"JUNEAU UPDATE"

Kodiak Daily Mirror publication date of February 5, 1997

Last Friday, the House Finance Committee announced subcommittee chair appointments. The subcommittees conduct public hearings on state operating budgets. I will inform the Kodiak LIO when my appointments to these committees have been made.

Unemployment Public Forum

Department of Labors' Commissioner, Tom Cashen has informed myself and Senator Mackie, that the Employment Security Division will be coming to Kodiak the first week of March. They plan to conduct a public meeting to explain the changes that are occurring in regard to filing for unemployment insurance. They are bringing along employees who are fluent in Tagalog and Spanish to answer individual concerns about the switch to call centers located in Anchorage.

Regulations

Senator Mackie and I are two of six legislators that sit on the joint Regulation Review Committee. We had an organizational meeting on Tuesday, February 4th. After further defining the committee's role, we will be examining state regulations that have been promulgated by the administration and other agencies that affect businesses and private citizens. I would like to hear from you as to any state regulations that you think are too cumbersome, not needed, need revisions or that seem to be just plain stupid. One of the major obstacles to economic development in rural Alaska is related to the very large number of state and federal regulations and permits that have to be acquired before a business is able to begin its operations. If this is not corrected, all of the work to get capital into rural Alaska through the CDQ program, the Alaska Industrial Development & Export Authority (AIDEA), the Small Business Administration, commercial banks and other financial assistance agencies will be useless. Quite a few of the existing regs are outdated, even more are not enforced and yet some businesses have to continue paying exorbitant fees, with the cost/benefit ratio to the public in question.

Kodiak Launch Complex

As the Kodiak Mirror reported last night, $23 million federal dollars seems to be in the pipeline for the Kodiak Launch Complex. I have been told that Senator Ted Stevens is chiefly responsible for this occurring on the federal level. In meetings three weeks ago with AIDEA, ASTF and AADC, AIDEA made it very clear that the funding criteria they practice will not permit them to fund this project. I certainly would not circumvent the process that AIDEA uses to fund statewide economic projects that come before them. We as state legislators have to ensure state funds are spent in a judicious manner. We concluded after that meeting, that AIDEA will never fund this project.

Alaska Science & Technology Foundation on the other hand, was given the authority by House Bill 315 to grant up to $5 million dollars to this project. In that same meeting with AIDEA, it was the conclusion of both Legislative Budget and Audit and Legislative Finance, that ASTF could grant the money without it depending on AIDEA's due diligence findings. Two launches for 1998 could be in jeopardy if the planned site work isn't started in the very near future. Three more launches that are already funded, could also be lost. The Republican Majority has assured me that they are committed to this project and it will not be lost because ASTF will not sign on. I will keep you posted as to further developments. Thanks to everyone calling, writing and emailing me concerning this project.

Fisheries

The fisheries committee received one new bill in committee since my last column. HB 96, by Representative Al Vezey, seeks to require Board of Fish and Game appointees to have served one full term on a local advisory committee in order to qualify to serve on those boards. A further requirement set forth in this legislation is Board of Fish candidates must have held a sport fishing license, limited entry permit, interim-use permit, or crew member license in each of the five years immediately preceding the appointment. Representative Vezey has not requested a hearing on this bill yet.

The Fisheries Committee met Monday night, February 3rd, and heard HB 25 and HB 19. HB 25, by Representative Scott Ogan, modifies the residency language in laws governing the fish and game resources, so they can be more easily enforced. HB 25 was passed out of the Fisheries Committee and will next be heard in the House Resources Committee.

HB 19 is the resurrected HB 175 from last session, the Sport Fish Guide Licensing bill.

I took testimony from around the state and suggested we hold the legislation over until a committee substitute can be drafted to accommodate the Board of Fish's Guide Charter Task Force recommendations and other proposed amendments. I expect to bring this legislation up again in two weeks and will take additional testimony then.

We have scheduled HB 73 and HB 27 for the Monday night, February 10th, Fisheries Committee meeting. HB 73 is Representative Bill Hudson's bill which seeks to extend the one percent domestic salmon marketing assessment (ASMI) another five years. HB 27 is my legislation which will modify the conflict of interest law as it applies to the Board of Fish. This is a resurrection of last years HB 542, providing a method to allow members of the board to participate in the issues that come before the board, even though the members have a personal or financial interest in the matter, by virtue of their participation in a fishery.

Next Wednesday, February 12th, we will be joined by the House Resources Committee for a presentation by the Department of Fish and Game on the most controversial fishery area of our state; Cook Inlet. The Department will be providing Habitat, Sport Fish and Commercial Fisheries staff for a very detailed informational overview. I fully expect Kodiak interception to be included in their analysis and hope all fish groups and interested individuals will be sitting in on this teleconferenced meeting. This will be a presentation only teleconference, with no public comments.

Also on Monday, February 10th, my bill, HB 89, expanding Shuyak State Park will have its first hearing in the House Community and Regional Affairs Committee at 8:00 a.m. HB 89 is identical to Senator Mackie's SB 64, which will establish all of Shuyak Island as state park lands. This legislation will not effect the hunting, sportfishing or commercial fisheries that currently utilize the island and surrounding waters.

Visitors

I appreciate everyone from Kodiak who attended the Salmon Strategy Forum in Juneau last week. Those participants included; Wallace Fields, John Sevier, Scott Smiley, Chuck Crapo and Bruce Schactler. Those visiting the office these past two weeks from Kodiak were Duncan Fields, Lacey Berns and Jeff Stephan in conjunction with the salmon forum. Michele Drummond and Butch Tucker also stopped by to chat. Remember my door is always open. I will always try to clear my calendar to meet with someone from Kodiak Island.