05/09/2003 08:45 AM House FIN

HOUSE BILL NO. 232                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     An Act relating to mercury classics; and providing for                                                                     
     an effective date.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PAUL SEATON commented  that HB 232 would allow                                                                   
the Homer Chapter of the Kenai  Peninsula Boys and Girls Club                                                                   
to operate  and implement the  "Homer Mercury Classic".   The                                                                   
classics  are not  permitted under  a  gaming permit  without                                                                   
legislation allowing a specific  group or area to conduct it.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The  Homer Mercury  Classic will  be  held bi-annually,  with                                                                   
winnings  awarded  in  the  spring to  the  person  who  most                                                                   
accurately guesses  when the  temperature reaches  55 degrees                                                                   
Fahrenheit.   The other  prizes will be  given to  the person                                                                   
who most closely  guesses the time and date  that the mercury                                                                   
drops to  that temperature  each fall.   Each entry  costs $2                                                                   
dollars.   The  proceeds  from the  classic  will be  divided                                                                   
between  the Boys  and Girls Club  of Homer  and the  classic                                                                   
winner.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Members  of the Boys  and Girls  Club, who  already have  the                                                                   
necessary equipment  and expertise  to manage the  operation,                                                                   
will  monitor  the  temperature   hourly  through  a  weather                                                                   
station at  the Homer Clubhouse.   The program  that inspired                                                                   
the  classic is  called Global  Learning  and Observation  to                                                                   
Benefit the Environment  (GLOBE).  GLOBE is  an international                                                                   
program associated  with the  National Aeronautics  and Space                                                                   
Administration,   National  Science   Foundation,  the   U.S.                                                                   
Environmental   Protection   Agency   and  the   U.S.   State                                                                   
Department.    The  data collected  from  schools  and  other                                                                   
groups around  the world are  deposited into a  database that                                                                   
is accessed  by  the aforementioned  organizations to  assist                                                                   
atmospheric  scientists in  their work.   The program  allows                                                                   
children  to  participate  in   scientific  processes,  while                                                                   
earning  money  for  their  program  in  non-competitive  and                                                                   
educational way.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Three  hundred,  primarily  seven to  twelve  year-olds,  are                                                                   
involved in  the Homer  Chapter of the  Boys and  Girls Club.                                                                   
The  "Clubhouse"  provides an  excellent  place  for kids  to                                                                   
"hang-out"  in  a safe  and  learning  friendly  environment.                                                                   
Representative Seaton urged support for the legislation.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Stoltze   noted  his  appreciation   for  the                                                                   
tightness of the title.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Stoltze  MOVED   to  report  HB  232  out  of                                                                   
Committee  with  individual  recommendations   and  with  the                                                                   
accompanying fiscal  note.  There being NO  OBJECTION, it was                                                                   
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
HB  232  was reported  out  of  Committee  with a  "do  pass"                                                                   
recommendation and  with zero note #1 by the  House Labor and                                                                   
Commerce Committee.