LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR'S REPORT

Lt. Governor Loren Leman
Juneau, AK
Nov. 6, 2003

HONORING OUR VETERANS:
Tuesday, November 11 is a special day to honor the men and women who have defended America by serving in its Armed Forces. Veterans Day has a particularly interesting history. To learn more about it, go to this site. Our veterans are an integral part of the freedoms we enjoy, and as our service men and women even now fight and die in Iraq and Afghanistan I salute them for their service and sacrifice. Please take time to thank a veteran.

Carolyn and I thanked many at the United States Marine Corps Birthday Ball last Saturday, and I recently addressed the Army’s 1-501st Airborne Task Force at Fort Richardson on October 23 as they prepared to deploy to Afghanistan. I'll speak at the Women Veterans Recognition Day ceremonies Friday, November 7.

ACTIVE AT AFN:
During the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention October 22-25 in Anchorage I met relatives and many old friends. I also spoke at an open house on Alaska's (and my) diverse heritage, and to the full convention on the role of the Denali Commission.

GAS IN ALASKA PENINSULA’S FUTURE?
Governor Murkowski, I and others in our Administration met with community and regional leaders from the Alaska Peninsula/Bristol Bay area to discuss plans for onshore oil and gas development. This is a particularly exciting development that is being advanced by local residents who can see the potential benefit to them. A combination of world markets, economics and local community support bodes well for leasing in the region as early as 2005.

JUDGE TAN TRUMPS PARENTS:
I was disappointed that Judge Sen Tan again last month struck down Alaska’s parental consent law for abortions for girls 16 years of age and younger. His decision undermines the rights of parents to be involved in one of the most difficult decisions that a child will ever make. His decision is quite out of mainstream of judicial reasoning - and is certainly out of touch with the large majority of Alaskans. I hope the Alaska Supreme Court will overturn it. The full text of my response is available on my website.

PRESIDENT BUSH SIGNS PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTION BAN
-- after an overwhelming vote by both houses of Congress to end this brutal practice. Sadly, the court challenges by Planned Parenthood et al. were actually filed before his signing, and the organization found a judge who issued a restraining order on its enforcement within one hour. Stay tuned for further developments.

HIGH SEAS FISH TALK:
I attended my first meeting of the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC) October 28-31, with representatives from Canada, Japan, Russia, the United States, and the newest member, the Republic of Korea. I was pleased to observe and participate in international cooperation in research and enforcement of high seas conservation of anadromous stocks, primarily salmon.

FAITH IN ACTION:
The second meeting of the Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Task Force was on Wednesday, November 5. I was impressed with the "homework" completed by Task Force members and their constructive dialogue in addressing how to meet community needs. Please visit our updated FBCI website for information on the Task Force, minutes of past meetings, downloadable handouts, homework assignments and many resourceful links - including audio streams. I announced a new volunteer award program called Stars of Gold . If you know of a person or organization that should be recognized for excellence in service and caring, I encourage you to submit a nomination.

A DAY WITH A PRESIDENT:
Carolyn and I joined Governor Murkowski and his wife Nancy in meeting Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian and his delegation Tuesday evening at the Anchorage airport, then met hundreds of Alaskans, including many of Chinese descent, for dinner at the Hotel Captain Cook. On Wednesday we worked over lunch with the Taiwanese delegation and interested Alaskans in Girdwood to discuss fisheries, energy, timber and minerals, as well as winter tourism.

LOOKING AHEAD:
I will greet attendees at the Alaska Miner’s Association lunch at the Anchorage Sheraton on Friday, November 7, and look forward to hearing from Henri Bisson, Alaska Director of the Bureau of Land Management. Saturday evening, November 8 I'll speak to the Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau in Wasilla and celebrate the accomplishments of "Stars of the Industry." Next week I plan to visit Nome, Koyuk and Shaktoolik for Alaska Municipal League and Conference of Mayors meetings and school events. On Tuesday, I will also attend the Nome Veterans Day parade and speak at the Veterans Day luncheon. On Friday, November 14 I'll be in Fairbanks to speak at the Love, INC celebration of community volunteers. This is one of the finest examples of faith-based and community involvement in Alaska.