During the past month, the House Community and Regional Affairs Committee, of which I am Co-Chair, have had extensive hearings in regards to House Bill 409. This is the bill that would have combined the Department of Community and Regional Affairs and the Department of Commerce and Economic Development into a new department of Community and Economic Development. Some functions of the former two departments would have also been distributed around to other departments. The original intent of this bill was to consolidate functions of government and save the state money. It became apparent that the savings would not be realized for several years, because of the up front reorganizational and moving costs. Additionally, the various departments testified that some services to rural Alaska would actually be diluted and become ineffective. More importantly though, was the perceived lost of services to rural Alaska that became apparent, as exhaustive public testimony was taken from around the state. After conferring with other members of the committee and with the concurrence of the bill's author, Representative Pete Kelly, it was decided to hold the bill, in order to protect those interests in both rural and urban Alaska. I believe well thought out reductions in both departments will minimize the impacts and maintain the integrity of the various programs that service Alaskans.

Board of Fish Bill

Last week in Fisheries, one of my most popular pieces of legislation, HB 141 unanimously passed the Senate floor. This legislation began as a conceptual recommendation from the Governor's Transition Team on Fisheries and received widespread support from fishing groups throughout the state. HB 141 shifts the appointment and term dates of Board of Fish members in an effort to depoliticize the confirmation process. The appointment date is moved closer to the confirmation date to help ensure that appointees are confirmed by the legislature prior to having participated at a Board of Fish meeting. Accordingly, the date beginning the term is moved from January 31 to July 1. With this change, legislators will confirm new appointees based on qualifications, not a voting record.

HB 175 Update

This week we have two other bills scheduled for bill hearings. Wednesday morning HB 175, Sport Fish Guide Licensing will be heard again in the House Resources Committee. This piece of legislation should move out to the House Finance Committee. Also Wednesday, HB 118 is scheduled for a hearing in the House Labor and Commerce Committee. This bill applies the 0.3 percent seafood marketing assessment to the mariculture industry and the one (1) percent salmon marketing tax to cost recovery salmon. In these days of market problems, ASMI needs all the support it can get.

Dust Control

I have had discussions with Joe Perkins, the Commissioner of DOT, about the feasibility of specific dust control measures that could be undertaken by the department this summer. The Bells Flats section of the Chiniak Highway, as well as the populated sections out in Kalsin Bay and Chiniak are in desperate need of some form of dust control. The department agrees that the present situation is not good from a safety standpoint as well as creating pollution problems. I will continue to work with DOT and find the necessary funding to take care of this problem.

Visitors

Norm Wooten stopped by the office this past week as did Larry Ledoux. William Maloney and Judy Nielsen visited, as they were in town with the Alaska Association of Clerks. Kodiak Chamber of Commerce President, Jim Brenner was in the office to confer, as was Ed Randolph, who is on the Chamber's State executive board. Bruce Schactler was in the office, along with Virginia Adams of the Kodiak Setnetters Assoc., Larry Malloy of the Kodiak Aquacultural Assoc. and Chris Berns with the Kodiak Seiners to discuss fisheries issues. Jim Balamaci, former resident and the new executive director of the Alaska Special Olympics, coordinated his activities out of my office for the two days he was in town.

My staff stands ready to assist you in any way they can while you are in Juneau. Call toll free at 1-800-865-2487. Remember - My door is always open.