Legislature(2013 - 2014)CAPITOL 106
04/15/2014 08:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB206 | |
| HB356 | |
| SJR26 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 206 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 356 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SJR 26 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SJR 26-PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
9:08:32 AM
CHAIR LYNN announced that the final order of business was SENATE
JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 26, Recognizing June 14, 2014, as the 60th
anniversary of the first recital of the United States Pledge of
Allegiance with the words "under God."
9:08:51 AM
RYNNIEVA MOSS, Staff, Senator John Coghill, Alaska State
Legislature, presented SJR 26 on behalf of Senator Coghill,
prime sponsor. She said earlier in 2014, 30 other states passed
resolutions that recognized February 10 as the sixtieth
anniversary of the introduction of House Joint Resolution 243,
which added the words "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance.
Under SJR 26, Alaska would recognize June 14, 2014, as the
sixtieth anniversary of the first recital of the Pledge of
Allegiance. She noted that June 14 is Flag Day in the United
States.
MS. MOSS relayed that the original Pledge of Allegiance was
written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a minister, whom she said
"used the pledge as a symbol to all nations to pledge allegiance
to their flags as individual countries." She said by 1923, the
U.S. had been through World War I, and "they wanted to make the
pledge more near and dear to Americans," so the American Legion
and the Daughters of the American Revolution had the Pledge of
Allegiance changed to include "one nation."
MS. MOSS stated that in 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower
attended a church where he heard Reverend George M. Docherty
give a sermon about the pledge, during which the reverend
pointed to Lincoln's repeated use of the phrase "under God," in
the Gettysburg Address. She said Reverend Docherty was
"pressing to see what was missing in this country during a time
when ... 8 million people had already been killed under
Communism." She referred to the penultimate sentence of the
sermon, which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
In this land, there is "neither Jew nor Greek,
neither bond nor free, neither male nor female", for
we are one nation indivisible under God, and humbly as
God has given us the light we seek liberty and justice
for all.
MS. MOSS said the sermon inspired President Eisenhower to meet
with Senator Homer S. Ferguson and Representative Charles G.
Oakman, who introduced resolutions to the Senate and House,
respectively, proposing to add "under God" to the Pledge of
Allegiance.
9:12:23 AM
MS. MOSS indicated that the history of the Pledge of Allegiance
does not give "the human touch to reciting the pledge." She
continued as follows:
Recognizing the history of the pledge reminds us that
it has a deep, independent meaning for each and every
one of us. It's not a mundane verse that we have
memorized because we've recited it every day in
school. It reminds us that we live in a country that
doesn't persecute us, because we pledged to preserve
the God-given, inherent rights this country was
founded in. It reminds us that we are a government of
50 individual states who are united as a nation of
free people. It reminds us that this flag, Old Glory,
has [been] carried through battlefields, and blood has
been shed by millions to protect the freedom that we
have to speak our minds and disagree with each other,
without the threat of retaliation. It reminds us that
people from all over the world come to our country at
a risk to live the American dream.
When I stand in the gallery at the Senate Chambers and
recite the Pledge of Allegiance, with a room full of
citizens and the Senators, what I hear is group of
Americans, united, ... indivisible in preserving this
Republic and the God-given rights our Forefathers
strived to preserve. This resolution is yet one
reminder that we are Americans united as one nation,
under God.
MS. MOSS said the words, "under God," were added on June 14,
1954, during the Cold War, as a way to distinguish the United
States from communism. On that day, President Eisenhower signed
the change into law and declared, "From this day forward, the
millions of our school children will daily proclaim, in every
city and town, every village and rural school house, the
dedication of our nation and our people to the Almighty. To
anyone who truly loves America, nothing could be more inspiring
than to contemplate this rededication of our youth on each
school morning to our country's true meaning."
MS. MOSS imparted that as a teenager in the 1960s, she heard a
comment made by comedian Red Skelton, regarding the addition of
the words "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance. [The words,
as follows, are from the committee handout, original punctuation
provided]:
Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to
our country and two words have been added to the
Pledge of Allegiance; "under God". Wouldn't it be a
pity if someone said that is a prayer and be
eliminated from school.
MS. MOSS said currently there is a court case challenging the
use of "under God" as a prayer. She said the court decision
will be made "any day." She said the proposed resolution is
being used by states all across the country "to preserve history
so that courts can't change history."
9:15:53 AM
CHAIR LYNN stated that the Pledge of Allegiance and the
invocation [given on the House floor] are the most comforting
parts of his day. He talked about being reminded of "why we are
here." He opined, "The whole process is all messed up, but it's
the best in the world; the best we'll ever have." He stated
support for SJR 26. He mention the former way of pledging
allegiance by holding one hand up and forward, followed by the
current method of holding the hand over the heart [depicted in
the committee packet].
9:17:23 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON expressed thanks for the booklet that
includes all the information of the committee packet, and he
questioned whether it could be made available to those who would
like a copy. He indicated that some of the history might be
found on line under procon.org. He mentioned the recent
lawsuits against including "under God" in the Pledge of
Allegiance. He said he appreciated remarks by President Ronald
Reagan encouraging every Native born United States citizen to
attend an immigration ceremony or speak to those immigrants who
have become a citizen by choice, because doing so would renew
the country's desire to preserve peace for another 200 years.
Representative Isaacson said he has had the opportunity to
witness the moment when people have abandoned one citizenship to
become a citizen of the U.S. He said doing so may seem crazy to
most, but some are seeking a better life and see the U.S. as a
better place. He said it has helped him question why he should
ever become complacent about his own citizenship. He opined
that the proposed legislation helps people remember the
importance of the Pledge of Allegiance as a means of remembering
those who have given their lives to protect the U.S.
9:20:20 AM
CHAIR LYNN acknowledged Representative Isaacson's statement. He
said his second child married a woman from China, and it took
her five years to get her citizenship, and he said he was
honored to be present at her citizenship ceremony, which he
described as "uplifting."
9:21:07 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER said yesterday he gave the invocation on
the House floor. He expressed his appreciation to the bill
sponsor for bringing SJR 26 forward. He stated that the concept
of "under God" goes back to the country's beginning. He said
the Declaration of Independence refers to people being created
equal, a creator endowing us with individual rights, and a
supreme judge of the world. He said the signers of the
Declaration of Independence were at risk for becoming criminals,
but firmly relied on divine providence. He explained that he
wanted the record to reflect that reference to God was part of
the foundation of the U.S. and "is consistent throughout."
9:22:52 AM
CHAIR LYNN directed attention to a "whereas" clause on page 2,
lines 15-16, which read as follows:
WHEREAS it is the policy of the legislature to
recognize and honor important dates that strengthen
the ties of history and bind us to our Christian
heritage;
CHAIR LYNN said he would like to see "Christian" changed to
"Judeo-Christian", because the Bible is split into the Old
Testament, which is Jewish, and the New Testament, which is
Christian. He asked if the prime sponsor would object to that
change.
9:23:56 AM
MS. MOSS offered her understanding that the prime sponsor would
strongly oppose such an amendment, because he feels strongly
that the United States was established under Christian
principles and, thus, the language should reflect that.
CHAIR LYNN asked for comments from the committee.
9:24:21 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER stated that he would like to "honor the
perspective of the sponsor."
9:24:34 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON said he appreciates the comment from
Chair Lynn about including Judaism. He continued as follows:
Definitely, the heritage of Christianity flows from
the ... similar belief of the one true God, almighty
God, creator of heaven and earth, which was affirmed
in Jewish tradition. But it was even before the Jews,
Adam had that personal relationship, so you could say
it's a biblical faith, of which Christianity is
definitely the proud banner carrier of that ... faith.
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON opined that honoring the wishes of the
prime sponsor would still incorporate the rich heritage that
Chair Lynn mentioned.
9:25:29 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HUGHES said, "To me, Judeo-Christian encompasses
Christian, as well." She asked if there had been a conversation
with the prime sponsor, in which he had specifically said he did
not want to use the term.
MS. MOSS answered that there had been several discussions to
broadening the language, even to include Muslim. She said, "He
feels very strongly that ... he doesn't want this to be the
slippery slope; he wants it to be a Christian heritage."
9:26:13 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER stated that the government, with its
checks and balances reflects the Christian heritage more than
Judaism. He referred to a famous painting of the signers of the
Declaration of Independence, and said, "No doubt, it was a group
of Christian folks that were there." He stated that the
influence of Christianity on the government system is "profound
and deep." He reiterated that he concurs with keeping the
language in the proposed joint resolution as is.
9:27:07 AM
CHAIR LYNN responded, "Of course, we're not talking about the
people who landed here; we're talking about the heritage."
9:27:30 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GATTIS stated that while she can appreciate the
conversation, her concern is that "we'll get into something that
is not what the bill sponsor really wanted to celebrate in these
60 years."
9:28:14 AM
CHAIR LYNN restated his preference for the use of "Judeo-
Christian," but acknowledged that he was outnumbered; therefore,
he said would not offer an amendment.
MS. MOSS said she would pass that information on to the prime
sponsor.
9:28:45 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to report SJR 26 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
notes. There being no objection, SJR 26 was reported out of the
House State Affairs Standing Committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| 01 SJR 26 Resolution.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
SJR 26 |
| 02 SJR 26 - Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
SJR 26 |
| 03 SJR 26 - Supporting Document.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
SJR 26 |
| 04 SJR 26 - Fiscal Note.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
SJR 26 |
| 01 HB0356A.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 356 |
| 02 HB356 sponsor statement.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 356 |
| 03 HB356 Background Materials.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 356 |
| 04 HB356 Mayo Clinic vitamin D for health a global perspective.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 356 |
| 05 HB356 Cost Savings per year with vitamin D.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 356 |
| 06 HB356 Support KPBSD.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 356 |
| 07 HB356-DOA-DRB-03-14-14.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 356 |
| 01 SB 206 STA CS Version C.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
SB 206 |
| 02 SB 206 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
SB 206 |
| 03 CS SB 206 Sectional.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
SB 206 |
| 04 CS SB 206 explanation of amendments.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
SB 206 |
| 05 Fiscal Note CSSB206.pdf |
HSTA 4/15/2014 8:00:00 AM |
SB 206 |