SB 25 - REPEAL VEGETABLE DEALER LICENSING                                   
                                                                               
 Number 031                                                                    
                                                                               
 The first order of business was SB 25, "An Act repealing                      
 vegetable dealer licensing and regulation."                                   
                                                                               
 SENATOR DAVE DONLEY, ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE, sponsor of SB 25,              
 said the bill repeals the existing statute regarding vegetable                
 licensing.  The current statutes require that anybody in Alaska               
 who wishes to purchase and sell vegetables has to get a special               
 license and post a special bond to do so.  It seems like an                   
 unnecessary involvement of state government.  In the effort of                
 trying to reduce the number of laws we currently have, this is a              
 prime candidate.  He said he would be happy to address any                    
 questions.                                                                    
                                                                               
 Number 047                                                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE GENE KUBINA moved to pass SB 25 out of the House               
 Labor and Commerce Committee with individual recommendations.                 
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE BEVERLY MASEK and CHAIRMAN KOTT objected in order              
 to hear from a person who wanted to testify via teleconference.               
                                                                               
 Number 067                                                                    
                                                                               
 ED KERN, Marketing & Product Inspection, Division of Agriculture,             
 Department of Natural Resources, Palmer, testifying via                       
 teleconference, was in opposition to SB 25.  He said a resolution             
 from the Mat-Su Chapter of the Alaska Farm Bureau was passed the              
 previous day which he read into the record:                                   
                                                                               
 "The Mat-Su Chapter of the Alaska Farm Bureau opposes the passage             
 of SB 25 and HB 134.  This legislation would do away with the                 
 requirement for licensing and bonding of buyers of vegetables in              
 Alaska.  It can only hurt Alaskan producers.  This law presently              
 costs the state of Alaska nothing and guarantees that the                     
 background of vegetable buyers will be checked out by the bonding             
 company before they can be licensed by the state.                             
                                                                               
 "HB 133 advocates prompt payment to truckers and committee                    
 substitute (CS) for HB 140 is a bill pertaining to bonding of                 
 fish buyers.  We find it hard to understand why, since both of                
 these bills are reasonable, bonding to pay farmers is                         
 unreasonable."                                                                
                                                                               
 MR. KERN noted the resolution is signed by Preston Pyrah,                     
 President, Alaska Farm Bureau, Mat-Su Chapter.                                
                                                                               
 Number 110                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN KOTT removed his objection.  He said there is a motion               
 to move SB 25 out of committee with individual recommendations.               
 He asked if there was an objection.  Hearing none, SB 25 was                  
 passed out of the House Labor and Commerce Committee.