House Transportation committee advances resolution urging federal maintenance of critical weather buoys

Senator Forrest Dunbar, sponsor of Senate Joint Resolution 12 and the senator from District J in Anchorage, told the House Transportation Committee that the resolution asks the federal government to maintain weather buoys that he described as "a piece of critical infrastructure in Alaska." Dunbar singled out the Seal Rocks buoy at the Hinchinbrook Entrance as "critical for our oil industry."

Co-chair Ayesha Eisheid opened the item for public testimony; no members of the public spoke in the room or on the phone. John Guthrie, identified as the marine operations project manager for the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council, was on the line and available for questions but no questions were recorded.

After public testimony closed, Representative McCabe offered a motion to move SJR 12 (work order 34-LS0449-H) with an attached zero-dollar fiscal note out of the House Transportation Committee. The chair announced, "Hearing no objection, SJR 12 with attached 0 fiscal note is moved from the House Transportation Committee." The committee record shows the resolution moved from committee by voice without recorded roll-call votes.

The resolution requests federal attention to maintenance of Alaska weather buoys; it does not create state regulatory requirements or appropriate state funds. The committee record does not show further debate, amendments adopted in committee, or a recorded roll-call vote.

The committee returned to other agenda items after signing the committee report.