Enrolled HR 6: Dedicating the House Judiciary Committee Room of the Alaska State Capitol to the late Representative Max F. Gruenberg, Jr.
00Enrolled HR 6 01 Dedicating the House Judiciary Committee Room of the Alaska State Capitol to the late 02 Representative Max F. Gruenberg, Jr. 03 _______________ 04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: 05 WHEREAS Representative Max F. Gruenberg, Jr. epitomized the ideal of civil 06 service through his countless hours of research and work and was dedicated to the institution 07 of the legislature; and 08 WHEREAS Representative Gruenberg served in the Alaska House of Representatives 09 during the Fourteenth through Seventeenth and Twenty-Third through Twenty-Ninth Alaska 10 State Legislatures, including service as the Majority Leader during the Fifteenth and 11 Seventeenth Alaska State Legislatures and Minority Whip in the Twenty-Eighth and Twenty- 12 Ninth Alaska State Legislatures; and 13 WHEREAS Representative Gruenberg was a member of the Veterans of Foreign 14 Wars, having served in the United States Navy in Vietnam and receiving both a Meritorious 15 Unit Commendation and Vietnam Service Medal (three campaign stars); during his legislative 16 service, he was dedicated to representing veterans and their families; and 17 WHEREAS, at the time of his death, Representative Gruenberg was the most senior
01 member of the Alaska House of Representatives; his knowledge of the law and legislative 02 procedure was beyond compare, and he used that knowledge to make legislation consistent 03 with its intent and make the legislative process conform to its rules and procedures; and 04 WHEREAS Representative Gruenberg was a skilled and dedicated attorney, having 05 graduated from the UCLA School of Law in 1970, where he was editor-in-chief of the UCLA 06 - Alaska Law Review; he practiced family law in the state for 31 years and served his 07 profession and the public as co-chair of the Alaska Bar Association Family Law section, as a 08 fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and as a board member of the 09 Alaska Legal Services Corporation; as an attorney, he received an AV rating, the highest 10 peer-review legal rating; and 11 WHEREAS Representative Gruenberg used his legal knowledge, skills, and abilities 12 in public service in other branches of state and federal government by serving as legislative 13 assistant to Senator Ted Stevens and law clerk to Alaska Supreme Court Justice Roger 14 Connor, and he served as a member of the Suggested State Legislation Committee of the 15 Council of State Governments; and 16 WHEREAS Representative Gruenberg served on the House Judiciary Committee 17 during every session of his legislative service, including service as co-chair of the committee 18 during the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Alaska State Legislatures; 19 BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives that the House Judiciary 20 Committee Room, currently Room 120 of the Alaska Capitol, be dedicated to Representative 21 Max F. Gruenberg, Jr., for his exemplary service as a member of the Alaska House of 22 Representatives and the House Judiciary Committee for more than 21 years; and be it 23 FURTHER RESOLVED that a bronze plaque shall be placed on or near the door of 24 the room celebrating Representative Gruenberg's legislative achievements, dedication, and 25 service to the legislature and the House Judiciary Committee, bearing the following 26 inscription: 27 THE MAX F. GRUENBERG, JR., COMMITTEE ROOM 28 The Max F. Gruenberg, Jr., Committee Room memorializes the 29 dedication and service of Max F. Gruenberg, Jr., who served as a member of 30 the Alaska House of Representatives and a member of the House Judiciary 31 Committee during the Fourteenth through Seventeenth and Twenty-Third
01 through Twenty-Ninth Alaska State Legislatures. He served as Majority 02 Leader and Minority Whip during his time in the legislature. He served as Co- 03 Chair and Vice-Chair of the House Judiciary Committee. His love and 04 dedication to the law, the legislature, and the people of the state were 05 unequaled. He was often called the "Great Amender" because of his numerous 06 amendments in committee and on the floor, amendments that were always in 07 service of creating a more perfect bill or resolution. Max, as he was insistent he 08 be called, possessed a keen sense of humor, which he used to defuse tension. 09 He was a great parliamentarian, he protected the public process, and he 10 zealously guarded the honor of the legislature as an institution. He stood by his 11 principles and fought for those less fortunate. He cared about passing good 12 laws, regardless of whether he received credit for his ideas. His knowledge, 13 experience, and integrity were universally acknowledged by his peers. 14 A COPY of this resolution shall be presented to his wife, Kayla Epstein, and the 15 family of the late Representative Max F. Gruenberg, Jr.