ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE  March 18, 2008 8:05 a.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Anna Fairclough, Co-Chair Representative Gabrielle LeDoux, Co-Chair Representative Nancy Dahlstrom Representative Mark Neuman Representative Kurt Olson Representative Sharon Cissna Representative Woodie Salmon MEMBERS ABSENT  All members present COMMITTEE CALENDAR  HOUSE BILL NO. 388 "An Act establishing the Alaska Broadband Task Force; and providing for an effective date." - MOVED CSHB 388(CRA) OUT OF COMMITTEE HOUSE BILL NO. 327 "An Act relating to shipping, sending, transporting, or bringing alcohol to a local option area and providing alcohol to others in the local option area, including penalties for violations; relating to furnishing alcohol to a minor and to civil penalties for licensees whose agents or employees furnish alcohol to a minor; relating to manslaughter as a direct result of ingestion of alcoholic beverages brought in violation of a local option prohibition; relating to reports of the court concerning certain alcohol violations by minors; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date." - SCHEDULED BUT NOT HEARD PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION  BILL: HB 388 SHORT TITLE: ALASKA BROADBAND TASK FORCE SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) GUTTENBERG 02/19/08 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 02/19/08 (H) CRA, FIN 03/13/08 (H) CRA AT 8:00 AM BARNES 124 03/13/08 (H) Heard & Held 03/13/08 (H) MINUTE(CRA) 03/18/08 (H) CRA AT 8:00 AM BARNES 124 WITNESS REGISTER BRUCE JOHNSON, Director Quality Schools/Quality Students Alaska Association of School Boards (AASB) Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: During hearing of HB 388, encouraged the committee spearhead efforts to assure that all young people have equal access. REPRESENTATIVE DAVID GUTTENBERG Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Spoke as the sponsor of HB 388. ACTION NARRATIVE CO-CHAIR GABRIELLE LEDOUX called the House Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee meeting to order at 8:05:10 AM. Representatives LeDoux, Fairclough, Neuman, and Olson were present at the call to order. Representatives Dahlstrom, Cissna, and Salmon arrived as the meeting was in progress. 8:05:38 AM CO-CHAIR LEDOUX announced that the committee would not take up HB 327 today. HB 388-ALASKA BROADBAND TASK FORCE 8:05:48 AM CO-CHAIR LEDOUX announced that the only order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 388, "An Act establishing the Alaska Broadband Task Force; and providing for an effective date." 8:07:35 AM BRUCE JOHNSON, Director, Quality Schools/Quality Students, Alaska Association of School Boards (AASB), reminded the committee that at its last hearing on HB 388, he provided members with a document regarding Twenty-First Century skills and the critical nature of them for youth. Clearly, having quality access to the Internet is crucial as young people move through the educational system. The AASB and many of its member districts agree that the future is going to be digital and that today's youth will know a world that no one can predict. Mr. Johnson said that AASB wants to be assured that Alaska's children have the opportunities afforded other children across the world. Therefore, Mr. Johnson encouraged the committee to spearhead efforts to assure that all young people have equal access. 8:08:45 AM CO-CHAIR LEDOUX, upon determining no one else wished to testify, closed public testimony. 8:09:06 AM CO-CHAIR FAIRCLOUGH moved to adopt CSHB 388, Version 25- LS1490\E, Bullock, 3/17/08, as the working document. [No objection was stated and Version E was treated as adopted and before the committee.] 8:09:41 AM REPRESENTATIVE DAVID GUTTENBERG, Alaska State Legislature, related that the only change encompassed in Version E is the time the task force can begin from when all members are appointed to when a majority of the members are appointed. 8:10:06 AM REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM related her understanding from multiple committee members that the next committee of referral for HB 388 is the House Finance Committee. 8:10:49 AM REPRESENTATIVE NEUMAN moved to report CSHB 388, Version 25- LS1490\E, Bullock, 3/17/08, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHB 388(CRA) was reported from the House Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee. 8:11:05 AM ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, the House Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 8:11:06 AM.