03/28/2019 01:30 PM Senate TRANSPORTATION

        SB  84-NAMING TROOPER GABE RICH MEMORIAL BRIDGE                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:44:14 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HUGHES announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 84                                                                  
"An Act naming the Trooper Gabe Rich Memorial Bridge."                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:46:09 PM                                                                                                                    
RYNNIEVA  MOSS,   Staff,  Senator  John  Coghill,   Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  Juneau,  introduced   herself  and  Intern  Radames                                                               
Mercado.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:46:50 PM                                                                                                                    
RADAMES MERCADO, Intern, Senator John Coghill, Alaska State                                                                     
Legislature, Juneau, introduced SB 84 speaking to the following                                                                 
sponsor statement: [Original punctuation provided.]                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Senate Bill  84 (SB  84) Naming  the Trooper  Gabe Rich                                                                    
     Memorial Bridge                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     SB 84 will rename bridge  number 392 over the Chatanika                                                                    
     River  at  mile  38.8  of the  Steese  Highway  to  the                                                                    
     "Trooper Gabe Rich Memorial Bridge".                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     The  name   change  honors   Trooper  Gabe   Rich,  who                                                                    
     performed his  duties as an  Alaska State  Trooper with                                                                    
     honor  and courage  until his  End of  Watch on  May 1,                                                                    
     2014.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     This  bill will  memorialize his  name onto  the bridge                                                                    
     approximately  two hours  from Central,  Alaska, Gabe's                                                                    
     favorite place to visit in the state.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     He  took  many  camping  and  hunting  trips  with  his                                                                    
     grandfather Dick  Ganley in  the Central  community and                                                                    
     became  lifelong  friends  with several  people  there;                                                                    
     Gabe made  acquaintances with many different  people of                                                                    
     all  ages   and  backgrounds,  showing  each   of  them                                                                    
     respect.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Gabe  Rich  became  the captain  of  the  Lathrup  High                                                                    
     School hockey  team during his senior  year, graduating                                                                    
     from Lathrop  High School in 2006;  like many Alaskans,                                                                    
     Gabe  enjoyed snow  machining in  the Alaskan  winters,                                                                    
     playing hockey with friends, and  hunting with those he                                                                    
     was close to.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     He   attended   Montana   State  University   and   the                                                                    
     University of  Alaska Anchorage  before becoming  a law                                                                    
     enforcement  officer, and  in 2013,  Gabe was  given an                                                                    
     Accommodation for Honorable Service.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Gabe's last  assignment as an Alaska  State Trooper was                                                                    
     in   the  "D"   Detachments   Rural   Unit,  which   is                                                                    
     responsible  for  protecting  and covering  77,000  sq.                                                                    
     miles of Alaskan Frontier.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     The  Trooper Gabe  Rich Memorial  Bridge will  stand to                                                                    
     remind  Alaskans of  the dedication  and the  sacrifice                                                                    
     that Trooper Rich made on their behalf.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
      Trooper Gabe Rich is survived by: his fianc?, Angie                                                                       
       Rich; sons, Lenox and Malakai; parents, David and                                                                        
     Patty Rich.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HUGHES directed  attention to the photo of  Trooper Rich in                                                               
the packets.  She mentioned  the zero fiscal  note and  asked how                                                               
the signage would be handled.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:49:00 PM                                                                                                                    
MR.  MERCADO  explained that  the  sign  will be  fabricated  and                                                               
installed  when the  bridge  is next  updated.  The project  will                                                               
cover the cost of the signage.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HUGHES asked when that might happen.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MERCADO said  he understands  it will  be in  the next  five                                                               
years.   He  clarified   that   SB  84   is   the  companion   to                                                               
Representative Talerico's bill.  He has been in  contact with the                                                               
Department of Transportation and  Public Facilities and therefore                                                               
knows more about the timeline.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR SHOWER asked  for clarification that the  family has been                                                               
asked  and  is supportive  of  this  effort.  He noted  that  the                                                               
committee was  taken by  surprise when it  heard another  bill to                                                               
rename  a bridge  and the  surviving  spouse voiced  reservations                                                               
about the effort.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MR. MERCADO replied  he has been working with the  family to make                                                               
sure they approve and there  are four signature sheets indicating                                                               
support for  this effort.  He described  the overall  support for                                                               
renaming the bridge as very high.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HUGHES  noted that copies  of the signature sheets  were in                                                               
the packets.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. MOSS clarified that her  office began discussing renaming the                                                               
Tok River Bridge  (SB 4) with Brandy Johnson in  October 2018 and                                                               
Ms. Johnson never indicated she opposed the effort.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR   SHOWER  said   he  wasn't   blaming  anyone,   but  the                                                               
miscommunication took everyone by surprise.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. MOSS  said it has  been a  very emotional experience  for Ms.                                                               
Johnson and she prays for her.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:52:17 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HUGHES opened public testimony for SB 84.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:52:29 PM                                                                                                                    
ANGIE RICH,  representing Trooper Rich's family,  Fairbanks, said                                                               
the family definitely  supports SB 84. Mr. Mercado  has been very                                                               
careful and  diligent in his  work with  the family to  make sure                                                               
they support  and are part of  the process to rename  the bridge.                                                               
She said it's important to the  family to know that Gabe will not                                                               
be  forgotten  and  that  his  name will  be  memorialized  in  a                                                               
positive way. This  peaceful site is traditional to  Alaska and a                                                               
place that is part of Gabe's childhood.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  HUGHES expressed  appreciation for  her testimony  and all                                                               
the things that Gabe did to make the state a safer place.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:54:38 PM                                                                                                                    
RONALD  WALL,  Captain,  Alaska  State  Troopers,  Department  of                                                               
Public Safety,  Fairbanks, said  he was  testifying on  behalf of                                                               
the agency  to say that  it was a  pleasure to work  with Trooper                                                               
Rich. He  worked patrol and rural  and was pending a  transfer to                                                               
Southeast. Not  only was he  an outstanding trooper, he  was also                                                               
an  exceptional father.  He brought  joy and  happiness to  those                                                               
around him. The department supports SB 84, he said.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:56:27 PM                                                                                                                    
DAVID RICH, representing self, Fairbanks,  said he wanted to echo                                                               
Angie's testimony.  The family is  proud that the state  is doing                                                               
this. It  will live on  with us as we  cross that bridge,  and it                                                               
will be nice  for others to see Gabe's name  and remember him, he                                                               
said.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HUGHES thanked him for the sacrifice he made as a father.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:58:07 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  HUGHES  closed   public  testimony  and  held   SB  84  in                                                               
committee.