03/28/2000 08:20 AM House CRA

            HOUSE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS                                                                                
                     STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                                         
                       March 28, 2000                                                                                           
                         8:20 a.m.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Implementation     of     Rural     Governance     Commission                                                                   
recommendations                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
TAPES                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
00-23, SIDES A & B                                                                                                              
00-24, SIDE A                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   CARL   MORGAN,  Co-Chair,   reconvened   the                                                                   
committee following action on HB 437 at 8:20 a.m.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
PRESENT                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Committee  members   present  were  Representatives   Morgan,                                                                   
Halcro, Dyson, Murkowski, Joule, Kookesh and Harris.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
BERNICE   JOSEPH,   Department   of   Commerce   &   Economic                                                                   
Development,   Anchorage,  provided   an  overview   of  that                                                                   
department's efforts to implement  the recommendations of the                                                                   
commission,  including worker  training, tourism  development                                                                   
workshops,   work  with  the   Alaska  Regional   Development                                                                   
Organization (ARDOR),  the Community Development  Quota (CDQ)                                                                   
program,  and the Denali  Commission  to diversify the  rural                                                                   
economic base.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
JAY  LIVEY,  Deputy  Commissioner,  Department  of  Health  &                                                                   
Social  Services, provided  an overview  of his  department's                                                                   
efforts  to  implement  recommendations   of  the  commission                                                                   
related  to the  delivery of  health and  social services  to                                                                   
rural communities.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MARY  PETE,   Director,  Division   of  Subsistence,   Alaska                                                                   
Department  of  Fish &  Game,  provided  an overview  of  her                                                                   
department's  implementation of  the  recommendations of  the                                                                   
commission, including working  out relationships with tribes.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
BARBARA RITCHIE, Deputy Attorney  General, Department of Law,                                                                   
discussed the  commissions recommendations that  the State of                                                                   
Alaska  recognize and  accept tribal  governments.  She  also                                                                   
gave an overview  of Governor Knowles' efforts  to respond to                                                                   
various concerns of the commission.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CAPT.  DOUG  NORRIS,  Captain, Commander  of  Village  Public                                                                   
Safety Officers (VPSO) program,  Department of Public Safety,                                                                   
answered the  committee members'  questions regarding  police                                                                   
protection, the  VPSO program, and delivery of  public safety                                                                   
services in rural Alaska.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
BYRON   MALLOTT,   Co-Chairman   of  the   Rural   Governance                                                                   
Commission, discussed the work  of the commission in light of                                                                   
the   historical   context  of   the   relationship   between                                                                   
government and Alaskan Natives.   He expressed disappointment                                                                   
that none  of the Knowles  Administration commissioners  were                                                                   
in attendance at the hearing.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
The committee took no action.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MORGAN adjourned the meeting at 10:03 a.m.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
NOTE:                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
The  meeting was  recorded  and  handwritten  log notes  were                                                                   
taken.  A copy  of the tape(s) and log notes  may be obtained                                                                   
by contacting  the House  Records Office  at 129 6th  Street,                                                                   
Suite 229,  Juneau, Alaska   99801-2197, (907)  465-2214, and                                                                   
after adjournment  of the second session of  the Twenty-first                                                                   
Alaska State Legislature this  information may be obtained by                                                                   
contacting  the  Legislative  Reference  Library at  129  6th                                                                   
Street, Suite 102, Juneau, Alaska  99801, (907) 465-3808.