LR025
Resolve: LR025
Year: 1991
Source Bill: SCR 20
Source Root: SCR020
Relating to Kodiak Island as a bicentennial community in 1992.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
WHEREAS Kodiak Island was settled in 1792 by Alexander Baranov; and
WHEREAS 1992 represents the 200th anniversary of this initial colonization; and
WHEREAS the Kodiak Island community has prospered throughout the years and has a long standing tradition of honoring the past while looking to the future; and
WHEREAS Kodiak Island has the state's largest fishing port and bountiful resources for tourism and sport hunting and fishing; and
WHEREAS 1991 represents the 25th anniversary of the "Cry of the Wild Ram," the state's only outdoor historical drama, whose production will commence the bicentennial celebration; and
WHEREAS the Kodiak Island Convention and Visitor's Bureau is sponsoring a Bicentennial Committee to plan and develop a celebration in 1992 of the 200 years that have elapsed since the Russian-American relationship was established; and
WHEREAS Kodiak Island and its residents have invited all citizens of the state to salute its rich and diverse past by joining in the celebration of its bicentennial;
BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes Kodiak Island as a state bicentennial community and urges all citizens of the state to support Kodiak Island and the Kodiak Island Convention and Visitors Bureau in their endeavors and celebrations for Kodiak Island's 200th anniversary in 1992.
A COPY of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Robert B. Brodie, Mayor of the City of Kodiak, and to the Honorable Jerome M. Selby, Mayor of the Kodiak Island Borough.
LR026
Resolve: LR026
Year: 1991
Source Bill: HCR 10
Source Root: HCR010
Declaring June 2 - 8 to be Alaska Garden Week.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
WHEREAS the growing of flowers and vegetables is important to the citizens of the state and instills an appreciation of nature, conservation, pollution control, and the care and enhancement of the environment; and
WHEREAS gardening provides a healthful, productive, and pleasant activity for many of the residents of the state and sustains an established multi-million dollar horticultural business in the state; and
WHEREAS attractive landscaping and colorful plantings of flowers beautify the communities of the state for the enjoyment of residents and visitors, including tourists whose steadily growing numbers have made tourism one of the state's leading industries;
BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature declares June 2 - 8, 1991, to be Alaska Garden Week; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages private citizens, businesses, government agencies, schools, civic groups, and all residents of the state to observe Alaska Garden Week by participating in gardening and environmental activities, including those sponsored by the Alaska State Federation of Garden Clubs.
LR027
Resolve: LR027
Year: 1991
Source Bill: SCS HJR 23(STA)
Source Root: HJR023
Encouraging Gambell, Alaska, and Nuvoye Chaplino, U.S.S.R., to be sister cities.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
WHEREAS the residents of the City of Gambell on St. Lawrence Island in Alaska and the City of Nuvoye Chaplino in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics are closely related culturally, ethnically, and socially; and
WHEREAS the residents of both cities speak the same Native language, which is Siberian Yupik, and live a subsistence lifestyle based on whaling, fishing, berry-picking, and walrus hunting; and
WHEREAS both cities place great emphasis on traditional Native values, including honoring and learning from their elders; and
WHEREAS, until the Cold War intervened, the residents of the two cities intermarried and traded with each other; and
WHEREAS, now that relations between the United States and the U.S.S.R. have improved considerably, becoming sister cities would help the two cities reestablish their communication and trade;
BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages the City of Gambell on St. Lawrence Island in Alaska and the City of Nuvoye Chaplino in the U.S.S.R. to become sister cities in order to help them reestablish the communication and trade between the two cities that were halted by the Cold War.
COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the City of Nuvoye Chaplino, U.S.S.R.; and to the Honor able Merlin Koonooka, Mayor of the City of Gambell, Alaska.
LR028
Resolve: LR028
Year: 1991
Source Bill: CSHCR 4(FIN) am
Source Root: HCR004
Establishing the Joint Committee on School Improvement.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
WHEREAS the Joint Committee on School Performance was established during the Sixteenth Alaska State Legislature to review school performance issues and to make recommendations to the legislature; and
WHEREAS the recommendations of the committee are contained in two comprehensive reports to the legislature; and
WHEREAS more than one-fourth of the state's budget goes to public schools, and the quality of school performance is a proper matter for continuing legislative attention; and
WHEREAS the legislature needs to continue to give extraordinary attention to school performance and improvement; and
WHEREAS legislative measures developed by the committee and enacted into law by the Sixteenth Alaska State Legislature need to be monitored by the legislature to guarantee that they are implemented correctly and promptly and to determine if further legislation is needed; and
WHEREAS many laws and regulations enacted over the years should be re-evaluated to determine whether their cost to school districts has been reasonable or burdensome and whether they have been productive in enhancing the education of the students; and
WHEREAS the work of the committee should be continued through the establishment of a Joint Committee on School Improvement for the Seventeenth Alaska State Legislature;
BE IT RESOLVED by the Alaska State Legislature that a Joint Committee on School Improvement is established consisting of three members to be appointed by the President of the Senate, three members to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and an ex-officio member from the Governor's office; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that the Joint Committee on School Improvement shall review the work of the Joint Committee on School Performance established by the Sixteenth Alaska State Legislature, monitor the implementation of the laws developed by the Joint Committee on School Performance, and identify subjects for priority legislative attention; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that the Joint Committee on School Improvement shall make a thorough investigation of the finance and governance systems used in the public schools and school districts in the state; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that the Joint Committee on School Improvement is authorized to take action only upon majority approval of the Senate and House members of the Joint Committee on School Improvement; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that the Joint Committee on School Improvement is authorized to meet during each session and each interim of the Seventeenth Alaska State Legislature; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that the Joint Committee on School Improvement shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the legislature by the 15th day of the Second Session of the Seventeenth Alaska State Legislature and, on the first day of the First Regular Session of the Eighteenth Alaska State Legislature, the joint committee shall submit a final report and is terminated.
LR029
Resolve: LR029
Year: 1991
Source Bill: CSSCR 3(FIN)
Source Root: SCR003
Urging the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation to investigate the economic feasibility of using its current power to make loans for low-income housing.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
WHEREAS there exists in the state a widespread need for low-income housing to provide shelter for homeless persons or to provide more affordable housing for persons who are not currently homeless but are faced with mortgage payments or rental payments that use a high proportion of their disposable income; and
WHEREAS there are individuals, nonprofit corporations, and other entities that would develop and build low-income housing if loan money were more readily available for it in the state; and
WHEREAS, under AS 18.56.090(2), the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation has the power to make loans to sponsors, developers, and builders of low-income housing when funds are not available from private lenders on equivalent terms and conditions; and
WHEREAS public-private partnerships can play a uniquely effective role in developing the economy of the state and improving the living standards of its citizens by increasing the supply of housing available for low-income persons;
BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation to investigate the economic feasibility of helping to expand the supply of low-income housing in the state by using its authority to make loans under AS 18.56.090(2), particularly to nonprofit corporations whose purposes include the amelioration or prevention of homelessness; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that AHFC is encouraged to work closely with potential sponsors of low-income housing to develop financially feasible housing alternatives for low- income persons.
LR030
Resolve: LR030
Year: 1991
Source Bill: SCR 14
Source Root: SCR014
Relating to obtaining federal funds for community service education programs.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
WHEREAS active citizenship and community service are the building blocks for a strong and healthy nation; and
WHEREAS schools play an essential role in promoting a tradition of community service from generation to generation; and
WHEREAS student participation in responsible and meaningful community service reinforces leadership, creativity, and cooperative learning; and
WHEREAS many young people have demonstrated their ability to contribute to the community by tutoring, being child care aides, assisting at shelters, improving recycling services, or being with the elderly; and
WHEREAS the Congress has recently passed the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to provide grants to the states to create school based community service programs; and
WHEREAS a comprehensive school based community service program offers a range of opportunities for participation; and
WHEREAS community service programs can provide students with credit towards graduation requirements;
BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the state Board of Education to apply for federal funds available under the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and to explore the creation of a school based community service learning program.
COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Frank Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress; and to each member of the state Board of Education.
LR031
Resolve: LR031
Year: 1991
Source Bill: SJR 12
Source Root: SJR012
Endorsing S.49, the Ocean and Coastal Resources Enhancement Act, federal legislation which would direct the federal government to share with the states and their local governments federal revenue generated by the development of the resources of the outer continental shelf.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
WHEREAS development of the state's resources is an important issue to residents of the state, and the Alaska Legislature has generally supported initiatives to develop those resources, including those resources that may be found in the coastal and ocean waters and on the seabed of the outer continental shelf adjacent to the state; and
WHEREAS, under current law, the federal government is not required to share the lease sale income, royalties, and other revenue generated from outer continental shelf resource development, leaving to the states and affected municipalities the responsibility of meeting any increased costs attributable to the development; and
WHEREAS S.49, the Ocean and Coastal Resources Enhancement Act, pending during the 102nd Congress, would, if approved, require the federal government to share one-third of the revenue generated by a particular development located on a state's outer continental shelf with the adjacent state and the communities within the state that are affected by the development; and
WHEREAS the revenue-sharing concept set out in S.49 would assist the states and their municipalities to meet dislocations and adverse effects of outer continental shelf resources development projects, accelerate the development of necessary infrastructure, provide capital for necessary support services, and provide revenue for essential environmental protection projects;
BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature endorses and supports S. 49 and urges its prompt passage by the United States Congress and approval by the President of the United States.
COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable George Bush, President of the United States; the Honorable Thomas S. Foley, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; the Honorable Robert C. Byrd, President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable J. Bennett Johnston, Chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources; the Honorable George Miller, Chair of the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs; the Honorable Manuel Lujan, Jr., Secretary of the Interior; and to the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Frank Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.
LR032
Resolve: LR032
Year: 1991
Source Bill: HCR 33
Source Root: HCR033
Suspending Uniform Rules 41(b), 24(c), and 35 of the Alaska State Legislature concerning Senate Bill No. 98.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
That under Rule 54 of the Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature, the provisions of Rule 41(b), Rule 24(c), and Rule 35 of the Uniform Rules, regarding changes to the title of a bill, are suspended in consideration of Senate Bill No. 98 so that the title of the bill may be changed to "An Act relating to eligibility for permanent fund dividends, to determination of the amount of a dividend, to notice requirements relating to dividends; and providing for an effective date."
LR033
Resolve: LR033
Year: 1991
Source Bill: SJR 25
Source Root: SJR025
Relating to regulation of underground petroleum storage tanks.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
WHEREAS the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) adopted regulations in 1986 that extensively regulated underground petroleum storage tanks; and
WHEREAS these EPA regulations require all owners and operators to demonstrate a minimum of $1,000,000 in financial responsibility for pollution cleanup, with owners of 1 to 12 tanks required to meet this requirement by October 26, 1991; and
WHEREAS most owners and operators who have any degree of contamination on their property are unable to meet the financial responsibility requirements, thus facing fines of up to $10,000 a day, which would have a particularly severe effect on small businesses; and
WHEREAS the Sixteenth Alaska State Legislature demonstrated a good faith intent to comply with the EPA regulations by enacting AS 46.03.360 - 46.03.450, which regulate underground petroleum storage tanks and provide financial assistance to owners of underground petroleum storage tanks to help them meet all the requirements of the EPA regulations; and
WHEREAS the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation has demonstrated an intent to assume responsibility for regulation of underground petroleum storage tanks in this state; and
WHEREAS owners and operators of storage tanks in Alaska, like in many states, are still in the process of assessing the extent of their pollution problems and the state is still in the process of determining the best course of action to protect both the state's groundwater and its local economy;
BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests the Environmental Protection Agency to delay the implementation of federal regulations requiring a minimum of $1,000,000 in financial responsibility for private storage tank owners for at least one year in Alaska in order to allow owners and operators of the tanks adequate time to complete site assessment and to address potential pollution problems so that they can meet the financial responsibility requirements.
COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to William K. Reilly, Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency; and to the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Frank Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.
LR034
Resolve: LR034
Year: 1991
Source Bill: SCR 25
Source Root: SCR025
Establishing 1991 as the Year of the Lifetime Reader.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
WHEREAS an informed and literate citizenry is vital to a strong democracy; and
WHEREAS at every stage of life, from early childhood through old age, reading helps individuals to meet their responsibilities to their country, community, family, and self by providing personal enjoyment, knowledge, and information; and
WHEREAS a growing number of United States citizens, from children to adults living in retirement, cannot read well or do not read, which often has a devastating effect on their health, happiness, and ability to contribute to society; and
WHEREAS since 1983 the National Commission on Excellence, the Commission on Reading, and the Librarian of the United States Congress have urged this country to give renewed attention to encouraging a love of books and reading among individuals of all ages;
BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature designates 1991 to be the Year of the Lifetime Reader and encourages parents, educators, librarians, government officials, members of the book community, corporations, labor unions, other organizations, and the citizens of the state to observe this year with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities aimed at giving individuals of every age and in every walk of life the gift, joy, and promise of reading.
LR035
Resolve: LR035
Year: 1991
Source Bill: SCR 15
Source Root: SCR015
Requesting the Alaska Commission on Children and Youth to give increased attention to the special needs of adolescents.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
WHEREAS the Alaska Commission on Children and Youth has the responsibility under current law to address the needs of children and youth individually and as they relate to their families; and
WHEREAS families headed by adolescents are in particular need of assistance to remain or become healthy, productive households where children can be raised to achieve their full potential and their teenaged parents can also achieve their full potential; and
WHEREAS the commission would be fulfilling its role in a doubly effective manner if it focused increased attention on adolescent parenting and pregnancy because, in these situations, both the parents and their offspring are children; and
WHEREAS increased attention given to the needs of adolescents could help prevent teen pregnancies, decrease welfare costs, cut dropout rates, and ameliorate a variety of social ills;
BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests the Governor to direct the Alaska Commission on Children and Youth to focus more of its attention on programs and services that would help adolescents to avoid early pregnancy and to function as healthy family members when they do have offspring.
COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to Alaska Commission on Children and Youth.
LR036
Resolve: LR036
Year: 1991
Source Bill: HJR 37
Source Root: HJR037
Relating to the 50th anniversary of the Alaska/Siberia lend-lease program.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
WHEREAS the United States and the Soviet Union cooperated to airlift supplies and aircraft as part of the Allied war effort during World War II in a program known as the lend-lease program that resulted in the delivery of nearly 8,000 United States combat and transport aircraft to Soviet Union pilots in eastern Siberia; and
WHEREAS Alaska played a key role in the lend-lease program effort because President Roosevelt selected Ladd Field, now known as Fort Wainwright, in Fairbanks as the point for transferring the aircraft to Soviet Union flight crews; and
WHEREAS the 7th Ferry Group of the Air Transport Command of Great Falls, Montana, organized and operated an aircraft ferry route that connected Great Falls, Edmonton, Fort St. John, Watson Lake, Whitehorse, and Fairbanks; and
WHEREAS the lend-lease program was literally a lifesaver for thousands of Soviet Union citizens, and the program helped cement the longstanding relationship between the residents of Alaska and their neighbors to the West; and
WHEREAS, in June 1990, 27 Soviet Union World War II lend-lease program pilots and 21 other Soviet Union dignitaries visited Alaska to promote goodwill between the people of Alaska and the Soviet Union; and
WHEREAS a delegation of United States lend-lease program pilots plans to visit the Soviet Union in July 1991 to plan for the program's 50th anniversary, which is scheduled for June 1992 in Alaska; and
WHEREAS the anniversary celebration will be organized by the Alaska/Siberia Lend- Lease Reunion, which is a nonprofit veterans' corporation organized under Alaska law to promote world peace through better relations between the East and the West and to encourage travel between the United States and the Soviet Union; and
WHEREAS the 1992 anniversary celebration promises to be of great historical significance for both the United States and the Soviet Union and a time of celebration for residents of Alaska, with functions scheduled in Nome, Fairbanks, and Anchorage that are likely to attract visitors to Alaska;
BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature commends the volunteers and sponsors who made the 1990 visit possible, as well as those volunteers and sponsors involved in the 1991 trip to the Soviet Union and in the 1992 anniversary celebration, and encourages businesses, private citizens, and civic groups in Alaska to support the 50th anniversary celebration of the Alaska/Siberia Union lend-lease program.
COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Alaska/Siberia Lend-Lease Reunion and to the United States and Soviet Union sponsors of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Alaska/Siberia lend-lease program.
LR037
Resolve: LR037
Year: 1991
Source Bill: SCS CSHCR 1(FIN)
Source Root: HCR001
Proposing amendments to the Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature relating to certain votes on appropriation bills; and providing for an effective date.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
* Section 1. Rule 41 of the Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
(c) The house of origin may not vote on concurrence in amendments to an appropriation bill until at least 24 hours after the bill with amendments is delivered to that house. The chief clerk or secretary shall certify the time of delivery for recording in the journal.
* Sec. 2. Rule 42(b) of the Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature is amended to read:
(b) A Free Conference Committee is appointed in the same manner as a Conference Committee and may suggest in its report any new amendments clearly germane to the question. When a majority of the membership of the committee from each house agrees on amendments, the amendments are attached to the bill and reported back to each house in an identical report. The report is not subject to amendment in either house. If the report is adopted in each house, the bill is then ordered enrolled by its house of origin. If the members of a Free Conference Committee fail to agree on amendments or one or both houses refuses to adopt the free conference report, a second Free Conference Committee may be appointed, but no member of the first committee may be reappointed. A free conference report on a measure other than an appropriation bill may not be voted on by the house until at least 24 hours after the report is duplicated and delivered to the chief clerk or secretary of the house for distribution to each member. The chief clerk or secretary shall certify the time of delivery of the report for recording in the journal. The vote on adoption of a free conference committee report is taken by the calling of the roll and the recording of the yeas and nays in the journal. Adoption requires a majority vote of the full membership of each house.
* Sec. 3. Rule 42(c) of the Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature is amended to read:
(c) A Conference Committee with limited powers of free conference or a Free Conference Committee may not include in its report on an appropriation bill an item which was not included in a version of that appropriation bill adopted in third reading by a house and the amount appropriated by an item may not exceed the higher amount appropriated by that item in a version of the bill adopted in third reading by a house. An item in an appropriation bill includes a line item, an allocation, and an appropriation. The report on an appropriation bill of a Conference Committee, a Conference Committee with limited powers of free conference, or a Free Conference Committee may not be voted on by the house until at least 24 hours after the report is duplicated and delivered to the chief clerk or secretary of the house for distribution to each member. The chief clerk or secretary shall certify the time of delivery of the report for recording in the journal.
* Sec. 4. The amendments proposed by this resolution take effect immediately.
LR038
Resolve: LR038
Year: 1991
Source Bill: HJR 52
Source Root: HJR052
Relating to protection of crab, halibut, and salmon in the Bristol Bay area from the trawl fishery.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
WHEREAS an estimated 200,000 king crab, almost 1,000,000 bairdi Tanner crab, and 5,000,000 pounds of juvenile halibut are taken each year as bycatch in the Bristol Bay area and discarded as waste; and
WHEREAS the survey records and harvest records of the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game document that the Bristol Bay area is a critical habitat and harvest zone for red king crab; and
WHEREAS the State of Alaska, since statehood, has prohibited trawl fishing for king crab due to the adverse effects of trawl fishing on king crab; and
WHEREAS the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game recognize that Bristol Bay king crab stocks have been depressed since 1983 and that the stocks show little potential for recovery in the near future; and
WHEREAS the continued bycatch in the Bristol Bay area may inhibit the recovery of the valuable king crab stocks; and
WHEREAS the Bristol Bay area is recognized as a major nursery area for juvenile halibut by the International Pacific Halibut Commission; and
WHEREAS the International Pacific Halibut Commission has closed the entire Bristol Bay area, except for a limited 100,000 pound quota for western Alaskans, to directed longline fishing for halibut since 1967 in order to prevent fishing mortality on juvenile halibut; and
WHEREAS the International Pacific Halibut Commission recognizes that halibut stocks are in a state of decline and will continue to decline for the next few years; and
WHEREAS the bycatch mortality of halibut in the Bristol Bay area reduces the amount of halibut that may be taken in the directed fishery on halibut and seriously affects the livelihood of Alaska residents; and
WHEREAS areas currently closed to trawling have not adequately reduced bycatch of crab, halibut, and salmon in the trawl fisheries; and
WHEREAS the United States negotiated bilateral agreements with Japan and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics between 1965 and 1975 that established a "no trawl" pot sanctuary in Bristol Bay to protect the developing domestic king crab fishery and to conserve and protect near shore salmon and halibut stocks from interception and depletion in the adjacent offshore areas by unregulated foreign fishing fleets; and
WHEREAS the bycatch of salmon by the trawl fishery occurs on a mixture of salmon stocks well before run strength can be assessed and thus reduces the number of fish available in onshore areas and increases the risk of overharvest;
BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests the North Pacific Fishery Management Council and the Secretary of Commerce to immediately review the existing domestic observer data and the foreign trawl observer data and regulations to establish improved management measures, including time and area closures, for the trawl fleet that will effectively protect crab, halibut, and salmon in the Bristol Bay area; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that the North Pacific Fishery Management Council immediately initiate the biological and economic studies necessary to establish a king crab and halibut protection zone in the Bristol Bay area; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska Department of Fish and Game should conduct the studies necessary to document the need for an improved king crab and halibut protection zone in the Bristol Bay area.
COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Rick Lauber, Chair of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council; the Honorable Robert A. Mosbacher, Sr., Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce; and to the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Frank Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.
LR039
Resolve: LR039
Year: 1991
Source Bill: HCR 6 am
Source Root: HCR006
Relating to the Special Interagency Coordinating Committee on schools.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
WHEREAS the causes of inadequate school performance are often the result of environmental and social handicaps, especially those that are the result of chronic poverty; and
WHEREAS environmental and social handicaps include chronic poverty, households where parents do not provide parental guidance, substance abuse, especially abuse of alcohol and illegal drugs, unplanned or unwanted teen pregnancy, and trauma from exposure to violent behavior, especially child abuse; and
WHEREAS a high incidence of school problems associated with these handicaps have been clearly identified; and
WHEREAS without a coordinated, unified, long-term, and sustained effort on the part of the various people and agencies charged with the responsibility to provide health, social, legal, educational, and vocational services, there is little likelihood that these school problems will be overcome; and
WHEREAS the knowledge to address these problems is available; and
WHEREAS no single governmental agency possesses all the resources and all the professional knowledge to address these problems, especially when considering the many regions and multicultural populations in the state; and
WHEREAS early intervention among children with environmental and social handicaps makes a difference when intervention is developed and carried out as a cooperative effort among the various people, agencies, and disciplines concerned with child care and schooling; and
WHEREAS a positive correlation has been found between success in schools and the extent to which local populations and school personnel are involved in the planning and executing of school programs;
BE IT RESOLVED by the Alaska State Legislature that the Governor is respectfully requested to establish the Special Interagency Coordinating Committee consisting of the commissioners from the Departments of Education, Health and Social Services, Community and Regional Affairs, Public Safety, and Labor; and a dean from the University of Alaska who is responsible for teacher training, selected by the Governor; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that the Special Interagency Coordinating Committee is re quested to identify the most critical environmental, social, and health barriers to learning, to establish plans to overcome them, to be responsible for implementation of the plans, and to issue an annual report; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that the Special Interagency Coordinating Committee is re quested to issue its first annual report by the 15th day of the Second Session of the Seventeenth Alaska State Legislature.
LR040
Resolve: LR040
Year: 1991
Source Bill: SCS CSHCR 17(CRA)
Source Root: HCR017
Establishing a Task Force on Governmental Roles.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
WHEREAS both the federal and state governments have reduced assistance to municipalities and shifted responsibilities to municipalities; and
WHEREAS state agency operating funds appropriated by the legislature have increased by 19 percent over the past five years; and
WHEREAS state funds appropriated by the legislature to municipalities have been reduced by 40 percent over the last five years; and
WHEREAS during the last five years the number of state employees has increased and the number of municipal employees has decreased; and
WHEREAS an effort is needed to sort out responsibilities for providing governmental services in the most efficient and effective manner; and
WHEREAS the idea of undertaking a review of the roles of federal, state, and municipal government in providing services is not new, but a system for providing the review has not been instituted; and
WHEREAS the legislature needs information on the relationship between the federal, state, and municipal government to ensure that residents of the state have necessary services at reasonable costs;
BE IT RESOLVED by the Alaska State Legislature that the Task Force on Governmental Roles is established with the following primary purposes:
(1) to define local, state, and federal governmental roles taking into account differences between urban and rural areas and differences between organized boroughs, the unorganized borough, and regional educational attendance areas;
(2) to examine the roles of the federal, state, and municipal governments in providing services and to determine whether changes ought to be made in those roles and recommend legislation needed to accomplish those changes;
(3) to consider methods of providing funding for governmental services, including the existing revenue sharing program and municipal assistance program, and make recommendations for improved funding mechanisms;
(4) to identify needed governmental services and consider methods to ensure those services are efficiently provided;
(5) to compare the relationship between local, state, and federal governments in Alaska with that in other states and make suggestions regarding implementation of successful models and innovative ideas;
(6) to classify various public services by appropriate levels of government responsibility and evaluate the classification for efficient service delivery, local control, constitutional responsibilities, ability of government to pay for the services, and other pertinent criteria;
(7) to recommend corrections for existing inconsistencies, overlap, or duplication of governmental functions, and establish a proposed time frame for implementing the corrections;
(8) to recommend alternatives for providing services and evaluate cost and funding options;
(9) to recommend changes to local government structures and mandatory powers; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall consist of 13 members as follows:
(l) two members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate;
(2) two members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House;
(3) two persons representing the executive branch, appointed by the Governor;
(4) four persons representing different areas of the state and different municipalities, appointed by the Alaska Municipal League;
(5) one person representing an unincorporated community in the unorganized borough, appointed by the Alaska Federation of Natives;
(6) two public members appointed by the Governor; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that members of the task force shall elect from among themselves a chair and a vice-chair and that, within funds made available for the purpose, the task force may hire staff and, subject to approval by the Legislative Council, contract for services to perform its duties under the procurement procedures adopted by the council; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that each member of the task force appointed by the Alaska Municipal League should receive per diem and travel expenses from the municipality the member represents, except that the task force may, in cases of necessity and within funds made available for the purpose, approve the payment to a member of per diem and travel expenses authorized for boards and commissions under AS 39.20.180; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature by June 30, 1992; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force report include recommendations that ensure budget reductions be shared equitably between the state and the municipal governments; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is terminated on June 30, 1992.
LR041
Resolve: LR041
Year: 1991
Source Bill: SCS CSHCR 7(STA)
Source Root: HCR007
Proclaiming 1991 to be the Bill of Rights Bicentennial year in Alaska.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
WHEREAS 1991 is the bicentennial of the ratification of the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution; and
WHEREAS Alaskans and Americans recognize that the rights of all individuals are protected by the Bill of Rights and additional amendments; and
WHEREAS, as the founders of this great nation laid down for all time in the Declaration of Independence that all people are "created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights," the principles outlined in the Bill of Rights do not pertain only to Americans but should be rights inherent to all people in the world; and
WHEREAS the tremendous changes that have taken place around the globe in recent years have stirred the hearts and souls of men and women everywhere yearning for freedom; and
WHEREAS the world looks to the United States to light the Torch of Liberty and to lead by example in the path of true representative democracy; and
WHEREAS people in so many countries have recently thrown off the yoke of tyranny and dictatorship and now are seeking to understand how government of, by, and for the people can indeed ensure the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; and
WHEREAS Alaskans and Americans stand eternally grateful to our forebears who struggled, fought, and died that we might have these rights, and that it is, therefore, fitting that we should regularly pause and ponder these rights and, to the extent that we are able, strive to fulfill the duties that accompany them;
BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature proclaims 1991 to be the Bill of Rights Bicentennial in the State of Alaska and asks all citizens to join in commemoration of the Bill of Rights; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor is requested to direct the Commissioner of Education to request all public schools to devote at least one hour to the rededication and reinforcement of the principles embodied in the Bill of Rights during the month of December 1991 which shall be declared Bill of Rights Month in celebration of this bicentennial.
LR042
Resolve: LR042
Year: 1991
Source Bill: CSSCR 23(CRA)
Source Root: SCR023
Urging the Local Boundary Commission to act with dispatch in reviewing the Yakutat Borough Incorporation Petition.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
WHEREAS it is in the best interest of the state that its citizens achieve maximum self government; and
WHEREAS the citizens of the Yakutat and Yakataga area have expressed a desire to form an organized borough; and
WHEREAS recently the trend has been to transfer more and more responsibility for providing government services from the federal and state governments to local government; and
WHEREAS the people of this region have historically constituted a culturally and economically cohesive group; and
WHEREAS the legislature encourages communities in the state to assume local government powers wherever feasible and desired by the residents;
BE IT RESOLVED by the Alaska State Legislature that the Department of Community and Regional Affairs is urged to act with dispatch in reviewing the incorporation petition for the proposed Yakutat Borough and in making its recommendations regarding the petition to the Local Boundary Commission; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that the Local Boundary Commission is urged to expeditiously hold a public hearing in the area proposed to be incorporated and to give full consideration to the desire expressed by the people in the area for self government as provided for under state law.
COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Edgar Blatchford, Commissioner of Community and Regional Affairs; and to the Honorable Charles Bettisworth, Chair, Local Boundary Commission.
LR043
Resolve: LR043
Year: 1991
Source Bill: CSSJR 30(O&G)
Source Root: SJR030
Relating to federal oil leases in the North Aleutian Basin section of Bristol Bay.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
WHEREAS the state supports the prudent and orderly development of the state's outer continental shelf oil and gas resources in an environmentally acceptable manner; and
WHEREAS, with the exception of the North Aleutian Basin section of Bristol Bay, the state has not requested a ban or moratorium on oil and gas leasing and drilling on any of Alaska's outer continental shelf planning areas; and
WHEREAS the state does not receive any significant revenue from outer continental shelf oil and gas lease sales; and
WHEREAS an annual average of 45,000,000 to 60,000,000 adult salmon migrate through the North Aleutian Basin to the Bristol Bay river system, and an annual average of 1,000,000,000 salmon smolt out- migrate through the North Aleutian Basin to ocean feeding grounds; and
WHEREAS the entire North Aleutian Basin is within an area defined by the International Pacific Halibut Commission as a halibut nursery conservation area; and
WHEREAS the current federal oil drilling leases in the North Aleutian Basin are located in a vital red king crab habitat area; and
WHEREAS the Bristol Bay region is considered to be one of the world's richest fisheries and is home to numerous migratory waterfowl, sea birds, and marine mammals that are important to subsistence as well as to the North Aleutian Basin ecosystem; and
WHEREAS Bristol Bay region domestic commercial fisheries for salmon, crab, herring, pollock, halibut, yellowfin sole, rock sole, cod, and other groundfish have an average annual wholesale value of approximately $1,000,000,000 and employ over 10,000 people annually; and
WHEREAS the state recognized the economic importance of the Bristol Bay area when it set aside the Bristol Bay fisheries reserve; and
WHEREAS currently there is a moratorium on oil and gas leasing in the North Aleutian Basin; and
WHEREAS there is an element of risk in all oil and gas exploration, development, and transportation;
BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature finds the existing benefits to the people of Alaska and the nation from the Bristol Bay fisheries far outweigh the federal government's need to explore the region for oil and gas; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports the development of a federal plan to repurchase the oil and gas leases that were sold in North Aleutian Basin Lease Sale 92 or to allow the lessees to credit the cost of the leases towards other federal outer continental shelf sales; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests the Governor of Alaska, the appropriate federal officials, and the appropriate federal legislators to enter into discussions for the purpose of reaching an agreement on a repurchase or credit plan for the leases that resulted from Lease Sale 92; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED by the Alaska State Legislature that a Lease Sale 92 repurchase or credit plan should include a provision that the leases that are repurchased or included in a credit plan may not be resold; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests the United States Congress and the United States Secretary of the Interior to continue the current moratorium on oil and gas leasing in the North Aleutian Basin outer continental shelf planning area and implement the repurchase or credit plan.
COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable George Bush, President of the United States; the Honorable Dan Quayle, Vice-President of the United States and President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Robert C. Byrd, President Pro Tempore of the U.S. Senate and Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations; the Honorable Thomas S. Foley, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; the Honorable George J. Mitchell, Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Richard A. Gephardt, Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives; the Honorable Robert Dole, Minority Leader of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Robert H. Michel, Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives; the Honorable J. Bennett Johnston, Chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Resources; the Honorable Jamie L. Whitten, Chair of the House Committee on Appropriations; the Honorable George Miller, Chair of the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs; the Honorable Sidney R. Yates, Chair of the Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies, House Committee on Appropriations; the Honorable Manuel Lujan, Jr., Secretary of the Interior; Dr. John A. Knauss, Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and Barry Williamson, Director, Minerals Management Service; and to the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Frank Murkowski, United States Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, United States Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.
LR044
Resolve: LR044
Year: 1991
Source Bill: HCS CSSJR 16(L&C)
Source Root: SJR016
Relating to the international trade in furs.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
WHEREAS a substantial number of the products of the United States fur trapping industry have historically been exported to the member states of the European Community; and
WHEREAS the European Commission, the executive body of the European Community, has proposed to ban the importation of furs originating in countries that have not prohibited the use of leg-hold traps; and
WHEREAS the European Parliament, the advisory body of the European Community, has overwhelmingly supported this proposal; and
WHEREAS the European Commission has forwarded the proposal to the Council of Ministers, the legislation-enacting body of the European Community; and
WHEREAS 7 of the 12 countries that comprise the European Community do not prohibit the use of leg- hold traps; and
WHEREAS several countries with which Alaska competes in the international fur market provide indirect subsidies to their producers of farm-raised fur, thereby creating an unfair price advantage for the subsidized producers and hampering the effective operation of free trade; and
WHEREAS the United States does not prohibit the use of leg-hold traps; and
WHEREAS trapping is an important tool in the management of wildlife; and
WHEREAS trapping is a traditional harvest method of Alaska Native cultural groups and many other Alaskans, providing food and clothing for personal use as well as for trade or barter for other goods; and
WHEREAS trapping is an established and important economic activity for many residents of Alaska; and
WHEREAS the enactment of the European Community's proposed ban would have a significant negative effect on the fur trapping industry in Alaska;
BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature strongly urges the Office of the United States Trade Representative to accord the highest priority to representing the United States fur trapping industry by promoting fair and free trade in the industry at all the international trade forums, including both bilateral and multilateral negotiations.
COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Robert A. Mosbacher, Sr., Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce; the Honorable Carla A. Hills, U.S. Trade Representative; and to the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Frank Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.
