On Friday March 14, the Senate Resources Committee heard the second round of mostly disapproving public testimony on the newest revisions to HB 77.
A group in Homer braved the blizzard that had just hit in order to be a part of the discussion.
Sue Mauger was among them and said that two minutes worth of testimony isn’t nearly enough time to correct all the things wrong with this bill.
Mauger: “The changes I now see in the March 10 version which address a few of the most critical concerns brought to light in public meetings are not enough to make this bill a balanced piece of legislation. As an example of the shell game nature of this HB 77 process many of us focused on the notwithstanding language in Section 1 and significan concerns we had to the proposed changes to the in stream flow reservation application process in the original bill. Distracted by these radical changes we let other sections slide by in the first round.”
Kenai resident Penny Vadla stated that she was “not an anti-development activist, just a concerned citizen”.
Vadla: “I oppose this current multifaceted bill and the efficiency measures put in place when the bill was so called revised. This bill makes it difficult to litigate any permit decisions and it limits a person who is aggrieved by limiting a persons ability to file an appeal. It gives too much authority to the DNR Commissioner and allows corporations to obtain general permits for a wide range of activities over broad geographical areas.”
Vadla also asked the committee to reconsider the far reaching effects of the bill in order to protect the land for future generations.
