Legislature(2015 - 2016)BUTROVICH 205
04/07/2016 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB231 | |
| SB150 | |
| SB171 | |
| HB77 | |
| HB273 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | SB 150 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 171 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 231 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 273 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 77 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SB 150-DMVA COMMISSIONER MEMBER OF CDVSA
9:10:51 AM
CHAIR STOLTZE announced the consideration of SB 150 and moved to
adopt Amendment 1, labeled 29-GS2797\A.2:
AMENDMENT 1
OFFERED IN THE SENATE
TO SB 150
Page 1, line 2, following "Assault":
Insert "; and relating to the duties of the
Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault"
Page 2, following line 13:
Insert a new bill section to read:
"* Sec. 3. AS 18.66.050 is amended to read:
Sec. 18.66.050. Duties of the council. The
council shall
(1) Hire an executive director, and the
executive director may hire staff; the executive
director is in the exempt service under AS 39.25.110
and staff members are in the classified service under
AS 39.25.100;
(2) Elect one of its members as presiding
officer;
(3) In consultation with authorities in the
field, develop, implement, maintain, and monitor
domestic violence, sexual assault, and crisis
intervention and prevention programs, including
educational programs, films, and school curricula on
the cause, prevention, and treatment of domestic
violence and sexual assault;
(4) Coordinate services provided by the
Department of Law, the Department of Education and
Early Development, the Department of Public Safety,
the Department of Health and Social Services, the
Department of Corrections, the Department of Military
and Veterans' Affairs, and other state agencies and
community groups dealing with domestic violence,
sexual assault, and crisis intervention and
prevention, and provide technical assistance as
requested by those state agencies and community
groups;
(5) Develop and implement a standardized
data collection system on domestic violence, sexual
assault, and crisis intervention and prevention;
(6) Conduct public hearings and studies on
issues relating to violence, including domestic
violence and sexual assault, and on issues relating to
the role of crisis intervention and prevention;
(7) Receive and dispense state and federal
money and award grants and contracts from
appropriations for the purpose to qualified local
community entities for domestic violence, sexual
assault, and crisis intervention and prevention
programs;
(8) Oversee and audit domestic violence,
sexual assault, and crisis intervention and prevention
programs that receive money under this chapter;
(9) Provide fiscal and technical assistance
to plan, organize, implement, and administer domestic
violence, sexual assault, and crisis intervention and
prevention programs;
(10) Make an annual report to the governor
on the activities of the council, plans of the council
for new services and programs, and concerns of the
council, including recommendations for legislation
necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter;
the council shall notify the legislature that the
report is available;
(11) Adopt regulations in accordance with
AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act) to carry out
the purposes of this chapter and to protect the
health, safety, well-being, and privacy of persons
receiving services financed with grants or contracts
under this chapter;
(12) Consult with the Department of Health
and Social Services in the formulation of standards
and procedures for the delivery of services to victims
of domestic violence by health care facilities and
practitioners of healing arts and personnel in those
facilities as required in AS 18.66.300;
(13) Consult with the Alaska Police
Standards Council and other police training programs
in the state to develop training programs regarding
domestic violence for police officers and for
correction, probation, and parole officers;
(14) Consult with public employers, the
Alaska Supreme Court, school districts, and
prosecuting authorities who are required by
AS 18.66.300 - 18.66.310 to provide continuing
education courses in domestic violence to employees."
SENATOR COGHILL objected for discussion purposes.
9:11:02 AM
DANIEL GEORGE, Staff, Senator Stoltze, Alaska State Legislature,
Juneau, Alaska, explained that Amendment 1 catches an oversight
to add the commissioner for the Department of Military and
Veterans' Affairs (DMVA) to the Council on Domestic Violence and
Sexual Assault (CDVSA).
SENATOR COGHILL removed his objection.
CHAIR STOLTZE announced that no further objection was heard and
Amendment 1 was adopted.
9:12:25 AM
CHAIR STOLTZE moved to adopt Amendment 2, labeled 29-GS2797\A.1:
AMENDMENT 2
OFFERED IN THE SENATE
TO SB 150
Page 2, line 7, following "affairs":
Insert "who shall serve ex officio as a nonvoting
member of the council"
SENATOR COGHILL objected for discussion purposes.
MR. GEORGE said two letters were presented to the committee that
addressed Amendment 2. They were from the commissioner of DMVA
and the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.
SENATOR COGHILL commented that the amendment would make the DMVA
commissioner an ex officio, non-voting member for CDVSA.
CHAIR STOLTZE explained that the purpose for ex officio status
was not to alter CDVSA's public balance as well as keep the
fiscal note from occurring on the bill. He said a sensitivity
existed to not have an outnumbering of government officials over
public members.
CHAIR STOLTZE opened public testimony.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if Commissioner Hummel supported
Amendment 2 for SB 150.
9:13:59 AM
LAURIE HUMMEL, Commissioner, Department of Military & Veterans
Affairs (DMVA), Anchorage, Alaska, replied that she opposed
making commissioners non-voting members on the administration's
own boards, commissions and councils.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI pointed out that the concern was an
imbalance would occur with her appointment. He asked if
Commissioner Hummel agreed that the concern was valid.
COMMISSIONER HUMMEL voiced that she was concerned about an
imbalance and recommended that an additional public member be
added to the board.
CHAIR STOLTZE asked if the administration proposed adding a
public member when introducing the bill.
COMMISSIONER HUMMEL replied that she did not believe there was a
discussion.
9:16:40 AM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI pointed out that CDVSA's current membership
already had five commissioners and four public members. He asked
if the committee wanted to add more public members.
CHAIR STOLTZE commented that SB 150 was not his bill, but added
that he did not want to further promote CDVSA's imbalance. He
opined that the administration could have offered alternatives
for the imbalance.
SENATOR HUGGINS commented that the bill was a prime example of
being careful before asking for something where the state's
price tag for doing business was driven up.
9:18:22 AM
JAYNE ANDREEN, President, Alaska Public Health Association,
Douglas, Alaska, testified in opposition to Amendment 2 and
voiced her support for a balanced board. She shared her history
of serving on CDVSA's board and discussed the importance of
having a balanced board. She set forth that public members have
an important voice whose primary role is serving as a
coordinating entity.
9:20:50 AM
CHAIR STOLTZE noted that each commissioner has a strong voice
and could serve as ex-officio members. He suggested that all
commissioners should be ex officio. He stated that Amendment 2
was the most cost effective way to not disrupt the balance and
make sure that the public votes were at least at par. He noted
that fiscal notes for board costs have been appropriately
scrutinized and opined that the cost for adding another member
would be better served going to victims' services.
9:22:13 AM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI pointed out that SB 150 would make the
CDVSA board 6-commissioners and 4-public members. He said there
was a reluctance to spend more money on additional public
members. He asked Ms. Andreen if she would support an imbalanced
board.
MS. ANDREEN replied that she would support adding another public
member.
CHAIR STOLTZE commented that the 2014 gubernatorial race
involved DMVA discussions by the governor where arrests would be
made. He opined that the attorney general's office has had a
muted response to DMVA.
SENATOR MCGUIRE asked if there was anything in CDVSA's meetings
that prevented any commissioner or lawmakers from addressing the
council.
9:25:30 AM
LAUREE MORTON, Executive Director, Council on Domestic Violence
and Sexual Assault, Juneau, Alaska, answered no. She specified
that CDVSA's meetings were open to the public with stated
comment periods. She revealed that CDVSA has issue-specific days
where guest speakers were invited.
SENATOR MCGUIRE asked if there has been an instance where a
request to attend was denied.
9:27:14 AM
MS. MORTON answered no, not during her tenure since 2011.
SENATOR MCGUIRE opined that SB 150 was a solution in search of a
problem. She stated that she did not think politicizing CDVSA
was appropriate. She set forth that she did not support the
amendment.
CHAIR STOLTZE explained that the amendment was offered as kind
of a placeholder to facilitate a discussion. He remarked that he
was comfortable with sending SB 150 forward to Senator McKinnon
in the Senate Finance Committee.
SENATOR MCGUIRE replied that she was not comfortable with the
power imbalance created by the amendment. She requested that the
SB 150 be held in committee.
CHAIR STOLTZE stated that the bill would be held for the
administration to address the committee's issues.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked Ms. Morton to comment on SB 150 and
Amendment 2.
MS. MORTON replied that the council was neutral on the bill and
would accept the decision. She revealed that state members
absorb costs within their own departments to participate and the
council provides cost for public members that would amount to an
approximate $2,500 fiscal note. She set forth that both costs
and balance were important.
CHAIR STOLTZE asked Mr. Christensen from the University of
Alaska to address the committee. He inquired if there was a
problem with sexual assault and domestic violence on the
university's campuses.
9:32:49 AM
CHRIS CHRISTENSEN, Associate Vice President of State Relations,
University of Alaska, Anchorage, Alaska, replied that there were
issues with violence on the university campus. He detailed that
rates tended to be lower than rates in the general population,
but the university was very concerned. He explained that the
university aggressively focuses on following Title IX rules as
well.
CHAIR STOLTZE asked if there was a problem whether revealed or
hidden regarding sexual assaults on campuses.
MR. CHRISTENSEN replied that there was a problem. He specified
that some problems were stranger-on-stranger violence that was
found in the rest of the state and some were dating-related
violence where alcohol and drugs were a significant part.
CHAIR STOLTZE opined that sexual assaults on campuses was not
raised in the campaign and were really concealed because the
university does not want to talk about it. He asserted that a
university person should be on be a member on the CDVSA board.
CHAIR STOLTZE announced that SB 150 would be held in committee.
[Amendment 2 was pending.]