04/05/2004 01:27 PM House RES

HB 309-PROHIBIT RELEASE OF PREDATORY FISH                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
TAPE 04-18, SIDE B                                                                                                            
Number 2960                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  DAHLSTROM announced  that the  final order  of business                                                               
would be HOUSE  BILL NO. 309, "An Act prohibiting  the release of                                                               
nonindigenous  predatory fish  into public  water."   [Before the                                                               
committee, adopted  as a  work draft on  3/31/04, was  Version W,                                                               
labeled 23-LS1097\W, Utermohle, 3/23/04.]                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Number 2930                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WOLF,   sponsor  of  HB  309,   said  some  legal                                                               
questions had been brought forward  at the last bill hearing, and                                                               
he thought  it would be appropriate  for the bill to  be reviewed                                                               
by the House Judiciary Standing Committee.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR DAHLSTROM  commended Representative Wolf  for requesting                                                               
that the  bill receive another  committee of referral,  which she                                                               
said she thought was appropriate.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Number 2910                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  MASEK moved  to report  CSHB 309,  Version 23-LS1097\W,                                                               
Utermohle,   3/23/04,   out    of   committee   with   individual                                                               
recommendations and the accompanying  fiscal notes, and asked for                                                               
unanimous consent.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GUTTENBERG  objected.   He asked  if the  bill had                                                               
received a [referral] to the House Judiciary Standing Committee.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR DAHLSTROM answered yes.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STEPOVICH  expressed   concerns  that  previously                                                               
asked  questions  should  be  answered  by  the  House  Judiciary                                                               
Standing Committee  before the bill  leaves committee.   He asked                                                               
what recourse there  would be if the [$1,500  fine amount] wasn't                                                               
changed in that committee.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Number 2844                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WOLF explained that he'd  talked with the chair of                                                               
the  House   Judiciary  Standing  Committee  and   had  expressed                                                               
concerns about  [the amount of the  fine].  He said  he wanted to                                                               
give the  department a few  more "teeth" with regard  to catching                                                               
people who  are transporting  live pike, because  it is  an issue                                                               
that costs  the State  of Alaska  a tremendous  amount.   He said                                                               
$40,000 [the cost to ADF&G  to exterminate yellow perch knowingly                                                               
deposited  in  a  lake  on  the  Kenai  Peninsula]  isn't  "small                                                               
change."                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  DAHLSTROM  said  she'd  also had  a  conversation  with                                                               
members  of the  House  Judiciary  Standing Committee  concerning                                                               
several items  such as the  class C  felony and the  fine amount,                                                               
and whether  those are  equitable and  equal to  the crime.   She                                                               
said she  believes that  committee is  the appropriate  place for                                                               
[the bill]  to go.  She  said it would  then go to the  floor and                                                               
"if people don't feel right about it, it won't leave the floor."                                                                
                                                                                                                                
[HB 309  was held over.   The motion to report  CSHB 309, Version                                                               
23-LS1097\W,  Utermohle,  3/23/04,  out  of  committee  was  left                                                               
pending with an objection.]