Tax on Moist Snuff

For those of you who want to cut to the chase, go to the bottom of the post to see the highlights I caught before I left.  

At 3pm I looked in to see why there were so many people in Room 106 where the State Affairs meeting met at 8 am with maybe 10 people in the audience. People were at this meeting to hear about taxes on Moist Snuff. I didn't stay, but I do want readers to learn how to find these hearings themselves. You can listen to this session. Go to the gavel to gavel website.

Here's the specific page.

http://www.ktoo.org/gavel/stream.cfm 

You'll get this page:

 (If you want to see the right side, click on the picture to enlarge it or go to the link.)  Then on the left (I put a red box around the key links) you can get the day's scheduled teleconferenced sessions, you can get audio archive of the day's session, or you can get the legislature's calendar of meetings and which ones are being broadcast or shown online.  Play with these.

If you've read this far, you probaby consider yourself an active citizen.  Be a little more active and try out this page and those links so you can look up any day's schedule and identify sessions you might want to listen to.

To hear this one, I would click on today's audio files (after the meeting) and scroll down to the Health and Social Services Standing Subcommittee.(That particular session isn't up yet.is working now.)


Here's for that committee from the schedule on the Legislature's website.
The schedule changes daily so you won't get this meeting if you try it after today. 

(H)HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES		STANDING COMMITTEE *
Feb 23 Tuesday 3:00 PM		CAPITOL 106
=+	HB 188	TAX ON MOIST SNUFF	TELECONFERENCED
*+	HB 309	DENTAL CARE INSURANCE	TELECONFERENCED
*+	HB 265	MEDICAID COVERAGE FOR DENTURES	TELECONFERENCED
+		Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled	TELECONFERENCED

Here's a little of the definition of tobacco from the bill.  (Click on the link above to see it.  I know when you click there you still have to click again on FULL TEXT button.)

(4) "tobacco product" means
16 (A) a cigar;
17 (B) a cheroot;
18 (C) a stogie;
19 (D) a perique;
20 (E) snuff tobacco, including moist snuff tobacco, and snuff
21 flour;
22 (F) smoking tobacco, including granulated, plug-cut, crimp-cut,
23 ready-rubbed, and any form of tobacco suitable for smoking in a pipe or
24 cigarette;
25 (G) chewing tobacco, including cavendish, twist, plug, scrap,
26 and tobacco suitable for chewing; or
27 (H) an article or product made of tobacco or a tobacco
28 substitute, but not including a cigarette as defined in AS 43.50.170;
29 * Sec. 5. AS 43.50.390 is amended by adding a new paragraph to read:
30 (6) "moist snuff tobacco" means any finely cut, ground, or powdered

31 tobacco that is not intended to be

01 (A) smoked; or

02 (B) placed in the nasal cavity. 

About the tax proposals. Before I left a staffer said:

1.  Spitless moist tobacco would go from 75% ad valorem to 100%
2.  Other tobacco products in a tin would be taxed $1.18 per ounce which would raise the prices of the cheaper products significantly and that that they know kids are very price sensitive.
3.  Cigars will have to be sold in packages of 5.
4.  25% of the ad valorem tax would go to the Tobacco Education and Cessation Fund
5.  This corrects a loop-hole in tobacco centered taxes because over-the-counter products hadn't had a tax before.

The Observatory Books Juneau

There are a few unwritten posts waiting to eventually go up.  This one is a must.  Observatory Books begs to be entered.  So I did one evening.

 

 

And once inside, it's like being in someone's long lost attic.  Well, it is organized by topics and all, but there are books and maps and portfolios that you won't find at Barnes and Noble.










The specialty is Alaska.  You can double click any picture to see it bigger.  Here is the General Arctic section:









Around here you can find gems like these:

 

  

Or this classic Alaska anthropologists' work.

  

All this is watched over by Dee Longebaugh who started the first 

Observatory Books in Sitka in  1977 and moved it to Juneau in 1992.

She'll find what you need and tell you tales about the books

and about the authors, many of whom she knows.  And she'll 

share her stories. 

This is a place where it's easy to get lost in other worlds.

A place where you wonder whose fingers touched the books you're holding in your hands.  People you'll only know because your fingerprints overlapped on the pages of this book. 

Maps are a big part of this collection.  Did I say collection?  It's more like the back room of a museum than a bookstore. 

Fortunately, all these treasures are well protected by the charming guard dog.

 

Just before we left Anchorage, there was a story on NPR about the closing of the last bookstore in Laredo, Texas.

B. Dalton is set to close its store in Laredo, Texas, and that has ignited a debate in the border town. Kids have written letters to keep the store open. Groups have held rallies to pressure the company. Laredo could soon become the largest U.S. city without a bookstore. But with libraries, online stores and overnight delivery, is a bookstore really necessary?

Wikipedia reports:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laredo,_Texas

According to the 2007 census estimate, the city population was 233,152.^[5] Laredo is part of the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo Metropolitan Area with an estimate population of 718,073.^[6]

If that's right, the city is a little smaller than Anchorage, but the metropolitan area has more people than the state of Alaska.  At the time, as I was counting the bookstores in Anchorage - Barnes and Noble, Metro books, Title Wave, Borders, and probably a couple more - and thinking that we're pretty lucky. 

But Juneau, with a population of about 30,000, has three book stores I know of just in the tiny downtown.  There's so much to like here.  And this is probably a good time to post this because tonight my Anchorage book club is gathering to discuss The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.  I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't read enough of it it to write about it here. 

Where's Senate Judiciary?

This was my view from our 'kitchen' table at lunch today.  Spruce trees, the white tip of Mr. Roberts, and wires.  But it makes you think it's really warm out.  And in the sun it is.  But in the shade the sidewalks are icy.



I went through the list of committees meeting this afternoon and decided on the Senate Judiciary because it they were discussing HJR (House Joint Resolution) 21, the Constitutional Amendment to increase the size of the legislature.  I'd heard the discussion in House State Affairs, and since this is a resolution (it's a resolution, not a bill, because it's a Constitutional Amendment)  that would have a major impact on the state, I thought it worth following. 

(S)JUDICIARY		STANDING COMMITTEE *
Feb 22 Monday 1:30 PM		BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
		-- MEETING CANCELED --
+	SJR 21	CONST. AM: INCREASE NUMBER OF LEGISLATORS	TELECONFERENCED
+	SB 265	2010 REVISOR'S BILL	TELECONFERENCED
=+	SB 252	FAILURE TO APPEAR; RELEASE PROCEDURES	TELECONFERENCED
*+	SB 241	POST-CONVICTION DNA TESTING; EVIDENCE	TELECONFERENCED
+		Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled	TELECONFERENCED

I got into the committee room, but I was the only one there. It took a while for me to see the 'cancelled' notice on the computer. The guard wasn't sure, but did say the airport had been closed. And this being Monday, some legislators were gone for the weekend.

And despite the blue skies higher up, along the Gastineau Channel, the fog gathers at night and closes the airport.  That could have a bigger impact on me tomorrow when I drop J off at the airport for her week trip to Anchorage to help her friend C who had surgery recently.  She has an afternoon flight, maybe it will be clear by then.


Update 3:30:  This one didn't meet either.  The Senate Floor session, I'm told, did meet, but not the House Floor session.  It's sunny and beautiful up here in the Capitol, but the fog looks thick down in the Channel. 

(H)LABOR & COMMERCE		STANDING COMMITTEE *
Feb 22 Monday 3:15 PM		BARNES 124
		-- Meeting Postponed to 02/24/10 --
*+	HB 346	WORKERS' COMPENSATION ADVISORY BOARD	TELECONFERENCED
*+	HCR 19	AIDEA REPORT ON IN-STATE FUEL STORAGE

Left Over Shots From the Capitol - Ethics, Transit, Cell Phones

Here are some shots that didn't make it into the blog last week of legislators.

The Legislative Ethics Committee met last week.  This is a joint Senate and House committee plus there are some public members.  From their website,  

The Select Committee on Legislative Ethics is responsible for:

· Helping people understand and comply with the Alaska Legislative Ethics Code,
· Issuing formal advisory opinions interpreting the ethics code,
· Considering complaints alleging violations of the code and
· Maintaining public files of disclosure statements

A couple of issues they discussed were:

1.   An attorney in the legislative legal office had interpreted the laws to mean that when legislators travel on state money for state business, they are NOT allowed to do anything that could be construed as campaigning.  The case that brought about this ruling was, if I have my facts straight, about someone who went to a fundraiser or some such overt campaign activity on such a trip.  This apparently wasn't a big part of the trip, but it was ruled as a violation of the rules.
   
   Now other legislators are concerned that they cannot do anything - even talk to anyone - in a way that remotely relates to campaigning.  Legislative members pointed out that being a legislator was inherently political and with the financial realities of modern day politics, as soon as they take office, they have to start campaigning for the next election.  When they speak to constituents,  someone could consider that campaigning.  Another legislator said that she was not even allowed (they can ask for advisory opinions from the ethics committee if they have doubts) to stop by campaign headquarters on a trip to Anchorage to check on potential candidates for an upcoming election. 
   
   Concerns were raised at another committee meeting and before the ethics committee was a proposal to get a second opinion on this.  Someone questioned the expense of a second opinion, someone else said for political reasons, it would be advisable.  The original attorney said that their office would welcome a second opinion.  They voted to get a second opinion. 
   
   
   
2. Staff from the Information Technology (IT) office were at the meeting because the committee had questions about the feasibility of having executive sessions via teleconferencing.  A couple of the rural public members said that getting to meetings could take them three days of travel, which cut into their normal work lives.  Another member thought a meeting which might take 20 minutes could cost $50 or $60 in travel costs for all the members.  If they could do this by phone or video conference it would speed up the process and save a lot of money. 
   
   The IT staff couldn't guarantee complete confidentiality.  Using audio conferencing was more likely than video, but even then there were some ways that people could, at least for a short time, could breach security.  Plus, you can't tell if the people on the other end of the line have someone else in the room with them.  I'm leaving out a lot of the details, but the committee did feel that siince some of the issues they discuss were extremely sensitive, a breach of security was not acceptable.  This was put on hold.

 

I happened to stop in Rep. Max Gruenberg's office when Anchorage Transit Director Jody Karcz stopped in to discuss their budget and proposal they are working on.   Ms. Karcz is on the far left and Rep. Gruenberg on the right.  The Rep's staff were sitting in on the discussion.  Serious cuts have had major impacts on transit in Anchorage including the cancelling of local bus service in the Eagle River area.  (Park and Ride busses still operate.)  They will experiment, beginning March 1 I believe, with allowing regular passengers to use the Anchor Ride buses (these are normally only for the disabled).  This will only be done in the Eagle River area. 

  

 Rep. Mike Doogan testified before the House Transportation Committee in support of his bill (HB 257) to ban the use of cell phones - including hands free devices - while driving a car.  Here he was in an animated discussion with Rep. Tammie Wilson of Fairbanks who asked questions about other distractions, about pulling over to the side, and other such questions.  Rep. Kyle Johansson is looking on in the background.  Transportation Committee Chair Peggy Wilson is co-sponsor.  She mentioned that her 85 year old mother was hit by a driver using a cell phone and she had to crawl out through the passenger seat and walk over to the other driver who was still talking on her cell phone.

 

And here's a shot I couldn't resist of Rep. Jay Ramras of Fairbanks on the phone in his office about 6pm one night.

I'm a Broken Record - Juneau is Beautiful!

Third day of nothing but blue sky and sunshine.  It's comfortably warm in the sun, chilly in the shade.  And as we got higher up the trail, we got into snow.  But even though we're still exploring the same trail - Basin Road and Perseverance Trail, I'm seeing new sights and it's simply spectacular. 

 

Remember you can double click on any picture to enlarge it. 

And yes I know you've seen this sign before, but it's bigger here.

  

A man paused while I was taking this picture and asked if 

I was a  geologist. He was and he said he didn't see many people 

taking pictures of rock formations.  

 

  

  

Note the two rocks covered with a thin clear coating of ice.

 

The snow at this point was covered with hoar frost.

  

  

  

This is a frosted nut.

  

 

 
 

This is Silver Bow Basin.

"I Can" is Contagious

A friend in Pakistan sent me a link to this video.   I found it very uplifting.  While some may want more details, I do know personally that most people have far more capability than they ever use.  Finding ways to release that capability is the most powerful tool humans can ever find.  And the most hopeful.  Enjoy the video.

Juneau Keeps Being Beautiful

Each time I go up Basin Road, I go a little further. Here are some pictures from yesterday.

 

  

  

  

  

 

And in front of our place, along the south facing wall, we have tulip leaves showing already.

FASD Brief Primer with Dr. Sterling Clarren and Carolyn Hartness

Thursday I took some time to go to the FASD Conference for Southeast Alaska in Centennial Hall. I came in as Dr. Sterling Clarren was getting ready to speak. Clarren has been in on the research on FAS from almost the very beginning. This is a topic where I'm a somewhat informed amateur. My wife has had some training in this area and I was a mentor for an FASD young man.

I urge you to view at least one of Dr. Clarren's videos (they're short) and the Carolyn Hartness video (also short).

Dr. Clarren covered a lot of ground that had been somewhat blurry for me in the past and he did it incredibly well. He had things organized into neat little bits, so that the few videos I took turn out to be like mini-lectures. Instead of putting them into one long video, I've broken them down into three separate videos.

Please recognize these are just a few minutes out of a long talk. But I think anyone could learn something about this issue (and it's something everyone should understand because it has become so pervasive) from watching these three short videos. But keep in mind, these are missing the context of the whole talk.

And I've got one from Carolyn Hartness. If Dr. Clarren is clinically precise, Harkness communicates with her warmth and from the richness of her experiences with her adopted daughter.


Dr. Clarren talks about the early days as FAS was being first recognized and named.




Here Dr. Clarren talks about the FAS Face.



Dr. Clarren defines FAS and FASD and the complications of trying to define them.


Here Dr. Clarren talks about diagnosis:




And here Carolyn Hartness talks about how people have so much trouble 'getting it,' understanding how much parents of FAS kids have to do to help their kids fit into the non FAS world. And how wonderful the kids are.

Polaris Students Lobby to Make Malamute State Dog

I met a group of students from Anchorage's Polaris K-12 School at the Capitol who were in town lobbying to get the Alaskan Malamute named the Alaska State Dog.  This campaign has been going for three years and and CS (Committee Substitute) for HB 14 passed the house last April.  Now it is wending its way through Senate committees. 




Here's the bill itself, short and simple.

Constitutional Amendment to Enlarge Legislature Passes State Affairs With Changes

Rep. Seaton had an amendment, which was accepted by the Resolution sponsor Rep. Peggy Wilson, to cut back the additional seats from eight new Representatives to four new representatives and from four new Senators to two new Senators. The size (in terms of population) of each district would remain nearly the same, increasing from 15,673 to 15,735.

This basically cuts the fiscal note in half. The estimated costs of the original resolution was about $4,470,000 million plus for each year and with the cut, it reduces the annual extra cost to $2,342,000. Also, wouldn't have to do any reconstruction changes.

I discussed the issues in a previous post. The impetus for the bill is to prevent the rural districts from losing representatives as the population grows in the more urban areas. As it is now, Rep. Wilson pointed out, urban legislators can walk across their districts and only have one school district. But rural legislators serve broad geographic areas that are expensive to travel around. The largest rural district is half the state with half the school districts. There would be new districts in the urban areas, but this change would not increase the geographic size of the rural areas.

One issue is that the Alaska Constitution (Article 6 - 6) requires:

Each house district shall be formed of contiguous and compact territory containing as nearly as practicable a relatively integrated socio-economic area. Each shall contain a population as near as practicable to the quotient obtained by dividing the population of the state by forty.

Also the 1964 Voting Rights Act has requirements that redistricting not reduce representation of minority voters and Alaska must have all redistricting reviewed by the feds because of past problems.

The resolution passed 5 - 1 with Rep. Gatto voting nay.

You can listen to the discussion of this bill below as well as the rest of Thursday's State Affairs meeting:

00 - 19 - HB 292 - Increasing the cap on State Emergency Aid from $5000 to half the federal cap (about $30,000, so Alaska's would be about $15,000)

22:18 - 47:05 HJR 38 - Constitutional Amendment to increase the size of the legislature.

51:00 to end - HB 115 - Allow permanent absentee registration.