ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  SENATE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE  February 23, 2017 3:36 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Senator Click Bishop, Chair Senator Lyman Hoffman Senator Bert Stedman Senator Berta Gardner MEMBERS ABSENT  Senator Anna MacKinnon COMMITTEE CALENDAR  SENATE BILL NO. 7 "An Act establishing a museum construction grant program in the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development." - MOVED CSSB 7(CRA) OUT OF COMMITTEE HOUSE BILL NO. 78 "An Act establishing the second Monday of October of each year as Indigenous Peoples Day." - HEARD & HELD PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION  BILL: SB 7 SHORT TITLE: MUSEUM CONSTRUCTION GRANT PROGRAM SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) STEVENS 01/09/17 (S) PREFILE RELEASED 1/9/17 01/18/17 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 01/18/17 (S) CRA, FIN 02/21/17 (S) CRA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg) 02/21/17 (S) Heard & Held 02/21/17 (S) MINUTE(CRA) 02/23/17 (S) CRA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg) BILL: HB 78 SHORT TITLE: INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) WESTLAKE 01/25/17 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 01/25/17 (H) CRA 01/31/17 (H) CRA AT 8:00 AM BARNES 124 01/31/17 (H) Moved HB 78 Out of Committee 01/31/17 (H) MINUTE(CRA) 02/01/17 (H) CRA RPT 4DP 2NR 02/01/17 (H) DP: WESTLAKE, DRUMMOND, FANSLER, PARISH 02/01/17 (H) NR: TALERICO, RAUSCHER 02/03/17 (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S) 02/03/17 (H) VERSION: HB 78 02/06/17 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 02/06/17 (S) CRA, STA 02/21/17 (S) CRA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg) 02/21/17 (S) Scheduled but Not Heard 02/23/17 (S) CRA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg) WITNESS REGISTER JOHN MANLY, staff Senator Click Bishop Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Explained the changes in the CS for SB 7. REPRESENTATIVE DAVID WESTLAKE Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of HB 78. ACTION NARRATIVE  3:36:44 PM CHAIR CLICK BISHOP called the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee meeting to order at 3:36 p.m. Present at the call to order were Senators Stedman, Hoffman, Gardner, and Chair Bishop. SB 7-MUSEUM CONSTRUCTION GRANT PROGRAM  3:38:18 PM CHAIR BISHOP announced consideration of SB 7 and said two changes were discussed last Tuesday. JOHN MANLY, staff to Senator Bishop, Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska, said both changes are on the page 1 of the new committee substitute (CS). The first one is on lines 10-11 and say that the department doesn't need to accept any applications until there is some money to deal with it. The second one is on lines 9 and 13 that includes repatriation of artifacts back to the state in what the money can be spent on. 3:39:39 PM SENATOR STEDMAN moved to adopt the CS for SB 7, version 30- LS0175\J, as the working document. CHAIR BISHOP objected for discussion purposes. Finding no discussion, he opened public testimony on SB 7. Finding none, he closed public testimony. SENATOR STEDMAN moved to report CSSB 7, version J, from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). CHAIR BISHOP found no objection, and CSSB 7(CRA) moved from the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee. 3:40:36 PM At ease HB 78-INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY  3:41:50 PM CHAIR BISHOP called the meeting back to order and announced consideration of HB 78. REPRESENTATIVE DAVID WESTLAKE, Alaska State Legislature, sponsor of HB 78, said this measure establishes the second Monday of October each year - the same day as Columbus Day - as Indigenous Peoples Day. He added that while it is not recognized by the state of Alaska as an official holiday, it is recognized as a federal one. This bill is not about destroying Christopher Columbus' reputation and tearing down the holiday. Rather, this bill is about unification and about the diversity that Alaska has. It recognizes the first Europeans in the Americas on this day and the people who were already living here. Alaska has more federally recognized tribes than all the Lower 48 states combined, and Alaska has the highest percentage of Native people in the nation living here. For the last two years Governor Walker has proclaimed the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day in Alaska. Some other states and municipalities recognize this day, as well. It does not create a new state holiday; but it creates a day of honor, recognizing Native peoples, and places it on the same day as Columbus Day, which recognizes the intermingling of cultures that help make Alaska such a great state. CHAIR BISHOP remarked that the Alaska Native population is the fastest growing population, also. CHAIR BISHOP stated that he would hold HB 78 in committee for future consideration. 3:45:05 PM CHAIR BISHOP, finding no further business to come before the committee, adjourned the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee meeting at 3:45 p.m.