Beluga whale bill passes House

• Next stop is before the Alaska Senate

Compiled by Naomi Klouda
Homer Tribune
A resolution opposing designation of critical habitat for beluga whales passed the Alaska State House Monday in the form of House Joint Resolution 40, which opposes the National Marine Fisheries Service’s designation of a critical habitat for beluga whales.
The resolution now goes with legislators planning to attend energy talks in Washington D.C this week, as they intend to lobby against the beluga designation.
HJR 40 sponsor Rep. Charisse Millett, R-Anchorage, put the resolution in motion in order to protect the economy of the entire Cook Inlet region from what she says is an unnecessary critical habitat designation for beluga whales. Millett’s argument was that population numbers rebounded after a cooperative harvest management plan was instituted, with the beluga population going from 278 in 2005 to 321 in 2009, a total increase of four percent per year.
The Endangered Species Act requires economic effects to be taken into account for critical habitat designations. Areas may be excluded from critical habitat if it is determined that the benefit of such exclusion outweighs the benefit to the region. The National Marine Fisheries Service considers the designation as a way to protect wildlife in the region. But the majority voting on the measure Monday believe activities around Cook Inlet from the Port of Anchorage, to military operations, to sport and commercial fishing “could be slapped with new restrictions if a critical habitat designation is issued,” Millett said.
HJR 40 now moves to the Alaska State Senate for consideration.

Opportunities to testify
Today from 4:15 to 5 p.m., Homer people can give testimony on HB 300, the operating budget and HB 302, the Mental Health Budget at the Homer Legislative Information Office.
On Monday, proposed legislation related to cheese production and a bill relating to personal use cabin permits will be taken up at 3 p.m. For more information, call Charlene at 235-7878.

UA presidency
Alaska State Senate President Gary Stevens was one of six candidates for the University of Alaska presidency, nominated to the position, but was not one of the final three candidates.
Candidate interviews were scheduled last weekend with the top three or four finalists expected to be announced Sunday.
Current president Mark Hamilton previously announced plans to retire this year. His replacement should be named by April, according to a release from the university.
Stevens has worked for 25 years within the university system, primarily teaching history, at its Kodiak campus.

New boat bill
House Majority Leader Kyle Johansen, R-Ketchikan, introduced House Joint Resolution 47, urging the federal government to ease restrictions on small marine vessels.
Federal law currently prohibits small vessels in Alaska from carrying fuel, cargo and passengers simultaneously, which Johansen says is unrealistic due to Alaska’s unique geography. “There are places in the state that are inaccessible by large barges and must be reached by smaller vessels,” Johansen said. “These restrictions impede the process of delivering supplies and transporting people to different places in Alaska.” The resolution encourages several federal parties, from the United States Department of Homeland Security to the United States Coast Guard, to adopt regulations that would allow small vessels in Alaska to carry all three items concurrently. 
HJR 47 is now referred to the House Transportation Committee.
 
Denture bill
The Alaska Senate passed Senate Bill 199, “Medicaid Coverage for Dentures,” sponsored by Sen. Johnny Ellis, on Friday.  The bill changes the Medicaid Adult Dental program to allow eligible seniors to access two years of benefits so that they can afford a full set of dentures in one year.  
“Allowing seniors to ‘forward-fund’ a relatively high-cost procedure like dentures is a win-win-win for the state, the providers, and seniors,” Ellis said.
The Medicaid Adult Dental program was created in 2006 to expand coverage from emergency care to include preventative and restorative care, including dentures.  The program allows a maximum of $1,150 in benefits per patient per year, a level set at the cost of one half of a set of dentures. That has not proven to be practical, and this legislation allows a patient to access two years of funding (without additional state money required) to receive a full set of dentures at the most medically appropriate time.  

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