ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,  INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND TOURISM  March 31, 2003 5:14 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Cheryll Heinze, Chair Representative Lesil McGuire, Vice Chair Representative Pete Kott Representative Vic Kohring Representative Sharon Cissna Representative Harry Crawford MEMBERS ABSENT  Representative Nancy Dahlstrom COMMITTEE CALENDAR SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 7 Expressing support for Vancouver, British Columbia's, bid for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and the Paralympic Winter Games. - MOVED HCS SJR 7(EDT) OUT OF COMMITTEE OVERVIEW: AGRIUM, KENAI NITROGEN PRODUCTION AND INTERNATIONAL MARKETS - HEARD [See 5:35 p.m. minutes for this date] OVERVIEW: ALASKA SEAFOOD MARKETING INSTITUTE - HEARD [See 5:35 p.m. minutes for this date] PREVIOUS ACTION BILL: SJR 7 SHORT TITLE:VANCOUVER'S BID FOR 2010 WINTER GAMES SPONSOR(S): WORLD TRADE AND STATE/FEDERAL RELATIONS Jrn-Date Jrn-Page Action 02/07/03 0132 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 02/07/03 0132 (S) L&C, STA 03/04/03 (S) L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 211 03/04/03 (S) Moved Out of Committee 03/04/03 (S) MINUTE(L&C) 03/05/03 0354 (S) L&C RPT 2DP 1NR 03/05/03 0354 (S) NR: BUNDE; DP: DAVIS, FRENCH 03/05/03 0355 (S) FN1: ZERO(LEG) 03/11/03 (S) STA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 211 03/11/03 (S) Moved Out of Committee 03/11/03 (S) MINUTE(STA) 03/12/03 0469 (S) STA RPT 5DP 03/12/03 0469 (S) DP: STEVENS G, HOFFMAN, COWDERY, 03/12/03 0469 (S) DYSON, GUESS 03/12/03 0469 (S) FN1: ZERO(LEG) 03/13/03 0493 (S) RULES TO CALENDAR 3/13/2003 03/13/03 0493 (S) READ THE SECOND TIME 03/13/03 0493 (S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING UNAN CONSENT 03/13/03 0494 (S) READ THE THIRD TIME SJR 7 03/13/03 0494 (S) PASSED Y19 N- E1 03/13/03 0496 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H) 03/13/03 0496 (S) VERSION: SJR 7 03/14/03 0531 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 03/14/03 0531 (H) EDT, STA 03/31/03 (H) EDT AT 5:00 PM CAPITOL 120 WITNESS REGISTER RICHARD SCHMITZ, Staff to Senator John Cowdery Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Presented SJR 7 on behalf of the Senate Special Committee on World Trade and State/Federal Relations, which Senator Cowdery chairs. ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 03-5, SIDE A  Number 0001 CHAIR CHERYLL HEINZE called the House Special Committee on Economic Development, International Trade and Tourism meeting to order at 5:14 p.m. Representatives Heinze, Kott, Kohring, Cissna, and Crawford were present at the call to order. Representative McGuire arrived as the meeting was in progress. Representative Dahlstrom was excused. SJR 7-VANCOUVER'S BID FOR 2010 WINTER GAMES CHAIR HEINZE announced that the only order of business would be SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 7, Expressing support for Vancouver, British Columbia's, bid for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and the Paralympic Winter Games. Number 0074 RICHARD SCHMITZ, Staff to Senator John Cowdery, Alaska State Legislature, presented SJR 7 on behalf of the Senate Special Committee on World Trade and State/Federal Relations, which Senator Cowdery chairs. He told members this is meant to be a "neighborly thing" and noted that Washington State had passed a similar resolution. Mr. Schmitz suggested there will be a tremendous economic spillover if Vancouver is chosen, since this will draw attention to the Pacific Northwest and will bring tourists from around the world. He cited a billion dollars in economic activity resulting from the Olympics held in Salt Lake City and Calgary, Alberta, which affected western regions of Canada and the United States. Furthermore, he suggested that when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) makes its decisions, these resolutions do have some effect. Number 0280 REPRESENTATIVE KOHRING asked whether [any Alaskan city] had applied for this. MR. SCHMITZ said no, although Alaska has hosted the Arctic Winter Games and the Special Olympics. He pointed out that the Olympic Winter Games require massive infrastructure and multiple arenas. REPRESENTATIVE KOTT requested an at-ease in order to review the wording of the Washington State resolution in committee packets. The committee took an at-ease at 5:24 p.m. that lasted less than a minute. Number 0411 REPRESENTATIVE KOTT began discussion of Conceptual Amendment 1. Drawing attention to [page 2] line 15, where it says the people of Alaska fully support this, he asked whether a poll had been done and questioned going out on a limb and speaking for the people of Alaska. He pointed out that the Washington State resolution doesn't have similar language. He suggested saying that the Alaska State Legislature fully supports Vancouver [in its efforts]. He asked about the rationale behind the wording. MR. SCHMITZ answered that he'd sent the Washington State resolution [to the drafters] and had e-mailed people from PNWER [Pacific NorthWest Economic Region], who'd suggested some changes; however, he said he couldn't recall whether this was PNWER's suggestion or his own. He concurred with its removal. Number 0540 REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE moved to adopt Conceptual Amendment 1, on page 2 [lines 14-15], to delete "the people of Alaska" and instead have it read: "in the spirit of friendship, the Alaska State Legislature fully supports". She requested Representative Kott's opinion on the word "fully". REPRESENTATIVE KOTT said he believed "fully supports" was fine because he was assuming the resolution would pass. CHAIR HEINZE asked whether there was any objection to adopting Conceptual Amendment 1. There being no objection, it was so ordered. Number 0602 REPRESENTATIVE KOHRING moved to report SJR 7, as amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal note. There being no objection, HCS SJR 7(EDT) was reported from the House Special Committee on Economic Development, International Trade and Tourism. ADJOURNMENT  The House Special Committee on Economic Development, International Trade and Tourism took an at-ease at 5:28 p.m. in order to prepare for the overviews on Agrium, Kenai Production and International Markets, and on the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. [For the overviews, see the 5:35 p.m. minutes for this date.]