04/02/1998 01:40 PM Senate L&C

                                                                               
               SB 283 - AUTOMOBILE CIVIL LIABILITY                             
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN LEMAN called the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee                  
meeting to order at 1:40 p.m. and announced SB 283 to be up for                
consideration.                                                                 
                                                                               
MS. KREITZER, Staff, Senate Labor and Commerce Committee, said she             
would refer to work draft LS1467E by Ford, dated 4/2/98.                       
                                                                               
SENATOR MILLER moved to adopt the work draft.  There were no                   
objections and it was so ordered.                                              
                                                                               
MS. KREITZER said there are two changes to the bill.  The first one            
makes it very plain that AS 09.652.158 does not apply to a person              
unless he is an owner or operator of the vehicle.                              
                                                                               
The second change so as not to be inconsistent with tort reform                
that passed last year, was to delete that portion of the bill that             
deals with drunken drivers.                                                    
                                                                               
MR. MIKE SCHNEIDER, Anchorage, said he did not have the Committee              
Substitute before him, but he thought he knew what it said.  He                
didn't like it because in our society typically there are penalties            
for things like not buying insurance and specific kinds of conduct.            
If you are completely innocent in a situation and are hurt by                  
someone else, you should not be penalized.  It's not fair, right,              
or reasonable.                                                                 
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN LEMAN thanked him for his testimony.                                  
                                                                               
SENATOR MILLER moved to pass CSSB 283 (L&C) from Committee with                
individual recommendations.  There were no objections and it was so            
ordered.