April

04-01-98

1. Senator Robin Taylor discusses his SB 262 that the Senate passed on a 14 to 6 vote Wednesday. The measure restricts the Dept of Fish and Game from limiting traditional access on Alaska lands for hunting and trapping unless the specific means of access is causing biological harm to a game population.
   = Robin Taylor, 58 K
2. Senate President, Senator Mike Miller, comments on his measure that places all statewide candidates under the same fundraising rules. The House passed the bill on a 37 to 3 vote.
   = Mike Miller, 23 K
3. Senator Miller further comments on SB 275.
   = Mike Miller, 15 K

04-02-98

1. Representative Eldon Mulder discusses a measure he jointly sponsored with Representative Brian Porter. The bill, HJR 44, passed the House Thursday and it proposes constitutional amendments to remove the threat of political gerrymandering under the state's current reapportionment and redistricting provisions.
   = Eldon Mulder, 33 K
2. House Community and Regional Affairs Committee Chairman, Representative Ivan Ivan, talks about HB 370 which the House passed Thursday. The measure appropriates $2.3 million in general funds for relief of the 1997 fisheries disaster in Bristol Bay and on the Kuskokwim River.
   = Ivan Ivan, 49 K, in English
3. Representative Ivan also comments in Yupik on HB 370's passage from the House Friday.
   = Ivan Ivan, 34 K, in Yupik

04-03-98

1. Chairman of the House Health, Education, and Social Services Committee, Representative Con Bunde, talks about the HESS Committee's substitute for HB 375. The committee substitute makes important changes to protect children and to give the State the ability to intravene earlier with abused children.
   = Con Bunde, 109 K
2. Chairman of the Legislature's Children's Caucus, Representative Fred Dyson, also comments on the changes made in House HESS to HB 375.
   = Fred Dyson, 105 K
3. Representative Jeannette James comments on the House passage of her HB 264. The approval vote was 27-6. The measure encourages state agencies to include affected parties in the proposed rule and regulation changes early on in the regulation writing process.
   = Jeannette James, 32 K

04-06-98

1. Senate Finance Co-Chair, Senator Drue Pearce, comments on her Business Incentive Legislation, which was signed into law Monday. "This new law will help offset Alaska's competitive disadvantages," said Pearce.
   = Drue Pearce, 42 K
2. Representative Pete Kelly, comments on the passage of his HB 353 from the House of Representative's Monday. The measure streamlines the state's adoption of the current version of national medical codes. This will aid Alaska's health workers who must describe their work in numerical codes.
   = Pete Kelly, 65 K
3. House Military and Veterans Affairs Committee Chairwoman, Representative Beverely Masek, talks about her measure that ensures that Alaskans continue to have reasonable access to the land and resources they own. HB 168, which passed the House Monday, protects the public from arbitrary closures by the Department of Fish and Game and the Boards of Game or Fish.
   = Beverly Masek, 45 K
4. House Judiciary Committee Vice-Chair, Representative Con Bunde, talks about the Committee Substitute for HB 406 which moved out of House Judiciary Committee Monday. The measure attempts to resolve the State's subsistence dispute and prevent a federal takeover of subsistence fishing slated for December 1, 1998. The bill now moves to the House Finance Committee.
   = Con Bunde, 86 K

04-07-98

1. House HESS Committee Chair, Representative Con Bunde, talks about HB 459 which unanimously passed the House Tuesday. The measure would allow certain injured workers to continue receiving Medicaid payments after they return to the work force.
   = Con Bunde, 49 K
2. Representative Terry Martin discusses the passage of his HB 317 from the House Tuesday. The measure gives Permanent Fund Corporation managers increased flexibility to invest in common stocks.
   = Terry Martin, 96 K
3. House Oil and Gas Committee Chair, Representative Mark Hodgins, comments on the passage of his Cook Inlet Oil Development measure from the House Tuesday. HB 380 is intended to stimulate the development of old oil and gas reserves in Cook Inlet.
   = Mark Hodgins, 54 K
4. Senator Jerry Ward comments about the Senate passage of SB 242 Tuesday. His measure prevents "good behavior" sentence reductions from applying to those sex offenders who fail to successfully complete their court ordered sex offender treatment programs.
   = Jerry Ward, 38 K
5. Senator Robin Taylor also comments on SB 242.
   = Robin Taylor, 55 K
6. Senate Resources Chair, Senator Rick Halford talks about why he introduced SB 218. The measure passed the Senate Monday. The bill increases the punishment of those who murder children.
   = Rick Halford, 8 K
7. Senator Dave Donley discusses his traffic violation measure. The bill unanimously passed the Senate Monday. SB 304 doubles the fines for moving traffic violations in construction zones. The measure was introduced in an effort to help protect highway construction workers.
   = Dave Donley, 58 K

04-08-98

1. House Labor and Commerce Committee Chairman, Representative Norman Rokeberg, comments on the chilling effect the recent Alaska Supreme Court decision on Alaska's Corporation New Income Tax would have. HB 472, sponsored by the L&C Committee alleviates the double tax burden imposed. The measure passed the House Wednesday.
   = Norman Rokeberg, 64 K
2. House Rules Chairman, Representative Pete Kott talks abou the House passage of his HJR 59. The measure urges Congress to approve a proposed Constitutional Amendment prohibiting the desecration of the American Flag.
   = Pete Kott, 53 K
3. Representative Gary Davis explains the importance to police training funding his HB 261 will have. The measure will increase funding for police safety training by generating increased funds from people who violate the law.
   = Gary Davis, 70 K
4. House Speaker, Representative Gail Phillips also comments upon HB 472 and the negative effects the Alaska Supreme Court's decision would have had on shipping rates in Alaska if the measure doesn't pass the legislature.
   = Gail Phillips, 90 K
5. Senator Jerry Ward comments about the unanimous Senate passage of SB 244 Wednesday. His measure would add correctional officers to the list of public employees who can be administered polygraph or other lie detecting test.
   = Jerry Ward, 40 K

04-09-98

1. Representative Joe Green discusses his HJR 57. The measure asks Congress to send to the states a Constitutional Amendment that would prohibit federal courts from ordering a state or political subdivision to increase or impose taxes. The bill passed the House 32 to 2 Thursday.
   = Joe Green, 55 K
2. House Special Committee on Economic Development Chair, Representative Jerry Sanders, comments on a hearing his committee will hold April 16th to investigate the high price of gasoline in Alaska.
   = Jerry Sanders, 88 K

04-14-98

1. Representative Gary Davis explains the reasons he introduced HB 407. The measure, which provides forgiveness of Teacher Scholarship Loans for teachers who are no longer to physically able to teach in rural Alaska under certain conditions, passed the House Tuesday 33 to 2.
   = Gary Davis, 84 K
2. House Finance Vice-Chair, Representative Eldon Mulder, talks about his HB 356 which passed the House Tuesday on a unanimous vote. The measure establishes a Joint House and Senate Committee on Military Bases in Alaska. The committee would seek to monitor the activities of the new federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission and seek to prevent further base closures in Alaska.
   = Eldon Mulder, 36 K
3. Rep. Mulder further comments.
   = Eldon Mulder, 27 K
4. Senate Labor and Commerce Committee Chairman, Senator Loren Leman, discusses the reasons his committee sponsored SB 330. The measure seeks to delineate the responsibilities between underground utility owners and underground contractors and the penalties contractors receive when they disrupt utility service. The bill passed the Senate unanimously Tuesday.
   = Loren Leman, 97 K

04-15-98

1. Children's Caucus Chairman, Representative Fred Dyson, comments on the unanimous passage from the House of his HB 366. The measure prohibits a state agency from using a family's status of being poor or homeless or living a lifestyle that is different from the generally accepted standard of the community as the sole reason for determining that a child is in need of aid.
   = Fred Dyson, 51 K
2. Joint Sponsor Representative Eldon Mulder talks about the reasons he and Representative Pete Kott introduced HB 2. The bill passed the Senate by a 17 to 2 vote. The measure seeks to permit certain spouses and dependents who leave Alaska with individuals who have an allowable absence to continue receiving Permanent Fund dividends.
   = Eldon Mulder, 37 K
3. Joint Sponsor Representative Pete Kott expresses his pleasure at the Senate's passage of HB 2. He also comments about the bills lack of retroactivity provisions and reports on recent court developments for those individuals with retroactive claims.
   = Pete Kott, 94 K

04-16-98

1. Senate Health, Education, and Social Services Committee Chairman, Senator Loren Leman, comments on SJR 42 which passed the Senate Thursday on a 14 to 6 vote. The measure would put the same sex marriage question to a public vote at the next general election.
   = Loren Leman, 32 K
2. Senator Loren Leman discusses the House passage of his SB 299 on a 30 to 10 vote. The measure amends Alaska's air quality statutes for non-road engines to remove unnecessary and duplicative permit requirements.
   = Loren Leman, 59 K
3. Senate President, Senator Mike Miller, reflects on the House's overwhelming vote to pass his SB 261. The measure obligates the State of Alaska to help cover the costs generated by the 2001 World Special Olympics Winter Games should its organizing committee fall short of its eight million dollas fundraising goal.
   = Mike Miller, 89 K
4. Senator Mike Miller talks about the Senate's passage of his SJR 35 on a 14 to 6 vote. The measure calls for a constitutional amendment that would restore the right of Alaskans to choose whether or not to participate in an abortion.
   = Mike Miller, 62 K

04-17-98

1. House Judiciary Committee Chairman, Representative Joe Green, talks about the House's unanimous passage Friday of his "Electronic Monitoring of Prisoners" legislation. HB 272 authorizes some non-violent criminals to serve their sentence in an electronic monitoring program.
   = Joe Green, 79 K
2. House Oil and Gas Committee Chairman, Representative Mark Hodgins, comments on Friday's House passage of the Trans-Alaska Gas Line bill. HB 393 authorizes the state to negotiate contracts with project sponsors to develop stranded gas resources in Alaska.
   = Mark Hodgins, 41 K
3. Senate Finance Committee Member, Senator Dave Donley, discusses some of the historic underpinnings and background of his SJR 3. The bill passed the House Friday by a 29 to 11 vote and seeks to limit the rights of convicted prisoners in Alaska to those provided for by the United States Constitution.
   = Dave Donley, 91 K

04-18-98

1. House State Affairs Committee Chairwoman, Representative Jeannette James, comments on the Senate's passage of her resolution supporting the termination of President Clinton's American Heritage Rivers Initiative. HJR 52 passed the Senate Saturday on a 15 to 5 vote.
   = Jeannette James, 33 K
2. House Judiciary Committee Chairman, Representative Joe Green, reflects upon the unanimous passage of his HB 451 by the House Saturday. The measure establishes a lemon law for assistive technology and mobility aids for the physically disabled.
   = Joe Green, 42 K
3. House Labor & Commerce Committee Chairman, Representative Norman Rokeberg, talks about a proposed constitutional amendment he jointly sponsored with Representative Jeannette James. The measure passed the House Saturday. The resolution, HJR 2, would allow lawmakers to scrutinze and repeal state department regulations. The resolution goes before voters in November's general election for ratification.
   = Norman Rokeberg, 54 K
4. House State Affairs Committee Chairwoman, Representative Jeannette James, also comments about HJR 2. "The public has no one to hold responsible for a bad regulation. In the final analysis, it is the job of Alaska's legislators to make laws, not the bureacracy's. HJR 2 opens the process to public scrutiny," James said.
   = Jeannette James, 37 K

04-20-98

1. Representative Joe Ryan comments on the protections his HB 252 would offer society if it becomes law. The House passed the measure Monday. HB 252 tightens the requirements for the sex offender registration process.
   = Joe Ryan, 63 K
2. House Oil and Gas Committee Chairman, Representative Mark Hodgins, talks about the passage of his HB 380 from the Legislature Monday. The measure would stimulate the development of old oil & gas reserves in and around Cook Inlet.
   = Mark Hodgins, 33 K

04-21-98

1. Executives from Alaska Seafood International briefed members of the Legislature Tuesday on the progress of their $125 million seafood value added processing center in Anchorage. Howard Benedict, Chairman and CEO of ASI discusses the concepts and benefits his company will have on the area
   = Howard Benedict,105 K
2. Keld Anderson, Chief Operating Officer of ASI talks about the plant and its impacts on the city and state.
   = Keld Anderson, 67 K
3. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, Senator Robin Taylor, coments on why he introduced SB 160. The measure passed the Senate Tuesday on a 16 to 4 vote and seeks to increase the efficiency of inspections of radiological equipment used by dentists.
   = Robin Taylor, 71 K

04-22-98

1. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, Senator Robin Taylor, announces a subsistence hearing to be held April 25, 1998 in Fairbanks at 119 North Cushman Street, Suite 101 at 5:00 p.m.
   = Robin Taylor, 66 K
2. Senate Community and Regional Affairs Committee Chairman, Senator Jerry Mackie, talks about the Senate's unanimous passage of SB 281 Wednesday. The measure grants 8,500 acres of state land to the Yakutat Borough's land grant.
   = Jerry Mackie, 23 K
3. Senate Finance Member, Senator Dave Donley, explains the impacts of his SB 306, which passed the Senate Wednesday. The measure prevents a parent, who has failed to pay child support, from claiming a tax exemption for a child they are not supporting.
   = Dave Donley, 38 K
4. Senate Finance Member, Senator Sean Parnell, comments on the Senate's passage of his SB 232 Wednesday. The measure establishes electronic signatures as a legal substitute for standard signatures.
   = Sean Parnell, 20 K

04-23-98

1. House State Affairs Committee Chairwoman, Representative Jeannette James, talks about her HB 349, which the House passed Thursday. The measure prohibits the use of the title "social worker" without a license and establishes two additional levels of professional social work licensure.
   = Jeannette James, 43 K
2. Chairwoman James additionally comments on her HB 17, which the Senate passed Thursday on an 18 to 0 vote. The measure brings all the unorganized boroughs of the State under the purview of the Department of Natural Resources for the purposes of platting real estate.
   = Jeannette James, 56 K
3. House Resources Committee Chairman, Representative Scott Ogan, discusses his HJR 62. The resolution, which unanimously passed the House Thursday, urges the Museum of Natural History in Cleveland, Ohio, to return the preserved remains of "Balto" to Alaska. Balto was the famous lead dog on the final leg of the 1925 serum run to Nome.
   = Scott Ogan, 113 K
4. Senate Transportation Committee Chairman, Senator Jerry Ward, comments on the Senate's passage of his legislation to require inmates on probation or parole to pay a fee to help subsidize the cost of their supervision. SB 274 passed Thursday on a vote of 17 to 1.
   = Jerry Ward, 41 K

04-24-98

1. Representative Fred Dyson comments on the unanimous passage of his HB 203 from the House Friday. The measure provides a measure of consumer protection by enabling individuals to deal with their own consumer issues.
   = Fred Dyson, 43 K
2. House Resources Committee Co-Chairman, Representative Bill Hudson, talks about his HJR 65, which unanimously passed the House Friday. The resolution asks that Alaska Wild Salmon be included as an organic food under federal law.
   = Bill Hudson, 43 K
3. House Finance Committee Vice-Chair, Representative Eldon Mulder, outlines the benefits of his Fort Greely Prison Bill, HB 53, that the Governor signed into law Friday.
   = Eldon Mulder, 46 K
4. House Judiciary Committee Chairman, Representative Joe Green, comments on legislation that moved out of his committee Thursday evening. The bill, HB 375, tightens Alaska's child protection laws to ensure greater protection for Alaska's children by changing the focus at the Division of Family and Youth Services from terminating parental rights to improving the conditions in the home.
   = Joe Green, 133

04-27-98

1. House Labor and Commerce Committee Chairman, Representative Norman Rokeberg, comments on the Senate's passage of his Alaska Real Estate statute rewrite Monday. HB 33 includes a provision to license community association managers and prohibits unlicensed activity by so called "marketing kickback" corporations.
   = Norman Rokeberg, 99 K
2. Representative Rokeberg further comments on the House passage of HCR 34, Monday. The measure, sponsored by the House Labor and Commerce Committee, would establish a joint House and Senate Committee to study electric utility restructuring in Alaska.
   = Norman Rokeberg, 52 K
3. Representative Pete Kelly talks about the Legislature's passage of his HB 334, Monday. The measure provides tuition waivers to the University of Alaska for the spouse, sons and daughters of police officers and firefighters slain in the line of duty.
   = Pete Kelly, 53 K

04-28-98

1. House Finance Vice Chairman, Representative Eldon Mulder, comments on the passage of Deferred Maintenance Task Force legislation by the House Tuesday. The two measures, HB 313 and HB 315, seek to prevent the reoccurence of deferred maintenance by requiring the local agencies and school districts to have in place a preventive maintenance program prior to being able to receive capital for new construction.
   = Eldon Mulder, 45 K
2. Senate Rules Committee Member, Senator John Torgerson, explains an amendment he offered to HB 404 in the Senate Rules Committee Tuesday. The amendment seeks to clarify current statute regarding the registration of pick-ups and vans.
   = John Torgerson, 106 K
3. Senator Jerry Mackie expresses his satisfaction at the House passage of his SJR 38. The measure urges the United States government to apologize for a naval attack on the village of Angoon in the early territorial history of Alaska.
   = Jerry Mackie, 37 K
4. Senator Dave Donley, explains his SB 157. The measure passed the House Tuesday and establishes a source of ongoing funds for conbating child neglect and abuse.
   = Dave Donely, 37 K
5. Senator Sean Parnell, discusses the Senate's actions in funding the Catastrophic Illness Assistance Program Tuesday in the operating budget.
   = Sean Parnell, 20 K
6. Senator Finance Committee Co-Chair, Senator Drue Pearce, comments on the Senate's passage of the operating budget Tuesday evening. The budget delivers on the Majority's promise to spend less, tax less, and narrow the state's fiscal gap.
   = Drue Pearce, 81 K
7. Senator Pearce discusses areas where new money was added to fund K-12 students and the university, public safety officers, and child protection.
   = Drue Pearce, 145 K

04-29-98

1. House Rules Committee Chairman, Representative Pete Kott, talks about the Senate's concurrence with a conference committee's changes to his HB 2. This measure permits certain spouses and dependents who leave Alaska to continue to receive Permanent Fund Dividends; such as spouses who accompany an individual for military service, medical treatment, or educational pursuite.
   = Pete Kott, 70 K
2. House Speaker, Representative Gail Phillips, comments at the Governor's bill signing ceremony for SB 261. The measure obligates the State of Alaska to help cover costs generated by the 2001 World Special Olympics Winter Games in Anchorage should its organizing committee fall short of its eight million dollar fundraising goal.
   = Gail Phillips, 46 K
3. Senate President, Senator Mike Miller, comments at the Governor's bill signing ceremony for SB 261. The measure obligates the State of Alaska to help cover costs generated by the 2001 World Special Olympics Winter Games in Anchorage should its organizing committee fall short of its eight million dollar fundraising goal.
   = Mike Miller, 48 K
4. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, Senator Robin Taylor, announces a second hearing for HB 406, the subsistence measure. The meeting will be held Friday, May 1st at 1:30 p.m. in the Beltz room in the State Capital Building.
   = Robin Taylor, 34 K
5. Senator Taylor further comments on the passage of his SB 192 from the Senate Wednesday. The measure would make it more likely that Alaska Marine Highway vessels would be repaired in Alaska shipyards, not shipyards outside of the state.
   = Robin Taylor, 40 K
6. Senate Resource Committee Chairman, Senator Rick Halford, talks about his SB 216, which passed the Senate unanimously Wednesday. This measure gives the state the legal power to prevent the release of dangerous sexual predators who have not been rehabilitated and are almost guaranteed to re-offend.
   = Rick Halford, 28 K

04-30-98

1. House Speaker, Representative Gail Phillips, talks about her plans for her Biennial Budgeting measure. HJR 45, which would move state government to a two-year budgeting process, got its first hearing today in the House State Affairs Committee Thursday.
   = Gail Phillips, 39 K
2. House Oil & Gas Committee Chairman, Representative Mark Hodgins, reflects upon the House passage Thursday of his HB 284. The measure would require the Commissioner of Natural Resources to implement salvage measures for timber which is subject to an environmental catastrophe.
   = Mark Hodgins, 35 K