03/07/2006 09:00 AM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 324                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     An Act banning the importation, transfer, and                                                                              
     cultivation of orange hawkweed and purple loosestrife.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:16:02 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice Chair  Stoltze MOVED to REPORT  HB 324 out  of Committee                                                                   
with  individual recommendations  and  with the  accompanying                                                                   
fiscal note.  Representative Holm OBJECTED.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
He  stated he  had  done research  on  invasive species  from                                                                   
other states.   In the State of  Oregon, a green state, there                                                                   
is a list  of over 100 species  & aurantiacum is  not listed.                                                                   
Some   states  have   an  Invasion   Species  Council,   with                                                                   
authorization  to identify  and  quarantine various  species;                                                                   
enforcement  is generally  the weakest  link in the  process.                                                                   
Oregon relies heavily  on voluntary compliance.   They do not                                                                   
make it a jailed  situation or impose fines.   He argued that                                                                   
HB 324 will be bad policy for the State of Alaska.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Representative Holm WITHDREW his OBJECTION.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Kelly  OBJECTED.    He  asked  if  regulation                                                                   
versus law had been discussed.   Co-Chair Meyer said it could                                                                   
be  addressed either  way  and  left it  up  to the  sponsor.                                                                   
Representative   LeDoux   preferred   it  move   through   as                                                                   
legislation.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Kelly WITHDREW his OBJECTION.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Hawker  OBJECTED.  He questioned  if the State                                                                   
should impose by  statute, a decision upon a  department.  He                                                                   
said  the  legislation  could   take  the  State  in  a  "bad                                                                   
direction" of public policy, imposing political decisions.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Hawker WITHDREW his  OBJECTION.   There being                                                                   
NO further OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CS HB  324 (RES)  was reported  out of  Committee with  a "no                                                                   
recommendation" and  with zero note  #1 by the  Department of                                                                   
Natural Resources.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
AT EASE:       9:16:30 AM                                                                                                     
RECONVENE:9:16:41 AM