124  because  she  wants  to  see  transparency,                                                               
responsible  decision-making,  and  accountability.   She  stated                                                               
AIDEA  has been  spending money  on  the Ambler  Road project,  a                                                               
controversial project.  She urges support of HB 124.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:13:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
THERESA OBERMEYER, representing self,  said she wanted to commend                                                               
Chair Carrick for  bringing this AIDEA issue forward.   She asked                                                               
the committee to pass HB 124 out of committee.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:14:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  CARRICK, after  ascertaining  there was  no  one else  who                                                               
wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 124.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARRICK announced HB 124 was held over.