HB 352-RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT CURRICULUM  9:09:04 AM CHAIR DICK announced that the final order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 352, "An Act relating to public school curriculum and textbook restrictions based on science, resource development, and sustained yield principles." [Chair Dick passed the gavel to Vice Chair Pruitt] The committee took a brief at-ease. 9:10:54 AM ALAN DICK, Alaska State Legislature, said that, although HB 352 was a simple and forthright bill, it was important and he had substantial constituent concern for this issue. He presented HB 352, paraphrasing from the sponsor statement, which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: "An Act relating to public school curriculum and textbook restrictions based on science, resource development, and sustained yield principles." Alaska State Constitution Section 2. General Authority "The legislature shall provide for the utilization, development, and conservation of all natural resources belonging to the State, including land and waters, for the maximum benefit of its people". Like many other states, Alaska has educators who come from various backgrounds who may be unfamiliar with Alaska's constitutional directives regarding State resources. The purpose of this bill is to clearly state that the curriculum in local schools supports the intent of the Constitution. Educational materials must give parity to the viewpoint of use and development as well as conservation of all natural resources. Educational materials should recognize that the economic well- being of the State is totally dependent upon careful, sustainable resource development. 9:12:31 AM CHAIR DICK said that many of the teachers in the state were not familiar with the constitutional directives regarding State resources. He offered his belief that sustainable, responsible resource development was necessary for adequate financial management; therefore, it was important for an awareness to be brought to the educational field of an adequate balance and parity in the curriculum for responsible resource development. 9:15:24 AM REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON asked if the proposed bill would also include the university. She encouraged the sponsor to consider that inclusion. VICE CHAIR PRUITT, referring to the fiscal note, opined that it did not include the university. CHAIR DICK, in response to Representative P. Wilson, declared that he would be open to "any friendly amendment you would like to make in that regard." 9:16:39 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON, reading from the proposed bill, page 1, line 6, "shall base curriculum development and textbook selection" on these principles, asked how a biology course would be taught using a textbook that did not meet the stipulated criteria for utilization of wild game. CHAIR DICK responded that a portion of a textbook could be used, and then other materials could be used to balance the curriculum. REPRESENTATIVE SEATON offered his belief that the proposed bill stated that textbook selection shall be based on those principles listed in AS 14.30.380(A). VICE CHAIR PRUITT suggested that the perspective of the Department of Education and Early Development would be useful. 9:18:34 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON acknowledged that every school district was required to select textbooks, but as this was a proposed state law, it could restrict the selection. Declaring his concern for unintended consequences to individual school districts, he suggested hearing testimony from the districts. 9:19:39 AM CHAIR DICK expressed that there was not any intent to "limit anybody to anything." He suggested a friendly amendment to base curriculum development and implementation on the constitutional principles, and remove "textbook selection." This would allow freedom for the selection of textbooks, as long as the curriculum recognized "the balance that's reflected in the constitution." 9:20:24 AM REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON offered her belief that the proposed bill was "a policy call that we need to be thinking about on what we think should be taught" and that it was necessary to teach that responsible resource development could keep "everything as pristine as we can." 9:22:33 AM CHAIR DICK suggested listening to public testimony. 9:22:53 AM VICE CHAIR PRUITT directed attention to a similar program in Utah to help the citizens better understand that state income was derived from resource development. 9:24:22 AM CHAIR DICK reiterated that the proposed legislation was not intended to create a limiting factor. 9:24:59 AM REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON suggested including all the teaching institutions of the state in the proposed legislation. 9:25:27 AM VICE CHAIR PRUITT offered his belief that private institutions could not have the state dictate curriculum. 9:26:16 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON reminded the committee that the proposed legislation would not apply to the private and religious schools, with or without funding. He referred to page 1, lines 11-13 of the proposed bill, and read: "utilization and development of all nonrenewable resources in addition to encouragement of balancing resource development and conservation ...." He suggested discussion with the state representatives involved in the dispute regarding the proposed Pebble Mine. 9:27:34 AM CHAIR DICK, in response to Representative Seaton, explained that the intent of the proposed legislation was to ensure that any teaching reflected the Alaska State Constitution, not to mandate what was being taught. 9:28:31 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON read the constitutional passage from the sponsor statement: "The legislature shall provide for the utilization, development, and conservation of natural resources...." He determined that it had a different focus than page 1, lines 11-13, of the proposed legislation: "utilization and development of all nonrenewable resources in addition to encouragement of balancing resource development and conservation...." He questioned whether this was a parallel construction to the constitution. 9:29:14 AM VICE CHAIR PRUITT offered his belief that everyone should have an understanding of what drives the state economy, and he allowed that the Fiscal Policy Committee was wrestling with this same question. He declared a necessity to state that both views for resource development were presented. 9:30:36 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON reiterated that the construction of the proposed bill needed to ensure that the intent was upheld. 9:31:04 AM CHAIR DICK declared his desire for meaningful legislation with no long term consequences. VICE CHAIR PRUITT reported that other states had done this, as well. [HB 352 was held over]