Legislature(2019 - 2020)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
03/18/2020 01:30 PM Senate JUDICIARY
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s): | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | SB 191 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE JUDICIARY STANDING COMMITTEE
March 18, 2020
1:36 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Peter Micciche, Vice Chair
Senator Jesse Kiehl
Senator Shelley Hughes (via teleconference)
Senator Lora Reinbold (via teleconference)
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator John Coghill, Chair
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
Violent Crimes Compensation Board
Richard "Kay" Payne - Wasilla
Gregory Bringhurst - Fairbanks
- CONFIRMATIONS ADVANCED
SENATE BILL NO. 191
"An Act relating to trusts and trustees, including trust
division, the powers of trustees, delayed gifts to trusts, and
community property trusts; and providing for an effective date."
- SCHEDULED BUT NOT HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
GREGORY BRINGHURST, Appointee
Violent Crimes Compensation Board
Department of Administration
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Violent Crimes
Compensation Board.
RICHARD "KAY" PAYNE, Appointee
Violent Crimes Compensation Board
Department of Administration
Wasilla, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Violent Crimes
Compensation Board.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:36:27 PM
VICE CHAIR MICCICHE called the Senate Judiciary Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:36 p.m. Present at call to order
were Senators Kiehl, Reinbold (via teleconference) and Hughes
(via teleconference) and Vice Chair Micciche.
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
Violent Crimes Compensation Board
1:36:59 PM
VICE CHAIR MICCICHE announced that the first order of business
would be Confirmation Hearings for the Violent Crimes
Compensation Board.
1:37:34 PM
At ease.
1:37:57 PM
VICE CHAIR MICCICHE reconvened the meeting. He reviewed the
Violent Crimes Compensation Board description and function from
its website:
Description: The board consists of 3 members appointed
by Governor: at least 1 member must be a medical or
osteopathic physician licensed to practice in Alaska,
or holding a retired status license in Alaska; 1
member must be an attorney licensed to practice in
Alaska, or retired from practice in Alaska. The
Governor designates the board chair. Members serve at
pleasure of Governor.
Function: Facilitates and permits payment of
compensation to innocent victims of violent crimes.
1:38:56 PM
GREGORY BRINGHURST, Appointee, Violent Crimes Compensation
Board, Department of Administration, Fairbanks, Alaska, provided
a brief biography and reasons he would like to serve on the
board. He stated that he is a lifelong Alaskan. He was appointed
as the public member of the Violent Crimes Compensation Board
last year and has recently been elected as the board Chair. He
said it is the board's duty to help alleviate some of the
hardships violent crime victims suffer so they can receive help
during the time of their greatest need. He related his
experience as a victim of a violent crime. In 1996, his single
mother was murdered in Fairbanks. As a grieving 14-year-old the
details are hazy, but he received violent crimes compensation
that ultimately was used for college tuition. He currently
serves as the Fairbanks regional director for U.S. Senator Dan
Sullivan and previously worked for Senator Murkowski in
Washington and as a legislative aide in Juneau. He offered his
view that his legislative experience will help him serve on the
board. In closing, he said it would be an honor to use his
experiences to help other victims in the state.
VICE CHAIR MICCICHE remarked that his background and breadth of
experience in Alaska makes him uniquely qualified to serve.
1:42:01 PM
SENATOR REINBOLD thanked him for his service.
1:42:42 PM
SENATOR HUGHES thanked him for stepping forward to serve on this
board.
1:42:59 PM
SENATOR KIEHL thanked him for his willingness to serve. He
related that the board has had significant upheaval with a total
staff turnover and changes in board members. He asked him to
elaborate on the future direction of the board.
MR. BRINGHURST said his interest is to ensure that the board
delivers resources to Alaskans. He acknowledged that the
relocation to Anchorage effected staff changes, but it should
not prevent the board from providing excellent service to
victims. He committed to helping the new executive director in
her role.
1:44:52 PM
VICE CHAIR MICCICHE offered his view that he will be an asset to
the board.
MR. BRINGHURST thanked members for their comments and questions.
VICE CHAIR SENATOR MICCICHE turned to the next appointee, Mr.
Richard Payne.
1:45:38 PM
RICHARD "KAY" PAYNE, Appointee, Violent Crimes Compensation
Board, Department of Administration, Wasilla, Alaska, provided a
brief biography and reasons he would like to serve on the
Violent Crimes Compensation Board. He said he was raised in Utah
and attended college in Oregon. He moved to Alaska in 1996 and
worked for the Municipality of Anchorage as an assistant
municipal attorney. From 2001 to 2007 he worked in Palmer as an
assistant district attorney. He and his partner started Denali
Law Group, working on criminal defense, personal injury, and
domestic cases such as divorce, adoption, trust and estates. He
said his firm is the largest criminal defense firm in Alaska.
They handle the indigent defense contract for the Municipality
of Anchorage, but they also work in Palmer, Kenai, and
Fairbanks. He said he thinks he is qualified to serve on this
board because he has worked as a prosecutor and as a defense
attorney, giving him a perspective from both sides. He would
like to serve because he enjoys service and helping others. As
an observer, he has been pleased with some actions of the board,
but he has sometimes wondered what the rationale was for some
actions.
1:48:07 PM
SENATOR HUGHES disclosed that his law partner, Jon Marc
Petersen, is a friend of hers.
1:48:37 PM
SENATOR REINBOLD asked which board member he is replacing and if
it is a defense attorney position.
MR. PAYNE answered that he is replacing a Juneau woman. He was
not aware that the board requires a defense attorney member.
However, he said he does not define himself as a defense
attorney since he served as a prosecutor for many years. Both
are important in the criminal justice system, he said.
1:49:26 PM
SENATOR REINBOLD said she was concerned because victims need to
be at the center of all aspects of criminal justice. She asked
him to keep that in mind.
MR. PAYNE remarked that her statement was fair. He said that
when he interviewed with the Boards and Commissions' office, he
expressed concern that the legislature might have issues with
his role as defense attorney since his firm is the largest
criminal defense firm in the state. He said that it is somewhat
misguided to think that only prosecutors should serve. He asked
the record to reflect his view of himself as a fair, honest
person who can see all cases from both sides. He related his
understanding that the focus of this board is to compensate
victims for violent crimes. He said he is happy to be a
participant and help in that capacity.
SENATOR REINBOLD said she does not know Mr. Payne, but this
causes her pause because of the sensitivity of this board. She
related her own experiences with victims in Alaska. She
expressed concern that someone who defends criminals would serve
on the Violent Crimes Compensation Board. She asked Mr. Payne to
be sensitive to the cases for victims. She asked him to recuse
himself if he is causing any consternation to victims. She asked
him to reach out to Mr. Godfrey, who previously served on the
board.
1:52:27 PM
SENATOR KIEHL thanked him for his service. He asked him to
elaborate on the concerns he had with previous decisions.
MR. PAYNE responded that he had limited information on denials,
but as a prosecutor, he would hear victims lament that not
enough money was being paid. He acknowledged that he did not
have all the facts, but he questioned what rationale was used.
He wondered how much information the board had on the case and
the source of this information. He characterized it as questions
based on his own lack of information.
SENATOR KIEHL asked if he had attended any meetings and if he
had a sense of whether or not the information is adequate.
MR. PAYNE responded that he has not yet attended any meetings,
but he has received two emergency emails asking for additional
funding for pending or ongoing trials. He said his questions
were answered quickly by staff. He said he voted to approve the
additional funds for lodging in a current murder trial in
Anchorage. The other case related to transportation costs for a
sexual assault case in one of the villages.
1:55:10 PM
VICE CHAIR MICCICHE found no further questions.
He stated that in accordance with AS 39.05.080, the Senate
Judiciary Standing Committee reviewed the following and
recommends the appointments be forwarded to a joint session for
consideration:
Violent Crimes Compensation Board
Gregory Bringhurst - Fairbanks
Richard "Kay" Payne - Wasilla
Signing the reports regarding appointments to boards and
commissions in no way reflects individual members' approval or
disapproval of the appointees; the nominations are merely
forwarded to the full legislature for confirmation or rejection.
1:56:19 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Vice Chair Micciche adjourned the Senate Judiciary Standing
Committee meeting at 1:56 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SB 8 Support Letter - AMIA - 2.25.20.pdf |
SJUD 3/18/2020 1:30:00 PM SJUD 3/20/2020 1:30:00 PM |
SB 8 |
| SB191 U.5.pdf |
SJUD 3/18/2020 1:30:00 PM |
SB 191 |
| SB191 U.6.pdf |
SJUD 3/18/2020 1:30:00 PM |
SB 191 |