HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND TOURISM April 22, 1997 4:37 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative John Cowdery, Chairman Representative Eldon Mulder Representative Pete Kott Representative Gail Phillips Representative Kim Elton Representative Reggie Joule MEMBERS ABSENT Representative Ramona Barnes Representative Reggie Joule COMMITTEE CALENDAR SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 19 Relating to naming Anchorage as the location of the 2001 Special Olympics World Winter Games. - MOVED SJR 19 FROM COMMITTEE REVIEW INFORMATION FROM SAKHALIN ISLAND OVERVIEW OF 3/20/97 (* First public hearing) PREVIOUS ACTION BILL: SJR 19 SHORT TITLE: SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD WINTER GAMES SPONSOR(S):SENATOR(S) TAYLOR, Miller, Pearce, Leman, Kelly, Duncan, Donley; REPRESENTATIVE(S) Kubina, Mulder JRN-DATE JRN-DATE ACTION 03/05/97 568 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S) 03/05/97 568 (S) JUDICIARY 03/21/97 (S) JUD AT 3:30 PM ANCHORAGE LIO 03/21/97 (S) MINUTE(JUD) 03/24/97 (S) MINUTE(JUD) 03/26/97 (S) MINUTE(JUD) 03/27/97 891 (S) JUD RPT 3DP 03/27/97 891 (S) DP: TAYLOR, MILLER, PEARCE 03/27/97 891 (S) ZERO FISCAL NOTE (S.JUD) 04/03/97 (S) RLS AT 10:45 AM FAHRENKAMP RM 203 04/03/97 (S) MINUTE(RLS) 04/03/97 957 (S) RULES TO CALENDAR 4/3/97 04/03/97 960 (S) READ THE SECOND TIME 04/03/97 960 (S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING UNAN CONSENT 04/03/97 961 (S) READ THE THIRD TIME SJR 19 04/03/97 961 (S) PASSED Y20 N- 04/03/97 966 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H) 04/04/97 982 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S) 04/04/97 983 (H) ITT 04/04/97 999 (H) CROSS SPONSOR(S): KUBINA 04/22/97 (H) ITT AT 4:30 PM CAPITOL 124 WITNESS REGISTER JOE AMBROSE, Legislative Assistant for Senator Taylor Alaska State Legislature Capitol Building, Room 30 Juneau, Alaska 99801 Telephone: (907) 465-4906 POSITION STATEMENT: Presented sponsor statement for SJR 19 JIM BALAMACI, Executive Director Special Olympics Alaska 21-410 Second Street Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska 99506 Telephone: (907) 753-2182 POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SJR 19 WILLIAM HENSLEY, Commissioner Office of the Commissioner Department of Commerce and Economic Development P.O. Box 110800 Juneau, Alaska 99811 Telephone: (907) 465-2500 POSITION STATEMENT: Participated in the overview of Sakhalin Island. DEBBIE SEDWICK, Assistant Commissioner Division Trade and Development Department of Commerce and Economic Development 3601 C Street, Suite 700 Anchorage, Alaska 99503 Telephone: (907) 269-8110 POSITION STATEMENT: Participated in the overview of Sakhalin Island. DONNA LOGAN, Trade Specialist Division of Trade and Development Department of Commerce and Economic Development 3601 C Street, Suite 700 Anchorage, Alaska 99503 Telephone: (907) 269-8118 POSITION STATEMENT: Participated in the overview of Sakhalin Island. ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 97-7, SIDE A Number 0000 CHAIRMAN JOHN COWDERY called the meeting of the House Special Committee on International Trade and Tourism to order at 4:37 p.m. Members present at the call to order were Representatives Cowdery, Kott, Phillips and Joule. Representative Mulder arrived at 4:39 p.m. and Representative Elton arrived at 4:50 p.m. Representative Barnes was absent. SJR 19 - SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD WINTER GAMES Number 0040 CHAIRMAN COWDERY announced the first item on the agenda was SJR 19, Relating to naming Anchorage as the location of the 2001 Special Olympics World Winter Games. Number 0068 JOE AMBROSE, Legislative Assistant for Senator Taylor, said SJR 19 offers the support of the Alaska State Legislature to the effort to bring the Special Olympics World Winter Games to Anchorage in 2001. He said last week the organizing committee in Anchorage was visited by a site selection committee. The Anchorage committee will be making their formal bid next month. According to this committee, it would beneficial to have this resolution in hand when they make their formal bid, on May 16, 1997. Senator Taylor has said that he wanted a continued emphasis on the event. The event provides these worldwide Special Olympians the chance to experience the joy of competition, demonstrate courage and share in gifts, skills and friendship which personify Special Olympics. Number 0216 REPRESENTATIVE ELDON MULDER stated that he is on the Board of Directors of the Special Olympics. Number 0227 JIM BALAMACI, Executive Director, Special Olympics Alaska, testified next via teleconference from Anchorage. He said this event would bring 2,000 athletes from 85 countries to Anchorage. This event would bring tremendous goodwill to all of Alaska and have a beneficial economic impact. Number 0295 REPRESENTATIVE PETE KOTT asked who the main competitors were for this bid. MR. BALAMACI said that the bid selection committee visited Anchorage last week. Right now the determination will be based on a financial package to be presented by May 16, 1997. Lake Placid is in the running, but they are currently on hold. Basically the event is Anchorage's. Number 0353 REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS referred to the funding for the games and the attachment located in the committee file. She clarified that they were going to try raising between $5 million and $7 million in cash and in-kind donations. She asked if there was a separate fund raising committee, apart from the general organization committee. Number 0380 MR. BALAMACI said yes. He thought the budget was at $8 million, of which $3 million has been identified as in-kind donations through the city and the military. There is a completely new 501C3, called the games organizing committee. He listed the executive board and Senator Stevens as the honorary chair. The board of directors will be responsible to raise the needed funds. They will also hire an executive director and a fundraising person to attain the funding. Presently there are organizations who have come on line. A guarantee has been made that if there is a monetary short fall, money would be available to pay off the event. Number 0454 REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS referred to his letter, located in the committee file, requesting $85,000 from the legislature through a reappropriation fund and asked where he was with this request. Number 0465 MR. BALAMACI explained that this request is for the state Special Olympic program which is separate from the games organization. Number 0493 REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS asked about the legislative appropriation for the program. Number 0497 MR. BALAMACI hadn't heard an answer to his request. There is support, but it is difficult finding those funds. Number 0525 REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS made a motion to move SJR 19 from the House Special Committee on International Trade and Tourism with individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal note. Hearing no objection, it was so moved. REVIEW INFORMATION FROM SAKHALIN ISLAND OVERVIEW OF 3/20/97 TAPE 97-7, SIDE(S) A SUMMARY OF INFORMATION REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS discussed the benefits and outcome of her trip to Sakhalin. WILLIAM HENSLEY, Commissioner, Office of the Commissioner, Department of Commerce and Economic Development, discussed the outcome of his trip to Sakhalin and answered questions. DEBBIE SEDWICK, Assistant Commissioner, Division Trade and Development, Department of Commerce and Economic Development, discussed the benefit of having representatives from the federal government on the trip. DONNA LOGAN, Trade Specialist, Division of Trade and Development, Department of Commerce and Economic Development, discussed the results of the meetings regarding the oil industry. COMMITTEE ACTION The committee took no action. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 5:21 p.m. NOTE: THE MEETING WAS RECORDED AND HANDWRITTEN LOG NOTES WERE TAKEN. A COPY OF THE TAPE(S) AND LOG NOTES MAY BE OBTAINED BY CONTACTING THE HOUSE RECORDS OFFICE AT 130 SEWARD STREET, SUITE 211, JUNEAU, ALASKA 99801-1182, (907) 465-2214, AND AFTER ADJOURNMENT OF THE SECOND SESSION OF THE TWENTIETH ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE, IN THE LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE LIBRARY.