ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INTERNATIONAL  TRADE AND TOURISM  February 21, 2008 11:45 a.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Mark Neuman, Chair Representative Carl Gatto Representative Kyle Johansen Representative Wes Keller Representative Bob Lynn Representative Andrea Doll Representative Mike Doogan MEMBERS ABSENT  All members present COMMITTEE CALENDAR    CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 97(JUD) "An Act relating to identification seals for certain articles created or crafted in the state by Alaska Native persons; relating to the Alaska State Council on the Arts; and making certain identification seal violations unfair trade practices." - MOVED CSSB 97(JUD) OUT OF COMMITTEE PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION    BILL: SB 97 SHORT TITLE: ALASKA NATIVE ART IDENTIFICATION SEALS SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) STEVENS 02/26/07 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 02/26/07 (S) L&C, FIN 03/08/07 (S) L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 211 03/08/07 (S) Heard & Held 03/08/07 (S) MINUTE(L&C) 03/13/07 (S) L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 211 03/13/07 (S) Moved SB 97 Out of Committee 03/13/07 (S) MINUTE(L&C) 03/14/07 (S) L&C RPT 4DP 03/14/07 (S) DP: ELLIS, BUNDE, DAVIS, STEVENS 03/21/07 (S) FIN RPT 7DP 03/21/07 (S) DP: HOFFMAN, STEDMAN, ELTON, THOMAS, DYSON, HUGGINS, OLSON 03/21/07 (S) FIN AT 9:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532 03/21/07 (S) Moved SB 97 Out of Committee 03/21/07 (S) MINUTE(FIN) 03/26/07 (S) JUD REFERRAL ADDED 04/02/07 (S) JUD AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 211 04/02/07 (S) Moved CSSB 97(JUD) Out of Committee 04/02/07 (S) MINUTE(JUD) 04/04/07 (S) JUD RPT CS 1DP 4NR SAME TITLE 04/04/07 (S) DP: FRENCH 04/04/07 (S) NR: MCGUIRE, HUGGINS, WIELECHOWSKI, THERRIAULT 04/11/07 (S) BEFORE SENATE IN THIRD READING 04/11/07 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H) 04/11/07 (S) VERSION: CSSB 97(JUD) 04/13/07 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 04/13/07 (H) EDT, HES, JUD 05/01/07 (H) EDT AT 5:15 PM CAPITOL 106 05/01/07 (H) Heard & Held 05/01/07 (H) MINUTE(EDT) 05/08/07 (H) HES AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 106 05/08/07 (H) Scheduled But Not Heard 05/11/07 (H) JUD AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 120 05/11/07 (H) 02/21/08 (H) EDT AT 11:00 AM CAPITOL 106 WITNESS REGISTER TIM LAMKIN, Staff to Senator Gary Stevens Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Introduced the Committee Substitute for SB 97(JUD), on behalf of Senator Stevens, sponsor. L. SAUNDERS MCNEILL, Director Community and Native Arts Program Alaska State Council on the Arts Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) Anchorage, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the hearing on SB 97. ACTION NARRATIVE CHAIR MARK NEUMAN called the House Special Committee on Economic Development, International Trade and Tourism meeting to order at 11:45:34 AM. Representatives Keller, Lynn, Doogan, Gatto, and Neuman were present at the call to order. Representatives Johansen and Doll arrived as the meeting was in progress. SB 97-ALASKA NATIVE ART IDENTIFICATION SEALS 11:46:01 AM CHAIR NEUMAN announced that the only order of business would be CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 97(JUD), "An Act relating to identification seals for certain articles created or crafted in the state by Alaska Native persons; relating to the Alaska State Council on the Arts; and making certain identification seal violations unfair trade practices." 11:46:13 AM CHAIR NEUMAN asked the sponsor's staff to introduce the committee substitute. 11:46:21 AM TIM LAMKIN, Staff to Senator Gary Stevens, Alaska State Legislature, introduced the committee substitute on behalf of Senator Stevens, sponsor. Mr. Lamkin informed the committee that the sponsor has worked hard to address the concerns raised about the bill and Version K satisfactorily addresses three issues: the program being under the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED), versus the Department of Commerce Community & Economic Development (DCCED); artists working outside of the State of Alaska; and re-defining "Alaska Native." On the last issue, Mr. Lamkin explained that the current version references the federal statutes and improves and modernizes the language of "Alaska Native." However, he indicated that the sponsor feels that this component of the bill might best be addressed by the House Judiciary Standing Committee. 11:47:36 AM CHAIR NEUMAN observed that the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) is supportive of the bill in its present form, and added that the intent of the chair is to ensure that control of the issue is in the hands of the local people. 11:48:10 AM L. SAUNDERS MCNEILL, Director, Community and Native Arts Program, Alaska State Council on the Arts, Department of Education and Early Development (DEED), said that she was available to answer questions. 11:48:40 AM REPRESENTATIVE GATTO referred to page two, line fifteen, and asked for the current definition of "an Alaska Native" in the bill. 11:49:04 AM MR. LAMKIN said, " ... do you mean what's currently on the books?" 11:49:16 AM REPRESENTATIVE GATTO remarked: Well, with regards to this bill, we have the words "an Alaskan Native" in it, so tell us how we define it. 11:49:29 AM MR. LAMKIN answered that the definition of "Alaska Native person" is found on page 4, line 13, of the bill. He clarified that there is an additional reference on page 2, line 15, that specifies that the "Alaska Native person" is making the art. 11:50:06 AM REPRESENTATIVE GATTO opined that the bill refers to an Alaska Native person who creates the Alaska Native art and, with the definition, the language should be fine. 11:50:29 AM REPRESENTATIVE DOLL asked for the definition of art. 11:50:43 AM MR. LAMKIN deferred the question to Ms. McNeill. 11:50:57 AM MS. MCNEILL pointed out that the definition is located on page 4, starting on line 22, in the bill. 11:51:18 AM REPRESENTATIVE DOOGAN asked whether the Alaska State Council on the Arts (ASCA) supports this bill. 11:51:44 AM MS. MCNEILL confirmed that the ASCA absolutely supports the bill. 11:51:49 AM CHAIR NEUMAN closed testimony. 11:52:04 AM REPRESENTATIVE LYNN moved to report CSSB 97(JUD) out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal notes. Hearing no objection, CSSB 97(JUD) was reported out of the House Special Committee on Economic Development, International Trade and Tourism. 11:52:26 AM ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, the House Special Committee on Economic Development, International Trade and Tourism meeting was adjourned at 11:52 a.m.