03/27/2008 01:30 PM House FINANCE

2:48:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 37                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Proposing  amendments to the  Constitution of  the State                                                                   
     of Alaska  to correct obsolete references  to the office                                                                   
     of secretary of state by  substituting references to the                                                                   
     office of lieutenant governor  and to eliminate personal                                                                   
     pronoun  references  in  the  sections  proposed  to  be                                                                   
     amended.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MAX GRUENBERG,  SPONSOR, advised that in 1970,                                                                   
the legislature proposed and the  voters of Alaska approved a                                                                   
series of amendments  to the State Constitution  that changed                                                                   
the name of the Office of "Secretary  of State" to the office                                                                   
of  "Lieutenant  Governor".    At  that  time,  the  drafting                                                                   
attorneys did not  catch all of the references  to "Secretary                                                                   
of State".                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
HJR 37  corrects the two  remaining references  to "Secretary                                                                   
of State".  The proposed amendments,  if approved would place                                                                   
it  before the  voters  in the  next  general  election.   He                                                                   
added,  it  also corrects  personal  pronouns  referenced  in                                                                   
those sections.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:50:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
In response to Representative  Gara's observation of changing                                                                   
all  pronouns  to "he",  Representative  Gruenberg  responded                                                                   
that  he wanted  to take  the  path of  least resistance  and                                                                   
controversy.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Gara thought that  since the bill  intends to                                                                   
be a "clean-up", all legislators  should not be referenced as                                                                   
"he".  Representative Gruenberg  noted that the original bill                                                                   
could be adopted rather the House Judiciary draft.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Representative Gara  asked why the House  Judiciary Committee                                                                   
changed  the  pronouns  to "he".    Representative  Gruenberg                                                                   
noted  that  the   House  Judiciary  draft  has   attached  a                                                                   
memorandum addressing two subjects.   For that reason, it was                                                                   
determined safer to limit it to  "Lt. Governor" and "he".  He                                                                   
noted  that another  bill  HJR  7, adds  additional  language                                                                   
clean-up.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:53:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Stoltze commented that  incorrect gender reference                                                                   
falls under  obsolete but that  the courts will do  what they                                                                   
want to in any  case.  He noted that he had  not received any                                                                   
complaints regarding the matter.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Hawker  questioned why  an  oversight from  a                                                                   
previous amendment,  merits a process  of putting it  back in                                                                   
front of  the people  for a vote.   Representative  Gruenberg                                                                   
responded   that  it   is  important   to  keep  the   Alaska                                                                   
Constitution  correct and  up to date,  acknowledging,  it is                                                                   
not earth-shaking.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
2:58:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Stoltze  stated that he  would vote "do  not pass"                                                                   
the bill  out of Committee if  the sponsor intended  to place                                                                   
any amendments  into it on  the House floor.   Representative                                                                   
Gruenberg replied he had no intention of adding amendments.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Chenault MOVED  to REPORT  CS HJR  37 (JUD) out  of                                                                   
Committee  with  individual  recommendations   and  with  the                                                                   
accompanying fiscal  note.  There being NO  OBJECTION, it was                                                                   
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CS HJR 37 (JUD) was reported out of Committee with                                                                              
"individual recommendations" and with fiscal note #1 by the                                                                     
Office of the Governor.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:01:00 PM