03/30/2021 01:30 PM Senate TRANSPORTATION

             SB 103-AMHS OPERATION & PLANNING BOARD                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:36:57 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MYERS  announced the consideration  of SENATE BILL  NO. 103                                                               
"An  Act  repealing  the Alaska  Marine  Transportation  Advisory                                                               
Board; establishing  the Alaska  Marine Highway  System Operation                                                               
and Planning Board; and providing for an effective date."                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:37:16 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MYERS opened public testimony on SB 103.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:37:41 PM                                                                                                                    
SHANNON    ADAMSON,   Regional    Representative,   International                                                               
Organization  of  Masters,  Mates   and  Pilots  (MM&P),  Juneau,                                                               
Alaska,  stated that  SB 103  lacks diversity  as all  the Alaska                                                               
Marine Highway System Operation  and Planning Board (OPB) members                                                               
will be  appointed by the  governor. Instead, she  suggested that                                                               
board  members should  be appointed  by more  than one  political                                                               
entity,  including  the legislative  branch.  The  bill does  not                                                               
provide  OPB  with  sufficient   authority  to  make  substantial                                                               
changes. She said she served  as a Marine Transportation Advisory                                                               
Board (MTAB)  member for six  years. She offered her  belief that                                                               
MTAB's recommendations  to the  Department of  Transportation and                                                               
Public  Facilities (DOTPF)  were largely  ignored. She  suggested                                                               
amending the  bill to  require DOTPF  to incorporate  OPB's short                                                               
and  long-range  plans   to  help  the  board   work  with  DOTPF                                                               
management to achieve better solutions.  Although SB 103 provides                                                               
a step  in the  right direction,  the language  in House  Bill 63                                                               
[Chapter  20 SLA  21]  would improve  the  Alaska Marine  Highway                                                               
System (AMHS) even  more. She said MM&P  encourages the committee                                                               
to  consider  the  language in  that  legislation  for  potential                                                               
amendments to SB 103 to improve AMHS for coastal communities.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:39:40 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  SHOWER asked  whether  it  was time  to  move away  from                                                               
DOTPF's  management  and  model  AMHS after  the  Alaska  Seafood                                                               
Marketing Institute (ASMI).                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. ADAMSON, after first clarifying  the question, responded that                                                               
MM&P would support that change.  She offered her belief that AMHS                                                               
suffers from a  lack of planning and  management structure. Thus,                                                               
MM&P would  advocate for any  change that would remove  AMHS from                                                               
DOTPF.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:41:48 PM                                                                                                                    
BEN  GOLDRICH,   Representative,  Marine   Engineers'  Beneficial                                                               
Association  (MEBA),  Juneau,  Alaska, stated  that  he  supports                                                               
expanding  the board  composition and  membership, providing  OPB                                                               
with more  authority and  taking steps  to depoliticize  AMHS. He                                                               
said that  MEBA believes  that adding  board members  could bring                                                               
broader perspectives, diversify the  board, and help depoliticize                                                               
AMHS.  He agreed  that adding  some provisions  of House  Bill 63                                                               
could  provide OPB  with  more authority.  Although  he does  not                                                               
serve on MTAB, he said he  participated in and observed many MTAB                                                               
meetings.  He  advocated  using MTAB's  and  OPB's  expertise  to                                                               
assist AMHS.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:42:59 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  MYERS asked  whether MEBA  supported giving  AMHS its  own                                                               
governance structure separate from DOTPF.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. GOLDRICH  offered his belief  that MEBA would support  such a                                                               
move.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:43:40 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MYERS,  after first determining  no one wished  to testify,                                                               
closed public testimony on SB 103.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
[SB 103 was held in committee.]