03/25/2009 01:00 PM House JUDICIARY

HJR 3 - CONST. AM: NO GAMING WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:23:31 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.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:23:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HARRY  CRAWFORD, Alaska State Legislature,  as one                                                               
of joint prime sponsors of  HJR 3, noted that legislation similar                                                               
to HJR  3 had  passed the [House]  during the  prior legislature,                                                               
and  surmised that  all committee  members have  had a  chance to                                                               
hear it at one point or  another.  He opined that Alaska couldn't                                                               
afford an excursion into for-profit gambling.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DAHLSTROM,   speaking  as  one  of   joint  prime                                                               
sponsors  of   HJR  3,  concurred,   and  opined   that  gambling                                                               
contributes to  the disintegration of  families, as well  as many                                                               
other  ills such  as crime  and corruption.   In  conclusion, she                                                               
requested that  the committee vote in  favor of moving HJR  3 out                                                               
of committee.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CRAWFORD, in  response to  a question,  indicated                                                               
that  the  language  of  HJR  3  is  identical  to  that  of  the                                                               
legislation [that passed the House last year].                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN expressed strong support for HJR 3.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  COGHILL suggested  that requiring  a vote  of the                                                               
people, should HJR 3 first be  approved by the voters, would be a                                                               
good  way   to  continue  the  discussion   regarding  whether  a                                                               
community wants to allow [for-profit] gambling.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CRAWFORD, in  response to  a question,  explained                                                               
that a  past ballot initiative  proposing the establishment  of a                                                               
gambling  commission  would  have taken  the  decision  regarding                                                               
whether to  have for-profit gambling  in Alaska out of  the hands                                                               
of both  the legislature  and the voters  and would  have instead                                                               
placed  the decision  in the  hands of  a five-member  commission                                                               
that could have  acted with only three members present.   This is                                                               
such an  important decision, he  asserted, that  the legislature,                                                               
the governor, and  the communities and people of  the state ought                                                               
to  have  a  say  in  it.   He  characterized  that  past  ballot                                                               
initiative  as  an  attempted   end-run  around  the  legislature                                                               
because it had blocked the formation  of such a commission in the                                                               
past, and characterized [HJR 3 as promoting] more democracy.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  RAMRAS, after  ascertaining  that no  one  else wished  to                                                               
testify, closed public testimony on HJR 3.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:29:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM moved  to report HJR 3  out of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.   There being no  objection, HJR  3 was reported  from the                                                               
House Judiciary Standing Committee.