Legislature(2009 - 2010)FBX LIO Rm 380
07/20/2009 09:30 AM House JUDICIARY
| Audio | Topic |
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| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s)|| Lieutenant Governor | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE JUDICIARY STANDING COMMITTEE
Fairbanks, Alaska
July 20, 2009
9:48 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Jay Ramras, Chair
Representative Nancy Dahlstrom, Vice Chair
Representative John Coghill
Representative Max Gruenberg
Representative Lindsey Holmes
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Carl Gatto
Representative Bob Lynn
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT
Representative Peggy Wilson (via teleconference)
Representative Woodie Salmon
Representative Paul Seaton (via teleconference)
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S)
Lieutenant Governor
Craig Campbell - Fort Richardson
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No Previous Action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
CRAIG E. CAMPBELL, Commissioner
Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs (DMVA);
Adjutant General, Alaska National Guard;
Appointee, Lieutenant Governor
Fort Richardson, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the position of
lieutenant governor.
TROY DUNN, Lieutenant Colonel (retired)
United States Air Force (USAF)
North Pole, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified during the confirmation hearing
for Craig Campbell as lieutenant governor.
MITCHELL HRACHIAR
Homer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified during the confirmation hearing
for Craig Campbell as lieutenant governor.
JERRY MCCUTCHEON
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to the confirmation
of Craig Campbell as lieutenant governor.
RHONDA BOYLES
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of the confirmation of
Craig Campbell as lieutenant governor.
ACTION NARRATIVE
9:48:44 AM
CHAIR JAY RAMRAS called the House Judiciary Standing Committee
meeting to order at 9:48 a.m. Representatives Ramras,
Dahlstrom, Coghill, Gruenberg, and Holmes were present at the
call to order. Representatives Wilson (via teleconference),
Salmon, and Seaton (via teleconference) were also in attendance.
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S)
^Lieutenant Governor
9:49:42 AM
REPRESENTATIVE RAMRAS announced that the only order of business
would be the consideration of Craig Campbell to the position of
lieutenant governor.
9:50:34 AM
CHAIR RAMRAS explained that, by request of Speaker Chenault,
this would be an informational confirmation hearing.
9:51:57 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG directed attention to AS 24.25.060, and
moved that Mr. Campbell testify under oath. He pointed out that
this could be the only hearing in the House of Representatives,
and the only opportunity to receive this information.
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL objected.
9:53:10 AM
CHAIR RAMRAS offered his belief that no designee had ever been
placed under oath during a confirmation hearing, and stated that
he did not want to set a precedent.
9:54:00 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HOLMES opined that an approval from this
confirmation hearing was in lieu of a general election, and she
seconded the motion to testify under oath.
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG pointed out that testifying under oath
"emphasized the solemnity of the occasion." He observed that
only once before during Alaska's history had a non-elected
person been sworn in as governor or lieutenant governor.
9:56:25 AM
CHAIR RAMRAS reminded everyone that any voting would only
include members of the House Judiciary Standing Committee.
9:56:52 AM
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL offered his belief that public
confirmation demonstrated that this was an "open process," hence
there was no increased value to being under oath.
9:58:22 AM
CHAIR RAMRAS recalled that the prior House Judiciary Standing
Committee confirmation hearings had not placed the designee
under oath.
9:58:54 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM concurred with Chair Ramras. She
suggested the committee move forward without requiring an oath.
9:59:55 AM
A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Gruenberg and
Holmes voted in favor of a motion to ask the designee to testify
under oath. Representatives Ramras, Coghill, and Dahlstrom
voted against it. Therefore, the motion failed by a vote of 2-
3.
10:00:51 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG mentioned that he might move to
schedule an additional hearing with another committee. He
expressed concern that this hearing procedure differed from that
of the Senate.
CHAIR RAMRAS observed that the intent of this hearing was to
allow an opportunity to present Mr. Campbell to the public.
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG voiced the possibility of sending
additional questions directly to Mr. Campbell.
CHAIR RAMRAS requested that the House Judiciary Standing
Committee members also receive a copy of those questions.
10:03:02 AM
CRAIG E. CAMPBELL, Commissioner, Department of Military &
Veterans' Affairs (DMVA); Adjutant General, Alaska National
Guard; Appointee, Lieutenant Governor, explained that he was
under consideration for the position of lieutenant governor.
CHAIR RAMRAS mentioned that this confirmation hearing precluded
the swearing in ceremony as acting lieutenant governor, and was
then subject to confirmation by the full legislature on August
10, 2009.
10:04:28 AM
MR. CAMPBELL testified that he has been commissioner of the
Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs (DMVA) for more than
6 years. He acknowledged that he was honored to be nominated
for this position and that this process differed from prior
confirmation processes.
MR. CAMPBELL clarified that, as of July 26, 2009, he would be
"the acting lieutenant governor pending full confirmation." He
allowed that until the full confirmation process, he would not
have all the responsibilities and authorities of the office. He
opined that this would preserve the integrity of the executive -
legislative process, as it did not assume confirmation. He
expressed his comfort with the differing roles in the process,
and welcomed the opportunity to become lieutenant governor.
CHAIR RAMRAS explained that although he had voted against the
confirmation of Commissioner Schmidt as lieutenant governor
designee, he looked forward to voting for Mr. Campbell. He
noted that the acting attorney general designee was also
awaiting confirmation. He endorsed the current confirmation
process that now "showed appropriate deference to the
legislative branch." He expressed satisfaction that there was
now "order out of what was some degree of chaos in the last
couple of weeks."
10:11:34 AM
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL, observing that communication was a
necessity, asked what communications had taken place between Mr.
Campbell and Lieutenant Governor Parnell a propos to the duties
and expectations for the lieutenant governor.
MR. CAMPBELL reflected that he and Lieutenant Governor Parnell
"were on the same agenda politically" and disclosed that he
would perform roles beyond those normally delegated to the
lieutenant governor, possibly including homeland security and
emergency management, trade, education, and veterans' affairs.
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL pointed out that election law was not an
easy area of law. He asked whether Mr. Campbell had advocated a
position on any of the upcoming initiatives.
MR. CAMPBELL replied that he had not. He related that his
service on the Anchorage Assembly had trained him to achieve an
understanding before he made decisions. He stated his desire to
"find the balance of what's right." He reflected that he would
be working closely with legislators to understand the desired
direction of their constituents in order to determine the
wording for initiatives and referendums. He suggested that
wording could often become a political issue, and it was his
role to make sure it was a legal referendum. He predicted that
there would be an increase in dialogue between the legislature
and the lieutenant governor, to ensure the "right decisions."
10:17:11 AM
CHAIR RAMRAS disclosed that he had sought a commitment from past
attorney general designees to study the cost of fuel in rural
Alaska. He asked for a commitment from Mr. Campbell to conduct
a study to ensure that the titles of initiatives are reflective
of the initiative text.
10:20:06 AM
MR. CAMPBELL stressed that it was the responsibility of the
lieutenant governor's office to present a non-partisan, straight
forward education of what the initiative said, and he welcomed
suggestions to clarify that titles were reflective of text.
CHAIR RAMRAS suggested that Alaska was moving toward more direct
democracy, with a proliferation of ballot initiatives. He
opined that title needed to be consistent with content.
10:22:21 AM
MR. CAMPBELL clarified that he would not have that report done
by January but is willing to work with Chair Ramras. He agreed
that the objective "was honorable and correct."
10:23:19 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HOLMES asked Mr. Campbell for his thoughts about
changes for the Division of Elections.
MR. CAMPBELL replied that he is not anticipating making changes
to the current staff of the Division of Elections.
REPRESENTATIVE HOLMES asked if Mr. Campbell was familiar with
the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER).
MR. CAMPBELL replied that Lieutenant Governor Parnell had also
suggested for him to read those studies.
REPRESENTATIVE HOLMES reported on one study that focused on the
chain of custody for ballots and voting machines, specifically
when shipping them to rural Alaska. She asked if Mr. Campbell
would commit to implement some of the recommendations.
MR. CAMPBELL declared that he tackles issues. He disclosed that
that Lieutenant Governor Parnell had requested a review of this
issue. He stated that elections "are a significant, important
part of democracy" and that the integrity of elections must be
maintained.
10:27:15 AM
CHAIR RAMRAS asked for an explanation of the process for
assumption of the governorship.
MR. CAMPBELL offered his understanding that the governor must be
an elected official. He explained that, should it be necessary
for him to become governor, he would temporarily assume the
office, and immediately call a special election. In response to
a question, he said he would be giving a lot of support and
deference to Lieutenant Governor Parnell. He established that
one of his strengths was communication, and he would continue to
have dialogue with the legislature and the governor.
10:31:57 AM
CHAIR RAMRAS thanked Mr. Campbell for his exemplary service to
Alaska. He mentioned that he has not yet had an opportunity for
any discussions with Lieutenant Governor Parnell. He asked Mr.
Campbell to describe what he understands to be the direction of
the new administration.
MR. CAMPBELL, in response, said that he is unable to "give
personal reference" to any administrative direction. He
observed that the direction of the state has been similar during
the Murkowski and Palin administrations: "an intent to grow
business, to provide jobs, to make sure Alaskans are educated so
they can live in Alaska and be productive." He opined that
better communication of the agenda between the legislature and
the executive branch would bring about achievement. He said he
would commit to job and education improvement, economic
development, tax constraint, and a future for Alaskans.
10:36:20 AM
CHAIR RAMRAS asked what taxes he was referencing.
MR. CAMPBELL related that all taxes, regardless of state,
federal, or local, need to be considered for the effect on the
individual. He espoused the need to "grow this state with more
economic opportunities, with a good tax base that supports what
the state needs are, but keeps business coming to Alaska...
keeps citizens without an excessive tax burden." He recommended
that the criteria for decision making should be jobs, economic
growth, education, and the tax burden.
10:37:55 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG surmised that Mr. Campbell did not know
how the policies would differ between Lieutenant Governor
Parnell and Governor Palin.
MR. CAMPBELL concurred.
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG pointed out that Mr. Campbell had
stated he would follow Lieutenant Governor Parnell. He opined
that Mr. Campbell must have an idea of what Lieutenant Governor
Parnell's positions will be, in order to make the tax statements
that were just made.
MR. CAMPBELL clarified that he will follow the governor's
policies but will be working to influence these policies. He
said he supports the generic direction of Lieutenant Governor
Parnell, whereas he will give counsel for any specific
legislation.
10:39:39 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG asked about any points of disagreement
between Mr. Campbell and Lieutenant Governor Parnell.
MR. CAMPBELL said that there were none at this time.
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG referred to an article in the Fairbanks
Daily News Miner in which Mr. Campbell stated that he had urged
Governor Palin to reject stimulus monies, if acceptance would
bind Alaska to federal rules. He pointed to another article in
which Mr. Campbell called the stimulus money a bribe. He asked
Mr. Campbell if these quotes were accurate.
MR. CAMPBELL replied he that didn't remember specifically
calling the money a bribe, but he did consider federal money to
implement programs which Alaskans may not want to be a bribe.
He allowed that the issue is "what do we want to do in the state
of Alaska, not how much money do we want to collect."
10:42:08 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG asked if Mr. Campbell would have
rejected the stimulus money.
MR. CAMPBELL said that he would have rejected the $28 million
for energy. In response to another question, he said that he
did not look any further into the stimulus because it did not
apply to DMVA, so he could not say if there were other stimulus
funds that he would have rejected. He stated his reason for
rejection to be that he was informed there were strings
attached, which included building codes.
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG asked if he still believed there were
sufficient strings to reject the money.
MR. CAMPBELL said that if the legislature believes that there
are not significant strings, then he would support that
decision.
10:43:42 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG, referring to a recent United States
Supreme Court decision determining that the property tax placed
on oil tankers by the City of Valdez was an unreasonable burden
on the tonnage clause, asked Mr. Campbell if he saw any
potential constitutional issues regarding the cruise ship head
tax, and if so, how would he deal with this.
MR. CAMPBELL replied that he was not familiar with the City of
Valdez case. He opined that the question of user taxation
required the determination of a threshold whereby the tax was
reasonable for providing a service, but not a detriment for
investment in Alaska.
10:46:44 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG asked if the Division of Elections
would be involved in the upcoming census.
MR. CAMPBELL indicated that he would have to further investigate
that issue before providing an answer.
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG offered his understanding that the
federal census bureau would welcome state assistance. He
referred to another United States Supreme Court case, Northwest
Austin Municipal Utility District Number One (NAMUD) v. Holder.
The case referenced Section 5 of the National Voting Rights Act
of 1965, which requires preclearance before a change in election
law. He asked Mr. Campbell about his commitment to Section 5.
MR. CAMPBELL, in response to Representative Gruenberg, stated
his support for the Alaska State Constitution and federal law.
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG asked if Mr. Campbell would resist any
attempts for Alaska to "bail out" of Section 5.
MR. CAMPBELL restated his support of the federal law, and stated
that he personally had no desire to question the implementation
of Section 5.
10:50:54 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG, noting that there were about 56
languages spoken in his district, asked if Mr. Campbell would
consider additional bilingual ballots.
MR. CAMPBELL said that, in general, he was interested in
reviewing other ways to include participation by more citizens
in the elective system.
10:52:19 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG offered the belief that there was an
inherent conflict of interest with the Division of Elections
being presided over by the lieutenant governor, an elected
official whose political fate was controlled by administration
of election laws. He asked Mr. Campbell for his view on placing
the Division of Elections under an independent commission.
MR. CAMPBELL said that he wouldn't favor that, as in a democracy
"it is the elected officials who set the policy, tone, and
direction of our government." He offered his belief that
relegating decisions to bureaucracy means "that we get less of a
democracy." He stated his disapproval of commissions which
"remove authority from elected officials." He offered his
belief that the importance of elections supported maintaining
the current structure.
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG asked if this created an inherent
conflict of interest.
MR. CAMPBELL replied that it did not, and in response to a
question, stated that there was always a potential for conflict
of interest, even with the establishment of an independent
commission.
10:54:20 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON referred to AS 44.19.026, and asked if Mr.
Campbell had been designated by Lieutenant Governor Parnell to
preside in his absence, and, if not, who was designated to
preside in his absence.
MR. CAMPBELL replied that he had been appointed to this
position.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON referred to AS 44.19.040, and asked if
there was an official letter of withdrawal from Commissioner
Schmidt.
MR. CAMPBELL relayed that this letter was submitted to Governor
Palin on July 6, 2009.
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON, referring to the expansion of the voting
process, asked if there was a solution for the delay it causes
for announcing final voting results.
10:57:39 AM
MR. CAMPBELL replied that he did not want to disenfranchise
voters and would continue to search for voting efficiencies. He
discussed the problems of validation to ensure there is not
double voting. He stated his commitment to greater efficiency
and validation without voter disenfranchisement. In response to
Chair Ramras, he explained that one of the lost opportunity
costs to accepting the lieutenant governor position was no
longer being active in the culmination of his DMVA long term
strategic plans. He stated that his greatest personal loss
would be the necessity of his retirement from military service
after 35 years.
11:02:56 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG, noting that the redistricting process
will begin in Alaska after the census, asked Mr. Campbell if he
would have a role in this process.
MR. CAMPBELL replied that his role was not yet defined.
11:06:10 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG recalled that Mr. Campbell had
previously testified that eligibility for benefits to members of
the Alaska Territorial Guard (ATG) was being determined. He
asked if there was a written plan.
MR. CAMPBELL explained that this statement was made at a hearing
which occurred at the same time the federal government was
discussing cancellation of these retirement benefits. He
elaborated on the background of these payments, and the current
benefit schedule. He reported that the state has not written a
plan as preparation is underway for federal payment.
MR. CAMPBELL disclosed that the second part of this preparation
is for the completion of the ATG discharge certificates.
11:10:21 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG asked about benefits for surviving
spouses of ATG members.
MR. CAMPBELL replied that each case is different and it will be
up to the federal government to address those instances on a
case-by-case basis.
11:12:46 AM
MR. CAMPBELL, in response to a request from Chair Ramras,
recounted his accomplishments as commissioner and disclosed his
goals as lieutenant governor. He noted that, during the prior
six years, the Alaska National Guard had seen a dramatic
increase to its relevance as now more than 75 percent had been
deployed to combat zones. He presented that the Division of
Homeland Security/Emergency Management had grown and was doing
an outstanding job providing support to both the public and
private sectors. He praised the Alaska Military Youth Academy,
and the national awards for excellence which it received
annually.
11:16:41 AM
MR. CAMPBELL, in response to a question about his goals as
lieutenant governor, established as his priorities: elections,
reapportionment, and an increase to the number of voting
Alaskans. He expressed his desire to continue his work with
Division of Homeland Security/Emergency Management.
CHAIR RAMRAS asked if the temporary cessation of the $.08 motor
fuel tax had impacted the consumers.
MR. CAMPBELL reiterated his earlier statements that it is
necessary to be aware of all taxes and that citizens need to
know they are receiving a benefit from a tax. In response to
Chair Ramras, he answered that he had no knowledge whether the
$.08 was "raked off to the refiners or producers."
CHAIR RAMRAS noted that the temporary suspension of the $.08
fuel tax will cost the State of Alaska about $42 million, most
of which would have been spent on road repair. He asked which
interest is being best served, the consumer saving the money at
the gas pump, or the consumer now having roads in disrepair.
11:22:12 AM
MR. CAMPBELL replied that this was "the essence of the debate of
government and the democracy." He offered his belief that
government should be small, and only as large as necessary to
provide the basic services to a society. He questioned the
necessity of a gas tax, and proposed, in order for roads to be
maintained, other government programs could be eliminated.
11:23:00 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SALMON asked whether improvements can be made to
voting systems in rural areas of the state, specifically the
mailer ballots.
MR. CAMPBELL shared his concern for rural Alaska and surmised
that new technology will improve the processes.
11:25:37 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SALMON noted that many villages report results by
phone, not by computer.
11:27:10 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG recalled that Mr. Campbell, while
serving on the Anchorage Assembly, had proposed to privatize
municipal assets, such as utilities and libraries.
MR. CAMPBELL pointed out that he still advocates for selling
utilities, stating that private sector businesses should not be
run by the government. He stated his belief in faith based
support organizations. In response to a question, he stated
there were not any state assets that he would consider selling.
He offered his belief that each school should be permitted to
address the issue of corporal punishment. When asked about the
city bus system, he reiterated his earlier statement that
private businesses are best run by the private sector. He
declared his support for healthy negotiations between government
and unions. In response to a question from Representative
Gruenberg, he reaffirmed his support for the initiative process.
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG commented that recently, several
serious attempts had been made to increase the difficulty of
placing initiatives on the ballot. He asked Mr. Campbell to
state his position on these motions.
MR. CAMPBELL replied that he would not support a measure to
increase the difficulty; however, he emphasized the need to
ensure that ballot initiatives were valid.
11:33:44 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM disclosed that she has worked with Mr.
Campbell and that she had a good understanding of his abilities.
11:35:07 AM
TROY DUNN, Lieutenant Colonel (retired), United States Air Force
(USAF), expressed his belief that "past activities are
indicative of future performance." He expressed concern with
the ethical issues which continue to plague Alaska state
government and announced that he had serious ethical concerns
about the newly proposed administration. He related the
findings of the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Inspector General's office
regarding the illegal use of government aircraft. He detailed
the investigative report, which found that the commander of the
Alaska Air National Guard and the operations group commander had
illegally scheduled and used USAF aircraft for personal
convenience. He noted that the Inspector General's office was
responsible for finding the facts, but not for providing
required punitive action. He pointed out that the findings were
forwarded to the command structure of the offending individual
for action.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL DUNN pointed out that Major General Craig
Campbell, Adjutant General of the Alaska National Guard, was the
commander responsible for any punitive action.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL DUNN reported that when no punitive action
was taken by Major General Campbell, he contacted the
investigating officer at the Pentagon, and was told "that the
report and its results were forwarded to the Alaska Adjutant
General, Major General Craig Campbell, for action, and they have
received no reply as to what action he would take." He noted
that it is customary within the chain of command to respond. He
continued, revealing that he sent a letter and supporting
documents to both the candidates for governor, and subsequently
to Governor-elect Palin. He shared that he followed up with
then Chief of Staff Tibbles, who responded that the matter had
been forwarded to the Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs
(DMVA) and this was all that he could do. Lieutenant Colonel
Dunn explained that he contacted the next members in his chain
of command, which included Senator Ted Stevens. He shared the
e-mail response he received from Senator Stevens:
Troy, I got word today from the governor's office that
action is being taken on this. Can't say more at this
time, but I think it will be obvious when it occurs.
He related that of the two individuals named in the
investigation, the commander of the Alaska Air National Guard
subsequently retired, but the operations group commander was
promoted.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL DUNN offered copies of the testimony. He
stated his belief that Major General Campbell violated the
ethics of the office and the trust of his command with his
initial lack of action and his ensuing promotion of the
operations group commander. He opined that "this lack of
character would not be tolerated in the active duty military,
should not be tolerated in the Alaska Guard or any public
office."
11:43:23 AM
CHAIR RAMRAS requested copies of the testimony.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL DUNN, in response to a question from
Representative Dahlstrom, said that Diane Hutchinson signed the
e-mail response from Senator Steven's office.
CHAIR RAMRAS relayed that although former Lieutenant Governor
designee Schmidt had received a 95 percent no confidence vote
from his departmental employees, he was overwhelmingly confirmed
by the legislature. He disclosed that he supported the
confirmation of Mr. Campbell, and that he would encourage the
support of other legislators, based on Mr. Campbell's composite
contribution to the state.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL DUNN, noting that "the ends do not justify
the means," opined that once there is violation of "the
cornerstone of integrity" there is no recovery. In response to
Chair Ramras, he pointed out that knowingly doing something
wrong is unforgiveable. He offered his perception that
leadership character is best analyzed through subordinate staff.
CHAIR RAMRAS relayed that members of the air guard group spoke
highly of Mr. Campbell.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL DUNN, in response to a question, said that he
was offering factual information, not allusion. He referred to
the Inspector General report, in which military personnel were
interviewed under oath.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL DUNN relayed that he had no personal issue
with Mr. Campbell, but was merely trying to do his duty.
11:54:50 AM
MITCHELL HRACHIAR opined that military and civil training and
service were very different. He noted that no testimony was
offered on Mr. Campbell's position on social issues. He assumed
that Mr. Campbell would represent both liberal and conservative
views. He asked that as Mr. Campbell would not be retired from
the military for another 60 days, was it legal for an individual
to serve as lieutenant governor while in the military. He
expressed concern with military representation in civil
government.
11:58:15 AM
JERRY MCCUTCHEON offered comments on the gas line process. He
said he is opposed to the appointment of Mr. Campbell. He cited
lack of Alaska Air Guard leadership for fire fighting in rural
Alaska. He opined that Mr. Campbell was an ideologue who would
obstruct and "prolong the government legislative conflict."
12:01:43 PM
RHONDA BOYLES praised the integrity of Mr. Campbell and
encouraged his appointment. She discussed the importance that a
leader is an ethical team player and a compassionate person.
She endorsed the confirmation of Mr. Campbell.
12:04:19 PM
CHAIR RAMRAS, after ascertaining that no one else wished to
testify, closed public testimony.
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL acknowledged that there had been
significant pressure to build the Alaska Air National Guard from
a state focus to a national combat focus. He commended Mr.
Campbell's leadership, and he predicted the same caliber of
leadership as lieutenant governor.
12:08:13 PM
CHAIR RAMRAS disclosed that he has a personal friendship with
Mr. Campbell, and he had no doubt of his ability to "execute the
tangible duties of the job." He opined that the intangible
duties, including the art of communication, would become more
important. He expressed concern with the in-state pipeline
position of Lieutenant Governor Parnell and asked that Mr.
Campbell make known the energy needs of the Interior. He
expressed his support of Mr. Campbell as lieutenant governor.
12:12:07 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Judiciary Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 12:12 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Constitution of the State of Alaska, Art. III.pdf |
HJUD 7/20/2009 9:30:00 AM |
|
| Applicable Statutes.pdf |
HJUD 7/20/2009 9:30:00 AM |
|
| Lt Gen Campbell Bio.pdf |
HJUD 7/20/2009 9:30:00 AM |
|
| Cook legal opinion 7.7 Filling a vacancy in the office of Lt. Gov.pdf |
HJUD 7/20/2009 9:30:00 AM |
|
| Sullivan legal opinion 7.10 Succession to the Office of Lt. Gov.pdf |
HJUD 7/20/2009 9:30:00 AM |
|
| Cook Opinion 7.14 Committee Hearing During Interim on Confirmation.pdf |
HJUD 7/20/2009 9:30:00 AM |