Rep. Seaton’s March 9, 2009

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Greetings from Juneau this 49th day of the 26th Legislative Session. We are having a continued streak of sunny weather this weekend although it is 23 degrees and the wind is blowing about 20mph today. It has been a good catch-up time for us in the office. Some people have just returned from DC and “Energy Council.” It sounds like numerous productive meetings occurred with the new administration and FERC commissioners and staff, in addition to the Council conference.

We are still massaging the issues of water quality standards required for the million and a quarter cruise passengers and crew that visit Southeast during the spring and summer each year. This population dwarfs the total SE Alaska population of seventy thousand. The question remains as to the appropriateness of allowing a mixing zone from a ship traveling 6 miles per hour. Some people say that allowing a cruise ship to have a mixing zone simply moves the water quality standard measurement point from the end of the discharge pipe to the edge of the seawater mixing zone. Others argue that “moving the measurement point” allows wastewater to be discharged into the water instead of treating it on board or on shore as required by the initiative. The big concern is that the high concentration of ship discharge in Southeast Alaska coincides with salmon smolt outmigration and return. The contaminants of concern are ammonia, copper and some other heavy metals. The current science is reporting that even our current standard for copper affects the homing ability and predator evasion in juvenile salmon. We continue to look for ‘win-win’ solutions supportable by science and technology.

This week we visited with Philip Oates, Willard Dunham, Judi Andrijanoff, and Mary Tougas from Seward along with Carol Swartz and Roark Brown from Homer.

Committees

Education

Monday we will hear an overview on the Avant-Garde Learning Foundation’s Alaska Native Teacher Initiative and Education Alignment Study. We will also continue our work on HB 126, a bill resulting from the 2008 legislative foster care conference. Among other things, HB 126 provides tuition and room and board for in-state job training and college for foster care recipients and it requires that foster youth be allowed to remain in their current school when they undergo a foster family replacement.

Wednesday we will hold a comprehensive overview on the issue of school drop out, and drop out prevention. We have invited the Department of Education and Early Development, the Communities in Schools Program, The Alaska Native Brotherhood, and other organizations to discuss the problem and potential solutions for Alaska.

Friday we will hear HB 33, legislation by Juneau Representative Cathy Munoz to raise the compulsory attendance age of high school students from 16 years of age to 18 years of age. Following introduction and testimony on this bill, we will hold a roundtable discussion with the intent of structuring a needs-based scholarship program for Alaska. I am inviting participation by the University of Alaska, the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education, Representative David Guttenberg (prime sponsor of HB 94 POSTSECONDARY SCHOLARSHIPS), The Taylor Foundation (a New Orleans based foundation that offers merit based scholarships), and the Alaska Coalition of Student Leaders.

State Affairs

On Tuesday we heard HB116 which creates a specialty vanity license plate for finishers of the Iditarod. The hope is that the legislation will pass in time to have the plates available at the finish of the 2009 Iditarod. We also heard SJR 5 endorsing federal legislation that extends Alaska Territorial National Guard retirement benefits. The federal government decided to terminate the retirement benefits of 26 Alaska Territorial Guard Members this year. A temporary extension has been granted, however if federal legislation is not passed these elderly rural veterans, who are dependent on their monthly veteran benefit, will be left without income. The cost of providing continuing benefits to this group is $10,000 a month. The sponsor of SJR5 has separate legislation that would fund these benefits with state funds as a last resort. There was no committee meeting on Thursday due to Energy Council break.

Next week on Tuesday we will hear HB136 for a second time, legislation to keep pubic officials and peace officer records confidential. We will also hear HB139, allowing screen devices in utility vehicles. On Thursday we will hear legislation creating a specialty license plate for honorary foreign council. Also scheduled is HB177, legislation allowing state employees to take leave without pay to volunteer with disaster relief efforts, and HB77, establishing proportional representation between the majority and minority on the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee.

Resources

Last week we held a meeting on HB 134, legislation to allow cruise ships to use mixing zones for discharge of their wastewater into Alaskan waters. Such discharge was prohibited by a citizen initiative in 2006. I have proposed an amendment to this bill to allow 50% of the cruise ship head tax to go to cruise ship ports of call for upgrade of their municipal wastewater facilities so that the facilities can discharge water that meets state water quality standards. Once the facilities are upgraded, cruise ships must discharge to them. A sectional analysis of my proposed amendment and the text of the amendment can be found on my web site: http://www.housemajority.org/seaton/ under the link “Rep. Seaton amendment to HB 134 Cruise Ship Wastewater Discharge Permits.

Monday we will hear a presentation by Armstrong Oil and Gas about the difficulties of doing business in Alaska. Wednesday we will hear HJR 19, a resolution recognizing the 20th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and supporting the continued practice of accompanying each oil tanker through Prince William Sound with at least a two vessel escort. No specific topic has been scheduled for Friday, but there may be a meeting to discuss any of the bills in committee that have previously been heard or scheduled.

Health and Social Services

Last week we passed SCR1, designating March as Brain Injury Awareness Month and HB26 allowing adults with Medicaid to continue receiving dental services.

This week starts with a presentation by the Alaska Brain Injury Network discussing traumatic brain injuries. After that we will hear HJR10 urging Congress to improve health care for Veterans by providing adequate funding for services, an improved claim filing process and ensuring veterans throughout the state access to quality health care. Thursday gives us HB150, putting limitations on mandatory overtime for nurses in health care facilities. HB2 will be heard for the second time, it gives parents an option to obtain a birth certificate for their still born child

Personal Legislation

I have recently introduced HJR 22, a resolution urging the United States Senate to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (the Law of the Sea Treaty). According to the office of U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, a resolution from the Alaska State Legislature would be helpful as she works this late spring or early summer to get a ratification vote to the Senate Floor. U.S. participation in the Law of the Sea Treaty was approved in 1994 by President Clinton after much work was done on portions of the treaty to address concerns raised by President Reagan. The Bush Administration actively supported Senate ratification of the treaty. Among other entities on the record supporting ratification are the United States Coast Guard, the Department of the Navy, Governor Sarah Palin, The State Department, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, AT&T, The American Petroleum Institute, The International Association of Drilling Contractors, and the National Oceans Industries Association.

The U.S. is now the only Arctic nation that is not a signatory to the treaty. Under the treaty, member nations can claim an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to 200 miles, with sovereign rights to explore, develop, and manage the resources within that zone. A nation’s claims can extend beyond the 200 mile limit if a connection can be proven that its continental shelf extends beyond this limit. It is estimated that the northern seabed off Alaska and beyond the 200 mile limit could be as large as the state of California.

Key features of the Law of the Sea Treaty include the following:

· Coastal States exercise sovereignty over their territorial sea which they have the right to establish its breadth up to a limit not to exceed 12 nautical miles; foreign vessels are allowed “innocent passage” through those waters;

· Ships and aircraft of all countries are allowed “transit passage” through straits used for international navigation; States bordering the straits can regulate navigational and other aspects of passage;

· Coastal States have sovereign rights in the 200-nautical mile EEZ with respect to natural resources and certain economic activities, and exercise jurisdiction over marine science research and environmental protection;

· All other States have freedom of navigation and over flight in the EEZ, as well as freedom to lay submarine cables and pipelines;

· All States enjoy the traditional freedoms of navigation, over flight, scientific research and fishing on the high seas; they are obliged to adopt, or cooperate with other States in adopting, measures to manage and conserve living resources;

· States are bound to prevent and control marine pollution and are liable for damage caused by violation of their international obligations to combat such pollution;

· All marine scientific research in the EEZ and on the continental shelf is subject to the consent of the coastal State, but in most cases they are obliged to grant consent to other States when the research is to be conducted for peaceful purposes and fulfils specified criteria;

· States Parties are obliged to settle by peaceful means their disputes concerning the interpretation or application of the Convention;

· Disputes can be submitted to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea established under the Convention, to the International Court of Justice, or to arbitration. Conciliation is also available and, in certain circumstances, submission to it would be compulsory. The Tribunal has exclusive jurisdiction over deep seabed mining disputes.

HJR 22 has been referred to the State Affairs Committee.

Committee Legislation

HB 147, repealing the statute that requires school districts to spend 70% of their budget on instruction, was heard and passed from House Education on Monday and is waiting for a hearing in House Finance.

Bits and Pieces

Hannah’s Happiness:

Exciting things happened this week in the life of the intern! The bill I’ve been carrying, HB 147, was heard in the House Education Committee on Monday. All of the research and scheduling people to testify was definitely worth it when the committee passed it on to the House Finance Committee. The hearing was very interesting, and I found out no matter how prepared one might be for questions from the committee, it’s impossible to anticipate absolutely everything. Still, the committee had interesting questions that will help prepare me for presenting to the Finance Committee.

Constituent Teleconference is scheduled for Wednesday March 11th, 2009 from 6:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M. Please stop by your local LIO and join us.

Pick. Click. Give.

The Rasmuson Foundation asked to get the word out about their program “Pick. Click. Give.” Everyone in Alaska is feeling the effects of this tough budget year, and unfortunately there is never enough money to help everyone in need. Here is a way for you to help in your community. For more information, please visit the website at www.pick.click.give.org .

Just a reminder don’t forget to sign up for your 2008 Permanent Fund Dividend, you can do it on-line by going to the following website www.pfd.state.ak.us, then click apply online.

Following Bills

All bills can be accessed through the state’s Bill Action and Status Inquiry System (BASIS). You can see what committee a bill is in, when it will be heard, how committee members voted, and much more. You can view all bills relating to your specific areas of interest by selecting “Subject Summary” from the menu on the right. You can access BASIS through the link below, or by doing a search for “BASIS Alaska” http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/start.asp

Live on the Web
Most committee hearings can be seen and heard on Gavel-to-Gavel, which is broadcast on both local access TV and on the Internet. You can also access online archives from their website. http://www.ktoo.org/gavel/schedule.cfm

If you would like to speak to me regarding a specific issue, it is helpful to first get in touch with the member of my staff handling related issues. You can click on their email address to send them a note, or give us a call at the office. Please provide your full name, address and phone number on any correspondence with the office. Your time and effort are much appreciated and will help us better serve you.

Education, Resources, Oil & Gas issues, HB41, HB46, HB66, HJR 22

(907) 465-3923

Louie_Flora@legis.state.ak.us
Katie Koester

State Affairs, Budget, Community relations, HB40, HB43, HB 109

(907) 465-2028

Katie_Koester@legis.state.ak.us

Mary Jane Shows

Health & Social Services, Scheduling, Newsletter contact, Constituent Relations, HCR1

(907) 465-2689

Mary_Jane_Shows@legis.state.ak.us

Hannah Harrison

UAF Intern

(907) 465-6256

Hannah_Harrison@legis.state.ak.us
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