HJR  9-ENDORSING ANWR LEASING                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:30:58 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR GIESSEL announced HJR 9 to be up for consideration.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:31:08 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  COSTELLO moved  to  bring SCS  HJR  9(RES), version  29-                                                               
LS0408\H, before the committee as the working document.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GIESSEL  objected for discussion  purposes. She  said there                                                               
are two changes.  The first change was on page  1, lines 8-11, to                                                               
more  specifically cite  the provisions  of  the Alaska  National                                                               
Interest Lands  Conservation Act. The  second change was  also on                                                               
page  1, lines  12-14,  that specifically  cites  the status  and                                                               
purpose of the Coastal Plain in ANILCA.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:32:18 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MICCICHE joined the committee.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR STOLTZE joined the committee.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TALERICO,  Sponsor of HJR  9, said he  approved of                                                               
the changes  in the committee  substitute (CS) and  was available                                                               
for questions.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GIESSEL removed  her objection and SCS  HJR 9(RES), version                                                               
29-LS0408\H, was adopted.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:33:36 PM                                                                                                                    
ROBERTA  HIGHLAND, representing  herself,  Homer, Alaska  started                                                               
with the following quote from John Schwieder:                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Wild   Alaska's   continued   existence   is   at   the                                                                    
     discretion,  grace,  and  humility of  humans.  I  pray                                                                    
     Alaska remains a beacon, a  geography of hope, not only                                                                    
     for wild-eyed  wilderness seekers,  but for  the future                                                                    
     generations  as proof  that humans  truly believe  that                                                                    
     all living creatures are connected.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
She urged them  to show the leadership that is  needed to get out                                                               
of the crisis the state is  in. Thousands of Alaskans continue to                                                               
want to have the Alaska  National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) remain a                                                               
refuge.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:36:27 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  GIESSEL,  finding  no   further  comments,  closed  public                                                               
testimony.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:36:40 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR COGHILL said there is  a wildlife refuge and a wilderness                                                               
refuge  and  the wilderness  refuge  is  overtaking the  wildlife                                                               
refuge. It's  only reasonable that  the federal  government would                                                               
allow the 1002 area to be at  least looked at with some degree of                                                               
exploration.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:38:03 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR COSTELLO moved  to report SCS HJR 9  (RES) from committee                                                               
with individual  recommendations and  attached zero  fiscal note.                                                               
There were no objections and it was so ordered.