05/03/2021 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

         HJR 19-SUPPORTING INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:43:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  SPOHNHOLZ announced  that  the next  order of  business                                                               
would be  HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION  NO. 19,  "Supporting widespread                                                               
infrastructure investment in the state."                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:43:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAUFMAN  directed  the committee's  attention  to                                                               
page 1,  lines 6  and 7,  of the text  of HJR  19, which  read as                                                               
follows:                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
       WHEREAS the state received a grade of C- when last                                                                     
     reviewed by the American 7 Society of Civil Engineers                                                                      
     in 2017; and                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN  shared that  average capital  spending in                                                               
the 10 years before the  2017 review was approximately $1 billion                                                               
per year.   He wondered how the state could  spend $10 billion on                                                               
infrastructure over 10 years and end up with a grade of C-.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ responded, "The state  of Alaska has a history                                                               
of building things but not  always maintaining them."  She shared                                                               
the example  of the Port  of Alaska  at Anchorage, which  has not                                                               
been  maintained  and  is  well   beyond  its  original,  planned                                                               
lifespan.  She  pointed out that the average  capital budget over                                                               
the past  five years was $123  million per year, with  most of it                                                               
intended to  attract federal highway  money.  She  explained that                                                               
the  money has  been  used to  build  new infrastructure,  mostly                                                               
roads, instead of being used to maintain current infrastructure.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAUFMAN commented  that  the  state can't  afford                                                               
projects that  don't serve  the public good  or are  difficult to                                                               
maintain due  to design  or execution.   In consideration  of HJR
,  he said,  there may  be the  need for  a stronger  statement                                                               
regarding the quality of production.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ expressed agreement  with the need to maintain                                                               
projects and noted that HJR  19 doesn't address maintenance.  She                                                               
said that specific projects from  the 2017 report include several                                                               
projects for which federal funds can  be used such as the Port of                                                               
Alaska and water and sewer infrastructure.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAUFMAN mentioned  the  importance of  delivering                                                               
value.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:48:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 4:48 p.m. to 4:49 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:49:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  SPOHNHOLZ opened  public testimony  on HJR  19.   After                                                               
ascertaining that  no one  wished to  testify, she  closed public                                                               
testimony.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:50:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE NELSON  moved to  adopt Conceptual Amendment  1 to                                                               
HJR 19,  to add the  word "Senate" in  between "U.S." and  ";" on                                                               
page 3, line 11.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:50:17 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ  objected for the purpose  of discussion, then                                                               
removed her  objection after seeking clarification.   There being                                                               
no further objection, Conceptual Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:51:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE moved to report  HJR 19, [as amended], out                                                               
of  committee with  individual recommendations.   There  being no                                                               
objection, CSHJR 19(L&C) was reported  out of the House Labor and                                                               
Commerce Standing Committee.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:51:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:51:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ noted that the motion  to report HJR 19 out of                                                               
committee did not  reference [that the committee  had amended the                                                               
proposed joint resolution].  She  asked Representative Schrage to                                                               
restate the motion.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:51:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE  moved to report  HJR 19, as  amended, out                                                               
of  committee with  individual recommendations.   There  being no                                                               
objection, CSHJR 19(L&C) was reported  out of the House Labor and                                                               
Commerce Standing Committee.