02/27/2018 03:15 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

          HCR 22-APRIL 2018:SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH                                                                  
                                                                                                                              
3:37:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS  announced  that  the next  order  of  business                                                           
would  be HOUSE  CONCURRENT  RESOLUTION  NO.  22,  Proclaiming  April                                                           
2018 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:37:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
HANS  RODVIK,   Staff,  Representative   Charisse   Millett,   Alaska                                                           
State  Legislature,  on  behalf  of  Representative   Millett,  prime                                                           
sponsor  of  HCR 22,  relayed  that  the  proposed  resolution  would                                                           
proclaim  April 2018  Sexual  Assault Awareness  Month.   He said  it                                                           
is  no  surprise  that  the  state  has  work  to  do  in preventing                                                            
violence;  Alaska's sexual  assault  rates are some  of the worst  in                                                           
the  nation.     He   noted  that   the  rates   are  cited  in   the                                                           
resolution.    He  stated  that  sexual  violence  affects   Alaskans                                                           
with no  regard to  race, socioeconomics,  region,  or gender;  it is                                                           
felt throughout the entire state.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MR.  ROSVIK relayed  that  it  is easy  to feel  demoralized  by  the                                                           
statistics   and   the   presentations;    however,    the   proposed                                                           
resolution   is  needed  as   a  point  for   change.    Alaska   has                                                           
excellent  resources   throughout  the  state   from  the  top  down;                                                           
resources  that  are  working  on  the issue  and  are  dedicated  to                                                           
preventing   sexual  assault  and   violence:    Alaska  Network   on                                                           
Domestic  Violence   and Sexual   Assault  (ANDVSA)  -  a  letter  of                                                           
support  is included  in  the  committee  packet;  Standing  Together                                                           
Against  Rape (STAR);  Aiding  Women in  Abuse and  Rape Emergencies                                                            
(AWARE)  in Juneau;  Abused  Women's Aid  in Crises  (AWAIC);  Tundra                                                           
Women's  Coalition  (TWC)  in  Bethel;  Green Dot  Alaska;  Girls  on                                                           
the  Run   (GOTR);  Coaching   Boys  into   Men  (CBIM);  and   other                                                           
violence   prevent   projects   in  Anchorage,    Sitka,  Ketchikan,                                                            
Juneau, and Homer.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR.  ROSVIK offered  that  there  are "changemakers,"   both old  and                                                           
young,  taking Alaska's  rate  of serious  sexual violence  to  task.                                                           
He stated  that  rates are  on the  decline;  he noted  the  research                                                           
in the  committee  packet.   He  indicated that  there  is more  work                                                           
to  be  done;  sexual  violence  should   never  be  tolerated.    He                                                           
maintained  that  a  resolution  is  needed  every  year  because  it                                                           
represents  an  important  conversation   and  something  upon  which                                                           
Alaska  needs   to  be  focused.     He  maintained  that   with  the                                                           
proposed  resolution,  Alaska  can  join  the conversation,   support                                                           
survivors, and prevent future violence.