HB 146-LAND TRANSFER FROM STATE AND ALASKA RR                                                                      
                                                                                                                              
5:37:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR JOHNSON  announced that  the final  order of business  would                                                              
be HOUSE  BILL NO. 146, "An  Act authorizing the transfer  of land                                                              
from the  State of Alaska and  the Alaska Railroad  Corporation to                                                              
property owners  along the  Eielson Spur  Line; and providing  for                                                              
an effective date."  [Before the committee is CSHB 146(FIN).]                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
5:37:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CHENAULT  moved  to  adopt CSHB  146(RES)  as  the                                                              
working document.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR JOHNSON objected for discussion purposes.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
5:37:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  TAMMIE WILSON,  Alaska  State Legislature,  stated                                                              
that HB  146 was carefully crafted  and vetted over  several years                                                              
to  restore a  property right  to  land owners  along the  Eielson                                                              
Spur.  This  is a unique situation  that's only applicable  to the                                                              
Eielson Spur.   Simply  put, HB 146  merely returns  the right-of-                                                              
way  to the  adjacent  landowners  if the  track  and  any of  the                                                              
subsurface cables  are removed, which was available  to landowners                                                              
until the Alaska  Railroad Transfer Act was amended  in 2003.  The                                                              
CSHB  146(RES)  has  a  much  tighter  title  than  that  of  CSHB                                                              
146(FIN).   She noted, however,  that the substantive part  of the                                                              
legislation is the  same in both versions.  She  expressed concern                                                              
that [CSHB  146(FIN)]  would be  open to other  situations  in the                                                              
state rather than just the unique situation in Eielson Spur.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
5:39:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GATTO  asked, "What  happens  if,  in the  Finance                                                              
version,  that  changes the  ability  to  transfer land  from  the                                                              
railroad to the homesteaders?"                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  T. WILSON explained  that her  concern is  that it                                                              
would  allow that  change,  but  it would  be  more concerning  if                                                              
others  would  use  this  as  a  mechanism  to  obtain  land  that                                                              
currently belongs to the railroad.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
5:40:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR JOHNSON withdrew his objection.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
There being  no further  objection, CSHB  146(RES) was  before the                                                              
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
5:40:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR JOHNSON,  upon determining  no one  else wished  to testify,                                                              
closed public testimony.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
5:40:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CHENAULT  moved to  report  CSHB  146(RES) out  of                                                              
committee  with individual  recommendations  and the  accompanying                                                              
fiscal notes.  There being no objection, it was so ordered.