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.