04/24/1997 08:07 AM House STA

 SB 124 - CHARITABLE GAMING SALMON AND RACE CLASSIC                          
                                                                               
 The first order of business to come before the House State Affairs            
 Standing Committee was SB 124, "An Act relating to salmon classics            
 and race classics."                                                           
                                                                               
 Number 0060                                                                   
                                                                               
 SENATOR JOHN TORGERSON, Alaska State Legislature, read the                    
 following sponsor statement into the record:                                  
                                                                               
 "This legislation amends AS 05.15.100(a) by including race classics           
 as one of the games of chance which municipalities or qualified               
 organizations are allowed to conduct.  One function of this bill is           
 to authorize a classic for the Seward Mt. Marathon Race, to be                
 operated by the Seward Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitors'             
 Bureau.  The bill therefore includes a definition for "race"                  
 classics.                                                                     
                                                                               
 "The bill also amends AS 05.15.690(40) by extending the definition            
 of a salmon classic to include the Seward Silver Salmon Derby                 
 Classic and the Sterling Area Senior Citizen's, Inc. Sockeye Salmon           
 Crossing Classic.                                                             
                                                                               
 "Both the Seward Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitors' Bureau            
 and the Sterling Area Senior Citizen's, Inc., are non-profit                  
 corporations.  Both entities provide a valuable community service             
 and, like many local service organizations, they are searching for            
 ways to supplement their revenues.                                            
                                                                               
 "Providing these potential revenue vehicles will assist these                 
 service organizations in the continuation of the services they                
 provide for their respective communities."                                    
                                                                               
 Number 0159                                                                   
                                                                               
 CHAIR JEANNETTE JAMES asked Senator Torgerson how did he get the              
 bill to the House State Affairs Standing Committee without it                 
 becoming a christmas tree?                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR TORGERSON replied he did not know.                                    
                                                                               
 Number 0184                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE IVAN IVAN stated he appreciated the bill.  He had              
 targeted similar bills before statute by statute.  He was sorry               
 that the state did not have one statute that covered all activities           
 like this, or that the activities were regulated by the Charitable            
 Gaming Division, instead of addressing each activity one by one.              
                                                                               
 Number 0224                                                                   
                                                                               
 SENATOR TORGERSON replied he had tried to work with the division.             
 His approach was that anything under a certain dollar amount would            
 not need legislative approval.  There must be a happy medium,                 
 however, so that a bill was not needed every time a non-profit                
 wanted an opportunity to supplement its revenue.  The fear was that           
 anything not created by the legislature could go away by                      
 regulation.  Therefore, non-profit organizations did not want to              
 spend a lot of money initially for a program for fear it would go             
 away after a couple of years, for example.                                    
                                                                               
 Number 0306                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE MARK HODGINS moved that SB 124 move from the                   
 committee with individual recommendations and the attached fiscal             
 note(s).  There was no objection, SB 124 was so moved from the                
 House State Affairs Standing Committee.