04/25/2023 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS

        HB 155-ESTABLISH AK MILITARY AFFAIRS COMMISSION                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:07:32 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WRIGHT announced  that the only order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL NO.  155, "An  Act establishing  the Alaska  Military                                                               
Affairs Commission; and relating to  the duties and powers of the                                                               
Alaska Military Affairs Commission."                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:08:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WRIGHT opened public testimony on HB 155.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:08:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BRITNEY SMART, Assistant, Mayor  Bryce Ward, Fairbanks North Star                                                               
Borough,  expressed  support  for  HB   155,  on  behalf  of  the                                                               
Fairbanks North  Star Borough.   She  expressed the  opinion that                                                               
the commission  the bill proposes  would help  veterans integrate                                                               
into communities.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:09:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TIM JONES, representing  self, shared that he served  27 years in                                                               
the U.S. Army  and retired in Fairbanks in 2011.   He stated that                                                               
he participates  in the town's  local Tiger Team, which  works to                                                               
help military  families in communities.   As budgets  tighten, he                                                               
pointed  out that  the  military  would be  looking  more at  its                                                               
decisions concerning its  bases.  He stated that  it is important                                                               
for  Alaska to  have  a knowledgeable,  committed, and  permanent                                                               
group that seeks  out ways to build synergy  between military and                                                               
civilian communities.   He shared that he has  recently served on                                                               
the  governor's Alaska  Civilian Armed  Services Team,  which was                                                               
formed to  address statewide issues  relating to the  military in                                                               
the state.   He stated  that the group  had served to  advise the                                                               
governor  and the  Department of  Military and  Veterans Affairs;                                                               
however, recently  it was allowed  to sunset.  He  suggested that                                                               
the  proposed legislation  would create  a commission  that would                                                               
provide similar  services for Alaska  on a more  permanent basis.                                                               
He suggested that the proposed  commission be made of members who                                                               
are  knowledgeable of  the operational  requirements, as  well as                                                               
the  social needs  of the  U.S. Army,  U.S. Air  Force, and  U.S.                                                               
Coast Guard  installations and the  communities they  operate in.                                                               
Furthermore,  he  suggested that  the  commission  should have  a                                                               
voice with lawmakers and the administration.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:12:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOMO   STUART,   President,    Fairbanks   Economic   Development                                                               
Corporation, expressed the  opinion that HB 155 is  a great bill.                                                               
He  said  that  the  state  should  not  be  shy  about  properly                                                               
resourcing and  staffing this sort  of commission so that  it can                                                               
be most effective in pursuing its goals.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:14:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WRIGHT, after  ascertaining that there was no  one else who                                                               
wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 155.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:14:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER referred to the  comment made by Mr. Jones                                                               
suggesting  that the  commission should  represent the  executive                                                               
and  legislative branches.   He  asked  whether a  representative                                                               
from  the  Joint-Armed  Services   Committee  should  be  on  the                                                               
commission.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STAPP expressed approval of the idea.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
[HB 155 was held over.]