Legislature(2019 - 2020)BARNES 124
03/04/2019 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s): Marijuana Control Board | |
| 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 LABOR AND COMMERCE STANDING COMMITTEE
March 4, 2019
3:19 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Gabrielle LeDoux, Co-Chair
Representative Adam Wool, Co-Chair
Representative Zack Fields
Representative Sara Hannan
Representative Louise Stutes
Representative Dave Talerico
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Josh Revak
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S): MARIJUANA CONTROL BOARD
Christopher Jaime - Soldotna
- CONFIRMATION(S) ADVANCED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
CHRISTOPHER JAIME, Appointee
Marijuana Control Board
Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, & Economic Development
(DCCED)
Soldotna, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Marijuana
Control Board.
CHELSEA FOSTER
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Offered comments on the governor's
appointee to the Marijuana Control Board.
GREG EGLE, Owner
Bells Flats Botanicals
Kodiak, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Offered comments on the governor's appointee
to the Marijuana Control Board.
CARY CARRIGAN, Executive Director,
Alaska Marijuana Industry Association (AMIA)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Offered comments on the governor's
appointee to the Marijuana Control Board.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:19:12 PM
CO-CHAIR ADAM WOOL called the House Labor and Commerce Standing
Committee meeting to order at 3:19 p.m. Representatives Hannan,
Fields, Stutes, Talerico, LeDoux, and Wool were present at the
call to order.
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S): Marijuana Control Board
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S): Marijuana Control Board
3:20:03 PM
CO-CHAIR WOOL announced that the only order of business would be
consideration of Christopher Jaime, the governor's appointee to
the Marijuana Control Board.
3:20:30 PM
CHRISTOPHER JAIME, Appointee, Marijuana Control Board, Alaska
Department of Commerce, Community, & Economic Development
(DCCED), stated that he has lived in Alaska for 26 years and
worked for the Department of Public Safety (DPS) for the last 18
years. He relayed that during his time with DPS he lived and
raised his children in several communities throughout the state,
including: Anchorage, Sitka, Fairbanks, Nome, and Soldotna. He
noted his work for both The Alaska State Troopers and the
Division of Alaska Wildlife Troopers. He conveyed that working
in both an urban and a rural setting has given him a diverse
career and a well-rounded perspective on the needs and
challenges facing the state. He said he understood that
Alaskans voted to legalize the cultivation, consumption, and
distribution of marijuana, adding that he didn't want to express
any of his personal views on marijuana or "vote" against the
will of the people. He expressed that he would be taking a
"common sense" approach while on the board and would regulate
marijuana from a public safety perspective. Finally, he
reflected on his recent visits to several marijuana-related
businesses. He said he received a detailed explanation of the
challenges they face and got to see the entire process "from
seed to sale." He added that he was excited for this
opportunity.
3:23:09 PM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX wondered how Mr. Jaime would react if, as a
current state employee, he was contacted by the Office of the
Governor when there was a regulation up for consideration and
his perspective on the topic didn't "gel" with the
administration's.
MR. JAIME replied that he would take [the administration's]
input into consideration, but ultimately, any board-related
decision he made would be his own.
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX questioned whether Mr. Jaime was a member of the
Public Safety Employees Association (PSEA).
MR. JAIME stated that he was not a member.
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX asked if Mr. Jaime would have any union
protections.
MR. JAIME explained that, as a lieutenant for the Alaska
Wildlife Troopers, he was a member of the Supervisory Union
(SU).
3:25:19 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN inquired as to the number of crimes that
are committed under the influence of alcohol versus marijuana.
MR. JAIME stated that he didn't have any numbers in front of
him, however, throughout his time in Nome he responded to
various crimes that were primarily fueled by alcohol.
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN offered her understanding that, in public
safety and corrections, somewhere between 90-95 percent of
crimes engage with alcohol-related behaviors, whereas very few
violent crimes are marijuana influenced. She asked if Mr. Jaime
had anecdotally encountered this to be true.
MR. JAIME agreed, explaining that most of the violent crimes and
suicides he investigated pertained to alcohol significantly more
than marijuana.
3:27:36 PM
REPRESENTATIVE TALERICO thanked Mr. Jaime for his 18 years of
service in law enforcement to the State of Alaska, as well as
for his service as a veteran.
3:28:00 PM
CO-CHAIR WOOL asked Mr. Jaime if he was familiar with the
previous holder of the public safety seat on the Marijuana
Control Board.
MR. JAIME shared his understanding that the previous board
member was the chief of police for the Sitka Police Department.
CO-CHAIR WOOL questioned whether Mr. Jaime was ever involved in
any local political petitions or activity pertaining to
marijuana.
MR. JAIME replied that he was not.
CO-CHAIR WOOL asked Mr. Jaime if he had ever arrested anyone for
the use or possession of marijuana during his career in law
enforcement.
MR. JAIME explained that when it was still illegal to possess
[marijuana] in public, he had issued several summons during his
career but never arrested anyone for it.
CO-CHAIR WOOL inquired as to whether Mr. Jaime, with his history
in law enforcement, would feel conflicted serving on a board
that regulates the legal use of marijuana.
MR. JAIME replied that he would not feel conflicted, adding that
he was excited to regulate.
3:30:30 PM
CO-CHAIR WOOL opened public testimony.
3:31:00 PM
CHELSEA FOSTER stated that she hoped the appointment would be
properly vetted, adding that if Mr. Jaime is applicable and
works with integrity, there's no reason why he shouldn't hold
the seat.
3:32:02 PM
GREG EGLE, Owner, Bells Flats Botanicals, acknowledged the
importance of having a public safety presence on the board. He
noted that he hoped positivity would be maintained throughout
the appointment process.
3:34:03 PM
CARY CARRIGAN, Executive Director, Alaska Marijuana Industry
Association (AMIA), stated that he is not issuing testimony for
or against Mr. Jaime; however, he expressed cause for concern
with the appointment, primarily because Mr. Jaime is still an
employee of the state, which makes him directly answerable to
the governor. He offered his belief that it is critically
important that board members remain impartial and perform their
duties on behalf of the public. Nonetheless, he expressed
relief that Mr. Jaime had taken the time to tour several
marijuana facilities.
3:36:19 PM
CO-CHAIR WOOL closed public testimony.
3:36:35 PM
CO-CHAIR WOOL reiterated the importance of board members'
impartiality and asked Mr. Jaime if he would be able to uphold
that.
MR. JAIME assured the committee that he would.
CO-CHAIR WOOL asked for Mr. Jaime's position on the proposal to
disband both the Alcohol Control Board and the Marijuana Control
Board and pass their duties on to the commissioner of the
Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development
(DCCED).
MR. JAIME offered his belief that it is the governor's choice to
do so or not, explaining that he would not make a statement for
or against the proposal.
CO-CHAIR WOOL inquired as to Mr. Jaime's thoughts on certain
industries having their regulation boards composed of both
industry professionals and public members.
MR. JAIME stated that boards are a good thing because they
provide a variety of opinions.
3:38:56 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN questioned whether, while attending board
meetings, Mr. Jaime would have to take leave or if he would be
compensated by the state. She also asked how that leave would
impact his duties as a trooper.
MR. JAIME claimed that the board meetings would fall under his
salary. He explained that, regarding his trooper post, there
would be supervisors and sergeants that could perform his job
while he was gone.
3:39:51 PM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX pointed out that Mr. Jaime's SU membership would
act as somewhat of a "firewall" from the governor's influence
since state employees under a union contract cannot be fired by
the governor at will.
3:41:10 PM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX made a motion to advance the confirmation of
Christopher Jaime, appointee to the Marijuana Control Board, to
the joint session for consideration. There being no objection,
the confirmation was advanced.
3:41:45 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Labor and Commerce Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at
3:42 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Christopher E. Jaime_Redacted.pdf |
HL&C 3/4/2019 3:15:00 PM |
Christopher Jaime |