04/14/2009 02:45 PM House FIN

CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 75(FIN)                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act  making and  amending appropriations,  including                                                                   
     capital  appropriations,   supplemental  appropriations,                                                                   
     and appropriations  to capitalize  funds; and  providing                                                                   
     for an effective date."                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PUBLIC TESTIMONY                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                              
JULIE  SAUPE,  PRESIDENT, ANCHORAGE  CONVENTION  &  VISITOR'S                                                                   
BUREAU, ANCHORAGE, via teleconference,  testified in favor of                                                                   
using  the cruise  ship funds  for improvements  to the  Egan                                                                   
Convention Center in Anchorage.   She stressed the importance                                                                   
of the Egan Center to cruise line passengers.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:02:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MELISSA  FREEMAN, STUDENT,  PACIFIC HIGH  SCHOOL, SITKA,  via                                                                   
teleconference,  testified  in  favor  of  major  maintenance                                                                   
grants  for  funding  school  repairs.    She  described  the                                                                   
repairs needed at her school.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:04:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RYAN  HILL,   TEACHER,  PACIFIC   HIGH  SCHOOL,   SITKA,  via                                                                   
teleconference,   agreed   with    the   previous   speaker's                                                                   
testimony.   He spoke  of the  reconstruction project  needed                                                                   
for Pacific High  School which would be funded by  SB 75.  He                                                                   
described  the make  up and  curriculum  of the  school.   He                                                                   
detailed specific  needs, such as new doors and  repairs to a                                                                   
leaky ceiling.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:07:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOSEPH  MARTINEZ, STUDENT,  PACIFIC HIGH  SCHOOL, SITKA,  via                                                                   
teleconference, described the  deteriorating condition of the                                                                   
school  building.    He  spoke in  favor  of  funding  school                                                                   
maintenance projects.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Hill read  letters from  Pacific  High School  students.                                                                   
The  first one  was  from Chris  Paul;  the  second was  from                                                                   
Justin  Ipock.   Both  stated support  for  funds for  school                                                                   
maintenance.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze  thought the allocation would  remain in the                                                                   
budget.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:11:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ANGEL DOTOMAIN,  PRESIDENT, ALASKA  NATIVE HEALTH  BOARD, via                                                                   
teleconference, described the  focus of the Board.  She spoke                                                                   
of  the $25  million  reduction  to  the Village  Safe  Water                                                                   
projects, a  33 percent cut.   She spoke of the need  for the                                                                   
57 high priority  projects and the importance  of receiving a                                                                   
federal  match.   She  shared  health-related  statistics  in                                                                   
villages with  limited safe  water.   She requested  that the                                                                   
Committee  restore the  Village Safe  Water general  funds to                                                                   
half  of the  federal  amount  authorized in  the  governor's                                                                   
amended budget or approximately $26.2 million.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:16:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze closed public testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SB  75   was  heard  and   HELD  in  Committee   for  further                                                                   
consideration.