04/17/2002 01:45 PM Senate JUD

                 HJR 30-DESECRATION OF U.S. FLAG                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. LINDA  SYLVESTER, staff to  Representative Pete  Kott, sponsor                                                              
of  HJR 30,  told  the  committee that  HJR  30 asks  Congress  to                                                              
present a constitutional  amendment to the states  that authorizes                                                              
Congress  to prohibit  the physical  desecration  of the  American                                                              
flag. The resolution  supports two measures in  Congress: one, HJR
, is  successfully moving  through Congress.  HJR 36  passed the                                                              
House of Representatives in July,  2001 with a vote of 298 to 125.                                                              
However, it is now one of the resolutions  affectionately referred                                                              
to as  the "Daschle  50" and has  been held up  in the  Senate. In                                                              
1989, the Supreme  Court overturned the final effort  to outlaw or                                                              
restrict  desecration of  the American  flag. That  action set  in                                                              
motion  a  successful  grassroots  campaign.  No  other  issue  on                                                              
Capitol Hill  has the  endorsement of 80  percent of  the American                                                              
people, the  overwhelming majority of  the U.S. House  and Senate,                                                              
and 100  percent of state legislatures.  Every state has  passed a                                                              
resolution since  1989, including  Alaska, requesting  Congress to                                                              
initiate  a  constitutional  amendment  for  ratification  by  the                                                              
states. HJR  30 asks the U.S. Senate  to yield to the  will of the                                                              
people  and send the  proposed flag  amendment  to the states  for                                                              
ratification.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being  no further  testimony or  questions, SENATOR  COWDERY                                                              
moved  HJR  30 and  its  fiscal  note  to the  next  committee  of                                                              
referral.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
VICE-CHAIR  DONLEY announced  that without  objection, the  motion                                                              
carried.  There  being no  further  business  to come  before  the                                                              
committee, he adjourned the meeting at 1:55 p.m.