04/14/2009 02:45 PM House FIN

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 16                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Requesting the Governor to proclaim September 7, 2009,                                                                     
     as Senator Daniel Inouye Day.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SPEAKER  JOHN  HARRIS, SPONSOR,  presented  the  proclamation                                                                   
recognizing Senator Daniel Inouye.   He read from a statement                                                                   
made by Senator Ted Stevens:                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     When you honor Senator Daniel Inouye, you honor a true                                                                     
     friend of Alaska.  Dan is a close friend I worked                                                                          
     closely with for forty years.  We were two new Senators                                                                    
     serving tow new off-shore states.  Senator Inouye is a                                                                     
     distinguished American who earned his Congressional                                                                        
     Medal of Honor the hard way!  It is my privilege to                                                                        
     call him my brother - we continue to be close friends.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Speaker  Harris   shared  a   statement  from  Senator   Lisa                                                                   
Murkowski:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Thank you for introducing legislation recognizing                                                                          
     Senator Daniel Inouye for his dedication and friendship                                                                    
     to Alaska.  It is an honor he has earned many times                                                                        
     over.  Senator Inouye has long been our ally and great                                                                     
     friend in the U.S. Senate.  I deeply appreciate his                                                                        
     commitment to our state and our common causes.  We                                                                         
     share many.  Alaska and Hawaii share a genuine bond                                                                        
     having entered the union together as distant                                                                               
     territories separated from the contiguous United                                                                           
     States.  Senator Ted Stevens and Senator Inouye were                                                                       
     both involved in the fight for statehood in their                                                                          
     perspective territories.  Senator Inouye has continued                                                                     
     his commitment to Hawaii and Alaska and the nation ever                                                                    
     since.  He's been an outspoken advocate for the                                                                            
     military and a great defender of the rights of Alaska                                                                      
     Natives and Native Hawaiians.  He's also supported us                                                                      
     in our struggle to open the coastal plain of the Arctic                                                                    
     National Wildlife Refuge and helped educate the nation                                                                     
     on the importance of maintaining a strong military                                                                         
     presence in Alaska.  It is fitting that the state                                                                          
     should honor Senator Inouye on his birthday.  He will                                                                      
     turn 85 this September 7.  I wish him many more.  We                                                                       
     are blessed to have such an honorable friend stand with                                                                    
     us in Congress.  He truly has earned the honor of being                                                                    
     called Alaska's third senator.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Speaker Harris  informed the Committee that a  statement from                                                                   
Senator   Begich  was   forthcoming.      He  requested   the                                                                   
Committee's support for the resolution.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:51:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stoltze commented  that the  resolution was  in the                                                                   
Finance Committee  in order to expedite the  legislation.  He                                                                   
noted that  the resolution has  no fiscal notes.   He thanked                                                                   
Speaker Harris for bringing forth the resolution.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:53:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Joule shared a  personal story about his first                                                                   
encounter with  Senator Inouye  in 1988.   He noted  that the                                                                   
Senator  has  been  a  good  friend   to  the  Alaska  Native                                                                   
community.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:54:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Thomas MOVED to  report HCR  16 out of  Committee                                                                   
with individual  recommendations.  There being  NO OBJECTION,                                                                   
it was so ordered.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
HCR  16  was REPORTED  out  of  Committee  with a  "do  pass"                                                                   
recommendation.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
AT-EASE:       2:54:55 PM                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
RECONVENED:    2:58:45 PM