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HR007

Resolve: HR007

Source Root: HR 007

Year: 2008

Source Bill: HR 7

Urging the United States Congress to support, work to pass, and vote for the immediate and permanent repeal of the federal estate tax.

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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:

WHEREAS the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 temporarily phased out but did not permanently eliminate the federal estate tax; and

WHEREAS our form of government is premised on the right to enjoy the fruit of one's labor, to own one's own possessions, and to pass on one's bounty to one's heirs; and

WHEREAS, when a person works for a lifetime to build assets, saving and investing money, building a business, or buying and developing land, that person has a moral right to pass those assets on to the person's family without being penalized with inheritance taxes; and

WHEREAS there is a fundamental problem of double taxation when a decedent's survivors are forced to pay an inheritance tax on assets acquired by the decedent with after-tax dollars; and

WHEREAS we need a tax system that encourages lifelong saving, investment, and business activity, and not one that can result in heirs liquidating or selling family businesses that are often asset rich but cash poor, thereby destroying those ongoing job-producing businesses simply to fund increased government consumption; and

WHEREAS the persistent uncertainty created by sec. 901 of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, which provides for the reinstatement of federal estate tax law for decedents dying after December 31, 2010, prevents families and small businesses from fully benefitting from the temporary repeal;

BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives strongly urges the United States Congress to support, work to pass, and vote for the immediate and permanent repeal of the federal estate tax.

COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States; the Honorable Richard B. Cheney, Vice-President of the United States and President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Harry Reid, Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; the Honorable John Boehner, Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives; and the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress; and all other members of the 110th United States Congress.

HR008

Resolve: HR008

Source Root: HR 008

Year: 2008

Source Bill: HR 8

Supporting the Kensington Gold Mine project; and commending the United States Forest Service for its environmental change analysis.

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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:

WHEREAS, in resolutions passed in 2005 and 2007, the Alaska State Legislature proclaimed strong support for the Coeur Alaska, Inc., Kensington Gold Mine as an environmentally responsible mining project and has encouraged all federal and state agencies to complete thorough and timely permitting reviews and issue the necessary permits; and

WHEREAS the state has abundant natural resources, particularly mineral resources, that the state seeks to develop in an environmentally responsible manner to benefit all residents of the state; and

WHEREAS the Kensington Gold Mine would create over 300 jobs during the construction of a tailings facility and over 200 long-term, high-paying, year-round jobs when in operation, would have an annual payroll of over $16,000,000, and would help diversify the struggling economy of Southeast Alaska while protecting the environment; and

WHEREAS the United States Forest Service has completed a thorough analysis of the Kensington modified plan of operations, using research and data from three previous environmental impact statements and 1,000 environmental and engineering studies that evaluate a tailings plan that is substantially the same as the tailings plan in the modified plan of operations; and

WHEREAS the Juneau district ranger, United States Forest Service, has issued a tentative recommendation that the forest supervisor determine that the modified plan of operations does not constitute a substantial change to the proposed action regarding environmental concerns and has recommended that no further study be required; and

WHEREAS Coeur Alaska, Inc., intends to begin construction of a tailings facility during fall 2008 after receipt of the remaining federal and state permits;

BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives strongly supports the Kensington Gold Mine project of Coeur Alaska, Inc., as environmentally responsible, and commends the United States Forest Service for its competent and thorough environmental change analysis, which satisfies 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. (National Environmental Policy Act of 1969) and allows the Kensington Gold Mine to move forward in the permitting process and toward production.

LR027

Resolve: LR027

Source Root: HCR 17

Year: 2008

Source Bill: HCR 17

Suspending Rules 24(c), 35, 41(b), and 42(e), Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature, concerning Senate Bill No. 139, relating to limitations on liability for certain airfield owners or operators.

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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

LR028

Resolve: LR028

Source Root: CSSCR 13(RES)

Year: 2008

Source Bill: SCR 13

Urging the governor to direct the attorney general to file an amicus curiae brief with the United States Supreme Court in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller, supporting the individual right to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.

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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

WHEREAS the United States Supreme Court has agreed to rule in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller, which challenges the enforcement of local laws that restrict the possession of firearms by private individuals; and

WHEREAS the decision of the United States Supreme Court will have a significant effect on the right to keep and bear arms, a fundamental right of American citizens; and

WHEREAS the decision of the United States Supreme Court should determine that the right to keep and bear arms is an individual right, and not a collective right that can be regulated or restricted by state and local governments; and

WHEREAS the right to keep and bear arms is so dear to the people of Alaska that the Constitution of the State of Alaska was amended at the general election in 1994 to specify that the right is an individual right, and not a collective one; and

WHEREAS the rights protected in the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution are the God-given rights of individual citizens, and their descriptions were derived from the English Bill of Rights of 1689 and the Virginia Declaration of Rights; and

WHEREAS historical analysis of social structure at the time of the enactment and ratification of the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution clearly shows that our nation was a frontier, where firearms were an important part of nearly every household and the use of firearms was a part of everyday life, and the colonists who fought the Revolutionary War did so with their own firearms; and

WHEREAS the right of individuals in the United States to keep and bear arms is fundamental to the protection and enjoyment of the remainder of the rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights; and

WHEREAS history has shown that, in nations where individuals were forced to give up their firearms to government, such as in Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia, the result has been repression, tyranny, and genocide; and

WHEREAS statistics have shown that, in local jurisdictions such as Washington, D.C., where gun ownership has been restricted or prohibited in violation of the Second Amendment, the goal of reducing violent crimes such as murder has had the opposite effect, and violent crime rates are higher than when private individuals could protect themselves with personal firearms; and

WHEREAS the safeguard of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution as an individual right to keep and bear arms is fundamental to the people of Alaska;

BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges Governor Sarah Palin to instruct the attorney general to timely file, on behalf of the State of Alaska and its citizens, an amicus curiae or friend of the court brief supporting the plaintiffs in District of Columbia v. Heller, or to join with other states' attorneys general in such a brief.

COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska; and the Honorable Talis J. Colberg, Alaska Attorney General.

LR029

Resolve: LR029

Source Root: SCR17

Year: 2008

Source Bill: SCR 17

Relating to establishing March 2008 as Brain Injury Awareness Month.

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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

WHEREAS traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability among children and young adults in the State of Alaska; and

WHEREAS an estimated 12,000 people in the State of Alaska have suffered a traumatic brain injury; and

WHEREAS approximately 800 people in the State of Alaska report traumatic brain injuries each year; and

WHEREAS the number of Alaskans with a traumatic brain injury is increasing significantly as military service members injured overseas return home to Alaska; and

WHEREAS 20 percent of traumatic brain injuries result in death; and

WHEREAS many people who suffer traumatic brain injuries live with permanent disabilities; and

WHEREAS most cases of traumatic brain injury are preventable; and

WHEREAS the lack of public awareness is so vast that traumatic brain injury is known in the disability community as the nation's "silent epidemic"; and

WHEREAS the Brain Injury Association of America has recognized the month of March each year as Brain Injury Awareness Month;

BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes the life-altering effect that traumatic brain injury may have on people living with disabilities resulting from traumatic brain injury and on their families; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes the need for enhanced public awareness of the effects of traumatic brain injury; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports the designation of March 2008 as Brain Injury Awareness Month and encourages the people of the state to observe Brain Injury Awareness Month with appropriate programs and activities.

LR030

Resolve: LR030

Source Root: HCR 21

Year: 2008

Source Bill: HCR 21

Supporting the National Crime Victims' Rights Week of 2008.

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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

WHEREAS, in 1994, Alaska voters expressed strong support for crime victims' rights by approving art. I, sec. 24, Constitution of the State of Alaska, which identified the rights of crime victims; and

WHEREAS the theme of the 2008 National Crime Victims' Rights Week is Justice for Victims, Justice for All, evoking the ideals that support our system of justice and declaring that justice for all cannot be achieved without justice for victims of crime; and

WHEREAS, whether the crime is a drive-by shooting, a campus massacre, an act of terrorism, or a crippling identity theft, all Alaskans are vulnerable to crime, and, in this sense, victims' rights are all Alaskans' rights; and

WHEREAS securing justice for victims, who are too often denied basic rights and services, secures justice for all Alaskans; and

WHEREAS serving victims of crime and ensuring justice for all makes Alaska homes, neighborhoods, and communities safer and stronger; and

WHEREAS the legislature recognizes the need to ensure that services are available to all victims of crime, including victims with disabilities, victims who are mentally ill, victims who are teenagers, victims who are elderly, and victims in rural areas of the state;

BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports the 2008 National Crime Victims' Rights Week to be observed April 13 - 19 to express the legislature's commitment to victims' rights.

LR031

Resolve: LR031

Source Root: HCR 24

Year: 2008

Source Bill: HCR 24

Suspending Rules 24(c), 35, 41(b), and 42(e), Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature, concerning Senate Bill No. 72, relating to the community revenue sharing program.

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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

LR032

Resolve: LR032

Source Root: SJR011

Year: 2008

Source Bill: SJR011

Supporting federal funding for veterans' health care and urging the United States Congress to ensure adequate funding for veterans' health care.

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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

WHEREAS the United States Department of Veterans Affairs provides medical care for veterans who have risked their lives to protect the security of the nation; and

WHEREAS the United States Department of Veterans Affairs has the largest integrated health care system in the United States; and

WHEREAS the missions of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs include providing health care to veterans, educating and training health care personnel, conducting medical research, serving as backup to the United States Department of Defense, and supporting communities in times of crisis; and

WHEREAS the United States Department of Veterans Affairs provides a wide range of specialized services to meet the unique needs of veterans, including treatment and care for spinal cord injury, blindness, traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder, amputation injuries, mental health and substance abuse, and conditions requiring long-term care; and

WHEREAS federal discretionary funding for veterans' health care is controlled by the executive branch and Congress through the budget and appropriation process; and

WHEREAS the United States Government Accountability Office report in 2005 highlighted the lack of resources and staffing available to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for processing an increasing backlog of veterans' claims; and

WHEREAS discretionary funding for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs lags behind both medical inflation and the increased demands for services; for example, the enrollment for veterans' health care increased 134 percent between fiscal years 1996 and 2004, but funding only increased 34 percent during the same period when adjusted to 1996 dollars; and

WHEREAS former United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi has publicly stated that the United States Department of Veterans Affairs has been struggling to provide health care to the rapidly rising number of veterans who require health care;

BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature expresses its profound gratitude for the sacrifices made by veterans who suffer from medical or mental problems resulting from injuries that occurred while serving in the United States Armed Forces; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the United States Congress to ensure adequate funding for veterans' health care.

COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States; the Honorable Richard B. Cheney, Vice-President of the United States and President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable James B. Peake, M.D., United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs; and the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska Delegation in Congress; and to all other members of the 110th United States Congress.

LR033

Resolve: LR033

Source Root: HJR 016

Year: 2008

Source Bill: HJR 016

Opposing imposition of a milk tax on Alaskans.

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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

WHEREAS Alaska residents consume more milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, and other dairy products than Alaska dairy farmers are able to produce, making Alaska a "milk-deficit" state; and

WHEREAS, because of their milk-deficit status, the United States Congress wisely excluded Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico from the mandatory dairy promotion assessment or "milk tax" of the Dairy Production Stabilization Act of 1983; and

WHEREAS this exemption was maintained in the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002; and

WHEREAS the National Milk Producers Federation and other dairy interests in the lower 48 states want to extend the milk tax to Alaska dairy farmers; and

WHEREAS the milk tax would require Alaska dairy farmers to pay into the national dairy promotion program that presently benefits only the lower 48 states and does nothing to help Alaska dairy farmers or consumers; and

WHEREAS Alaska dairy farmers and consumers cannot benefit from the various dairy promotion, advertising, and research programs funded by the milk tax imposed on milk marketed by dairy farmers in the lower 48 states; and

WHEREAS the mandatory dairy promotion assessment would constitute an onerous, costly, and unacceptable new milk tax on all Alaskans, including dairy farmers, consumers, school children, day care centers, residents of rural Alaska, Alaska Natives, small businesses, and others who would be forced to pay more for milk and dairy products that already are among the most expensive in the nation;

BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature strongly condemns and resolutely opposes imposition of the milk tax on Alaskans.

COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States; the Honorable Richard B. Cheney, Vice-President of the United States and President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Ed Schafer, United States Secretary of Agriculture; and the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.

LR034

Resolve: LR034

Source Root: CSSJR 12 (STA)

Year: 2008

Source Bill: SJR 12

Requesting that Alaska be exempt from changes to the interpretation of the Passenger Vessel Services Act of June 19, 1886, proposed by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, affecting cruise itineraries of foreign-flagged vessels transporting passengers to ports in Alaska; or, if Alaska is not exempted, opposing the proposed changes to the interpretation of that Act.

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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

WHEREAS the cruise ship industry is an integral part of the economy of the state; and

WHEREAS the tourism industry in the state thrives when cruise ships land at ports in the state; and

WHEREAS about 1,000,000 passengers visited the state by cruise ship during 2007, typically calling at three or four ports of call; and

WHEREAS many of the cruise ships visiting the state travel under foreign flags; and

WHEREAS these foreign-flagged vessels generally operate as noncoastwise-qualified vessels, as defined by the Passenger Vessel Services Act of June 19, 1886, as amended (46 U.S.C. 55103); and

WHEREAS foreign-flagged passenger vessels compete with United States-flagged cruise vessels in the Hawaiian market from mainland United States ports of embarkation; to comply with the Act, these foreign-flagged vessels typically call briefly at the port of Ensenada, Mexico, often without permitting passengers to disembark; and

WHEREAS, motivated in part by expressions by the United States-flagged cruise vessels operating in the Hawaiian cruise ship market opposing these foreign-flagged cruise ship itineraries, the United States Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, is proposing to adopt a new interpretive rule that would require stops at an intervening foreign port to last at least 48 hours, to spend an amount of time at the foreign port that is more than 50 percent of the total amount of time at the United States ports of call, and to permit cruise ship passengers to disembark at the foreign port; and

WHEREAS it is not clear from the notice and publicity relating to the proposed rule change that the rule, if adopted, would be confined in its application to foreign-flagged vessels engaged in the Hawaiian cruise ship market; and

WHEREAS application of the rule to the Alaska market would have devastating economic effects in this state; if applied to Alaska, the proposed revision of the interpretive rule would typically allow not more than one stop, or perhaps two brief stops, in ports of call in Southeast and Southcentral Alaska, thereby reducing or limiting port calls in some places and eliminating them in others; and

WHEREAS application of the proposed rule change to the Alaska market would diminish the attractiveness of Alaska as a cruise ship itinerary destination; and

WHEREAS application of the proposed rule change to the Alaska market would also significantly and dramatically reduce the shoreside employment and business opportunities in the communities in this state in which cruise ships currently call;

BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature requests that Alaska be exempted from the proposed changes to the interpretation of the Passenger Vessel Services Act of June 19, 1886 (46 U.S.C. 55103), as amended, by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, that would require nonqualified coastwise vessels to

(1) stop at least 48 hours in a foreign port; and

(2) spend more than 50 percent of the total time spent in United States ports in foreign ports; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED that, if Alaska is not exempted from the proposed changes to the interpretation of the Passenger Vessel Services Act of June 19, 1886, the Alaska State Legislature opposes the proposed changes to the interpretation of that Act.

COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Michael Chertoff, United States Secretary of Homeland Security; the Honorable W. Ralph Basham, Commissioner of the United States Bureau of Customs and Border Protection; and the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.

LR035

Resolve: LR035

Source Root: CSSCR 15(SED)

Year: 2008

Source Bill: SCR 15

Proposing amendments to the Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature relating to standing committees.

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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

* Section 1. Rule 20(a), Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature, is amended to read:

(a) Each house has the following standing committees with the jurisdiction indicated:

Education (the programs and activities of the Department of Education and Early Development and of the University of Alaska)

Finance (all appropriation, revenue, capital improvement, and bonding measures, the executive budget, and the programs and activities of the Department of Revenue)

Health [, EDUCATION] and Social Services (the programs and activities of the Department of Health and Social Services [, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA])

Judiciary (the programs and activities of the Alaska Court System and the Department of Law, and the legal and substantive review of bills referred to it for that purpose)

Labor and Commerce (the programs and activities of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development relating to labor-management relations, industrial safety, unemployment compensation, and workers' compensation and the programs and activities of the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development that do not primarily relate to local government or to government services or functions in the unorganized borough)

Community and Regional Affairs (the programs and activities of the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development that primarily relate to local government and government services or functions in the unorganized borough, and other matters relating to political subdivisions)

Resources (the programs and activities of the Departments of Fish and Game, Natural Resources, and Environmental Conservation)

Rules (interpretation of the Uniform Rules, calendar, the internal administration of the house and matters pertaining to the management of the legislature as a whole)

State Affairs (programs and activities of the Office of the Governor and the Departments of Administration, Military and Veterans' Affairs, Corrections, and Public Safety, and programs and activities of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities relating to public facilities)

Transportation (programs and activities of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities relating to transportation and other legislative matters relating to transportation).

* Sec. 2. Rule 20(a), Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature is amended to read:

(a) Each house has the following standing committees with the jurisdiction indicated:

[EDUCATION (THE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT AND OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA)]

Finance (all appropriation, revenue, capital improvement, and bonding measures, the executive budget, and the programs and activities of the Department of Revenue)

Health, Education and Social Services (the programs and activities of the Department of Health and Social Services, the Department of Education and Early Development, and the University of Alaska)

Judiciary (the programs and activities of the Alaska Court System and the Department of Law, and the legal and substantive review of bills referred to it for that purpose)

Labor and Commerce (the programs and activities of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development relating to labor-management relations, industrial safety, unemployment compensation, and workers' compensation and the programs and activities of the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development that do not primarily relate to local government or to government services or functions in the unorganized borough)

Community and Regional Affairs (the programs and activities of the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development that primarily relate to local government and government services or functions in the unorganized borough, and other matters relating to political subdivisions)

Resources (the programs and activities of the Departments of Fish and Game, Natural Resources, and Environmental Conservation)

Rules (interpretation of the Uniform Rules, calendar, the internal administration of the house and matters pertaining to the management of the legislature as a whole)

Transportation (programs and activities of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities relating to transportation and other legislative matters relating to transportation).

* Sec. 3. The amendment proposed by sec. 1 of this resolution takes effect immediately.

* Sec. 4. The amendment proposed by sec. 2 of this resolution takes effect on the first day of the First Regular Session of the Twenty-Eighth Alaska State Legislature.

LR036

Resolve: LR036

Source Root: SCR 18 AM

Year: 2008

Source Bill: SCR 18

Awarding the Alaska Decoration of Honor to certain members of the military.

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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

WHEREAS the Alaska Decoration of Honor was established to honor individuals who were killed on or after the date Alaska achieved statehood in military actions while serving the United States;

BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature awards the Alaska Decoration of Honor to the following individuals:

(1) Shawn G. Adams;

(2) Jesse Bryon Albrecht;

(3) Christopher M. Alcozer;

(4) Eugene Henry Eli Alex;

(5) Charles D. Allen;

(6) Carl Anderson Jr.;

(7) Thomas Edward Anderson;

(8) Kurtis Dean Kama-O-Apelila Arcala;

(9) Brian D. Ardron;

(10) Michael Dean Banta;

(11) Edward Nasuesak Barr;

(12) Thomas M. Barr;

(13) Daniel D. Bartels;

(14) Richard Gene Bauer;

(15) Ryan J. Baum;

(16) Shane R. Becker;

(17) Larry LeRoy Betts;

(18) Jeffery Dean Bisson;

(19) Alan R. Blohm;

(20) Jeremiah J. Boehmer;

(21) Matthew Charles Bohling;

(22) Matthew T. Bolar;

(23) John G. Borbonus;

(24) Christopher Robert Brevard;

(25) James L. Bridges;

(26) David Dee Brown Jr.;

(27) Charles Edward Brown;

(28) William F. Brown;

(29) Gary Edwin Bullock;

(30) Jaime L. Campbell;

(31) William Steven Childers;

(32) Johnathan Bryan Chism;

(33) Donald George Chmiel;

(34) Brad A. Clemmons;

(35) Adare William Cleveland;

(36) Ryan D. Collins;

(37) Clinton Arthur Cook;

(38) Jason Jarrard Corbett;

(39) Daniel Franklin Cox;

(40) Shawn R. Creighton;

(41) Eric B. Das;

(42) George W. Dauma Jr.;

(43) Carletta S. Davis;

(44) David J. Davis;

(45) Micheal W. Davis;

(46) Wilbert Davis;

(47) Dustin R. Donica;

(48) David Q. Douthit;

(49) William Bradley Duncan;

(50) Scott Douglas Dykman;

(51) William Albert Eaton;

(52) Michael Ignatius Edwards;

(53) David Henry Elisovsky;

(54) Robert Thomas Elliott III;

(55) Shawn Patrick Falter;

(56) Sean Patrick Fennerty;

(57) David Lynn Ferry;

(58) Sean P. Fisher;

(59) Nick Ulysses Fleener;

(60) Victor M. Fontanilla;

(61) Phillip Cody Ford;

(62) Kraig D. Foyteck;

(63) Lucas Frantz;

(64) Grant B. Fraser;

(65) Jacob Noal Fritz;

(66) Charles F. Gamble Jr.;

(67) Brennan Chriss Gibson;

(68) Micah S. Gifford;

(69) Dale Anthony Griffin;

(70) Howard Wayne Gulliksen;

(71) Daniel Lee Harmon;

(72) Dustin J. Harris;

(73) Raymond L. Henry;

(74) Irving Hernandez Jr.;

(75) Adam Herold;

(76) Patrick W. Herried;

(77) Kenneth Hess;

(78) William Earl Hibpshman;

(79) Michael Thomas Hoke;

(80) Jaron D. Holliday;

(81) Jerry Verne Horn;

(82) Michael R. Hullender;

(83) Kurt Int-Hout;

(84) Sam Ivey;

(85) Steven R. Jewell;

(86) Christopher C. Johnson;

(87) Jeremiah Jewel Johnson;

(88) Wayne Elmer Jones;

(89) Alexander Jordon;

(90) Adam P. Kennedy;

(91) Gilbert Ketzler Jr.;

(92) George Gregory Kilbuck;

(93) Jeremiah C. Kinchen;

(94) Donald Harry Kito;

(95) Howard Mark Koslosky;

(96) Russell A. Kurtz;

(97) Kermit Harold La Belle Jr.;

(98) Jason K. LaFleur;

(99) Mickey Daniel Lang;

(100) Jason Lantieri;

(101) David Alen Lape;

(102) Michael H. Lasky;

(103) Aaron Latimer;

(104) Robert Edward Lee;

(105) Henry W. Linck;

(106) James T. Lindsey;

(107) Norman Lewis Lingley;

(108) Joseph I. Love-Fowler;

(109) Jeremy M. Loveless;

(110) Bryan C. Luckey;

(111) Bradley W. Marshall;

(112) Thomas M. Martin;

(113) Brian McElroy;

(114) Jackie L. McFarlane Jr.;

(115) Patrick M. McInerney;

(116) Jacob Gerald McMillan;

(117) Phillip David McNeill;

(118) Benjamin E. Mejia;

(119) Jacob Eugene Melson;

(120) Kenneth Bruce Millhouse;

(121) Johnathon Miles Millican;

(122) Robert J. Montgomery;

(123) Trista L. Moretti;

(124) Christopher R. Morningstar;

(125) Shawn Matthew Murphy;

(126) Jason L. Norton;

(127) Toby Richard Olsen;

(128) Warren Paulsen;

(129) Joshua M. Pearce;

(130) Coty J. Phelps;

(131) William Franci Piaskowski;

(132) Larry Joe Plett;

(133) David Shelton Prentice;

(134) Cody A. Putman;

(135) Lloyd Steven Rainey;

(136) Daniel F. Reyes;

(137) Stanley B. Reynolds;

(138) Andrew William Rice Jr.;

(139) Floyd Whitley Richardson;

(140) Norman Franklin Ridley;

(141) Michelle R. Ring;

(142) Timothy J. Roark;

(143) Donald Robert Robison;

(144) Jessy S. Rogers;

(145) Jonathan Rojas;

(146) Donald Ray Sanders;

(147) Frederick M. Simeonoff;

(148) Nicholas R. Sowinski;

(149) Donald Walter Sperl;

(150) Clifford A. Spohn III;

(151) Lance Craig Springer II;

(152) Derek T. Stenroos;

(153) Joseph A. Strong;

(154) Stephen Sutherland;

(155) William Arthur Thompson;

(156) Douglas L. Tinsley;

(157) Chester William Troxel;

(158) Colby J. Umbrell;

(159) Joe Wayne Vanderpool;

(160) John S. Vaughan;

(161) Dustin S. Wakeman;

(162) Mark A. Wall;

(163) William Francis Walters;

(164) Shannon Weaver;

(165) Mason Douglas Whetstone;

(166) Arthur Joseph Whitney Jr.;

(167) Jamie Duggan Wilson;

(168) Daniel Eugene Woodcock;

(169) Shane William Woods;

(170) James R. Worster;

(171) David Reese Young Jr.

LR037

Resolve: LR037

Source Root: HCR 25

Year: 2008

Source Bill: HCR25

Relating to proclaiming April of 2008 to be Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

WHEREAS sexual assault affects women, children, and men of all racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds, and occurs through acquaintance rape, stranger rape, sexual assault by a partner, child sexual abuse, incest, sexual harassment, prostitution, and pornography; and

WHEREAS it is estimated that one in three women, one in four girls, one in six boys, and one in 11 men will be victims of sexual violence; and

WHEREAS the crime of sexual assault violates an individual's privacy, dignity, security, and humanity, and leaves long-lasting physical and emotional scars that can influence every aspect of an individual's life; and

WHEREAS this state, at 2.5 times the national average, continues to have the highest per capita occurrence of sexual assault in the nation, and it is important that sexual assault be recognized as a preventable problem in every community, large and small, in the state; speaking out against sexual assault is an important first step to eliminating this devastating crime; and

WHEREAS it is also important to recognize the compassion, commitment, and dedication of the individuals who provide services to sexual assault survivors and work to increase public understanding of this major problem; and

WHEREAS one person, organization, agency, or community cannot by itself eliminate sexual violence, and the citizens of this state need to work together to educate the entire population of the state about what can be done to prevent sexual assault, to support victims, survivors, and their families, and to increase support for agencies providing services to these survivors; by uniting in this effort, the citizens of this state can make a difference;

BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature proclaims the month of April 2008 to be Sexual Assault Awareness Month and encourages all of the citizens of this state to observe Sexual Assault Awareness Month by speaking out against sexual assault and letting others know that sexual assault will not be tolerated.

LR038

Resolve: LR038

Source Root: HJR 29

Year: 2008

Source Bill: HJR29

Urging the President of the United States and the United States Congress to fulfill the federal obligation to provide adequate funding for special education in public schools.

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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

WHEREAS the Constitution of the State of Alaska and other laws and policies of the state require educational opportunities for all children, including children with disabilities; and

WHEREAS enactment of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act by the United States Congress transferred from the states to the federal government decisions pertaining to the provision of education and related services to students with disabilities; and

WHEREAS the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires the provision of a "free appropriate public education" for students with disabilities; and

WHEREAS the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act authorized the federal appropriation of a sum equal to 40 percent of the average per-pupil expenditure for general education students under 34 C.F.R. 300.701(a)(1); and

WHEREAS the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-4, March 22, 1995) provides that "the federal government should not shift certain costs to the States, and States should end the practice of shifting costs to local governments"; and

WHEREAS, according to recent estimates, Alaska received approximately 16 percent of the total cost of providing a free appropriate public education for students with disabilities from the Congress for Part B services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; and

WHEREAS the lack of adequate federal funding for students with disabilities has forced states and local school districts to make up the difference through payments made for other critical education programs; and

WHEREAS the lack of adequate federal funding for federally mandated services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act places a tremendous strain on all Alaska public school districts and on the ability of the districts to provide quality education for all students; and

WHEREAS Alaska shares with every other state a chronic shortage of qualified special education teachers; and

WHEREAS teacher preparation programs would benefit from full federal funding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act by attracting prospective applicants interested in a career of teaching special education; and

WHEREAS the underfunding of special education programs affects the depth of services provided to students with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, despite significant strides made in increasing and enhancing public education for students with disabilities, many of those students still do not receive the services and assistance they need to succeed in public schools; and

WHEREAS the federal No Child Left Behind Act requires that 100 percent of students with disabilities attain proficiency in meeting state education standards by the end of the 2013 - 2014 school year; and

WHEREAS improvement in the rate of proficiency of students in meeting state education standards is a primary indicator of school success under the No Child Left Behind Act, creating the need for public school districts to provide greater access to and progress in the general curriculum for students with disabilities; and

WHEREAS the task of meeting the rising costs associated with attaining proficiency in the general curriculum for students with disabilities requires a strong partnership between local, state, and federal government agencies;

BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature strongly urges the President of the United States and the United States Congress to fulfill their obligation to provide adequate funding of educational services for students with disabilities by providing 40 percent of the average per-pupil expenditure for general education students in Alaska as authorized in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States; the Honorable Richard B. Cheney, Vice-President of the United States and President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; the Honorable Margaret Spellings, United States Secretary of Education; and the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.

LR039

Resolve: LR039

Source Root: HJR34

Year: 2008

Source Bill: HJR34

Urging the United States Congress to reauthorize the Debbie Smith DNA backlog grant program.

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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

WHEREAS DNA technology is increasingly vital to ensuring accuracy and fairness in the criminal justice system, but is not yet considered a routine tool for criminal identification by law enforcement; and

WHEREAS over 50,000 law enforcement investigations have already been aided nationwide because of DNA matches made through the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Combined DNA Index System, bringing justice to victims and removing criminals from the streets; and

WHEREAS the Innocence Project has used DNA in over 200 cases to exonerate persons who were wrongfully convicted of crimes; and

WHEREAS Alaska and other states throughout the nation have significantly expanded their DNA programs to include a growing number of convicted and arrested felons to match against unsolved crimes; and

WHEREAS the demand for DNA testing in both violent and nonviolent crimes has continued to increase as the reliability of this evidence is proven; and

WHEREAS many laboratories still maintain DNA backlogs of six months or longer and are unable to meet the growing demand for DNA testing, despite funding commitments from state and local governments; and

WHEREAS the Debbie Smith DNA backlog grant program has permitted state and local governments an opportunity to begin to maximize the full potential of forensic DNA through backlog reduction, but much work remains to be done;

BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature strongly urges the United States Congress to reauthorize the Debbie Smith DNA backlog grant program at current or increased levels.

COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Richard B. Cheney, Vice-President of the United States and President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; and the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.

LR040

Resolve: LR040

Source Root: HJR 14

Year: 2008

Source Bill: CSHJR 14(RLS)

Urging the United States Congress to enact H.R. 2419, sec. 12801, so that individuals receiving a damage award from the Exxon Valdez oil spill can benefit from the income averaging and retirement contribution provisions of the bill.

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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

WHEREAS it is well documented that the Exxon Valdez oil spill has adversely affected the coastal region of the state and affected the economic status of communities in this region for many years; and

WHEREAS the state's commercial fishermen, who make up 80 percent of the plaintiffs seeking to recover damages from the Exxon Valdez oil spill, suffered economically as a result of the oil spill and, as a result, lost the opportunity to establish retirement plans or were limited in their ability to save for retirement; and

WHEREAS these Alaskans would benefit from the contributions to retirement accounts they could make by using money received from the award of damages; and

WHEREAS H.R. 2419, sec. 12801, would benefit these commercial fishermen by authorizing increases in the deductions and income caps applicable to traditional individual retirement accounts, Roth IRAs, and other qualified retirement plans to the extent of the amount of the damage award; and

WHEREAS the bill would authorize individual plaintiffs to average income from the award for tax purposes over the period January 1, 1994, through the end of the year in which the award is made;

BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the United States Congress to enact H.R. 2419, sec. 12801, to provide relief to those individuals who suffered economic damages as a result of the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress; the Honorable Dave Reichert, U.S. Representative for the 8th District of Washington; and to all members of the 110th United States Congress.

LR041

Resolve: LR041

Source Root: SCR 14

Year: 2008

Source Bill: SCR14

Proclaiming February 4 - 10, 2008, as Perianesthesia Nurses Week.

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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

WHEREAS perianesthesia nurses improve the health care of individuals through changing medical practices and ongoing innovations of technology and treatment; and

WHEREAS perianesthesia nurses continue to advance the art and science of preanesthesia care, postanesthesia care, ambulatory surgery, and pain management; and

WHEREAS perianesthesia nurses are an influential force for perianesthesia patient safety, public policy, and practice standards; and

WHEREAS perianesthesia nurses are an indispensible resource for perianesthesia education and knowledge exchange worldwide; and

WHEREAS members of the Northwest Perianesthesia Nurses' Association and the American Society of Perianesthesia Nurses will meet in Fairbanks this year;

BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests Governor Palin to proclaim the week of February 4 - 10, 2008, as Perianesthesia Nurses Week to honor the work provided to all individuals who have received and will receive care from a perianesthesia nurse.

LR042

Resolve: LR042

Source Root: SCR 20

Year: 2008

Source Bill: SCR 20

Suspending Rules 24(c), 35, 41(b), and 42(e), Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature, concerning House Bill No. 13, relating to prepayments of accrued actuarial liabilities of government retirement systems; relating to the Alaska Municipal Bond Bank Authority; permitting the Alaska Municipal Bond Bank Authority or a subsidiary of the authority to assist state and municipal governmental employers by issuing bonds, notes, commercial paper, or other obligations to enable the governmental employers to prepay all or a portion of the governmental employers' shares of the unfunded accrued actuarial liabilities of retirement systems; authorizing a governmental employer to issue obligations to prepay all or a portion of the governmental employer's shares of the unfunded accrued actuarial liabilities of retirement systems and to enter into a lease or other contractual agreement with a trustee or the Alaska Municipal Bond Bank Authority or a subsidiary of the authority in connection with the issuance of obligations for that purpose, and relating to those obligations; and providing for an effective date.

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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:

That under Rule 54, Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature, the provisions of Rules 24(c), 35, 41(b), and 42(e), Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature, regarding changes to the title of a bill, are suspended in consideration of House Bill No. 13, relating to prepayments of accrued actuarial liabilities of government retirement systems; relating to the Alaska Municipal Bond Bank Authority; permitting the Alaska Municipal Bond Bank Authority or a subsidiary of the authority to assist state and municipal governmental employers by issuing bonds, notes, commercial paper, or other obligations to enable the governmental employers to prepay all or a portion of the governmental employers' shares of the unfunded accrued actuarial liabilities of retirement systems; authorizing a governmental employer to issue obligations to prepay all or a portion of the governmental employer's shares of the unfunded accrued actuarial liabilities of retirement systems and to enter into a lease or other contractual agreement with a trustee or the Alaska Municipal Bond Bank Authority or a subsidiary of the authority in connection with the issuance of obligations for that purpose, and relating to those obligations; and providing for an effective date.

LR043

Resolve: LR043

Source Root: HCR 27

Year: 2008

Source Bill: HCR 27

Suspending Rules 24(c), 35, 41(b), and 42(e), Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature, concerning Senate Bill No. 214, relating to hunting licenses and tags for nonresident members of the military service or the United States Coast Guard and their dependents.

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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: