Legislature(2001 - 2002)
03/13/2001 03:35 PM Senate STA
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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= bill was previously heard/scheduled
SB 90-OFFICE OF CITIZENSHIP ASSISTANCE
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked Senator Kelly to introduce the bill and
noted that it was his intent to hear public testimony and take up
final action on the bill at a later meeting.
SENATOR PETE KELLY, sponsor of SB 90, said this bill creates a
director position under the Office of the Ombudsman to act as a
liaison between new citizens and those studying to become citizens.
The many state and private services available to citizens and
citizen candidates may be inaccessible due to language, social and
cultural barriers. The Office of Citizenship Assistance would
respectfully help these individuals while remaining sensitive to
their various customs and cultures.
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked whether the liaison would function under
the ombudsman in an ombudsman capacity.
SENATOR KELLY said the director would be a liaison between the
ombudsman and the individuals so there is someone to go to in the
ombudsman's office that will be more sensitive to cultural and
language difficulties.
SENATOR PHILLIPS asked whether there are other states with this
type of division.
SENATOR KELLY said no there aren't.
SENATOR PHILLIPS said he has difficulty with this bill because both
of his parents are immigrants.
SENATOR PEARCE thinks the idea is good but wonders whether this
helps interface more with state and local services or federal ones.
SENATOR KELLY said it will interface more with state services. He
reassured Senator Pearce that this position will not help in the
naturalization process, rather it will provide help in locating
state and local services.
JESSIE R. PELAYO, Filipino Community leader, gave lengthy and heart
felt testimony in support of SB 90. The full testimony is available
in the bill record.
MR. PELAYO, said that in the fall of 1989, there was a statewide
meeting of Filipino organizations held in Anchorage to discuss
solutions to the difficulties Filipino citizen candidates
encounter. He found that the difficulties he and his family and
friends experienced in Juneau were common in large and small
communities across the state.
Until the City and Borough of Juneau passed a resolution requesting
a permanent immigration officer, immigration problems were
commonplace, expensive and lengthy.
He went on to outline discriminatory employment practices,
difficulty understanding legal issues and housing, medical and
educational problems.
In closing, Mr. Pelayo urged committee members to support SB 90 so
that naturalized citizens would have a place to turn when faced
with injustices resulting from a difference in cultures.
MARIO D. LIR, Pastor of the Word of Life Christian Center,
testified in support of SB 90. As a pastor, he has repeatedly seen
the problems naturalized citizens have assimilating with a
different culture. The State of Alaska has never before addressed
these needs and it is past time for them to do so. Many of these
individuals are productive state employees so it is the state's
responsibility to help them with difficulties associated with
changing countries and cultures.
PASTOR LIR also outlined specific immigration, legal, medical and
language problems faced by Filipinos and other immigrants and said
there needs to be a place these individuals can go and get help
dealing with the shock experienced when moving into a different
culture.
He is proud to be an American citizen but is concerned about the
new immigrant population. He closed saying, "You need to walk a
mile in my shoes, there are many stories to tell."
SENATOR PHILLIPS said both his parents were immigrants, and he's
dealt with discrimination as well.
MARA KIMMEL is an immigration attorney who has worked in both
private practice and, more recently, for a statewide non-profit
social service agency providing immigration services. She is also
the co-chair of the Immigration Law Section of the Alaska Bar
Association.
She applauded the efforts of Senators Kelly, Austerman, Ellis and
Taylor in putting forth SB 90. The problems listed by Mr. Pelayo
and Pastor Lim are those facing her clients every day and she has
no place to refer them. SB 90 recognizes the valuable contributions
made by Alaska immigrants and acknowledges the fact that they have
difficulties in obtaining services that are taken for granted by
others who aren't faced with the same language and cultural
barriers.
Immigrants are frequently overlooked even though they are an
integral part of the Alaskan community. Creating the Office of
Citizenship reflects an important public policy which is
recognition of Alaska as a melting pot and welcoming these
newcomers to our state and nation. There is no other agency that
offers the services outlined in this bill. Many individuals will
benefit from the services The Office of Citizenship will provide.
ROBIN BRUNER, Program Director of Immigration and Refugee Services
Program at Catholic Social Services in Anchorage, also applauds the
efforts of the sponsors. The services are desperately needed by the
people her office represents. They are the only agency and
organization in Alaska providing legal services to immigrants and
refugees. There are six staff members in her office and they worked
with 2,700 people in fiscal year 2000.
Alaska is a very diverse state with 1,000 Salvadorans on Kodiak
Island, 500 Russians in Delta Junction and large communities of
Filipinos living in Southeast Alaska, Kodiak Island, Dutch Harbor
and the Interior.
Naturalization clinics held state wide have helped between 100 and
200 people become citizens each year. Although legal services are
provided, other needs mentioned by Mr. Pelayo and Pastor Lim aren't
addressed because there isn't anyplace to refer them. There is a
great need for an office where individuals could go and get the
referral and information services they desperately need.
She asked legislators to call her at (907) 276-5590 if there was
any way she could help them move the legislation forward.
Number 2077
ANDRE MCLEOD, testifying as a private citizen, called SB 90 "one of
the most harebrained schemes I have ever seen, to the tune of
$310,000 dollars." She thought the money could be better spent
elsewhere and that the two testifiers from Juneau appeared to have
adjusted to life in the United States very well. The challenges
they have met are the same as those faced by every one else.
Interfacing with government is always problematic. If there is
difficulty with Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS) forms
then those individuals should deal directly with INS. For problems
with discrimination, AS 18.80, The Human Rights Commission, is the
place to go. Attorney Kimmel should send individuals experiencing
difficulties of these types to either INS or the Human Rights
Commission. If there's any other type of difficulty with the state
government, there's always AS 24.55, the ombudsman's office. She
is sure there are better places to spend $310,000. "If things
aren't going right then fix it but don't build another empire."
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked for a phone number in case the bill
sponsors wanted to contact her directly.
C
MS. MLEOD said "I've already spoken to the sponsors of the bill
and as I've spoken to them, I've tried to see where need for this
legislation comes from and I was told that I really didn't need to
know that." However, if committee members want to talk to her the
number is 561-8595.
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked for other testimony. There was none.
The bill was held in committee so that Chairman Therriault could
discuss several matters with Senator Kelly.
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