02/16/1999 03:28 PM Senate STA

             SB  55-JOINT ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR TIM KELLY, sponsor of SB 55, explained SB 55 establishes,                                                               
for the first time, a standing joint committee of the Legislature                                                               
to deal with all of the issues confronting the armed forces in                                                                  
Alaska.  This new committee is structured to include public members                                                             
from outside of the Legislature and will serve as the Legislature's                                                             
focal point for the coordination of all issues, discussions, and                                                                
policies that impact the military in our state.  It creates the                                                                 
opportunity to speak with a single voice on military issues and to                                                              
provide a unified liaison to Alaska's congressional delegation on                                                               
matters of national defense.  Until now, the Legislature has had a                                                              
fragmented and short range approach to military issues.  In 1994 a                                                              
Joint Task Force on Military Bases was formed under the Legislative                                                             
Council to coordinate the state's efforts in the 1995 base                                                                      
realignment and closure commission cycle.  The task force was                                                                   
disbanded at the end of that year.  Last year, in anticipation of                                                               
a new round of base closures beginning in 2001, the Joint Committee                                                             
on Military Bases was established with a single focus on base                                                                   
closure issues and a two year duration.  A permanent committee with                                                             
a longer range vision to include missile defense and other issues                                                               
is overdue.  Other states are aggressively pursuing opportunities                                                               
to increase military operations and military spending in their                                                                  
states.  Alaska is well positioned now to form an organization                                                                  
which can successfully compete with these states. Alaska's number                                                               
one line of defense of the military in Alaska is Senator Ted                                                                    
Stevens who will not always be chair of the Senate Appropriations                                                               
Committee.  Other states view the presence of the military in their                                                             
states as an economic commodity.  The military spends over $1.7                                                                 
billion annually in Alaska therefore Alaskans must stop taking the                                                              
military presence here for granted.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHRIS NELSON, Staff Director for the Joint Committee on Military                                                                
Bases, added other states are working very aggressively to keep                                                                 
their military assets.  The Texas Strategic Military Planning                                                                   
Commission developed a master plan and recommended to the                                                                       
Legislature that a committee be formed to deal with military                                                                    
issues.  The Legislative Council will fund the committee formed by                                                              
SB 55 in its initial year of operation.  If the committee finds it                                                              
needs to do further activities, an appropriation will be necessary.                                                             
The five public members would incur per diem costs while attending                                                              
meetings.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR KELLY confirmed the committee would operate on whatever                                                                 
amount the Legislative Council is willing to provide.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Number 455                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WILKEN commended the Rules Committee for bringing this                                                                  
legislation forward.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GREEN asked why it is appropriate for this legislation to                                                               
be a Legislative Council proposal.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR KELLY explained that is the way it was set up previously,                                                               
and having Legislative Council oversight worked well in the past.                                                               
He noted the existing committee was expanded to include                                                                         
representation by the Coast Guard contingent in Alaska.  One of the                                                             
public members will be recommended by the 17th Coast Guard District                                                             
Auxiliary.  In the event of mobilization, the Coast Guard will come                                                             
under the command of the United States Navy so Coast Guard                                                                      
representation is important.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Number 476                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON appreciated the inclusion of the Coast Guard, and                                                                 
asked what the committee's purview will be on Coast Guard affairs,                                                              
recognizing only part of its mission is defense-related.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR KELLY replied the powers and duties section, on page 4, is                                                              
broad enough to allow the committee to review and encourage state                                                               
policies to ensure the continued well being and education of the                                                                
armed forces, both active and reserve components, including the                                                                 
Coast Guard.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON commended the sponsors of the legislation but asked                                                               
that more than one member of the committee be from the Minority                                                                 
since this issue is bipartisan.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WILKEN moved SB 55 out of committee with individual                                                                     
recommendations.  There being no objection, the motion carried.