03/31/2003 05:14 PM House EDT

SJR 7-VANCOUVER'S BID FOR 2010 WINTER GAMES                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HEINZE announced  that the only order of  business would be                                                               
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 7,  Expressing support for Vancouver,                                                               
British Columbia's,  bid for  the 2010  Olympic Winter  Games and                                                               
the Paralympic Winter Games.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Number 0074                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
RICHARD  SCHMITZ, Staff  to Senator  John  Cowdery, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  presented SJR  7 on  behalf of  the Senate  Special                                                               
Committee  on  World  Trade and  State/Federal  Relations,  which                                                               
Senator Cowdery  chairs.  He told  members this is meant  to be a                                                               
"neighborly thing" and  noted that Washington State  had passed a                                                               
similar  resolution.   Mr.  Schmitz  suggested  there will  be  a                                                               
tremendous economic spillover if  Vancouver is chosen, since this                                                               
will  draw attention  to  the Pacific  Northwest  and will  bring                                                               
tourists from  around the world.   He cited a billion  dollars in                                                               
economic activity resulting  from the Olympics held  in Salt Lake                                                               
City  and Calgary,  Alberta, which  affected  western regions  of                                                               
Canada and  the United  States.   Furthermore, he  suggested that                                                               
when  the   International  Olympic  Committee  (IOC)   makes  its                                                               
decisions, these resolutions do have some effect.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Number 0280                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KOHRING  asked  whether [any  Alaskan  city]  had                                                               
applied for this.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MR.  SCHMITZ  said no,  although  Alaska  has hosted  the  Arctic                                                               
Winter Games and  the Special Olympics.  He pointed  out that the                                                               
Olympic Winter Games require  massive infrastructure and multiple                                                               
arenas.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KOTT requested  an at-ease in order  to review the                                                               
wording of the Washington State resolution in committee packets.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease at  5:24 p.m. that lasted less than                                                               
a minute.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Number 0411                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KOTT  began discussion of Conceptual  Amendment 1.                                                               
Drawing attention to  [page 2] line 15, where it  says the people                                                               
of Alaska  fully support this, he  asked whether a poll  had been                                                               
done and  questioned going  out on  a limb  and speaking  for the                                                               
people  of Alaska.   He  pointed  out that  the Washington  State                                                               
resolution doesn't  have similar  language.  He  suggested saying                                                               
that the  Alaska State Legislature  fully supports  Vancouver [in                                                               
its efforts].  He asked about the rationale behind the wording.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR.  SCHMITZ  answered  that  he'd   sent  the  Washington  State                                                               
resolution [to the  drafters] and had e-mailed  people from PNWER                                                               
[Pacific  NorthWest   Economic  Region],  who'd   suggested  some                                                               
changes; however,  he said  he couldn't  recall whether  this was                                                               
PNWER's suggestion or his own.  He concurred with its removal.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 0540                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE moved to  adopt Conceptual Amendment 1, on                                                               
page  2 [lines  14-15],  to  delete "the  people  of Alaska"  and                                                               
instead have it  read:  "in the spirit of  friendship, the Alaska                                                               
State Legislature fully supports".   She requested Representative                                                               
Kott's opinion on the word "fully".                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KOTT  said he believed  "fully supports"  was fine                                                               
because he was assuming the resolution would pass.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HEINZE  asked whether there  was any objection  to adopting                                                               
Conceptual  Amendment 1.   There  being no  objection, it  was so                                                               
ordered.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Number 0602                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KOHRING moved to report  SJR 7, as amended, out of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
zero fiscal note.   There being no objection, HCS  SJR 7(EDT) was                                                               
reported   from  the   House   Special   Committee  on   Economic                                                               
Development, International Trade and Tourism.