Alaska State Legislature
News from the House Committee on Community and Regional Affairs

Representative Ivan Ivan, Chair
State Capital, Room 418
Juneau, AK 99801-1182
ph: (907) 465-3882 fax: (907) 465-4589
web site: www.akrepublicans.org/Ivan.htm

Rural Community Village-State Relationship and Self Determination Hearings to be Conducted

For Immediate Release: February 12, 1998 Contact: Representative Ivan Ivan at (907) 465-3882 or Representative Fred Dyson at (907) 465-2199.

Juneau - The Alaska State House Committee on Community and Regional Affairs will hold hearings to explore changing state law and policy to greatly empower and encourage Alaska rural communities to obtain self determination in ways that are consistent with the communty's resources, cultural traditions, relationships with other governments and possible funding sources.

The intent of these hearings according to Representative Ivan M. Ivan, D-Akiak, is to improve the village-state relationship and improve self determination.

Representative Ivan, chair of the committee, stated, "The villages used to be self sufficient and governed themselves. This has deteriorated since statehood. The state has shown little interest in involving local governments and has denied them the opportunity to make decisions that used to be made by these local governing bodies."

Ivan credited Representative Fred Dyson, R-Eagle River with the idea of conducting the hearings.

Representative Dyson, a member of the House C&RA Committee said, "Local self determination is a precious tradition for Alaska’s Native peoples and a fundamental right for all Americans and it is long past time for Alaska to move dramatically to improve opportunties for local government."

The first hearing, to be teleconferenced statewide, will be held on February 25, 1998.

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Broadcast Note: Radio actuality is available at (800) 465-6540.
= Ivan Ivan, 99 K - English and Yupik
= Fred Dyson, 42 K