04/02/2008 08:30 AM House FINANCE

CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 216(TRA)                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act designating the Alaska Highway and portion of                                                                      
    the Richardson Highway as the Purple Heart Trail."                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR JOHNNY  ELLIS, SPONSOR, provided an  overview of the                                                                    
bill and noted that Representative  Gardner was a sponsor of                                                                    
the companion  legislation in the  House. The intent  of the                                                                    
bill is to honor Alaska  veterans and show Alaska's pride in                                                                    
veterans  to visitors.  Alaska has  more  than 1,000  active                                                                    
military  duty  personnel.   Forty-four  other  states  have                                                                    
designated all  or part of  their interstate  highway system                                                                    
as part of the Purple Heart Trail.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Ellis   reported  that   the  Alaska   Highway  was                                                                    
originally built by  the U.S. Army during World  War II. The                                                                    
bill  proposes large  signs  at  Fairbanks, Delta  Junction,                                                                    
Tok, and the  Canadian border, with smaller  signs at points                                                                    
between,  and   three  pullouts  with   informational  signs                                                                    
explaining the Purple Heart Trail.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Senator Ellis credited Ron Seibels,  commander of the Alaska                                                                    
military Order  of the Purple  Heart, for the  original idea                                                                    
of the  bill. The  changes to  the CS  and sign  design were                                                                    
proposed  by the  Department  of  Transportation and  Public                                                                    
Facilities.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:35:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  BERTA  GARDNER  spoke   in  support  of  the                                                                    
legislation.  She  added  that  the Military  order  of  the                                                                    
Purple  Heart is  only for  service men  and women  who have                                                                    
been killed  or injured in  the line of duty.  She recounted                                                                    
that the  House had recently passed  legislation relating to                                                                    
the decoration of honor.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:36:09 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Stoltze  spoke in support of  the legislation. He                                                                    
noted that  there was little  recognition of  the servicemen                                                                    
who  built  the  Alaska  Highway,  who  were  treated  in  a                                                                    
discriminatory manner. He  noted that he may  write a letter                                                                    
of intent recognizing them.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:38:56 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RON SIEBELS,  ALASKA CHAPTER  OF THE  MILITARY ORDER  OF THE                                                                    
PURPLE  HEART  (testified   via  teleconference),  spoke  in                                                                    
support  of the  legislation. He  underlined that  there has                                                                    
been no  opposition to the provision.  The communities along                                                                    
the route  have written  in support.  He thought  the Purple                                                                    
Heart signs would create a  positive impression on visitors.                                                                    
He stated his  appreciation for support for  the project and                                                                    
urged timely passage of the bill.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:43:03 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Stoltze  asked who  is  depicted  on the  Purple                                                                    
Heart stamp. Mr. Siebels believed it was George Washington.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:43:43 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RIC DAVIDGE,  STATE COUNCIL  PRESIDENT, VIETNAM  VETERANS OF                                                                    
AMERICA (testified via teleconference),  spoke in support of                                                                    
the  legislation. The  majority  of veterans  in Alaska  are                                                                    
Vietnam  veterans. He  clarified that  the Purple  Heart can                                                                    
only  be received  by someone  who is  injured or  killed by                                                                    
enemy  fire,  not  by friendly  fire.  Vietnam  Veterans  of                                                                    
America  is   working  with   the  new   national  veterans'                                                                    
organization, the Veterans of  Modern Warfare, who represent                                                                    
all post-Vietnam  veterans. The  Purple Heart  Trail project                                                                    
helps show honor to veterans and supports all veterans.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:45:36 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Gara thanked Mr. Davidge for his work.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:45:56 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Meyer  acknowledged  the   fiscal  note  from  the                                                                    
Department  of  Transportation  and  Public  Facilities  for                                                                    
$150,000 for making and installation of the signs.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:46:23 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Stoltze  said he would  draft a letter  of intent                                                                    
in that  states the  basic intent  of honoring  the existing                                                                    
Alaska Veterans.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:46:41 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Joule remembered a  debate on the House floor                                                                    
regarding signage on the highway.  At that time it was voted                                                                    
down.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:47:42 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Stoltze clarified  that the  House floor  debate                                                                    
referenced  by Representative  Joule  was regarding  tourist                                                                    
oriented directional signs.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:47:56 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Thomas  spoke in  support  of  the bill  and                                                                    
hoped  to see  language in  the bill  encouraging the  Yukon                                                                    
government to continue the trail.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:48:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Stoltze  MOVED to  REPORT CSSB  216 (TRA)  out of                                                                    
Committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal  note. There being NO  OBJECTION, it was                                                                    
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CSSB  216 (TRA)  was reported  out of  Committee with  a "do                                                                    
pass" recommendation and fiscal  note from the Department of                                                                    
Transportation and Public Facilities.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:49:40 AM