Legislature(2019 - 2020)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
03/21/2019 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s): | |
| SB65 | |
| SB66 | |
| SB69 | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s) | |
| SJR8 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| *+ | SB 69 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SJR 8 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | SB 65 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 66 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SJR 8-U.S.-MEXICO-CANADA AGREEMENT ON TRADE
2:39:06 PM
CHAIR REINBOLD reconvened the meeting. She announced that the
final order of business would be SJR 8-U.S.-MEXICO-CANADA
AGREEMENT ON TRADE.
2:39:36 PM
ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, Intern, Senator Mia Costello, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, said that she is an intern in the Senator
Ted Stevens Legislative Internship Program working for Senator
Costello. She introduced SJR 8 speaking to the following
prepared statement.
• Thank you, Madam Chair and Labor and Commerce
Committee members
• For the record name
• I am here today to present Senator Costello's Senate
Joint Resolution No. 8
• Two goals to the resolution
1. to encourage the federal gov. to ratify the New North
American Free Trade Agreement, New NAFTA, or the
United States Mexico Canada Agreement, USMCA. For the
purpose of this hearing I will refer to the agreement
as the New NAFTA.
2. While the resolution does support the New NAFTA, it is
against the 25 percent tariffs on steel and 10 percent
tariff on aluminum
2:40:30 PM
MS. MCLAUGHLIN continued.
• In November after more than a year of negotiations,
the United States, Canada and Mexico reached an
agreement to update the North American Free Trade
Agreement
• which governs more than $1.2 trillion worth of trade
among the three nations
• The new deal won't go into effect right away. Most of
the key provisions don't start until 2020
• This is because leaders from the three countries have
to sign it
• then Congress and the legislatures in Canada and
Mexico have to approve it, a process that is expected
to take months.
2:41:03 PM
MS. MCLAUGHLIN emphasized that the agreement was not yet
ratified. She continued:
• Madam Chair let me illustrate the vital importance of
Senator Costello's Joint Resolution today
• The New NAFTA would play an important role on a
growing part of Alaska's economy
• While there are numerous provisions to the 1994 NAFTA
there is one area of the New NAFTA that supports a
growing sector in Alaska
o Intellectual property
• Senate Joint Resolution No. 8 supports the New NAFTA
since it brings the trade agreement into the modern
era
o It brings protections for patents and trademarks,
which includes biotech, financial services and even
domain names
• Alaska hosts a variety of programs and institutions that
enable the growth of innovation and entrepreneurship, which
positions the state to compete in the global economy.
• One of those institutions is the Office of
Intellectual Property and Commercialization which is
one of the University of Alaska Research Centers.
o dedicated to the development and commercialization of
intellectual property, research and development,
ability to conduct sponsored research
2:42:26 PM
MS. MCLAUGHLIN continued:
• Madam Chair while the resolution does support the New
NAFTA it is against the tariffs on steel and aluminum
• On March 1, 2018 the federal administration announced
that the US would be imposing 25 percent tariff on
steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum, which
Mexico and Canada would be granted waivers for
•
o However, they were later imposed on Canada and Mexico
• This resulted in retaliatory tariffs, which would be
lifted as soon as the US removes their imposed tariffs
•
2:43:19 PM
MS. MCLAUGHLIN continued.
• The United States relationship with Canada is vital to
the Alaskan economy
• According to a study commissioned by the Embassy of Canada,
21,300 Alaskan jobs depend on trade and investment with
Canada
• In 2017, Alaska exported $707 million dollars to Canada,
$331 million of which was metal, according to the office of
United States Trade Representative
• The trade Representative also reports that Canada imports
$16 million in Iron and steel tubes, pipes, and sheets from
Alaska.
• The tariffs on steel and aluminum harm the industry and
workers on both sides of the Canada- US border by
disrupting supply chains
• Senator Costello has reached out to the Alaskan
Congressional Delegation. U.S. Senator Sullivan said that
he supports the ratification of the New NAFTA and he also
is against the tariffs on steel and aluminum.
• Once again Madam Chair thank you for the opportunity to
present Senator Costello's Senate Joint Resolution No. 8 to
the Labor and Commerce Committee
2:44:35 PM
SENATOR BISHOP complimented her on the excellent delivery. He
said he was proud of her.
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON echoed Senator Bishop's comments.
2:45:38 PM
CHAIR REINBOLD opened public testimony on SJR 8.
CHAIR REINBOLD reviewed committee announcements.
2:46:59 PM
MATTHEW MORRISON, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Pacific
NorthWest Economic Region, Seattle, stated that Senator
Murkowski estimated that the aluminum and steel tariffs would
increase the proposed natural gas pipeline by $500 million. He
urged members to support SJR 8. He commended Ms. McLaughlin's
testimony.
2:47:51 PM
SENATOR COSTELLO commended Ms. McLaughlin's presentation. She
said her performance is a testament to the value of the intern
program, in which university students have the opportunity to
serve as full-fledged staffers in the legislature. She said she
strongly supports the program.
CHAIR REINBOLD held SJR 8 in committee with public testimony
open.