02/26/2007 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

                                                                                                                                
     CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 49(STA)                                                                                             
     "An   Act   relating   to   commemorative   license   plates                                                               
     celebrating Alaska's 50th anniversary as a state; and                                                                      
     providing for an effective date."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
This was  the first hearing for  this bill in the  Senate Finance                                                               
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
DOUG LETCH, Staff to Senator  Gary Stevens, the bill's sponsor on                                                               
behalf  of  the  Statehood Celebration  Commission  (Commission),                                                               
communicated  that  this legislation  would  change  the look  of                                                               
Alaska's  vehicle   license  plates   to  commemorate   the  50th                                                               
anniversary of Statehood  in 2009. This was one  of several ideas                                                               
proposed by the Commission to honor the event.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Letch stated  that the  license plate  design chosen  by the                                                               
Commission [copy on  file] would be the  State's official license                                                               
plate for a few years beginning in January 2008.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman  asked  for information  about  the  2017  date                                                               
referenced in the sectional analysis of the bill.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Letch deferred to the  Division of Motor Vehicles, Department                                                               
of Administration.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:06:19 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DUANE BANNOCK,  Director, Division of Motor  Vehicles, Department                                                               
of  Administration testified  via  teleconference from  Anchorage                                                               
and advised  the Committee  that an earlier  version of  the bill                                                               
would  have made  these  commemorative  license plates  available                                                               
through  the year  2017. He  speculated that  the continuance  of                                                               
that  date  in   the  most  recent  sectional   analysis  was  an                                                               
oversight.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Letch concurred.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:07:11 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Huggins  asked  whether  a collector's  edition  of  the                                                               
license plate would be available.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Bannock stated that non-registered  collector plates would be                                                               
available for five dollars.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:08:04 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
GAIL   PHILLIPS,   Chair,   Statehood   Celebration   Commission,                                                               
testified  via  teleconference  from   an  offnet  location.  The                                                               
Commission was  formed to plan  for the State's  50th anniversary                                                               
celebration. Events would begin in  2008 and culminate on January                                                               
3,  2009,  the  actual  statehood  anniversary  date.  Having  an                                                               
"historic license plate" to honor  the event during 2008 and 2009                                                               
was one component of the festivities.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Phillips reported  that the  Commission worked  with DMV  to                                                               
design  the   appropriate  commemorative  license   plate.  Sitka                                                               
artist, Dean  Potter, designed the celebration  logo and graphics                                                               
acknowledging  Alaska   as  part   of  the  United   States  were                                                               
incorporated with the logo on the plate.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Phillips  expressed  the  Commission's  enthusiasm  for  the                                                               
design  and the  prospect of  the  plate being  available to  the                                                               
public  either as  a  vehicle license  plate  or a  commemorative                                                               
item. She urged the Committee to support the legislation.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:09:52 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Hoffman asked  whether the  sample provided  to Members                                                               
was the final  design. He also asked what other  designs had been                                                               
considered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Phillips  affirmed the sample  provided to the  Committee was                                                               
the final design. The Commission  contemplated numerous ideas and                                                               
coordinated with DMV  to develop a design that  would work within                                                               
the Department's strict license plate design specifications.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman shared having heard  support for a plate "with a                                                               
little bit more pizzazz".                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Phillips  acknowledged, but reiterated that  the plate design                                                               
must adhere to DMV license plate regulations.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:11:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson   asked  whether   people  could   purchase  other                                                               
specialized license or vanity plates during this timeframe.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Phillips deferred to DMV.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Bannock  affirmed that  such  plates  would continue  to  be                                                               
available. The commemorative plate  would "simply substitute" for                                                               
the  standard  issue  license  plate referred  to  as  "the  Last                                                               
Frontier" plate.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson asked whether  the commemorative plate's background                                                               
design would be used on vanity plates.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Bannock  advised  that  a  variety  of  background  options,                                                               
including the commemorative plate  background, would be available                                                               
for vanity plates.                                                                                                              
'                                                                                                                               
Senator  Thomas asked  whether  a  bear or  wolf  image had  been                                                               
considered for the design.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Bannock deferred to Ms.  Phillips, as the Commission made the                                                               
final design determination. DMV's role had been advisory.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:13:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Phillips  elaborated  on the  extensive  design  effort  the                                                               
Commission conducted  before finally selecting the  design before                                                               
the Committee.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman  moved to  report the  bill from  Committee with                                                               
individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal note.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
There  being  no  objection,  CSSB   49(STA)  was  REPORTED  from                                                               
Committee with previous  zero fiscal note #1  from the Department                                                               
of Administration.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:14:29 AM