03/11/2003 03:35 PM Senate STA

          SJR  7-VANCOUVER'S BID FOR 2010 WINTER GAMES                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MARK  RIEHLE,  staff to  Senator  Cowdery  and  the World  Trade                                                                
Committee,  described SJR  7  as an  expression  of support  for                                                                
Vancouver British Columbia's bid for  the 2010 Olympic Games and                                                                
the Paralympic Games.  Vancouver is competing to  host the games                                                                
with   Pyeongchang,   Korea,    and   Salzburg,   Austria.   The                                                                
International Olympic Committee (IOC) will award the bid to one                                                                 
of the three cities in July 2003.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     If Vancouver is  successful, Alaska is  certain to see                                                                     
     economic  benefits. In  particular,  Alaska stands  to                                                                     
     benefit in  the tourism and  winter recreation sectors                                                                     
     due  to  overall  worldwide  exposure of  the  Pacific                                                                     
     Northwest region.  As an  example, the  entire Western                                                                     
     region of  the mainland U.S. received  an estimated $1                                                                     
     billion economic boost  from the 2000  winter games in                                                                     
     Salt Lake City.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Alaska  and  British  Columbia share  close  economic,                                                                     
     government, sporting, cultural and family ties along a                                                                     
     lengthy  common  border.  The  primary  goal  of  this                                                                     
     resolution is  to strengthen  these ties  through this                                                                     
     formal resolution of support.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Passage of this resolution  will mean more than simple                                                                     
     neighborly    expression     of    support    because,                                                                     
     traditionally,   the   IOC   gives  weight   to   such                                                                     
     resolutions when making its bid determination.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     It is  likely Alaskan  small business  owners-from bed                                                                     
     and breakfast establishments to microbreweries to fish                                                                     
     processors-will realize  the primary  economic benefit                                                                     
     of a  successful  2010 bid  by Vancouver  and Whistler                                                                     
     B.C.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COWDERY asked him to elaborate on how Alaskan businesses                                                                
would benefit.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR. RIEHLE replied small businesses would have the opportunity                                                                  
to distribute brochures.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
There were no further questions.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DYSON made a motion to move SJR 7 from committee with                                                                   
individual recommendations and zero fiscal note.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
There being no objection, it was so ordered.