Legislature(2021 - 2022)BUTROVICH 205
05/04/2021 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB126 | |
| HB3 | |
| SB39 | |
| SB118 | |
| SB31 | |
| SB120 | |
| SJR12 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 39 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 118 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 120 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 31 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 3 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 126 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SJR 12 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 108 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 109 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SB 39-BALLOT CUSTODY/TAMPERING; VOTER REG; MAIL
4:19:56 PM
CHAIR SHOWER announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 39
"An Act relating to elections; relating to voter registration;
relating to ballots and a system of tracking and accounting for
ballots; establishing an election offense hotline; designating
as a class A misdemeanor the collection of ballots from other
voters; designating as a class C felony the intentional opening
or tampering with a sealed ballot, certificate, or package of
ballots without authorization from the director of the division
of elections; and providing for an effective date."
4:20:20 PM
SENATOR REINBOLD moved to report CSSB 39, work order 32-LS0204\O
as amended, from committee with individual recommendations and
attached fiscal note(s).
4:20:39 PM
SENATOR KAWASAKI objected. He stated he did not support the bill
despite the changes in the last committee substitute. The bill
still encourages the Division of Elections to use block chain
voting, which has not been thoroughly vetted and is not
foolproof. He pointed out that the existing election system does
work, although it needs refinements. He acknowledged that the
system was vulnerable to hacking but pointed out that the
Russian block chain e-voting system was also hacked in June 2020
so it is not foolproof. He said it is not appropriate to change
systems right now, particularly without DOE speaking to the
issues it can fix without the new system.
SENATOR KAWASAKI acknowledged that there were good ideas in the
bill and said he appreciated the sponsor and his staff helping
with a couple of his amendments like long-term absentee voting.
He expressed hope that the next committees of referral would
refine some of the language in the bill and restated that he
opposed moving the bill.
4:23:07 PM
CHAIR SHOWER said he appreciated the comments but he wanted to
clarify that the bill does not specifically call for the use of
block chain. He advised that his office was working closely with
Representative Tuck on his version of the bill and predicted
that the final version would be a blend of the two.
4:23:54 PM
A roll call vote was taken. Senators Reinbold, Costello,
Holland, and Chair Shower voted in favor of the motion to move
SB 39 from committee and Senator Kawasaki voted against it.
Therefore, the motion passed by a 4:1 vote and CSSB 39(STA)
moved from the Senate State Affairs Standing Committee.
SENATOR COSTELLO highlighted that the CS for SB 39 was quite
different from the initial bill. She offered her belief that the
current version would modernize the voting system with
provisions for chain of custody for a ballot, ballot curing, and
updated voter rolls.