00                CS FOR HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 22(RLS)                                                               
01 Relating to a diverse community; condemning a recent racially motivated attack; and                                     
02 requesting the Municipality of Anchorage police department to continue their conclusive                                 
03 investigation and requesting the criminal justice system to take rapid action to reach the                              
04 determination of this case.                                                                                             
05 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
06       WHEREAS Anchorage is an incredibly diverse community with more than eighteen                                    
07 identified ethnic groups comprising nearly 30 percent of its population; and                                            
08       WHEREAS the growth rate of Anchorage minority groups exceeds the growth rate of                                 
09 nonminorities; and                                                                                                      
10       WHEREAS more than 20 percent of the Alaska Native and Native American                                           
11 population of the state resides in Anchorage; and                                                                       
12       WHEREAS the Alaska Native population and the bush communities make significant                                  
13 contributions to Anchorage's economic viability; and                                                                    
14       WHEREAS Anchorage has a responsibility to take a leadership role in eliminating                                 
15 discrimination and an obligation to help create a climate of tolerance, to build bridges with the                       

01 various ethnic groups in the city; and                                                                                  
02       WHEREAS the recent incident involving targeting of Alaska Natives for harassment                                
03 and violent action by three youthful Anchorage residents armed with paintball guns is                                   
04 deplorable and reflects badly on every citizen and business of Anchorage and the State of                               
05 Alaska; and                                                                                                             
06       WHEREAS federal law 18 U.S.C. 245 makes it illegal to commit a crime when the                                   
07 assailant is motivated by bias based on race, religion, national origin, or color and the                               
08 assailant intended to prevent the victim from exercising a "federally protected right"; and                             
09       WHEREAS Alaska law AS 12.55.155(c)(22) provides as an aggravating factor for                                    
10 sentencing for a serious crime that "the defendant knowingly directed the conduct constituting                          
11 the offense at a victim because of that person's race, sex, color, creed, physical or mental                            
12 disability, ancestry, or national origin," and the finding of an aggravating factor allows the                          
13 court to increase a presumptive sentence for such an offense up to the maximum sentence for                             
14 that offense; and                                                                                                       
15       WHEREAS the Alaska State Legislature condemns all hate crimes, racism, and                                      
16 discrimination and calls on the public and the citizens of the state to likewise condemn hate                           
17 crimes, racism, and discrimination in any form;                                                                         
18       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature condemns the recent racially                                   
19 motivated attack in Anchorage and finds the conduct of those perpetrating this act, or any                              
20 similar conduct, to be unacceptable; and be it                                                                          
21       FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature requests the Municipality                                    
22 of Anchorage police department to continue its thorough and conclusive investigation of that                            
23 attack so as to allow the criminal justice system to take the actions necessary to reach a rapid                        
24 determination; and be it                                                                                                
25       FURTHER RESOLVED that the perpetrators, and anyone else committing hate                                         
26 crimes, in addition to any penalties meted out by the criminal justice system, should be                                
27 required to complete cultural and social sensitivity training and do regular, recurring                                 
28 community service in an environment that brings the perpetrators into close contact with the                            
29 minority groups the perpetrators have targeted; and be it                                                               
30       FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature is pledged to support fair                                   
31 and equitable treatment for all who live in, do business in, or visit Alaska; and be it                                 

01       FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature joins with the Alaska                                        
02 Federation of Natives in their request to the United States Commission on Civil Rights to                               
03 conduct a formal investigation into this incident and other incidents of racism and                                     
04 discrimination in Alaska.                                                                                               
05       COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable John Ashcroft, Attorney                                
06 General of the United States; the Honorable Mary Frances Berry, Chair, United States                                    
07 Commission on Civil Rights; the Honorable George Wuerch, Mayor of Anchorage; the                                        
08 members of the Anchorage Assembly; Julia Kitka, President, Alaska Federation of Natives;                                
09 and to the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Frank Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and                                  
10 the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in                                       
11 Congress.