February

(Due to equipment problems many of this month's audio clips have not been digitized yet. As time allows I will finish them. Ken Erickson, Webmaster)

02-02-98

1. Representative Bill Williams comments on the overwhelming support the House has shown for his HJR 49 as they passed it on to the Senate Monday. This legislation places legislators on record as opposing the recent U.S. Forest Service policy which would halt development in roadless areas of most the nation's forests.
2. Representative Terry Martin describes why he introduced HB 234. This bill gives abortion the lowest priority when there is inadequate funding for all procedures in the general relief medical program. The measure passed the House Friday on a 24 to 11 reconsideration vote. The bill includes an exception to save the life of a mother and incidents of rape or incest.
3. Senator Randy Phillips comments on his bill which passed the Senate, Monday. This legislation would change state law allowing for shared equity loans between seniors and sponsoring financial institutions. One example is a "reverse annuity mortgage." Under this plan, the financial institution provides a stream of payments to the senior citizen in return for an equity position in his/her home. The senior is able to stay in the home while receiving the financial benefits of home ownership.
4. Senate Finance Co-Chair, Senator Bert Sharp, describes the changes to Alaska's Charitable Gaming law his newly introduced be would make. His SB 273 will change the way charities and gaming business’s report information to the Department of Revenue. Rather than base Department audits on NET gaming proceeds, the new law will base audits and reporting on GROSS gaming proceeds. Charities would receive 7% of the gross.
5. Senator Bert Sharp comments further on his Charitable Gaming legislation.
6. Senate President Mike Miller talks about the reasons he will introduce legislation on Wednesday that will prohibit the Governor's and Lt. Governor's abilities to fund raise during the legislative session. He comments that this will level the playing field between the Governor/Lt. Governor and all other candidates.

02-03-98

1. House Resources Committee Co-Chair, Representative Scott Ogan comments on the first day of subsistence overviews in his Committee today. He outlines his future approach to the subsistence problem.

02-04-98

1. Representative Fred Dyson discusses Wednesday's meeting of the Legislative Children's Caucus. This ad hoc committee is bipartisan in its membership and meets weekly to discus children's issues. Rep. Dyson is chair of the Children's Caucus. Today (2/4/98) the caucus heard a presentation on suicide among Alaska's children.
2. Senator Robin Taylor comments on the passage of his legislation renaming the Gravina Veterans' Memorial Bridge as the Ralph M. Bartholomew Veterans' Memorial Bridge from the Senate today.
3. Senator Loren Leman talks about the reasons he introduced his nurse aide legislation, SB 152. The bill passed the house today and moves on to the Governor next. The bill, requested by the Alaska Nurses Association, will allow the Board of Nursing to remove certificates from nurse aides who are guilty of abuse or neglect or patients. Current law has no such provision.
4. Senate Finance Co-Chair, Senator Drue Pearce, talks about the early indications of success of Alaska's new welfare system in a floor speech today (2/4/98).
5. Senator Lyda Green comments on the hard work and effort that went in to forming Alaska's new welfare system and her pleasure that early indications suggest the new system is working to move clients into jobs.

02-05-98

1. Representative Beverly Masek comments on her HB 168, Tradional Means of Accesss legislation that moved out of House Resources today. This legislation protects current use patterns, but does not open up new areas.
2. Representative Eldon Mulder addresses the State and Juneau Chamber of Commerce about the Deferred Maintenance Task Force plan. He describes how the funding plan would work.

02-06-98

1. Senate Rules Chairman, Senator Tim Kelly, discusses the Senate Finance Committee's approach to the Deferred Maintenance Task Force plan. The world market price for Alaska's oil is weakening and he believes the Senate Finance Committee will expand the time table from that originally proposed by the Deferred Maintenance Task Force.
2. House State Affair Committee Chairwoman, Representative Jeannette James announces that her committee will hold a second hearing on the performance of Alaska State Employee's new health care provider - NYLcare. The hearing will be a statewide teleconference held Tuesday, February 10th at 8:00 am in room 102 in the State Capital Building. The hearing will be teleconferenced statewide - contact her office for further information.
3. Representative Pete Kelly comments on the unanimous vote of support for his HB 334 as it moved from the House Friday. This legislation would provide tuition for immediate family members of peace officers killed in the line of duty.
   = Pete Kelly, 27 K

02-09-98

1. Representative Bill Hudson comments on his ASMI Domestic Marketing program sunset extension that the House passed on Monday. "This legislation is important to the future of a cohesive seafood industry in Alaska. ASMI is the glue that brings all elements of the industry, including processors, harvesters, retailers, brokers and regulating agencies together," Hudson said.
2. Senator Robin Taylor discusses why he introduced his legislation that proposes to give state land to municipalities for sports and recreational facilities. SB 204 passed out of the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Committee Monday and will move next to Senate Resources Committee. The bill allows the State to grant land to local governments but the grants will not count against the local government entitlement.

02-10-98

1. Senator Jerry Ward comments on his Resolution which designates March "Sobriety Awareness Month." The Senate Tuesday unanimously passed Senate Joint Resolution 21 declaring March "Sobriety Awareness Month".
2. Co-Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Drue Pearce Responds to Governor Knowles’ Supplemental Budget released today. Senator Pearce noted that the Governor has said since he came into office that he is committed to closing the fiscal gap.
   
   "With one supplemental bill, the Governor is putting on the table nearly $60 million dollars in additional spending to the budget the Legislature passed for fiscal year 98. I would remind people that the Legislature’s goal to bring our state deficit down last year was to reduce spending by $60 million dollars. The Governor is trying to add back every single dollar that we saved last year. That certainly will increase, not close, our fiscal gap," said Pearce.
   
3. further comments from Senator Pearce.
4. further comments from Senator Pearce.
5. Senator Loren Leman talks about legislation he introduced today to further strengthen victims’ rights in Alaska. Under Senate bill 287, prisoners who request a discretionary parole hearing and then voluntarily withdraw the request will have to wait six months before they are eligible for another parole hearing.

02-11-98

1. Representative Pete Kelly discusses new legislative he has introduced that would give engaged couples a choice as to which type of marriage contract to enter into. His legislation would enact a stronger marriage contract that would be more difficult to enter into and more difficult to break.
   = Pete Kelly, 117 K
2. Senator Jerry Ward comments on his Resolution which passed the House Wednesday. It asks the federal government to renew the federal transportation program which gives Alaska approximately one third of its total transportation budget.
3. Senator Dave Donley announces Anchorage Caucus meetings to be held in Anchorage February 14, 1998. A morning session will be held to collect public comments in the Loussac Muni Assembly Chambers.
   = Dave Donley, 84 K

02-12-98

1. Representative Eldon Mulder talks about his reasons for introducing legislation that will provide state matching funds for the Alaska National Guard Youth Corps ChalleNGe Program.
   = Eldon Mulder, 44 K
2. House Community and Regional Affairs Committee Chair, Representative Ivan Ivan announces that he will hold hearing 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 community's resources, cultural traditions, relationships with other governments and possible funding sources.
   = Ivan Ivan, 99 K - English and Yupik
3. House Finance Committee Member, Representative Vic Kohring, discusses his reasons for introducing legislation that would consolidate the functions of the Department of Commerce and Economic Development and the Department of Community and Regional Affairs into one department.
4. House Community and Regional Affairs Committee Member, Representative Fred Dyson, comments on the self determination hearings to be held soon by Chairman Ivan.
   = Fred Dyson, 42 K
5. House Resources Committee Chair, Representative Scott Ogan, expresses optimism about the new subsistence legislation he introduced Thursday.
   = Scott Ogan, 67 K
6. Senate Finance Committee Co-Chair, Senator Drue Pearce, expresses her alarm about the impact of recent low world market price trends for Alaska's oil.
   = Drue Pearce, 147 K = Drue Pearce, 248 K
7. Senator Dave Donley comments on why he introduced legislation encouraging the Swiss Government and Banking Institutions to cooperate with holocaust survivors and heirs seeking compensation.
   = Dave Donley, 51 K
8. Senator Robin Taylor calls on Governor Knowles to use his relationship with the Clinton administration to halt the export of timber and the resulting jobs from the Tongass National Forest.
   = Robin Taylor, 68 K
9. Senator Drue Pearce comments on the importance to Alaska of its Areawide Leasing Program. The Senate unanimously endorsed the program Thursday.
   = Drue Pearce, 47 K
10. Senator Loren Leman comments on why he believes his proposed constitutional amendment would forstall the costs involved in years of court debate over the Planned Parenthood vs. Alaska "Parental Consent" abortion debate.
    = Loren Leman, 86 K
    Senator Leman further comments on and discribes three pieces of crime legislation he introduced Thursday.
    = Loren Leman, 102 K

02-16-98

1. Senator Loren Leman suggests that a fee proposed by the Clinton Administration to pay for federal fisheries management is nothing more than a burdensome tax on Alaska’s seafood industry
   = Loren Leman, 76K
2. Senator Drue Pearce comments on legislation she introduced Monday will better protect Alaska’s children against people who possess and distribute child pornography and masturbate in front of a child. Senate Bill 323 will stiffen the penalties by making these crimes class B felonies.
   = Drue Pearce, 58 K

02-17-98

1. House Health, Education, and Social Services Committee Chair, Representative Con Bunde announces a joint House and Senate HESS Committee hearing to listen to Commissioner Holloway respond to the scathing comments Education Week Magazine had on Alaska K-12 education.
   = Con Bunde, 71 K
2. Senator Jerry Ward comments on his Privatization Task Force Legislation, SB 209, which passed out of the Senate Tuesday.
   = Jerry Ward, 66 K
3. Senator Jerry Ward talks about why he introduced his SB 244. The legislation allows for the administering of polygraph tests to correctional officers or persons applying for employment as correctional officers. Polygraph testing is a way to insure the character and integrity of correctional officers
   = Jerry Ward, 80 K

02-18-98

1. Representative John Cowdery (R-Anchorage) discusses House Bill 432, which amends the statutory bonding limit for the State of Alaska to sell bonds for Anchorage International Airport. The governor has proposed an additional $204 million dollars in bonding, but Rep. Cowdery was able to identify another $25 million that is available from the federal government. HB 432 reduces the requested bonding amount to $179 million and also removes the governor's requests for statute changes which would have allowed undefined brokerage fees and unspecified "obligations" to be charged against the International Airport Revenue Fund.
   = John Cowdery, 64 K
2. Representative Con Bunde (R-Anchorage) discusses this morning's joint meeting of the House and Senate Health, Education, and Social Services (HESS) Committees. The committees, along with Education Commissioner Shirley Holloway and members of the State Board of Education, spoke via teleconference with representatives of Education Week Magazine. The magazine produced a survey on the state of public education in the United States which was highly critical of Alaska's public education efforts. Bunde says this morning's session helped point education reform efforts in the right direction.
   = Con Bunde, 96 K
3. Representative Brian Porter (R-Anchorage) responds to the tort reform suit filed this week in Bethel. Porter also discusses preliminary evidence which seems to indicate that tort reform legislation, passed last year by the Legislature, may be having the desired effect of lowering insurance rates. (See separate press release)
   = Brian Porter, 118 K
4. Senate Finance Co-Chair, Senator Drue Pearce, comments on the implications of today's record low West Coast market price for Alaska North Slope Crude Oil will have on Alaska's economy and state budget if the low oil prices continue.
   = Drue Pearce, 175 K
5. Senator Pearce continues her comments.
   = Drue Pearce, 192 K
6. Senator Robin Taylor explains his reasons for introducing legislation that would require a 2/3 vote of the legislature before any new state tax could be imposed. The resolution moved out of the Senate Judiciary Committee and will move next to the Senate Finance Committee.
   = Robin Taylor, 35 K

02-19-98

1. Senator Dave Donley comments on Alaska's strong campaign finance laws and Senator Miller's SB 275. This legislation creates one set of campaign fundraising rules for all political candidates running for state office including the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Legislators.
   = Dave Donley, 42 K
2. Senate President, Senator Mike Miller explains why he introduced his legislation, SB 275, that places all candidates for state office under the same fundraising rules. This bill passed the Senate Thursday on a unanimous vote.
   = Mike Miller, 73 K
3. Senator Loren Leman talks about the reasons he introduced his Nurse Aide legislation. This bill was signed into law today.
   = Loren Leman, 86 K
4. Senate President, Senator Mike Miller comments on today's address to the Legislature given by Senator Ted Stevens.

02-20-98

1. Representative John Cowdery (R-Anchorage) discusses his House Joint Resolution 47. The legislation would provide for the legislative confirmation of judges appointed to Alaska's Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals. It also provides for legislative confirmation of all members of the Judicial Council.
   = John Cowdery, 83 K
2. Senator Dave Donley comments on the unanimous passage of his Senate Bill 63 from the Senate Friday. The legislation would waive minors 16 or older into adult court if they commit a second violent crime.
   = Dave Donley, 39 K
3. Senator John Torgerson talks about the unanimous passage from the Senate Friday of his measure naming the moose the state land mammal. He further comments on why he introduced this SB 265.
   = John Torgerson, 100 K
4. Senate Finance Co-Chair, Senator Drue Pearce, comments on plummeting oil prices today and the Governor's requests to add more spending to the budget. Senator Pearce and House Finance Co-Chair, Representative Mark Hanley, detail a recent Cambridge Energy report which projects significantly lower oil prices than previously forecasted.
   = Drue Pearce, 92 K = Drue Pearce, 133 K

02-23-98

1. Representative Con Bunde talks about his legislation, HB 193, which passed the House today. This legislation significantly changes the WAMI medical school program into a loan program for those students who do not choose to return and practice medicine in Alaska for at least five years.
   = Con Bunde, 59 K
2. Senator Dave Donley discusses his legislation, SB 197, preventing Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO's) from placing gag orders on physicians. This measure passed the Senate Monday on a 17 to 1 vote.
   = Dave Donley, 75 K

02-24-98

1. Senator Dave Donley comments on Senate legislation (SB 259) that moved to the House Tuesday that would add Anchorage Legislators to the Anchorage Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (AMATS) Policy Committee.
   = Dave Donley, 32 K
2. Senate Transportation Chairman, Senator Jerry Ward, further discusses SB 259 and why he believes it would be a good idea to include Legislators on the AMATS Policy Committee.
   = Jerry Ward, 29 K
3. Senate Finance Co-Chair, Senator Drue Pearce, announces that a joint Senate and House Revenue Summit will be held on Tuesday, March 10, 1998. She also comments on todays low oil market price @ $12.48/barrel.
   = Drue Pearce, 113 K
4. Senator Rick Halford, following Senator Pearces oil price comments, directs a question towards Alaska's oil refiners. "Since the price of their raw material has been cut in half in the last year, and their product has only gone down five percent, when are we going to see the positive side of low oil prices."
   = Rick Halford, 20 K
5. Senate President, Senator Mike Miller, sponsor of the Special Olympics 2001 legislation (SB 261) comments on the bill. This measure moved from the Senate Finance Committee and next goes to Senate Rules Committee for scheduling.
   = Mike Miller, 81 K

02-25-98

1. House Majority Leader, Representative Brian Porter, talks about Wednesday's U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Venetie case. The Supreme Court today overruled the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and overturned its Indian Country Ruling.
   = Brian Porter, 46 K
2. House Speaker, Representative Gail Phillips, also comments on Wednesday's Court decision.
   = Gail Phillips, 45 K
3. Senate President, Senator Mike Miller, comments on Wednesday's Court decision.
   = Mike Miller, 40 K
4. Senate Finance Member, Senator Sean Parnell, tells why he introduced SB 76. The measure moved out of the Senate State Affairs Committee Wednesday and will next appear in the Senate Finance Committee. The measure revises the Executive Budget Act requiring the legislative and executive branches to focus on achieving results through mission policies established by the legislature and executed by the governor.
   = Sean Parnell, 29 K
5. Senator Loren Leman responds to the "State of the Judiciary" report given by Alaska Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Matthews, Senator Leman stated in remarks on the Senate floor that the Alaska court has so often "missed the mark" on major decisions that legislative involvement in the judicial appointment process is warranted.
   = Loren Leman, 60 K
6. Senator Robin Taylor discribes why he introduced SCR 2, which passed the legislature Wednesday. "An abundance of fish and wildlife for all Alaskans is the only practical solution to the subsistence impasse. Implementation of the intent of this resolution will go a long way toward solving the subsistence impasse as there will be less need to distinguish between user groups when we have a 'land of plenty'. "
   = Robin Taylor, 84 K
7. Senator Robin Taylor, comments on Wednesday's Court decision.
   = Robin Taylor, 29 K

02-26-98

1. Senator Randy Phillips discusses the latest results from his annual constituent survey.
   = Randy Phillips, 194 K
2. Senator Loren Leman responds to a superior court judge’s decision yesterday to strike down Alaska’s law requiring parental consent for abortion. "This is one more example of liberal judges undermining the legislative process by writing laws rather than interpreting them," stated Leman.
   = Loren Leman, 83 K

02-27-98

1. Representative Pete Kelly comments on the refusal Friday of an Anchorage Superior Court Judge to throw-out a suit challenging the state's ban on same sex marriages. Representative Kelly was a prime mover behind the measure in the 19th Alaska Legislature.
   = Pete Kelly, 45 K