HB 476-AK STATEHOOD CELEBRATION COMMISSION                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Number 0043                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WEYHRAUCH  announced that the  first order of  business was                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 476,  "An Act  establishing the  Alaska Statehood                                                               
Celebration Commission; and providing for an effective date."                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Number 0052                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
JIM  SHINE, Staff  to Representative  Tom Anderson,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, on behalf of  Representative Anderson, sponsor, read                                                               
the sponsor statement as follows:                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     January  2009   will  mark  the  50th   anniversary  of                                                                    
     Alaska's  admission as  the 49th  state  of the  United                                                                    
     States  of  America.   It  is  important the  State  of                                                                    
     Alaska recognize  this landmark  with a  celebration of                                                                    
     the state's  magnificent heritage  and to  reflect upon                                                                    
     the  opportunities  that  50 years  of  statehood  have                                                                    
     brought to the state.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     House  Bill 476  will  establish  the Alaska  Statehood                                                                    
     Celebration Commission.   This commission shall consist                                                                    
     of 17  members; 12 public members  [shall be] appointed                                                                    
     by the governor.   ... At least two  shall be residents                                                                    
     of  and be  appointed from  each of  the four  judicial                                                                    
     districts in  Alaska.  The  presiding officer  from the                                                                    
     Alaska House  of Representatives and the  Alaska Senate                                                                    
     will appoint  a majority and minority  member from each                                                                    
     body.  The  governor ... or a designee  ... will occupy                                                                    
     the 17th seat.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     The Alaska Statehood  Celebration Commission shall plan                                                                    
     and  administer all  official state  activities leading                                                                    
     up to  the 50th anniversary  of Alaska statehood.   The                                                                    
     commission will initiate the  public process to solicit                                                                    
     ideas about the celebration.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     In  addition, the  commemorative  quarter honoring  the                                                                    
     State  of  Alaska  ...  will  be  issued  in  the  same                                                                    
     calendar   year   in   which   the   Alaska   Statehood                                                                    
     Celebration occurs.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. SHINE  told the  committee that through  his own  research he                                                               
has  discovered   that  other   states  have   [drafted]  similar                                                               
legislation.  For  example, legislators in Wyoming  and Utah have                                                               
created commissions  to celebrate their  centennial celebrations.                                                               
In  response to  a  question  from Chair  Weyhrauch,  he said  he                                                               
believes   Alaska  did   something   like  this   for  its   25th                                                               
anniversary.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Number 0249                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  COGHILL asked  how  many years  would be  spanned                                                               
with the commission.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR. SHINE  answered that the  effective date would be  January 1,                                                               
2005,  so there  would  be up  to  four years  of  planning.   He                                                               
indicated that other  states have decided it's  important to plan                                                               
ahead  for  a 50th  anniversary,  and  he mentioned  including  a                                                               
public process for initiating ideas.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  COGHILL   turned  to  page  2   of  the  proposed                                                               
legislation.    He  noted  that  there  would  be  at  least  two                                                               
legislatures involved, and he asked how that would work.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. SHINE  said he doesn't know,  but suggested that it  would be                                                               
left  to  the  discretion  of   the  governor.    He  stated  his                                                               
assumption  that  two  new  members would  be  appointed  to  the                                                               
commission.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL  highlighted [paragraph]  (2), on  page 2,                                                               
beginning on line 8, which read as follows:                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     (2) the  speaker of the house  of representatives shall                                                                    
     appoint one member of the  house of representatives who                                                                    
     is a  member of the  majority caucus and one  member of                                                                    
     the house  of representatives  who is  a member  of the                                                                    
     minority  caucus, in  consultation with  the leadership                                                                    
     of that caucus;                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  COGHILL  noted  that  the  same  applied  to  the                                                               
Senate.   He said he wonders  if a provision for  transition from                                                               
one legislature to the other should be included.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Number 0432                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  WEYHRAUCH asked  Mr. Shine  to take  those concerns  under                                                               
advisement.  [HB 476 was heard and held.]