05/07/2019 03:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

         HJR 9-ELIZABETH PERATROVICH COMMEMORATIVE COIN                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:58:58 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  BISHOP   announced  the   consideration  of   House  Joint                                                               
Resolution 9 (HJR 9).                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:59:17 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE DELENA JOHNSON,  Alaska State Legislature, Juneau,                                                               
Alaska,  sponsor   of  HJR  9,   provided  an  overview   of  the                                                               
resolution. She  disclosed that the legislation  was suggested by                                                               
an Alaska  4-H group from  Eagle. She detailed that  the American                                                               
Coin  Act  was passed  in  2018  with  a  proviso that  a  Native                                                               
American  coin  be  included.   A  coin  commemorating  Elizabeth                                                               
Peratrovich  has been  chosen to  be the  fourth Native  American                                                               
coin.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
She  detailed  that  the Elizabeth  Peratrovich  coin  will  have                                                               
Sacagawea on the reverse side.  She emphasized that there will be                                                               
no cost to the state. The U.S.  Mint is an enterprise fund of the                                                               
U.S. government  which means  it makes  money from  the collector                                                               
edition runs.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
She explained  that the resolution  asks for an extra  $2 million                                                               
in coinage  to be distributed  through the San  Francisco Federal                                                               
Reserve  Bank  of  San  Francisco, Seattle  Branch  so  that  the                                                               
Elizabeth  Peratrovich  coins  can   be  distributed  in  Alaska.                                                               
Typically,  collector editions  only  go to  collectors, but  the                                                               
Alaska 4-H group  from Eagle requested the resolution  to ask for                                                               
an additional  $2 million  in coins be  distributed in  Alaska so                                                               
that  the coin  can be  used in  the state.  She emphasized  that                                                               
Elizabeth Peratrovich is a national  figure and having her on the                                                               
commemorative  coin will  make her  the [fourth]  singular Alaska                                                               
Native woman besides Sacagawea on a coin.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:02:18 PM                                                                                                                    
MARCY HERMAN, Staff, Representative  DeLena Johnson, Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, Juneau,  Alaska, advised that  Elizabeth Peratrovich                                                               
would be  the fourth  singular Alaska  Native on  a commemorative                                                               
coin but the first woman other than Sacagawea.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BISHOP asked if the  Elizabeth Peratrovich coin design [NA-                                                               
2020-01] was selected.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON answered  that she was not  certain that a                                                               
final design had been chosen.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR   BISHOP  commented   that   he   would  select   Elizabeth                                                               
Peratrovich coin design [NA-2020-06].                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:03:30 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BISHOP opened public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:03:39 PM                                                                                                                    
RICHARD HANSCOM, representing  self, Fairbanks, Alaska, testified                                                               
in support  of HJR  9. He disclosed  that he is  a member  of the                                                               
Fairbanks Coin  Club. He  said the current  practice of  the U.S.                                                               
Mint is to make dollar coins  for sale only to collectors. If the                                                               
Elizabeth  Peratrovich coin  is  not placed  in circulation,  the                                                               
coin will  be just  another collectors' coin  that is  unknown to                                                               
the general public.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
He explained  that the act  of placing the  Elizabeth Peratrovich                                                               
coin into circulation will reaffirm  the commitment to the Alaska                                                               
Anti-Discrimination   law  passed   by  the   Territorial  Alaska                                                               
Legislature in  1945. Circulating the Elizabeth  Peratrovich coin                                                               
will  be   a  fitting  way   to  honor  the  work   of  Elizabeth                                                               
Peratrovich.  A circulating  coin  will be  a  daily reminder  to                                                               
adults and an educational tool for the children.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  BISHOP  noted that  he  grew  up as  a  coin  buff and  he                                                               
supports HJR 9.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:05:01 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BISHOP closed public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON thanked  Representative Johnson for bringing                                                               
the  resolution  forward.  She added  that  she  likes  Elizabeth                                                               
Peratrovich coin design [NA-2020-05].                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON summarized  that Elizabeth Peratrovich was                                                               
a  stellar figure  in the  state's  history. Prior  to the  Civil                                                               
Rights Act  of the 1960s,  Elizabeth Peratrovich was  involved in                                                               
the   Alaska   Anti-Discrimination   Act   of   1945.   Elizabeth                                                               
Peratrovich was a  recipient of discrimination and  she found her                                                               
voice and made sure her voice was known in Alaska.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JOHNSON   said  it  is  fitting   that  Elizabeth                                                               
Peratrovich  was chosen  to  be on  the  commemorative coin.  She                                                               
added  that she  is delighted  to carry  the legislation  forward                                                               
from the Interior Alaska 4-H group from Eagle.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:06:51 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  BIRCH moved  to report  [CSHJR 9(STA)],  work order  31-                                                               
LS0573\M,  from  committee  with individual  recommendations  and                                                               
attached zero fiscal note.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:07:02 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BISHOP found  no objection and CSHJR 9(STA)  moved from the                                                               
Senate Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee.