Legislature(2023 - 2024)ADAMS 519
03/14/2024 05:00 PM House FINANCE
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Public Testimony: Fairbanks, Bethel, Cordova, Kotzebue, Nome, Valdez, Wrangell, Utqiagvik, off Nets | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 268 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 270 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HOUSE BILL NO. 268
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
loan program expenses of state government and for
certain programs; capitalizing funds; amending
appropriations; making capital appropriations; making
supplemental appropriations; making reappropriations;
making appropriations under art. IX, sec. 17(c),
Constitution of the State of Alaska, from the
constitutional budget reserve fund; and providing for
an effective date."
HOUSE BILL NO. 270
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
capital expenses of the state's integrated
comprehensive mental health program; and providing for
an effective date."
^PUBLIC TESTIMONY: FAIRBANKS, BETHEL, CORDOVA, KOTZEBUE,
NOME, VALDEZ, WRANGELL, UTQIAGVIK, OFF NETS
5:08:46 PM
AT EASE
5:09:15 PM
RECONVENED
Co-Chair Johnson OPENED public testimony.
Co-Chair Johnson relayed that Representative Tomaszewski
would be the chair for the next portion of the meeting.
Representative Tomaszewski prompted the testifiers to
begin.
5:10:30 PM
KRISTIN PAPP, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
expressed her support for education funding. She thanked
the committee members who voted to increase the Base
Student Allocation (BSA) and pass SB 140. She argued that
people would not want to move to Alaska or remain in Alaska
if education was not funded. She requested that the
legislature fully fund the Alaska Reads Act in addition to
the BSA. Schools build community and act as the support
system for many children. She shared that a peer in her
child's class experienced the loss of a parent and the
school immediately provided counselling and support for the
entire class. She added that her son was at a charter
school for a while, but he moved to a public school because
he did not have a great teacher and her son was much
happier at the local school.
5:14:10 PM
CHRISTINA TURMAN, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
shared that she was born and raised in Fairbanks and
intended to raise her kids in Fairbanks, but she was
considering moving due to the dire school system situation.
Her children attended a school that was presently being
considered for closure. She stressed that the future of
Alaska's schools was in the hands of the legislature. Some
of the many issues were the following: class sizes had
increased insurmountably, fewer options for art programs,
teachers were underpaid and overworked, test scores were at
an all-time low, and school closures were becoming more
common. She did not think it was an issue of irresponsible
spending, but an issue of the government not prioritizing
education. She wanted the legislature to be innovative and
work together to find sustainable solutions. She emphasized
that schools would continue to close and the cycle would
continue if there were no changes. She reminded legislators
that the individuals most impacted were not democrats, nor
republicans, but children.
5:17:26 PM
RACHEL LIBBY, INTERIOR ALASKA CENTER FOR NON-VIOLENT
LIVING, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), advocated for an
increase in funding for victims' services under the Council
on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (CDVSA). She shared
that she was responsible for overseeing the sexual assault
response team for the Interior Alaska Center for Non-
Violent Living (IACNVL). The advocates for sexual assault
prevention provided services to survivors who had
experienced sexual assault and were interested in receiving
medical care. When a victim arrived at the hospital, the
team was alerted and would arrive to support the victim
within 45 minutes. The advocate provided information about
services, accompanied the victim to forensic interviews and
examinations, and ensured there was a safe place to go
after leaving the hospital. She shared that IACNVL provided
services within the Fairbanks North Star Borough and the 42
surrounding villages in the interior. The center needed
reliable funding to allow it to provide the services that
victims needed and deserved.
Representative Tomaszewski noted that Representative Maxine
Dibert was present in the audience.
Representative Stapp thanked Ms. Libby for her testimony.
Representative Tomaszewski offered a reminder that the
testimony was intended to be focused on HB 268 and HB 270.
5:20:48 PM
KARA CARLSON, INTERIOR ALASKA CENTER FOR NON-VIOLENT
LIVING, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), shared that her
family had twice benefited from violent crime compensation.
She requested that the legislature add $4 million back into
the budget for victims' services. She reported that Alaska
had the highest rates of sexual assault in the nation and
reducing violence and preventing crime should be a top
priority for the state. With the rise of inflation and
funding remaining flat, IACNVL had to cut hours to 30 per
week in order to stay afloat. She emphasized that staff
worked incredibly hard with individuals on what was often
one of the individual's worst days. Reducing funding
increased the workload for staff and made it more difficult
to recruit and retain staff. She reiterated that the $4
million in funding should be restored to the budget.
5:23:11 PM
LAURA CAPELLE, SELF, FAIRBANKS, thanked the committee for
passing SB 140 which she saw as an example of bipartisan
cooperation. She supported the inclusion of vital education
funding in the budget and the BSA increase in SB 140. There
were four schools in Fairbanks that were being considered
for closure as one of the ways to compensate for unsecured
funding. She urged the committee to support education
funding to avoid school closures.
5:25:12 PM
EMILY FOSSUM, INTERIOR ALASKA CENTER FOR NON-VIOLENT
LIVING, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), worked as an
advocate against sexual assault and violence. She was
testifying to request an increase in funding for victims'
services. Alaska had the highest rates of domestic violence
and sexual violence in the country. Despite limited
resources, the center supported victims in many ways, such
as helping victims through sobriety treatments, obtaining
domestic violence protective orders, reunification with the
victims' children, housing, and ongoing safety planning.
The budget cuts proposed would increase the workload of
existing staff and negatively impact staff's ability to
emotionally support clients. She argued that the $4 million
cut was not being taken from agencies, but from victims.
She urged reconsidering the cuts and restoring the funds to
the budget.
5:27:47 PM
MARIKO KINIKIN, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
requested that the legislature fully fund schools. She
found that the BSA was $5,680 in 2014 and $5,930 in 2023,
which was a difference of only $250 dollars. She was a
teacher in 2014 and school environments were vastly
different than schools today. The technological
advancements alone would account for the $250 increase.
She noted that technology was moving towards a subscription
model which greatly impacted schools and the online
resources schools could afford. Costs had significantly
increased but funding had not increased with it. She urged
for education funding to be increased.
5:29:46 PM
JUNE ROGERS, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), relayed
that she was born in Fairbanks and she had been involved in
advocacy for numerous community efforts. She had been
listening to the testimony and she agreed with the comments
of every testifier. Communities could thrive if all
citizens worked together. She did not agree with reducing
the amount of time, effort, and dollars for community
health programs, which she argued were essential. She was
frustrated that the state continued to not fully support
community efforts and programs. She understood the
circumstances under which the legislature worked, but
discussing how the state should move forward was a better
discussion than the "slicing and dicing" of dollars. There
was no topic that was more important than education and
behavioral health and the budgets needed to reflect the
importance. There needed to be discussion around the
funding that was necessary to move forward. She argued that
the state could not say that it did not have funds because
funds were simply not being allocated wisely. She urged
that the design of the budget be more carefully considered.
Representative Tomaszewski announced that he would pass the
gavel to Representative Stapp who would assume the
responsibility of chairing the meeting.
5:35:02 PM
AT EASE
5:35:38 PM
RECONVENED
Representative Stapp began chairing the meeting and invited
testifiers to begin.
5:36:05 PM
BRIE GOLDSTEIN, INTERIOR ALASKA CENTER FOR NON-VIOLENT
LIVING, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), requested that the
funding for CDVSA grants be increased. As proposed, the
budget would result in the shelter reducing hours and would
require that the shelter operate with one employee at a
time. She shared that working alone at the shelter was a
common occurrence. She offered an example of what it looked
like to work alone at a busy shelter. If she took a phone
call from a victim of domestic violence in immediate need
and another individual was at the door looking for food and
warm clothes, she had to juggle both individuals who both
needed her entire attention. She did not want to turn away
someone in need, but she had to quickly assess whether an
individual would cause harm to herself or others at the
shelter. She stressed that funding was truly being used to
directly assist individuals in dire need.
5:38:31 PM
BRANDY HARTY, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), shared
that as a child in the public school system in the state,
she benefited from well-paid and highly educated teachers
with strong retirement packages and small class sizes. She
knew she had received a world-class education when she
graduated in 2002 which had prepared her to be anything she
wanted to be. She relayed that what she wanted to be most
was a teacher in Alaska. She was now a dual-certified
special elementary education teacher with two children in
the public school system. Over the past 20 years, wages had
stagnated and the retirement and benefits system was now
the worst in the country. The education her children were
receiving was far worse than the education she received
when she was in school. She urged that the state prioritize
children and their education. She requested that the
legislature place funding for schools at the top of the
priority list and vote to maintain an increased BSA.
5:40:46 PM
BRENDA MCFARLANE, CRISIS NOW COORDINATOR, CITY OF
FAIRBANKS, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), advocated for
increased funding for the Crisis Now grants. She thought
that many behavioral health needs in the state could be met
in less costly and less traumatic ways. The same
individuals experiencing behavioral health crises were
often toted back and forth to hospitals and emergency rooms
by police officers because crisis centers had no
availability. She believed that crisis services were
essential services and the state needed to fund the
services. Restoring $1 million for crisis services would be
a sign of good faith. Investing in crisis care was
necessary and worthwhile for all residents. Alaska had one
of the highest rates of traumatic brain injuries in the
nation, which could result in mental health issues.
Building a system of crisis care made sense, especially
when examining the cost of suicides, domestic violence, and
substance abuse in the state. The state paid for its lack
of a working system with the lives of its citizens.
5:43:23 PM
KENDRA CRINGAN, INTERIOR ALASKA CENTER FOR NON-VIOLENT
LIVING, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), advocated for
increased funding for the Crisis Now grants. The funding
directly impacted victims' services and victims of violent
crime. As an advocate, she spent the entirety of her
working day communicating with victims and assisting
victims in a multitude of ways. The mental load of helping
victims experiencing crises was burdensome, but she could
not afford the cost of counseling because wages were low.
Advocates' wages began at $22 per hour, which was
competitive with fast food wages and retail wages. She was
working shifts with a bare minimum level of support and was
often the only staff member working at a time. Burn out
among advocates was common and led to less and less
resources for an already vulnerable population. She urged
increased funding for Crisis Now grants for the betterment
of the community.
5:45:47 PM
SARAH LEWIS, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
requested that legislators continue to fight for SB 140 if
the governor vetoes the bill. She argued that current
practices were discriminatory and every school that was
within an incorporated city or borough was at a
disadvantage. The model used for federal impact
reimbursement was not adequately serving Alaskans. She
relayed that Alaska was the only state that used the second
of two disbursement options offered by the federal
government and she requested that the legislature should
reevaluate the choice and its impact. The legislature's
support for the BSA was a breath of fresh air but it was
not enough to save education. The quality of a state's
public schools impacted each and every aspect of the state.
She shared that many of the individuals she spoke with who
were leaving the state were leaving because of the lack of
adequate child care and education funding. She stressed
that education funding should be taken seriously when
people were choosing to leave Alaska due to the state of
the schools.
5:48:43 PM
JULIE HOUGHTON, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
expressed support for the Mobile Crisis Team and crisis
stabilization grants. She had been a nurse for 40 years and
a behavioral health advocate for 11 years. She argued that
it was crucial that crisis teams were financially
supported. The crisis team and its organizers had developed
a program that directly helped Fairbanks' most vulnerable
citizens. The team had averted 52 calls away from the
police department in Fairbanks in the last month alone,
which represented a substantial savings to the police
department. She emphasized that it was paramount that the
crisis teams had the resources to support victims and meet
the needs of the community, and Fairbanks was in need of
more resource to properly support the population. Fairbanks
lacked warming shelters, housing, and treatment centers,
which made the care provided by crisis teams in the first
24 hours even more important.
5:51:19 PM
MOLLY PAYNE, SELF, FAIRBANKS, urged the increased funding
of public education. She argued that well-funded schools
helped children develop the necessary tools to be
successful. She was concerned about the quality of
schooling and opportunities that would be available for her
future children. She stressed that children suffered the
consequences of inadequate funding, but the community and
economy suffered as well as a result.
5:53:35 PM
LEIGH BOLIN, RESOURCE CENTER FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN,
ALASKA CHILDREN'S ALLIANCE, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
testified in regard to a budget shortage for child advocacy
centers and organizations. She requested that $4 million be
added to the CDVSA grants. The advocacy centers were
designed to be a child-friendly and neutral setting to
provide assistance to children who experienced abuse. The
advocates at the center were available 24 hours per day, 7
days per week. The centers worked alongside law
enforcement, medical partners, and tribal organizations
when there were allegations of child abuse. The centers
were statutorily mandated to assist in situations of child
abuse. She echoed that Alaska was the state in the nation
with the highest number of sexual abuse cases and the
second highest number of child abuse cases. The centers
were facing significant budget cuts and would directly
impact services provided to children. The funding was
directly allocated to frontline employees working with
children and families and there was no funding for costs
such as rent or supplies. She stressed that a funding cut
of any kind would be devastating.
5:55:28 PM
BROOKE FREEBURG, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
relayed that she had emailed three of the committee members
to express her gratitude for their support of SB 140. She
reminded members that children needed to be a priority in
the state. She asked the legislature to override any veto
that may come and to continue to support a BSA increase of
at least $680.
5:56:48 PM
MARJORIE RICHARDS, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
shared that child advocacy centers were facing drastic cuts
in federal funding for 2025. She was a former board member
of the Resource Center for Parents and Children in
Fairbanks, which ran a child advocacy center. The center
provided medical exams, coordinated with law enforcement,
and provided mental and physical support for victims of
abuse and neglect. She requested that the legislature
return $4 million to the budget for victims' services.
5:58:24 PM
SHANAH KINISON, SELF, HAINES (via teleconference),
requested that the legislature allocate more funds for home
health care in the budget. She was a caregiver and she and
her coworkers were living paycheck-to-paycheck with no
benefits or security. She was highly concerned about the
future of home health care if funding levels continued to
drop. She had been trying to recruit another caregiver for
her client for over a year and had not been successful.
Caregivers made possible the lives of elders, people with
disabilities, and children but the work was not valued. A
lack of funding devalued her work and the rights of the
clients to live at home with dignity. Caregivers needed
higher wages, support, and security. She felt unappreciated
and disposable and thought that the most urgent way to
spend money was to benefit those who were most vulnerable.
6:01:29 PM
ADAM FREEBURG, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
relayed that he was a parent of public school children and
expressed his support for SB 140. He expressed particular
gratitude for Representative Tomaszewski's vote to pass SB
40 as Representative Tomaszewski was his representative. He
hoped that Representative Tomaszewski would stand by his
vote if the bill was vetoed and there was a subsequent
effort to override the veto. The BSA in 2024 was only about
$250 more than it was in 2014. There was a constitutional
requirement for the legislature to adequately fund schools
and SB 140 was a good start by increasing funding to
schools. He argued that school districts needed all funding
that could be made available. He urged the legislature to
also address the disparities in local contributions between
unincorporated areas of the state and incorporated areas.
6:04:01 PM
SAMUEL HARRIS, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), asked
for increased funding for home care that went to the
caregivers and not the agencies. He was a caregiver and he
spent a significant amount of money out of pocket in order
to support his clients, and many caregivers experienced the
same loss of funds. He had lost money giving rides to
clients because the agencies did not have enough funding to
reimburse him for the gas or wear-and-tear on his car. He
argued that caregivers deserved reimbursement for services
and better wages overall.
6:05:19 PM
EMILY ICE, STEP-IN AUTISM SERVICES, FAIRBANKS (via
teleconference), shared that there were 88 families on the
waitlist to receive services from Step-In Autism Services.
She was concerned about the unintentional discrimination
against kids with autism in the Alaska Medicaid program.
Many families on the waitlist had no alternative options
and faced consequences such as preventable accidents. The
current structure of autism services was adopted in 2018
and since then, all other community behavioral-health
services received a total inflation adjustment of 12.76
percent, but autism services had seen no such adjustment.
The lack of inflationary adjustments had led to growing
wait lists sometimes exceeding two years across the state.
She urged the legislature to include a 12.76 one-time
adjustment to autism services to address inflation. The
services prevented more expensive and intensive care and
would allow children with autism to remain in their homes
and communities.
6:07:30 PM
RITA DAVIS, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), shared
that she was a caregiver and requested that the legislature
add more funding in the budget for caregiver. She explained
that people of all ages needed care. Caregivers were
underpaid, overworked, and stressed because there was not
enough funding available to enable caregivers to provide
the necessary level of care. The state needed caregivers
and caregivers needed more money.
6:09:24 PM
BOBBY BURGESS, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
understood that the job of the legislature was to provide
adequate funding for education. He reminded members that
school boards across the state asked for a BSA increase of
no less than $1,413 just to maintain current services and a
buying power that would be roughly equivalent to 2017.
Although SB 140 proposed an increase of $680, he was
grateful for any help that could be provided. He hoped that
legislators would act with integrity and uphold their votes
if a veto override was necessary. Over $50 million had been
cut from the Fairbanks North Star Borough's (FNSB) budget
and there was nothing left to cut. The district was
considering closing schools and increasing class sizes to
an average of 30 kids in elementary schools and 35 in high
school. He had heard some legislators say that they did not
understand what was being bought when education was funded,
and he argued that the answer was staff. Education was how
work forces were developed and ensured that adult citizens
were informed about history and civics when they graduated
from the public school system. By funding education, the
state was buying informed and responsible citizens ready to
participate in civics and democracy, thriving
neighborhoods, and strong communities. Funding education
meant buying a functional society.
6:12:03 PM
DIANA LIENBERGER, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
testified in support of education funding as she supported
public schools and wanted schools to be adequately funded.
She requested that legislators implement all elements of SB
140 and asked that legislators stand behind their vote
should the governor choose to veto the bill. The
legislature was constitutionally required to maintain the
state's public schools, and she argued that schools must be
adequately funded in order for schools to be considered
maintained. Many working-age people were leaving the state,
which was holding back economic growth. She stressed that
if the education system was not improved upon, people would
continue to leave Alaska.
6:13:54 PM
AT EASE
6:14:22 PM
RECONVENED
Co-Chair Foster began chairing the meeting and prompted
testifiers to begin.
6:14:53 PM
DEBORAH TOWBRIDGE, PRESIDENT, ALASKA HEAD START
ASSOCIATION, NOME (via teleconference), thanked Co-Chair
Foster for making the Head Start program a priority and
personally visiting the program in Nome. She expressed
gratitude for the recommendation to increase Head Start
funding by $5 million. The increase would allow the 17 Head
Start programs to meet the required 20 percent non-federal-
share match which would keep $32 million federal dollars in
the state. The children served by Head Start were those
with greatest needs in the community and were often
homeless or in foster care and the program provided
comprehensive services to vulnerable children and families.
She emphasized that the program provided services that
benefited children, families, and the economy. Additional
funding would enable to program to increase staff wages and
recruit and retain necessary staff in order to sustain
services. She asked that the committee maintain the $5
million increase in funding.
Co-Chair Foster shared that he enjoyed his time visiting
with the kids in the Head Start program and looked forward
to returning.
6:17:53 PM
CASIE WARNER, SELF, SEWARD (via teleconference), urged that
legislators support a $30.5 million increase to child care
benefits in the operating budget. She continued to hear
about working families leaving the state due to inadequate
child care. Due to the out migrations, Seward was losing
many services that were required for it to function as a
year-round community. The economy of the state continued to
be negatively impacted due to the lack of child care.
6:19:27 PM
BONNIE MUND, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
appreciated the hard work of the legislature on SB 140. She
hoped that any SB 140 veto would be overridden. There were
many vital programs in Fairbanks schools being cut, such as
band and orchestra. She urged that legislators treat
education as a foundational component of the state and of
society.
6:22:06 PM
APRIL CHARMLEY, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference),
shared that she was speaking as a recovered traumatized
adult. She wanted to highlight the voices of recovered
adults living in Anchorage who needed services. Everyone
needed housing and it would always be difficult for any
victim to get back on their feet. She relayed that
Anchorage was the most dangerous and diverse city in Alaska
and traumatized adults needed the chance to recover. She
argued that a reduced budget would only hurt victims. The
funding needed to be increased and there needed to be more
victims' advocates.
Co-Chair Foster noted that the testimony cutoff was in six
minutes. He offered the resources to enable individuals to
submit written testimony.
6:26:16 PM
JESSE HENSEL, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
appreciated the BSA increase in SB 140 and hoped that all
legislators would stand by their votes to fund public
education in Alaska.
6:27:30 PM
LESA MEATH, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), thought
that funding needed to focus on raising the BSA. There were
multiple schools in Fairbanks being considered for closure
and many others were being downsized. Class sizes were
larger and districts were unable to hire aides or qualified
teachers. She argued that the suggestion by the governor to
offer teachers a bonus as a recruitment method was not
evidence-based or proven to be effective. The efforts of
states that had tried offering bonuses for the purpose of
teacher recruitment had failed. Community members and
school boards knew what decisions made the most sense to
meet local needs. Everyone wanted quality educators and
optimal learning environments for kids. All students across
the state deserved to be prioritized in the budget.
6:29:40 PM
JANIS JOHNSON, BOARD TREASURER, ADVOCATES FOR VICTIMS OF
VIOLENCE, VALDEZ (via teleconference), shared that the
Advocates for Victims of Violence (AVV) had been providing
services to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence
for more than 43 years. She explained that Valdez was
hundreds of miles from the nearest shelters. She relayed
that AVV was part of the justice system emergency rooms and
provided services to victims and survivors 24 hours per
day, 7 days per week. The ADD shelters had been at capacity
for the last few years and the services provided were
vital. The shelters often had to send victims to hotels and
bed and breakfasts in order to give everyone a place to
stay. Advocates employed by ADD accompanied victims through
medical examinations, law enforcement proceedings, helped
victims navigate the justice system and retain a pro-bono
lawyer, helped victims find a job and a place to live, and
assisted with divorce and child custody as needed. The
costs and commodities at the shelter were high and
recruiting and retaining qualified employees was difficult.
The shelters could not pay employees competitive wages with
the funding provided and advocates made the same wages as
the employees in the local grocery store. She urged that
the legislature increase the funding for victims' services.
6:32:49 PM
GIANNA GIUSTI, BOARD VICE PRESIDENT, ADVOCATES FOR VICTIMS
OF VIOLENCE, VALDEZ (via teleconference), requested that
the legislature increase the funding for victims' services.
As a school counselor, she had seen the impacts of child
abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault on her
students. Working with shelter staff had helped her find
resources and better communicate with victims. The AVV
shelters offered after-school programs and she was able to
refer children to the programs. One of the most important
things the children learned in the programs was how to pass
on information on how to call for help to a parent
experiencing domestic violence. Using the programs
presented a chance to build connections and relationships
with safe adults in the community. She explained that AVV
also provided child advocacy services to children staying
at the shelter. She encouraged everyone to help provide
children with a safe environment.
6:35:40 PM
ROWENA PALOMAR, ADVOCATES FOR VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE, VALDEZ
(via teleconference), indicated that she was an advocate
working at AVV and read a statement from a client. The
client requested that funding for victims' services be
increased. The client had been a pastor in Valdez for 43
years and appreciated the services provided to victims
through AVV. The client had seen many times the ways in
which the services had helped victims survive and move
forward and urged that funding be increased.
6:37:39 PM
TINA RUSSEL, DIRECT SERVICES COORDINATOR, ADVOCATES FOR
VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE, VALDEZ (via teleconference), explained
that AVV was the only organization providing crisis
intervention, shelter, advocacy, and other essential
support to a region of over 1,000 square miles. Due to the
large region, travel was often a concern and AVV
coordinated with local law enforcement to help take victims
out of communities at the earliest possible opportunity.
The healing process for victims was different depending
upon the person, which was why AVV continued to work with
victims once the judicial process had concluded. She urged
that funding be increased.
6:40:38 PM
ANDREA GORYL, NURSE PRACTICIONER, TUNDRA WOMEN'S COALITION,
BETHEL (via teleconference), testified to increase funding
for victims' services within CDVSA. She explained that her
primary duty was performing medical exams for victims of
sexual assault and child abuse. She echoed that Alaska had
the highest rates of sexual assault in the country and that
the Bethel region had twice the number of sexual assaults
than the Alaska state average. The Tundra Women's Coalition
had a strong team that included medical practitioners,
advocates, and law enforcement. Without the services
provided by the coalition, it would not be possible to
fully support victims during a traumatic event. The
coalition worked collaboratively to provide complete
services to victims and the victims expressed gratitude for
the coalition's work. Victims had told her that the
coalition had allowed them to obtain appropriate behavioral
health services and become sober. Most victims told her
that the coalition had helped them have hope for the
future. She requested that the legislature refrain from
cutting funding from the coalition because it would be
devastating to victims and to the community.
6:43:41 PM
CJ PLEASANT, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, TUNDRA WOMEN'S COALITION,
BEHTEL (via teleconference), relayed that funding for
victims' services had greatly increased the capacity of the
coalition to help people in need. The funding helped the
coalition hire skilled employees, such as individuals who
could speak Alaska Native languages as well as English.
Language barriers often negatively impacted the ability of
a victim to get the appropriate kind of help.
6:45:57 PM
LAURIE OVERBAY, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), asked
for increased funding for home care that would be allocated
to the caregivers and not the agencies. Caregivers paid for
gas, transportation, and sometimes food and were not
reimbursed. Caregivers also often worked beyond scheduled
hours and were not paid for their time. She thought that
elders and people with disabilities deserved to live at
home, which would not be possible without caregivers. The
caregiving jobs were not desirable because the pay was low
and there were no benefits. She hoped that the legislature
would see to it that the funding for home care be allocated
to caregivers, elders, and people with disabilities.
6:48:09 PM
JANET JOHNSON, SELF, CORDOVA (via teleconference), shared
that she had a daughter who was impacted by multiple
disabilities and needed support 24 hours per day, 7 days
per week. Her daughter moved from Cordova to Anchorage in
order to find more social opportunities and career
opportunities. She was glad that family members of
individuals with disabilities were now allowed to receive
pay to care for their loved ones. She was willing to quit
her job in Cordova and move to Anchorage to be a full-time
caretaker for her daughter; however, the fact that she
would need to go through an agency in order to get hired
was a barrier. She would not be able to take care of her
own basic needs such as rent and food if she were to
transition to full-time caregiving for her daughter. She
requested that funding for home care be increased and be
allocated to the caregivers.
6:50:47 PM
PETER HOEPFNER, PRESIDENT, CORDOVA FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER,
CORDOVA (via teleconference), relayed that the mission of
the Cordova Family Resource Center was to promote healthy
individual and family relationships throughout the
community by providing prevention education, advocacy, and
crisis response. The center offered many services such as a
24-hour help line, summer camps, and social programs. The
center also helped individuals navigate state programs and
the judicial system. The advocates at the center were
called to help victims in domestic violence cases and
helped facilitate services with the Office of Children's
Services (OCS). The center's main funding source was the
grants from CDVSA, though the center's executive director
was always seeking out other smaller grants. If funding for
victims' services were cut, it would have a significant and
negative impact on the center. The cut would likely prevent
the center from building the domestic violence shelter that
was currently in the planning stages. He expressed his
appreciation for the work done by the legislature.
6:54:27 PM
Co-Chair Foster commented that there were over 40
testifiers during the meeting. He thanked everyone for
sharing their testimony.
Co-Chair Foster CLOSED public testimony.
Co-Chair Foster reviewed the agenda for the following
meeting.
HB 268 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
HB 270 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
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