02/01/2001 01:07 PM House TRA

HB 79 - Eagle River Veterans' Memorial Highway                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KOHRING announced  the next  order of  business was  HOUSE                                                               
BILL 79,  "An Act designating a  portion of the Eagle  River Loop                                                               
Road as the Eagle River Veterans' Memorial Highway."                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Number 1532                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PETE  KOTT, Alaska  State Legislature,  sponsor of                                                               
the bill,  explained that  HB 79  is simply  naming a  portion of                                                               
Eagle River Loop  Road.  For those familiar with  Eagle River and                                                               
the Glenn  Highway area,  the portion being  named starts  at the                                                               
overpass (at  the Anchorage Landfill)  and ends at the  corner of                                                               
the intersection  of Eagle River  Road and Eagle River  Loop Road                                                               
(where  Wal-Mart stands).    Representative  Kott also  mentioned                                                               
that one of the newer roads  in the Eagle River Area was actually                                                               
an extension of  the Eagle River Loop Road and  that a portion of                                                               
this highway is designated at 55 miles per hour.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KOTT  commented  that  this  bill  is  a  way  of                                                               
honoring the men and women who  have served our country.  He went                                                               
on to say, "We are always  looking at taking care of our veterans                                                               
as  best  we  can  with   the  limited  resources  that  we  have                                                               
available."    This is  one  way,  with  zero costs,  of  showing                                                               
gratitude to those who have  fought and died while protecting our                                                               
freedoms.  Alaska has a large  number of veterans, when one takes                                                               
into  consideration  active  duty   members,  reserves,  and  the                                                               
International Guard.  Currently,  Alaska ranks second per capita,                                                               
behind Wyoming.  The Eagle  River/Chugiak Area has a particularly                                                               
high concentration of  veterans in comparison to the  rest of the                                                               
state.   This bill  provides a  name for a  portion of  the Eagle                                                               
River Loop Road that runs through this area.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KOHRING asked  if the bill was referring to  a co-naming or                                                               
a renaming of the road.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KOTT confirmed that this  bill is not renaming the                                                               
road.  For example, if people  were living on this portion of the                                                               
road, they would not have to  change their post office address or                                                               
print new business cards.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KOHRING  asked if  there was  a fiscal  note attached.   He                                                               
also asked  if the only  additional signs  that would be  seen on                                                               
this road would be the blue ones.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KOHRING stated  that Dennis Poshard from  the Department of                                                               
Transportation and  Public Facilities  [sitting in  the audience]                                                               
is in agreement about the blue signs.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KOTT  stated that  he appreciated  the committee's                                                               
consideration on this bill.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
DENNIS POSHARD,  Special Assistant,  Office of  the Commissioner,                                                               
Department  of  Transportation   &  Public  Facilities  (DOT&PF),                                                               
stated that this  is the second naming bill that  has been before                                                               
the House Transportation  Standing Committee this year.   He said                                                               
that he  has testified on naming  bills for the past  four years,                                                               
including one of Chair Kohring's bills the previous year.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. POSHARD  voiced his  concern that for  the last  seven years,                                                               
with the exception of last  year, DOT&PF's maintenance budget has                                                               
been  cut.   Each  year  the  department has  additional  burdens                                                               
placed  upon   it  in   terms  of   the  amount   of  maintenance                                                               
responsibility it has.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR. POSHARD  stated that DOT&PF supports  the legislature's right                                                               
and  ability to  name  things.   The DOT&PF  supports  HB 79  and                                                               
believes it to be a worthy cause.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE OGAN asked  if it has been a recent  trend for the                                                               
legislature to name roads.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR.  POSHARD stated  that  in the  four years  that  he has  been                                                               
involved in  this area, there have  been at least three  bills to                                                               
name roads  each year.  He  pointed out that Titles  35-40 of the                                                               
statutes contain  several locations that have  been named through                                                               
the legislature,  including bridges, various roads,  and portions                                                               
of  highways.   The legislature  has named  locations for  a long                                                               
time.  Although there seems to  be a small increase in the number                                                               
of naming bills each year, it is not a substantial increase.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KOHRING noted  that he  appreciated the  sponsor advancing                                                               
this bill; it is a fitting memorial for veterans.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Number 1293                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE OGAN  made a motion  to move HB 79  from committee                                                               
with  attached fiscal  notes and  individual recommendations;  he                                                               
requested unanimous  consent.   There being  no objection,  HB 79                                                               
moved out of the House Transportation Standing Committee.