03/28/2003 01:05 PM House JUD

                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
               HOUSE JUDICIARY STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                             
                         March 28, 2003                                                                                         
                           1:05 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Lesil McGuire, Chair                                                                                             
Representative Tom Anderson, Vice Chair                                                                                         
Representative Jim Holm                                                                                                         
Representative Dan Ogg                                                                                                          
Representative Ralph Samuels                                                                                                    
Representative Gara                                                                                                             
Representative Gruenberg                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
All members present                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
DEPARTMENT OF LAW:  BRIEFING ON LITIGATION                                                                                      
[For the regular  meeting minutes, see the 1:47  p.m. minutes for                                                               
this date.]                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
TAPES                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
03-24, SIDE A                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LESIL McGUIRE  convened the meeting of  the House Judiciary                                                             
Standing Committee  at 1:05 p.m.   Representatives McGuire, Holm,                                                               
Ogg, Samuels,  Gara, and  Gruenberg were present  at the  call to                                                               
order.   Representative Anderson  arrived as  the meeting  was in                                                               
progress.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
STEPHEN  WHITE,  Assistant  Attorney General,  Natural  Resources                                                               
Section,  Civil  Division  (Juneau),  Department  of  Law  (DOL),                                                               
presented  a  briefing  on  the   Carlson  v.  State  of  Alaska,                                                             
Commercial Fisheries Entry  Commission case.  He  spoke about the                                                             
different  aspects  of  this 19-year-old  class  action  lawsuit,                                                               
which centers on whether Alaska  can charge nonresidents more for                                                               
commercial  fishing  licenses  than  it charges  residents.    He                                                               
described how fees  were originally charged, and  what the courts                                                               
have  decided is  the appropriate  formula for  determining fees;                                                               
the  different  issues  that  were   initially  raised,  and  the                                                               
different aspects  of the case  that have been appealed;  and how                                                               
much  potential liability  the state  might incur  dependant upon                                                               
the final  outcome of the  case and any forthcoming  appeals, and                                                               
how  any  money  owed  might  be distributed.    In  addition  to                                                               
providing the committee  with his verbal presentation,  he used a                                                               
PowerPoint presentation to highlight  issues, and both during and                                                               
after his  presentation he responded to  questions from committee                                                               
members.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
ANNOUNCEMENTS                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
There were no announcements.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
The committee took no action.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The House  Judiciary Standing Committee  took an at-ease  at 1:43                                                               
p.m.  in order  to prepare  for the  regular meeting.   [For  the                                                               
regular  meeting minutes,  see  the 1:47  p.m.  minutes for  this                                                               
date.]                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
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  State Capitol,  Room 3,                                                               
Juneau,  Alaska  99801  (mailing address),  (907)  465-2214,  and                                                               
after adjournment  of the second  session of the 23  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature this  information may  be obtained by  contacting the                                                               
Legislative Reference Library at (907) 465-3808.