03/28/2024 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

                  HB 337-ESTABLISHING 4-H DAY                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:01:41 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MCCORMICK announced that the first order of business would                                                                
be HOUSE BILL NO. 337, "An Act establishing 4-H Day."                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:02:13 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MEARS, prime sponsor, presented HB 4.  She read                                                                  
from the following prepared remarks [original punctuation                                                                       
provided]:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Honorable members  of the committee,  I am  here before                                                                    
     you today to advocate for  the formal recognition of 4-                                                                    
     H Day in the State of  Alaska on the first Wednesday of                                                                    
     October.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     As Representatives,  we are all deeply  invested in the                                                                    
     well-being and  future of our  communities, and  as the                                                                    
     4-H motto states, "To make  the best better". I believe                                                                    
     acknowledging    and    celebrating   the    invaluable                                                                    
     contributions of the 4-H program  is an act that aligns                                                                    
     itself with these stated values.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Most of  you are  likely to be  familiar with  4-H from                                                                    
     the  Youth  in  Governance   Program  who  visited  the                                                                    
     Capitol  last  month,  or from  projects,  produce,  or                                                                    
     livestock  being shown  at the  Alaska State  Fair, but                                                                    
     did you  know kids get  to become members of  local 4-H                                                                    
     clubs  like Fairbanks's  40 Below  Mooskateers and  the                                                                    
     Sitka Spruce Tips?                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     For  me, 4-H  has  been part  of my  life  since I  was                                                                    
     youngmaybe  because  my parents were dear  friends with                                                                    
     our  local county  4-H  agent, Ted  Blum.  I think  4-H                                                                    
     helped  prepare  me  for serving  in  the  legislature,                                                                    
     because  I  started  attending  4-H  Prep  meetings  in                                                                    
     kindergarten.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Similar to  my experience,  since its first  chapter in                                                                    
     Alaska,  4-H  has  been  empowering  young  individuals                                                                    
     across     our     state,     fostering     leadership,                                                                    
     responsibility, and a commitment to service.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     One of the first things  4-H'ers learn when they join a                                                                    
     club is the 4-H pledge:                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     I pledge my head to clearer thinking,                                                                                      
     my heart to greater loyalty,                                                                                               
     my hands to larger service,                                                                                                
     and  my  health  to  better living,  for  my  club,  my                                                                    
     community, my country, and my world.                                                                                       
     As  you  can  see  from this  pledge,  4-H  isn't  just                                                                    
     limited to livestock.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Through    its     hands-on    experiential    learning                                                                    
     opportunities,  4-H  equips  our youth  with  essential                                                                    
     life  skills,  preparing them  to  thrive  in an  ever-                                                                    
     changing  world.   At  the  heart   of  4-H   lies  its                                                                    
     commitment   to  nurturing   the  next   generation  of                                                                    
     leaders. By engaging  in projects spanning agriculture,                                                                    
     food   security,   STEM,  health,   civic   engagement,                                                                    
     agricultural  skills,  fisheries,   applied  arts,  and                                                                    
     beyond,   participants   develop   critical   thinking,                                                                    
     problem-solving,  and  communication  skills  essential                                                                    
     for  success in  any endeavor  they pursue.  I bet  the                                                                    
     Seward  Sea Otters  and the  North Pole  Ptarmigans are                                                                    
     learning a  variety of different  skills that  can only                                                                    
     be found in their home communities.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Moreover, 4-H  instills it's members  a sense  of civic                                                                    
     duty and  responsibility, shaping them into  active and                                                                    
     engaged   citizens   dedicated   to   making   positive                                                                    
     contributions  to society.  We all  saw this  firsthand                                                                    
     last  month  during  the Youth  in  Governance  Capitol                                                                    
     visit!                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Beyond  its   educational  merits,  4-H  serves   as  a                                                                    
     catalyst for community  development and resilience. How                                                                    
     could you not  care about your community if  you were a                                                                    
     proud member  of the  Knick River  Riders or  the Funny                                                                    
     River   Lynx?      By   promoting   collaboration   and                                                                    
     cooperation,   4-H  strengthens   the  fabric   of  our                                                                    
     communities,  creating  spaces  where  individuals  can                                                                    
     come together  to address  local challenges  and effect                                                                    
     meaningful change. In  a state as large  and diverse as                                                                    
     Alaska,  this takes  shape in  so many  different ways.                                                                    
     Our  unique communities  have  many different  cultural                                                                    
     and regional skills to share with our youth.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Furthermore, 4-H plays a pivotal  role in cultivating a                                                                    
     deep appreciation  for our state's  unique agricultural                                                                    
     heritage and  natural resources.  I've been  working on                                                                    
     food security with the Food  Strategy Task Force, and I                                                                    
     can  say  that  the  skills  and  connection  to  local                                                                    
     knowledge kids are  gaining in 4-H for  their local and                                                                    
     regional food  practices are essential. Clubs  like the                                                                    
     Mat-Su's Grow  'em and Show  'em and the Big  Lake Back                                                                    
     Yard  are  doing  an amazing  job  growing  this  local                                                                    
     connection to the food we put on our tables every day.                                                                     
     There's an  early food connection  for me, too.  My mom                                                                    
     was a 4-H leader of  a club called Sewing Scissors, and                                                                    
     one of  the skills  I developed  when I  was in  4-H is                                                                    
     baking   I recall willing my  dough to rise in the back                                                                    
     of  the  family station  wagon  during  our county  4-H                                                                    
     Fair. Thank you, Mom.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     I actually  baked this morning,  and there is  bread in                                                                    
     my office for after  this committee meeting. 4-H skills                                                                    
     stick with you.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     By connecting  young people with the  land and teaching                                                                    
     them  the  importance  of  sustainable  practices,  4-H                                                                    
     fosters  stewardship  and environmental  consciousness,                                                                    
     ensuring  the  preservation  of Alaska's  rich  natural                                                                    
     heritage  and  regional  knowledge  and  expertise  for                                                                    
     generations to come.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     In  recognizing  4-H  Day,  we  honor  the  volunteers,                                                                    
     educators,   and  supporters   who  make   the  program                                                                    
     possible.  Recognizing  4-H's  impact  sends  a  strong                                                                    
     message  of support  and encouragement  to our  state's                                                                    
     promising   young  individuals   and  underscores   our                                                                    
     commitment to youth and community investment.                                                                              
     In conclusion,  I urge  you to  join me  in championing                                                                    
     the passage  of this  legislation to establish  4-H Day                                                                    
     in   our  state.   Together,  let   us  celebrate   the                                                                    
     transformative  power of  4-H and  commit ourselves  to                                                                    
     ensuring that  every young  person has  the opportunity                                                                    
     to thrive and succeed.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Thank you.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:07:41 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ARIEL SVETLIK,  Staff, Representative  Donna Mears,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, on behalf of Representative  Mears, prime sponsor of                                                               
HB  337,  presented  the  sectional  analysis  [included  in  the                                                               
committee packet],  which read  as follows  [original punctuation                                                               
provided]:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
       Sec. 1.  Amends AS 44.12 by adding a new section,                                                                        
     44.12.106, establishing the first Wednesday of October                                                                     
     each year as 4-H Day.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:08:22 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:09:05 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MCCORMICK opened invited testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:09:17 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
YAQUINA REPNOW, representing self,  gave invited testimony during                                                               
the  hearing on  HB  337.   She  shared  her personal  experience                                                               
participating in  4-H for the  past four years, crediting  it for                                                               
improving  her leadership,  teamwork, and  public speaking.   She                                                               
said 4-H boosts kids' confidence,  gets them out of their comfort                                                               
zones, and helps  them be more successful.  She  concluded that a                                                               
statewide  4-H Day  would  help  promote 4-H  and  get more  kids                                                               
involved in the program.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:10:50 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ELLE GIFFORD,  representing self,  gave invited  testimony during                                                               
the  hearing on  HB  337.   She  shared  her personal  experience                                                               
participating in 4-H, adding that  the bill would unite "4-H'ers"                                                               
and spread awareness about the program.   She stated that 4-H has                                                               
connected her to her community and taught her how to give back.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:13:03 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE  moved to  report HB  337 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.   There being no objection,  HB 337 was reported  from the                                                               
House Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee.