03/23/2009 01:00 PM House JUDICIARY

HJR 3 - CONST. AM: NO GAMING WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
2:56:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAMRAS announced that the  final order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE  JOINT RESOLUTION  NO.  3, Proposing  an  amendment to  the                                                               
Constitution  of the  State of  Alaska  requiring an  affirmative                                                               
vote of the people before any  form of gambling for profit may be                                                               
authorized in Alaska and setting other requirements.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
2:56:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PAUL GROSSI,  Staff, Representative Harry Crawford,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, explained on behalf  of Representative Crawford, one                                                               
of  HJR 3's  joint prime  sponsors, that  HJR 3  is proposing  an                                                               
amendment to the Alaska State  Constitution such that if approved                                                               
by the voters,  the Alaska State Constitution  would then require                                                               
a vote  of the  people before  any gambling  for profit  would be                                                               
allowed  to  take place  in  Alaska.    He relayed  that  similar                                                               
legislation passed  the House during  the prior legislature.   In                                                               
response  to  a  question,  he   surmised  that  any  forthcoming                                                               
testimony would  focus on the  negative impacts of  gambling, and                                                               
the  virtues of  allowing  the  people to  vote  on whether  they                                                               
wanted for-profit gambling to occur in Alaska.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LYNN noted  that public  testimony on  HJR 3  was                                                               
heard in the House State Affairs Standing Committee.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAMRAS relayed that HJR 3 would be held over.