ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
            SENATE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                          
                         March 20, 2012                                                                                         
                           1:03 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Albert Kookesh, Chair                                                                                                   
Senator Joe Thomas, Vice Chair                                                                                                  
Senator Linda Menard                                                                                                            
Senator Charlie Huggins                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator Dennis Egan                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                              
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 246(FIN)                                                                                                  
"An Act naming certain bridges and airports."                                                                                   
                                                                                                                              
     - MOVED CSHB 246(FIN) OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 271(TRA)am                                                                                                
"An Act relating to commercial motor vehicle requirements."                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED CSHB 271(TRA)am OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HB 246                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: NAMING CERTAIN BRIDGES                                                                                             
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) THOMAS                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
01/17/12       (H)       PREFILE RELEASED 1/6/12                                                                                
01/17/12       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
01/17/12       (H)       TRA, FIN                                                                                               
02/02/12       (H)       TRA AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 17                                                                              
02/02/12       (H)       Moved Out of Committee                                                                                 
02/02/12       (H)       MINUTE(TRA)                                                                                            
02/03/12       (H)       TRA RPT 6DP 1NR                                                                                        
02/03/12       (H)       DP: JOHNSON, FEIGE, PRUITT, MUNOZ,                                                                     
                         PETERSEN, P.WILSON                                                                                     
02/03/12       (H)       NR: GRUENBERG                                                                                          
02/13/12       (H)       FIN AT 1:30 PM HOUSE FINANCE 519                                                                       
02/13/12       (H)       Moved CSHB 246(FIN) Out of Committee                                                                   
02/13/12       (H)       MINUTE(FIN)                                                                                            
02/15/12       (H)       FIN RPT CS(FIN) NT 7DP                                                                                 
02/15/12       (H)       DP: GUTTENBERG, COSTELLO, GARA, NEUMAN,                                                                
                         DOOGAN, STOLTZE, THOMAS                                                                                
03/05/12       (H)       TRANSMITTED TO (S)                                                                                     
03/05/12       (H)       VERSION: CSHB 246(FIN)                                                                                 
03/06/12       (S)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
03/06/12       (S)       TRA, FIN                                                                                               
03/20/12       (S)       TRA AT 1:00 PM BUTROVICH 205                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HB 271                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS                                                                              
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) KELLER, PRUITT                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
01/17/12       (H)       PREFILE RELEASED 1/13/12                                                                               
01/17/12       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
01/17/12       (H)       TRA                                                                                                    
02/21/12       (H)       TRA AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 17                                                                              
02/21/12       (H)       Moved CSHB 271(TRA) Out of Committee                                                                   
02/21/12       (H)       MINUTE(TRA)                                                                                            
02/22/12       (H)       TRA RPT CS(TRA) NT 5DP 1NR                                                                             
02/22/12       (H)       DP: PRUITT, MUNOZ, PETERSEN, GRUENBERG,                                                                
                         P.WILSON                                                                                               
02/22/12       (H)       NR: FEIGE                                                                                              
03/02/12       (H)       TRANSMITTED TO (S)                                                                                     
03/02/12       (H)       VERSION: CSHB 271(TRA) AM                                                                              
03/05/12       (S)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
03/05/12       (S)       TRA, STA                                                                                               
03/20/12       (S)       TRA AT 1:00 PM BUTROVICH 205                                                                           
                                                                                                                              
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
RACHEL KALLANDER, Staff                                                                                                         
Representative Bill Thomas                                                                                                      
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT: Explained HB 246 on behalf of the sponsor.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CYNTHIA ERICKSON, Staff                                                                                                         
Representative Alan Dick                                                                                                        
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented information related to HB 246.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
JERRY MCCUNE, President                                                                                                         
Cordova Fishermen United                                                                                                        
Cordova, Alaska                                                                                                                 
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 246.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
JIM POUND, Staff                                                                                                                
Representative Wes Keller                                                                                                       
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT: Explained HB 271 on behalf of the sponsor.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
AVES THOMPSON, Executive Director                                                                                               
Alaska Trucking Association                                                                                                     
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 271.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
DAN BREEDEN, Director                                                                                                           
Division   of   Measurement   Standards  &   Commercial   Vehicle                                                               
Enforcement                                                                                                                     
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities                                                                                
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions related to HB 271.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:03:06 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR ALBERT  KOOKESH called  the Senate  Transportation Standing                                                             
Committee meeting  to order at 1:03  p.m. Present at the  call to                                                               
order were  Senators Thomas, Menard,  and Chair  Kookesh. Senator                                                               
Huggins arrived shortly thereafter.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
                 HB 246-NAMING CERTAIN BRIDGES                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:03:47 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR KOOKESH announced that the  first bill before the committee                                                               
would be CSHB 246(FIN).                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
RACHEL  KALLANDER, Staff,  Representative Bill  Thomas, explained                                                               
HB 246  on behalf  of the  sponsor. The  bill would  name fifteen                                                               
bridges and two airports after  prominent Alaskans. She read from                                                               
the following sponsor statement:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Cordova is located in the Copper River Valley and its                                                                      
     residents have a strong sense of duty, duty to country                                                                     
     and duty to their people. It is that sense of duty                                                                         
     that has spurred the people of Cordova to serve in                                                                         
     every major war of the 20th century. It is also that                                                                       
     sense of duty that compelled an Eyak elder to nearly                                                                       
     singlehandedly preserve the Eyak language for future                                                                       
     generations. It is also this sense of duty that                                                                            
     prompted the City of Cordova to ask the state to name                                                                      
     15 of its unnamed Cordova-area bridges after some of                                                                       
     their finest residents.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     In honor of the brave young men who served and made                                                                        
     the ultimate sacrifice for their country, the City of                                                                      
     Cordova has requested that 14 of their unnamed bridges                                                                     
     be named for each of the sons that they have lost.                                                                         
     They are:                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     World War I                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     James Bennet                                                                                                               
     William M. Jones                                                                                                           
     Steve Green                                                                                                                
     Lucian Platt                                                                                                               
     Matthew Anderson                                                                                                           
     W.H. Mumby                                                                                                                 
     John W. Jones                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     World War II                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Patrick B. Burchett                                                                                                        
     Norman D. Osbourne                                                                                                         
     Leonard F. Olson                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Vietnam                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     David Henry Elisovsky                                                                                                      
     David Allen Lape                                                                                                           
     Warren Allen Paulsen                                                                                                       
     Michael Dean Banta                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     The City of Cordova has also requested that the bridge                                                                     
     over the Eyak River be named after Marie Smith Jones.                                                                      
     Marie Smith Jones was an Eyak elder who worked                                                                             
     tirelessly to preserve the Eyak language. She left                                                                         
     behind one of the most comprehensive records of any                                                                        
     aboriginal language that exists today.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:05:56 PM                                                                                                                    
CYNTHIA  ERICKSON,  staff,  Representative Alan  Dick,  presented                                                               
information related to HB 246.  She related information about the                                                               
Koyukuk  Station  Veterans'  Airport   and  the  Minto-Al  Wright                                                               
Airport.  The  Koyukuk Airport  is  located  on the  Yukon  River                                                             
thirty miles  west of  Galena and 290  air miles  from Fairbanks.                                                               
The   original  village   of  Koyukuk,   primarily  all   Koyukon                                                               
Athabascan Indians,  was established around  1867. It used  to be                                                               
called  Koyukuk Station,  because a  military telegraph  line was                                                               
constructed  along  the North  side  of  the Yukon,  and  Koyukuk                                                               
became the site of the  telegraph station. In naming the airport,                                                               
the  residents  also  wish  to honor  the  many  Native  military                                                               
veterans who have served their country.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
She related  that the Minto-Al  Wright Airport is named  after an                                                               
Athabascan aviator  born in 1925  and raised in the  Minto Flats.                                                               
Al Wright  joined the  army and  afterwards obtained  his pilot's                                                               
license with the G.I. Bill.  She related her experience last year                                                               
interviewing Al Wright who is 86 and still flying.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:08:27 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KOOKESH asked if there was any opposition to the bill.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS. KALLANDER said no.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
JERRY MCCUNE,  President, Cordova Fishermen United,  testified in                                                               
support of HB  246. He called the legislation a  good approach to                                                               
honor fallen veterans and Ms. Jones.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR KOOKESH closed public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:09:55 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  MENARD  moved  to  report  CSHB  246,  version  M,  from                                                               
committee  with  individual   recommendations  and  the  attached                                                               
fiscal note.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KOOKESH announced  that without  objection, CSSB  246(FIN)                                                               
was reported from the Senate Transportation Standing Committee.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
At ease to sign papers.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
          HB 271-COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:11:11 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KOOKESH announced the consideration of CSHB 271(TRA)am.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WES  KELLER, sponsor  of  HB  271 introduced  the                                                               
bill.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:12:11 PM                                                                                                                    
JIM POUND, staff,  Representative Wes Keller, sponsor  of HB 271,                                                               
explained the  bill. He said HB  271 will make doing  business in                                                               
Alaska  a little  bit  less costly.  Transportation  of goods  in                                                               
pickup  trucks or  small step  vans is  classified as  commercial                                                               
transport today, and  HB 271 proposes to change  that by changing                                                               
vehicle weight restrictions from  10,000 pounds to 14,000 pounds.                                                               
Trucks  were smaller  when the  legislation  first originated  in                                                               
1999.  He gave  an example  of an  on-site welding  business that                                                               
carries the  welder in the back  of the truck and  is required to                                                               
have a  commercial registration.  The costs associated  with that                                                               
are  for a  commercial  driver's  license, additional  insurance,                                                               
registration  fees,  and  a  medical  examination.  Changing  the                                                               
language from  10,000 pounds to  14,000 pounds makes  the average                                                               
one-ton  pickup non-commercial.  The same  rule applies  to pilot                                                               
vehicles.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:13:56 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MENARD asked if there was any opposition to the bill.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. POUND  said no. The  Department of Transportation  and Public                                                               
Facilities  and  the  Alaska  Truckers  Association  have  worked                                                               
together on the bill to ensure that everyone is happy with it.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THOMAS suggested  that vehicles are safer now  and do not                                                               
present a danger even though they weigh more.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. POUND agreed.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER  added that  less maintenance is  needed to                                                               
maintain safe vehicles.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:15:25 PM                                                                                                                    
AVES  THOMPSON, Executive  Director, Alaska  Trucking Association                                                               
(ATA),  testified in  support of  HB 271.  He said  one of  ATA's                                                               
legislative priorities is  to change the definition  of an intra-                                                               
state  commercial  vehicle to  reduce  the  regulatory burden  on                                                               
small  businesses. As  vehicles have  gotten larger  and heavier,                                                               
many  now fall  into the  commercial category  ensuing additional                                                               
costs  to the  owners. He  noted that  the legislation  would not                                                               
change  the   commercial  status  of  intra-state   vehicles  for                                                               
purposes  of registration  with  DMV and  therefore  there is  no                                                               
fiscal  impact on  the state.  He urged  favorable action  on the                                                               
bill.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:19:43 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  MENARD asked  if there  would be  a fiscal  loss to  the                                                               
state.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
DAN  BREEDEN,  Director,  Division  of  Measurement  Standards  &                                                               
Commercial  Vehicle Enforcement,  Department of  Transportation &                                                               
Public Facilities,  addressed Senator Menard's question  and said                                                               
that  the law  would  apply only  to  intra-state operations  and                                                               
would not change registration requirements.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:21:19 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MENARD  moved to report  CS for  HB 271, version  D, from                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations  and attached  fiscal                                                               
note(s).                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KOOKESH  announced that without objection,  CSHB 271(TRA)am                                                               
moved from the Senate Transportation Standing Committee.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:21:44 PM                                                                                                                    
There being  no further  business to  come before  the committee,                                                               
Chair  Kookesh  adjourned   the  Senate  Transportation  Standing                                                               
Committee at 1:21 p.m.