Alaska State Legislature
News from the Senate and House Majorities

Wendy Lindskoog (907) 258-8184
Jerry Ritter (907) 258-8164
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801
web site: http://www.akrepublicans.org
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540

Majority's Commitment to Alaska Becomes Law

Commitments Made, Commitments Kept

For Immediate Release: June 19, 1998 Contact: Sen. Mike Miller at (907)258-8184 or Rep. Gail Philips at (907) 258-8164.

Juneau - By signing over a dozen pieces of legislation into law in June, Governor Knowles joined the Republican-led Legislative Majority in implementing the Majority's "Commitment to Alaska."

"The Majorities in both the House and Senate began the Second Session of the 20th Alaska Legislature with a 'Commitment to Alaskans,'" said House Speaker Gail Phillips (R-Homer). "We committed to keeping Alaska's children safe and healthy, we committed to excellence in education for Alaska's children, and we committed to living within our means, including finding a way to address the state's deferred maintenance needs," Phillips said.

"We kept those commitments and more, drafting and moving numerous pieces of legislation through the Senate and House," said Senate President Mike Miller (R-North Pole). "Over the past two weeks we have seen that hard work pay off for all Alaskans as the governor signed those bills into law," Miller said.

Among the pieces of major legislation signed into law are:

• SB 36, sponsored by Sen. Randy Phillips (R-Eagle River), which accomplishes the long-overdue reform of the state's education funding formula;
  | Sponsor Statement | Talking Points | Summary | Public School Funding History |
• HB 245, sponsored by Rep. Fred Dyson (R-Eagle River), which tightens laws on domestic violence and on illegal contact between victims and perpetrators;
• HB 313 and HB 315, sponsored by the Deferred Maintenance Task Force; HB 313 requires that agencies and school districts have maintenance programs in place before receiving maintenance funds; HB 315 requires that there be a separate appropriation for maintenance;
  | Sponsor Statement for HB 313 | Sponsor Statement for HB 315 |
• HB 51, sponsored by Rep. Norman Rokeberg (R-Anchorage) and Rep. Pete Kelly (R-Fairbanks), provides the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation authority and guidance in the implementation of its water quality regulations and their development;
  | Sponsor Statement |
• SB 352, sponsored by the Senate Transportation Committee, authorizes the sale of revenue bonds for the expansion of the Anchorage International Airport; Rep. John Cowdery (R-Anchorage), sponsored similar legislation in the House;
• HB 375, Child Protection Bill, which was extensively rewritten in the Legislature by, among others, the House Health, Education, and Social Services Committee, chaired by Rep. Con Bunde (R-Anchorage) and carried by Rep. Fred Dyson (R-Eagle River);
  | Sponsor Statement |
• HB 451, sponsored by Rep. Joe Green (R-Anchorage), which establishes warranties for wheel chairs and other assistive devices when warranties are not offered by manufacturers.
  | Sponsor Statement |
• HB 473, carried by Rep. Mark Hodgins (R-Kenai), which establishes voluntary statewide standards for firefighters;
  | Sponsor Statement |
• HB 393, which authorizes the state to contract for the development of stranded gas reserves; this law promises employment and other economic benefits to Alaska for as long as forty years; it was originally authorized by a Legislative Task Force chaired by Rep. Ramona Barnes (R-Anchorage) and was carried in the Legislature by Rep. Mark Hodgins (R-Kenai);
  | Sponsor Statement |
• SB 354, sponsored by the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Sen. Robin Taylor (R-Wrangell), which permits expansion of the Trust Industry in Alaska;
  | Sponsor Statement |
• HB 16, sponsored by Rep. Pete Kelly (R-Fairbanks), which tightens Alaska's juvenile delinquency laws;
  | Sponsor Statement | Talking Points |
• HB 7, sponsored by Rep. Brian Porter (R-Anchorage), which permits voluntary mediation between juvenile offenders and their victims;
  | Sponsor Statement |
• HB 252, sponsored by Rep. Joe Ryan (R-Anchorage), which tightens registration requirements for sex offenders and brings Alaska's sex offender laws into compliance with federal laws;
  | Sponsor Statement |
• HB 386, a bipartisan effort spearheaded in the Legislature by Rep. Pete Kott (R-Eagle River) and Sen. Drue Pearce (R-Anchorage), which reauthorizes bonding authority for AIDEA;
  | Rep. Kott's Floor Statements |
• SB 281, sponsored by Sen. Jerry Mackie (R-Craig), the Yakutat Land Grant Bill;
  | Sponsor Statement |
• HB 73, sponsored by Rep. Bill Hudson (R-Juneau), which extends the salmon marketing programs of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.
  | Sponsor Statement |

# # #

Broadcasters note: Comment on several of these new laws are available on the House and Senate Majority Actuality line 1-800-478-6540.

Senate Finance Committee member, Senator Dave Donley, comments on the Governor's signing of HB 375 and the bill's bipartisan support. The measure is an omnibus rewrite of Alaska's child protection statutes.
= Dave Donley, 77 K

Senator Loren Leman, Chairman of the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee, discusses AIDEA and today's reauthorization of the agency's bonding authority.
= Loren Leman, 65 K

House Health, Education, and Social Services Committee Chairman, Representative Con Bunde, also comments on the Governor's signing of HB 375.
= Con Bunde, 56 K

House Finance Committee Member, Representative Pete Kelly, comments on the importance of ensuring that juvenile offenders understand there are consequences for their illegal actions. This measure was signed into law today.
= Pete Kelly, 87 K

Representative Ramona Barnes, who chaired the Legislative Task Force that began the process of authorizing development of stranded gas resources, reflects after todays bill signing ceremony. This measure was signed into law today.
= Ramona Barnes, 57 K

House Oil and Gas Committee Chairman, Representative Mark Hodgins discusses the importance of developing Alaska's stranded gas reserves. Rep. Hodgins carried HB 393 in the Legislature. This measure was signed into law today.
= Mark Hodgins, 63 K

Representative Joe Ryan comments about SB 354 which was signed into law today. Rep. Ryan introduced the companion bill in the House. This measure makes a number of important improvements to Alaska's estate and trust laws. The Alaska Trust Act was passed in 1997.

Rep. Ryan further discusses HB 252, which he sponsored. The measure tightens Alaska's sex offender laws and was also signed into law today.
= Joe Ryan, 96 K

House Majority Leader, Representative Brian Porter, reflects upon HB 7, which he sponsored. This measure was signed into law today and it authorizes voluntary mediation between juvenile offenders and their victims in lieu of court proceedings.
= Brian Porter, 56 K