03/14/2012 01:30 PM House FINANCE

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 24                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Relating to the establishment and operation of a state                                                                     
     food resource development working group.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   BILL   STOLTZE,  SPONSOR,   discussed   the                                                                    
resolution. The  passage of  House Concurrent  Resolution 24                                                                    
calls of  the governor  to establish  a state  food resource                                                                    
development  working   group  with   the  primary   goal  of                                                                    
producing more locally grown and  harvested food items to be                                                                    
consumed in Alaska, by Alaskans.  In addition the resolution                                                                    
calls on  the governor  to requests multiple  departments of                                                                    
his administration  to work closely  with the  working group                                                                    
and  the independent  Food Policy  Council  to increase  the                                                                    
production and  consumption of local  food items  in Alaska.                                                                    
Whether  it  is  agriculture products,  seafood  or  locally                                                                    
produced meat, increased local food  products will lead to a                                                                    
healthier  Alaska  and enhance  the  economy  of the  entire                                                                    
state. The importance and value  of creating and maintaining                                                                    
a robust  supply of  Alaskan food is  why the  resolution is                                                                    
asking  the  governor to  establish  a  state food  resource                                                                    
development  working  group to  work  with  the Alaska  Food                                                                    
Policy  Council to  identify resources  and set  policies to                                                                    
build  a  strong, sustainable  healthy  food  system in  the                                                                    
state.  In  addition to  creating  the  working group,  this                                                                    
resolution calls on the governor  to request the departments                                                                    
of  his administration  to work  closely with  the farmer's,                                                                    
fisherman, cattle ranchers and  shellfish growers to produce                                                                    
more locally  grown food products to  consumption in Alaska,                                                                    
by Alaskans.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-chair  Fairclough  MOVED  to ADOPT  proposed  committee                                                                    
substitute for  HCR 24,  Work Draft  27-LS1383\B (Bannister,                                                                    
3/12/12). There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Gara MOVED  to report  CSHCR 24(FIN)  out of                                                                    
committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal  note. There being NO  OBJECTION, it was                                                                    
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CSHCR  24(FIN) was  REPORTED  out of  committee  with a  "do                                                                    
pass" recommendation and with one  new zero fiscal note from                                                                    
the Legislature.