SENATE RESOLUTION

                         1991-8690

By Senator Anderson

     WHEREAS, The boundaries of a state are of vital concern to that state's government; and

     WHEREAS, The integrity of a state's sovereignty within the United States of America's federal system requires that a state government have complete and unambiguous jurisdiction over the area within well defined geographical boundary lines; and

     WHEREAS, Whenever the boundaries of a state are to be altered in any way, that state has an essential and overriding interest in the determination of its boundaries; and

     WHEREAS, The boundaries between a foreign country and a state are, and ought to be, coterminous with the national boundaries of the United States of America and that foreign country; and

     WHEREAS, Washington is among the several American states that have boundaries with foreign countries; and

     WHEREAS, Alaska is unique among all American states in that it is the only state having boundaries with more than one foreign country, Canada and the Soviet Union; and

     WHEREAS, The boundaries of the State of Alaska are of vital concern to the state government of Alaska; and

     WHEREAS, Negotiations are underway between the United States Department of State and the government of the Soviet Union over setting boundaries between the United States and the Soviet Union, there having been at least seven rounds of negotiations on this issue since 1981; and

     WHEREAS, The economic issues of petroleum, fishery, and other valuable resources that are involved in these negotiations have great impact on the welfare and prosperity of the citizens of Alaska; and

     WHEREAS, The negotiating delegations assembled by the United States Department of State have included representatives of various agencies of the federal government; and

     WHEREAS, The Department of State has neither allowed, nor offered to invite, a representative of the state government of Alaska to be on a negotiating delegation, nor has it formally solicited the input or advice of the state government of Alaska over the content or form of these negotiations; and

     WHEREAS, It has been settled procedure for the negotiation of international boundaries since 1842, when Secretary of State Daniel Webster negotiated with Great Britain over the boundary between Canada and the State of Maine, that representatives of an affected state must be included in the negotiations, and also must consent to the proposed terms of the boundary treaty; and

     WHEREAS, A usurpation of one state's rights and sovereignty is an affront to all of the states and an attack on the federal system of the United States of America;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Washington respectfully pray that the President and Congress of the United States ensure that any terms and conditions of any boundary agreement with respect to Alaska's boundaries are consented to by the State of Alaska, and that any such boundary agreement is drafted in the form of a treaty for ratification by the United States Senate; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Senate respectfully request that the United States Department of State include a representative of the state government of Alaska on all current and future delegations that negotiate the boundaries between the State of Alaska and the Soviet Union, including delegations that conduct preparatory deliberations and studies; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Senate support the State of Alaska in its rightful position of participation in any boundary negotiations involving its boundaries; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the Honorable George Bush, President of the United States, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Secretary of the Department of State, each member of Congress from the State of Washington, and the Governor of Alaska.