Alaska State Legislature
News from the House Majority

Jerry Ritter, House Majority Press Secretary
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801
Phone: (907) 465-3804
web site: http://www.akrepublicans.org
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540

Senate OK's Resolution Opposing American Heritage Rivers

Votes Support for Congressional Measure Opposing Clinton Initiative

For Immediate Release: April 18, 1998 Contact: Rep. Jeannette James at (907) 465-3743.

Juneau – The Alaska Senate Saturday passed House Joint Resolution 52, which supports a United States Congressional Resolution asking for the termination of President Clinton's American Heritage Rivers Initiative.

"The American Heritage Rivers Initiative sounds very good and quite innocent," said HJR 52's sponsor, Representative Jeannette James (R-North Pole). "But, like so many federal Acts and Initiatives of the past, which sound benign in theory, when it begins to touch the lives and rights of real people, its true nature becomes apparent.

As an example, James cited the case of John Shuler of Montana, who killed a grizzly bear after it attacked him one night. "Federal officials said that, under the Endangered Species Act, Shuler was wrong for going into what they call 'the zone of imminent danger' at night. In fact, that zone was his own back yard," James said.

HJR 52 would place the Alaska Legislature on record as supporting H.R. 1842, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representative Helen Chenoweth of Idaho.

"H.R. 1842 asks for the termination of the American Heritage Rivers Initiative because of three major concerns: lack of Congressional approval; vague language and absence of definitions; and excess federal control over private property and state water rights," James said. "In her resolution, Mrs. Chenoweth stresses that Congress rightfully makes rules and regulations respecting federal lands and resources, not the President or his appointees," James said.

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Broadcasters note: Actualities from Rep. James are available at 1-800-478-6540.
= Jeannette James, 33 K