HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS May 8, 1997 4:45 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Beverly Masek, Chair Representative Pete Kott Representative Joe Ryan Representative Reggie Joule Representative Irene Nicholia MEMBERS ABSENT Representative Eldon Mulder Representative Richard Foster COMMITTEE CALENDAR * HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 40 Relating to the defense of Alaska from ballistic missile attack. - BILL HEARING CANCELLED CONFIRMATION HEARINGS: GOVERNOR'S APPOINTMENTS: ALASKA NATIONAL GUARD BRIGADIER GENERAL Colonel Van P. Williams, jr. Colonel Jerry W. Gillean. - CONFIRMATIONS ADVANCED SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE FOR SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 30 Relating to the defense of Alaska from offensive nuclear attack - MOVED SSSJR 30 OUT OF COMMITTEE (* First public hearing) PREVIOUS ACTION BILL: SJR 30 SHORT TITLE: DEFENSE OF ALASKA FROM NUCLEAR ATTACK SPONSOR(S): JUDICIARY BY REQUEST JRN-DATE JRN-PG ACTION 04/29/97 1545 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S) 04/29/97 1545 (S) JUDICIARY 05/02/97 (S) JUD AT 1:30 PM BELTZ ROOM 211 05/02/97 1646 (S) SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE INTRODUCED 05/02/97 1646 (S) JUDICIARY 05/05/97 (S) RLS AT 3:15 PM FAHRENKAMP RM 203 05/05/97 (S) MINUTE(RLS) 05/05/97 1676 (S) JUD RPT 2DP 2NR 05/05/97 1676 (S) DP: TAYLOR, MILLER; NR: PARNELL, ELLIS 05/05/97 1677 (S) ZERO FN (S.JUD) 05/06/97 1715 (S) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/6/97 05/06/97 1731 (S) READ THE SECOND TIME 05/06/97 1731 (S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING UNAN CONSENT 05/06/97 1731 (S) READ THE THIRD TIME SSSJR 30 05/06/97 1731 (S) PASSED Y18 N- E1 A1 05/06/97 1766 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H) 05/07/97 1594 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S) 05/07/97 1594 (H) MLV 05/08/97 (H) MLV AT 4:30 PM CAPITOL 124 WITNESS REGISTER CAROL CARROLL, Director Administrative Services Division Department of Military and Veterans Affairs P.O. Box 110900 Juneau, Alaska 99811 Telephone: (907) 465-4730 POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions on the Governor's Appointees. ROGER SCHNELL, Deputy Commissioner/ Chief of Staff Office of the Commissioner/Adjutant General Department of Military and Veterans Affairs P.O. Box 5800 Ft. Richardson, Alaska 99505 Telephone: (907) 428 6009 POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions on the Governor's Appointees. KEN TAYLOR, Brigadier General; Assistant A. G. Director Air National Guard Department of Military and Veterans Affairs P.O. Box 5800 Ft. Richardson, Alaska 99505 Telephone: (907) 428-6072 POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions on the Governor's Appointees. CHRIS NELSON, Legislative Administrative Assistant to Senator Robin Taylor Alaska State Legislature Capitol Building, Room 30 Juneau, Alaska 99802 Telephone: (907) 465-3873 POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor testimony on SSSJR 30. ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 97-5, SIDE A Number 0001 CHAIRMAN BEVERLY MASEK called the House Special Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs meeting to order at 4:45 p.m. Members present at the call to order were Representatives Masek, Nicholia, Joule, Kott and Ryan. Representatives Mulder and Foster were attending other meetings. Number 020 GOVERNOR'S APPOINTMENTS: ALASKA NATIONAL GUARD BRIGADIER GENERAL CHAIRMAN MASEK announced the committee would hear the Governor's appointments to the Alaska National Guard Brigadier General. She stated that the appointees are Colonel Van P. Williams, jr. and Colonel Jerry W. Gillean. Number 040 REPRESENTATIVE REGGIE JOULE asked if this was similar to the process of the board or commissions that the Governor makes appointments to. CAROL CARROLL, Director, Administrative Services Division, Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, said "The legislature always confirms general ..." REPRESENTATIVE JOULE interrupted that he now understands what the committee is doing. REPRESENTATIVE JOE RYAN asked if Colonel Williams was a lieutenant colonel a couple of years ago in Fairbanks. MS. CARROLL stated that she believed he is a colonel. She stated that Roger Schnell could answer the question. REPRESENTATIVE RYAN asked if Colonel Williams is the same person who was a lieutenant colonel three or four years ago in Fairbanks. ROGER SCHNELL, Deputy Commissioner/Chief of Staff, Office of the Commissioner/Adjutant General, Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, replied that is correct. Number 0231 REPRESENTATIVE RYAN stated "Just for the record I want to kind of see how this thing wound up. There was a problem with his wife and another person and there was a grievance filed or something or an accusation made, that got ligated. How did that all wind up?" Number 0236 MR. SCHNELL referred the question to Brigadier General, Ken Taylor. Number 0242 KEN TAYLOR, Brigadier General; Assistant A. G. Director, Air National Guard, Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, stated that there was an equal opportunity and discrimination claim. The result was that the judge found that there was no merit to the claim. REPRESENTATIVE RYAN asked if the case was then over. BRIGADIER GENERAL KEN TAYLOR replied that he did not know if there would be an appeal but currently the case is terminated. Number 0339 CHAIRMAN MASEK stated that the Senate State Affairs Standing Committee has already passed the two appointees out of committee. She stated that she would like to pass Colonel Williams and Colonel Gillean out of this committee. Number 0402 REPRESENTATIVE IRENE NICHOLIA made a motion to pass Colonel Williams and Colonel Gillean out of the committee for consideration at the joint session. Number 0434 CHAIRMAN MASEK asked if there was an objection. Hearing none, it was so ordered. Number 0454 CHAIR MASEK stated that the next order of business was the committee members' letter to Senator Stevens regarding full funding for the Alaska National Guard in the federal defense budget and the Committee members' letter to Representative Don Young regarding full funding for the Alaska National Guard Youth Corps Challenge Program in the federal defense budget. She stated that she would like to get both letters signed. Number 0545 SSSJR 30 - DEFENSE OF ALASKA FROM NUCLEAR ATTACK CHAIR MASEK stated that the next order of business is SSSJR 30, "Relating to the defense of Alaska from offensive nuclear attack." She asked Senator Robin Taylor's staff to present the bill. Number 0545 CHRIS NELSON, Legislative Administrative Assistant to Senator Robin Taylor, stated that the resolution is in response to Alaska's vulnerability to ballistic missile attack. He continued that this resolution asks that Alaska and Hawaii be included in any ballistic missile attack system that the United States considers developing and deploying. He stated that Senators Murkowski and Stevens, and Congressman Young fully support the resolution. Number 0723 REPRESENTATIVE NICHOLIA stated that she faxed the resolution to Brian Kennedy, Representative, Clairmont Institute, who thought it was perfect. Number 0748 MR. NELSON responded that everyone is grateful to Mr. Kennedy for bringing his team up to Alaska to explain the importance of the problem. Number 0756 REPRESENTATIVE RYAN made a motion to move SSSJR 30 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal note. Number 0908 CHAIR MASEK asked if there was an objection. Hearing none, SSSJR 30 was moved out of the House Special Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs. Number 0931 CHAIR MASEK asked if there were any questions on the letters before the committee. Number 0957 REPRESENTATIVE NICHOLIA stated that she would not recommend any changes. Number 1010 CHAIR MASEK passed the letters to committee members for signatures and stated that this would be the last meeting for this session and thanked everybody for their work. ADJOURNMENT Number 1127 CHAIR MASEK adjourned the House Special Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs meeting at 5:00 p.m.