02/06/2018 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

            SR 8-FEBRUARY 2018: BLACK HISTORY MONTH                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:38:17 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MEYER called the committee  back to order. He announced the                                                               
consideration of Senate Resolution 8 (SR 8).                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:38:48 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  TOM BEGICH,  Alaska State  Legislature, Juneau,  Alaska,                                                               
sponsor of SR 8, said the  resolution is like the resolution that                                                               
was  proposed the  previous year  and  passed by  the Senate.  He                                                               
explained  that SR  8  simply declares  February  2018 as  "Black                                                               
History  Month." He  noted differences  from the  previous year's                                                               
resolution. He asserted that the  history of African Americans in                                                               
Alaska is a history that is part of the state's fabric.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
He  disclosed that  in 1926  the United  States initiated  "Negro                                                               
History Week"  observance. In 1976,  President Ford  expanded the                                                               
observance to  "Black History Month"  with the month  of February                                                               
chosen  to  recognize  African   American  contributions  in  the                                                               
nation's history. He  noted that the February  was chosen because                                                               
it was the birth month of Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglas.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:40:41 PM                                                                                                                    
He  addressed the  previous  resolution and  noted  that he  knew                                                               
Senator Faiks  and shared his  history with the senator  when she                                                               
served in the Legislature.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:41:41 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MEYER opened and closed public testimony.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:42:15 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GIESSEL  moved to report  SR 8, version  30-LS1308\D from                                                               
committee  with  individual  recommendations  and  attached  zero                                                               
fiscal note.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:42:37 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  MEYER  announced  that  being  no  objection,  the  motion                                                               
carried.