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Greetings from Juneau where the 24th Session of the legislature is busy at work under record snowfall.
Committees
The House Special Committee on Fisheries will be hearing House Joint Resolution 6: Labeling of Fish Products on Wednesday, February 2, 2005. Meetings throughout the session are scheduled for Wednesdays and Fridays 8:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m. Please keep in mind that all times and dates are subject to change depending on what resolutions and bills have been scheduled. You can contact Lorna Steelman or Heather Fincher at the Kodiak Legislative Information office (LIO) for upcoming agendas and meeting dates at 486-8116. If you would like to be on Representative LeDoux's mailing list for fisheries issues, please email our Fisheries Committee Aide, Kimberly Wallace at: Kimberly_Wallace ''@'' legis.state.ak.us
In my capacity as a committee member, I have tried to alert local folks about upcoming hearings on bills that might affect them. For example, in the Labor and Commerce committee there was an Act establishing an administrative fine and procedure for construction contractors in certain circumstances. Our office contacted many local contractors about this bill. Also, with help from the Kodiak Island Convention and Visitors' Bureau, we got out the word about another bill concerning seasonal liquor licenses for remote lodges.
In addition to my duties on committees, I have been assigned to three House finance subcommittees: Community and Economic Development, Fish and Game, and Transportation and Public Facilities.
There are also three non-legislative boards, commissions and associations that I have been appointed to: Aerospace Development Corporation, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute Board and the Pacific Fisheries Legislative Task Force. I will continue to keep you posted on their activities through this column and via e-mail.
Legislation
I have introduced HB 84 and HB 83: one bill extends the Seismic Hazards Safety Commission until June 30, 2005 and the other adds the word "tsunami" to the scope of the commission's work. These bills have been given three committee referrals-Military & Veterans' Affairs, State Affairs, and Finance.
Both bills will be heard in the Military & Veterans' Affairs Committee this Thursday, February 3, 2005 at 1:00 and will be teleconferenced into our LIO in Kodiak. I encourage the public to listen and comment. The commission will focus on reducing vulnerability to earthquake and tsunami hazards through improved construction practices and development planning.
There are several other bills that I have co-sponsored, including HB 18, which increases the amount of the base student allocation. There is also HB 22, an act that proposes a 90-day Legislative Session instead of the current 120-day session, HB 30 which addresses K-12 Education Operating/Debt Expenses, and HB 50, an act that enables people to express their religious and cultural beliefs in regards to burial practices. I have also co-sponsored HB62, an act which prohibits automated telephone calls for political advertisement. The legislative process requires a lot of input from a variety of people and no doubt there will be changes. I look forward to updating you on the progress of my personal legislation. You can access and follow any bills and resolutions from the 24th Alaska Legislature at: . For those of you who do not have computer access, please contact our local LIO office and Lorna or Heather will be happy to provide you hard copies.
Public Television Station KTOO in Juneau has teamed up with cable operators around the state to bring you Gavel to Gavel, which offers live and recorded coverage of floor sessions and committee hearings. You can also access this program via the Internet at: . Keep in mind that you can always call our toll free number 1 (800) 865-2487, fax us at 907 465-4956 or contact us via regular mail at the State Capitol, Juneau, AK 99801.
Announcements
There are opportunities to participate on state boards and/or commissions. I encourage you to visit the website www.gov.state.ak.us. Click on the Boards and Commissions bullet and you will get the list of vacancies, boards and an application.
The Alaska District Council of Laborers has apprenticeship and training opportunities. There is an air track and hydraulic drilling class scheduled for this spring and the Alaska District Council of Laborers would like to work with core drilling contractors to develop a local work force. For more information, you can contact Blake Johnson at (907) 276-1640 or via e-mail at asdcl ''@'' acsalaska.net.
Visitors
Recent visitors to our office in the Capitol include Marvin Bartleson of Port Lions, Jerome Selby, Nancy Galstad, Cecil Ranney, and Ken Hansen of Kodiak. If your travel plans include Juneau, please make it a point to give us a call and stop by the office in room 412 of the Capitol Building.
Many thanks to the Kodiak Daily Mirror for providing this space to keep you informed. If you, or someone you know, would like to obtain a copy of this report via e-mail, please send a message to christine_marasigan ''@'' legis.state.ak.us.
Thank you for reading your Representative's Report. # # # |
