SB 108-SPC. STEPHEN "MAX" CAVANAUGH OVERPASS    1:19:20 PM VICE CHAIR PRUITT announced that the next order of business would be SENATE BILL NO. 108, "An Act naming the Dowling Road Overpass at milepost 123.7 on the New Seward Highway the Spc. Stephen "Max" Cavanaugh, Jr., Memorial Overpass." 1:19:43 PM SENATOR LESIL MCGUIRE, Alaska State Legislature, stated that SB 108 would name the Dowling Road overpass at milepost 123.7 on the new Seward Highway after Specialist (Spc.) Stephen "Max" Cavanaugh Jr. This bill would commemorate his life, she said. Spc. Max Cavanaugh, Jr. was an Alaskan serving in the Fort Richardson's Warrior Transition Unit. He had recently returned from Iraq after surviving 300 convoys where he manned a .50 caliber machine gun. In Iraq, Max suffered a minor traumatic brain injury, which she brought up to remind committee members that many of our heroes return from Iraq with head injuries sustained from shrapnel. However, Max had rehabilitated from his injury and had resumed his life in Alaska. At the time of his fatal crash, he was driving on Seward Highway near Dowling Overpass in an area frequently known as a "moose corridor." Unfortunately, his vehicle struck a moose and Mr. Cavanaugh lost his life. 1:22:07 PM SENATOR MCGUIRE explained that Mr. Cavanaugh was an organ donor. Thus, he went on to save many other lives through his tissue and organ donations. This was the sixth human life lost to a moose collision in the state in 2007. She stated that a project has begun to help increase safety in the corridor. This effort was assisted by the Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF), the Alaska Highway Safety Office, the SAGA's AmeriCorps program, the Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G). The project area included the west side of the New Seward Highway between Dimond and O'Malley Road. She described the work area as the area between the bike trail and highway right-of-way. She related that volunteers worked for four days in October 2008 to cut, haul, and chip 11 dumpsters full of willow, cottonwood, birch, and aspen trees. She pointed out that these trees and plants such as lavender are food that moose love to eat. In fact, the trees and plants become an attractive nuisance. She highlighted that moose will even cross highways to forage on the browse in medians. This bill would commemorate the overpass at milepost 123.7 on the New Seward Highway in Max's honor by naming it the "Spc. Stephen "Max" Cavanaugh, Jr. Memorial Overpass." VICE CHAIR PRUITT, after first determining no one else wished to testify, closed public testimony on SB 108. 1:23:51 PM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG moved to report SB 108 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal note. There being no objection, SB 108 was reported from the House Transportation Standing Committee. REPRESENTATIVE MUNOZ commented that she believes Mr. Cavanaugh's tragic death has raised awareness of a serious problem throughout Alaska. She pointed out that this committee is working with the Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) to find ways to resolve the issue of motorist crashes with moose. She said she appreciated Senator McGuire bringing this bill forward.