Legislature(2025 - 2026)BARNES 124
04/01/2025 10:15 AM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SJR10 | |
| Presentation(s) Uss Ted Stevens | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SJR 10 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS
April 1, 2025
10:18 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Ted Eischeid, Chair
Representative Andrew Gray
Representative Carolyn Hall
Representative Zack Fields
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Dan Saddler
Representative David Nelson
Representative Jamie Allard
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 10
Encouraging the United States Congress to award Hmong veterans
of the Vietnam War the Congressional Gold Medal.
- HEARD & HELD
PRESENTATION(S) USS TED STEVENS
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SJR 10
SHORT TITLE: HMONG VETERANS; CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) WIELECHOWSKI
02/20/25 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/20/25 (S) STA
02/25/25 (S) STA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
02/25/25 (S) Heard & Held
02/25/25 (S) MINUTE(STA)
03/04/25 (S) STA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
03/04/25 (S) Moved SJR 10 Out of Committee
03/04/25 (S) MINUTE(STA)
03/05/25 (S) STA RPT 5DP
03/05/25 (S) DP: KAWASAKI, WIELECHOWSKI, GRAY-
JACKSON, BJORKMAN, YUNDT
03/17/25 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)
03/17/25 (S) VERSION: SJR 10
03/21/25 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/21/25 (H) MLV
04/01/25 (H) MLV AT 10:15 AM BARNES 124
WITNESS REGISTER
SENATOR BILL WIELECHOWSKI
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: As prime sponsor, presented SJR 10 to the
committee.
JOSHUA MCHOES, Staff
Senator Bill Wielechowski
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: On behalf of Senator Wielechowski, prime
sponsor, gave a PowerPoint presentation on SJR 10.
MAY RAMIREZ-XIONG, CEO & Co-Founder
H.E.A.R.T Inc.
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave invited testimony on SJR 10.
LILY STEVENS BECKER, Secretary
USS Ted Stevens Commissioning Committee
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave a presentation titled " a presentation
titled "USS Ted Stevens".
CAPTAIN MARY KATEY HAYS, Prospective Commanding Officer
USS Ted Stevens Commissioning Committee
Pascagoula, Mississippi
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave a presentation, titled "USS Ted
Stevens."
CHERIE CURRY, President
USS Ted Stevens Commissioning Committee
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave a presentation, titled "USS Ted
Stevens."
ACTION NARRATIVE
10:18:04 AM
CHAIR EISCHEID called the House Special Committee on Military
and Veterans' Affairs meeting to order at 10:18 a.m.
Representatives Fields, Gray, Hall, and Eischeid were present at
the call to order.
SJR 10-HMONG VETERANS; CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL
10:18:52 AM
CHAIR EISCHEID announced that the first order of business would
be SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 10, "Encouraging the United
States Congress to award Hmong veterans of the Vietnam War the
Congressional Gold Medal."
10:19:30 AM
SENATOR BILL WIELECHOWSKI, Alaska State Legislature, As prime
sponsor, presented SJR 10 to the committee. He gave a brief
overview of the history of the Hmong people's role in aiding
United States soldiers in Laos and Vietnam. He explained that
the proposed Senate resolution would urge congress to award the
congressional gold medal to Hmong veterans.
10:21:04 AM
JOSHUA MCHOES, STAFF, Senator Bill Wielechowski, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of Senator Bill Wielechowski, prime
sponsor, gave a PowerPoint presentation on SJR 10 [hard copy
included in the committee file]. He began on slide 2, which
gave a brief history of Hmong veterans and moved to slide 3,
which described the Hmong people's culture and role fighting
alongside the U.S. in the Vietnam war. He skipped to slide 5,
which emphasized the brutal conditions that the Hmong people
were subjected to after the U.S. withdrawal in Vietnam and moved
through slides 6-7, which described the Hmong people's
integration and recognition within the United States. He
continued to slide 8, which outlined the historic effort to
grant the congressional gold medal to the Hmong people and
skipped to slides 10-11, which explained what the congressional
gold medal is and how it can be awarded. He concluded the
presentation on slide 12, which urged the committee's support of
SJR 10.
10:27:30 AM
MAY RAMIREZ-XIONG, CEO & Co-Founder, H.E.A.R.T Inc., gave
invited testimony on SJR 10. She shared to the committee that
she is the daughter of a Hmong colonel veteran of the Vietnam
War and said that she was testifying before the committee to
"amplify the voices that cannot speak for themselves." She
explained that SJR 10 would honor the sacrifices and the wider
role that the Hmong role have played in supporting the U.S.
throughout their history.
^PRESENTATION(S) USS Ted Stevens
PRESENTATION(S) USS Ted Stevens
10:31:17 AM
CHAIR EISCHEID announced that the final order of business would
be the USS Ted Stevens presentation.
10:32:18 AM
LILY STEVENS BECKER, Secretary, USS Ted Stevens Commissioning
Committee, co-offered a presentation, titled "USS Ted Stevens."
She began the presentation on slide 2, which described Ted
Steven's personality and his relationship to Alaska and moved
through slides 3-5, which displayed images of artists'
renditions of Ted Stevens throughout Alaska. She moved through
slides 6-10, which highlighted a series of ceremonial milestones
of the USS Ted Stevens.
10:37:01 AM
CAPTAIN MARY KATEY HAYS, Prospective Commanding Officer, USS Ted
Stevens Commissioning Committee, co-offered a presentation,
titled "USS Ted Stevens." She picked up the presentation on
slide 13, which highlighted the current location of the U.S.S.
Ted Stevens and moved to slide 14, which listed a few
"ceremonial milestones" of the prospective ship. She continued
through slides 15-16, which displayed pictures of the ship's
christening celebrations and moved to slide 18 which explained
what a Navy commissioning is.
10:41:48 AM
CHAIR EISCHEID asked for more context with regards to Ted
Steven's fixation on eating healthy.
MS. STEVENS BECKER explained that Ted Stevens was often up to
date on the latest health trends and was obsessive about
physical wellness and taking care of his body.
10:43:36 AM
CHAIR EISCHEID commented that he stopped and sat down on the
statue of Ted Stevens at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International
Airport on his way to Juneau and remarked his appreciation for
the former senator's character and work in Alaska.
10:45:34 AM
CHERIE CURRY, President, USS Ted Stevens Commissioning
Committee, co-offered a presentation, titled "USS Ted Stevens."
She resumed the presentation on slide 19, which described the
USS Ted Stevens commissioning committee's work and moved through
slides 20-21, which highlighted key stakeholders in the
commissioning of the USS Ted Stevens. She continued to slide
22, which outlined the structure of the USS Ted Stevens board of
directors and moved to slide 23, which detailed the various
executive committees that are pertinent to the construction and
commissioning of the USS Ted Stevens. She moved through slides
24-31, which displayed a series of photos captured during the
commissioning committee's visit to Alaska in 2024. She
continued through slides 32-33, which detailed the events that
will occur during the USS Ted Stevens commissioning week for
both the public and the crew of the ship and concluded the
presentation on slide 34.
10:53:42 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HALL asked if there has been an economic analysis
has been performed on the prospective impact of the USS Ted
Steven's commissioning week and asked if there was an estimate
of the cost of the commissioning week for the ship.
MS. CURRY answered that the USS Ted Stevens commissioning
committee would pursue and economic study once the locations of
the celebrations in Alaska were determined. She said that the
current estimate for the cost of the commissioning week is
around $1 million.
10:55:30 AM
CHAIR EISCHEID asked what it was like to be present at the
christening ceremony for the USS Ted Stevens.
MS. STEVENS BECKER said that it was an "incredible experience"
and said that she was awestruck at the ship and the christening
ceremony.
10:57:52 AM
CHAIR EISCHEID thanked the invited testifiers and delivered
committee announcements.
10:58:22 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting was
adjourned at 10:58 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SJR010A.pdf |
HMLV 4/1/2025 10:15:00 AM |
SJR 10 |
| SJR 10 Presentation 04.01.2025.pdf |
HMLV 4/1/2025 10:15:00 AM |
SJR 10 |
| SJR 10 Sponsor Statement 04.01.2025.pdf |
HMLV 4/1/2025 10:15:00 AM |
SJR 10 |
| SJR 10 Letters of Support to SSTA 3.21.2025.pdf |
HMLV 4/1/2025 10:15:00 AM |
SJR 10 |
| USS TED STEVENS PRESENTATION TO MVA 04.01.25.pdf |
HMLV 4/1/2025 10:15:00 AM |