03/15/2022 01:00 PM House TRANSPORTATION

              HB 357-NAMING THE INSOOK BAIK BRIDGE                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:56:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HOPKINS  announced that the  final order of  business would                                                               
be  HOUSE  BILL  NO.  357,  "An  Act  naming  the  Bragaw  Street                                                               
overcrossing of the Glenn Highway the Insook Baik Bridge."                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:56:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GARAN TARR,  Alaska  State Representative,  prime                                                               
sponsor, introduced  the bill.   She stated  that the  purpose of                                                               
the legislation  is to name  a previously unnamed bridge  after a                                                               
member of the community who is deserving of the honor.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:57:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DAVID  SONG,  Staff,  Representative  Garan  Tarr,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  on behalf  of Representative  Tarr, prime  sponsor,                                                               
gave a  PowerPoint presentation,  titled "House Bill  357: Insook                                                               
Baik Bridge."  He progressed from  slide 2 to slide 8, describing                                                               
the bridge as the Bragaw Street  bridge over the Glenn Highway in                                                               
Mountain  View  in  Anchorage.   He  displayed  pictures  of  the                                                               
bridge.    He  said  that  the community  has  been  involved  in                                                               
deciding the  name of  the bridge  and gave  a list  of potential                                                               
names.  He showed a brief  list of some of the contributions made                                                               
by Insook Baik to the Mountain View community.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
2:01:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. SONG continued to slide 9  through slide 12 and stated Insook                                                               
Baik's  contributions have  received  significant media  coverage                                                               
over the years.   The community strongly supports  the efforts to                                                               
honor her, and quotes were shown detailing support for HB 357.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
2:04:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TARR  commented that the  project has been  fun to                                                               
develop, as there has been significant community feedback.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:05:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN asked whether there  is a policy for naming                                                               
things  in honor  of living  people.   She expressed  respect for                                                               
Insook Baik; however, she expressed  hesitation to begin a naming                                                               
convention which would include living people.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TARR  expressed the opinion that  it is acceptable                                                               
to name  things for living  or deceased  people.  She  noted that                                                               
there is  other legislation which  would allow  non-profit groups                                                               
to make donations towards the cost of such projects.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
2:08:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CRONK expressed  support  for  naming things  for                                                               
living people.   He explained  that a  person who is  still alive                                                               
could then have appreciation.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
2:09:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DRUMMOND  commented  that  the  Anchorage  School                                                               
District (ASD)  has a policy  to not name school  buildings after                                                               
living individuals,  although the Municipality of  Anchorage does                                                               
not follow this policy.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:10:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KEY  GETTY, President,  Korean American  Community of  Anchorage,                                                               
Inc., gave  invited testimony, providing  a brief history  of the                                                               
Korean American  Community of  Anchorage, Inc.   She  stated that                                                               
the community  had been  founded in  1973.   She stated  that the                                                               
organization  gives scholarships  to ASD  students regardless  of                                                               
their  ancestry.     She  stated   that  Insook  Baik   has  made                                                               
significant contributions to the  communities of Korean Americans                                                               
and Mountain  View as a whole.   She said that  naming the bridge                                                               
after Insook Baik would mean a  great deal to the Korean American                                                               
community.   She stated  that this  community has  rallied behind                                                               
many  charitable  causes,  of  which   Insook  Baik  has  been  a                                                               
participant.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:18:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HOPKINS  opened public testimony.   After ascertaining that                                                               
there  was  no  one  who  wished to  testify,  he  closed  public                                                               
testimony.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:19:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HOPKINS set aside HB 357.