Legislature(2019 - 2020)GRUENBERG 120
03/07/2019 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB56 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 56 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS
March 7, 2019
1:01 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Gabrielle LeDoux, Chair
Representative Chris Tuck, Vice Chair
Representative Chuck Kopp
Representative Geran Tarr
Representative Steve Thompson
Representative Sharon Jackson
Representative George Rauscher
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 56
"An Act establishing May 15 of each year as Hmong-American
Veterans Day."
- MOVED HB 56 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 56
SHORT TITLE: ESTABLISH HMONG-AMERICAN VETERANS DAY
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) TARR
02/20/19 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/20/19 (H) MLV, CRA
03/05/19 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
03/05/19 (H) Heard & Held
03/05/19 (H) MINUTE(MLV)
03/07/19 (H) MLV AT 1:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
WITNESS REGISTER
VERDIE BOWEN, Director
Office of Veterans Affairs
Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 56 and answered
questions from the committee.
PASERT LEE, Founder
Hmong Alaska Community, Inc.
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 56.
SAMAK VONGVILAY
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in Lao, translated to English by
Pasert Lee, in support of HB 56.
XAI SHOUA VANG
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in Hmong, translated to English
by Mai Xiong, in support of HB 56.
WILSON VANG
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 56.
MAI XIONG
Hmong Alaska Community, Inc.
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 56.
KANG YANG
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 56.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:01:13 PM
CHAIR GABRIELLE LEDOUX called the House Special Committee on
Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting to order at 1:01 p.m.
Representatives Thompson, Rauscher, Jackson, Tarr, Tuck, and
LeDoux were present at the call to order. Representative Kopp
arrived as the meeting was in progress.
HB 56-ESTABLISH HMONG-AMERICAN VETERANS DAY
1:02:01 PM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX announced that the only order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 56 "An Act establishing May 15 of each year as
Hmong-American Veterans Day."
1:02:48 PM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX opened public testimony on HB 56.
1:03:31 PM
VERDIE BOWEN, Director, Office of Veterans Affairs, Department
of Military and Veterans Affairs, stressed the importance of
identifying and honoring Hmong-American veterans. He said he
supported establishing May 15 as Hmong-American Veterans Day.
He noted that the community has celebrated on that day for a
number of years.
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX said May 15 has been a day of celebration since
the passage of House Concurrent Resolution 3 [passed in the
Twenty-Eighth Alaska State Legislature]. She thanked
Representative Tarr for introducing HB 56 to permanently
establish the holiday.
1:05:27 PM
PASERT LEE, Founder, Hmong Alaska Community, Inc., testified on
behalf of Hmong-American veterans in support of HB 56. He said
that after 40 years, Hmong-American veterans want to be
recognized for their service alongside American soldiers. He
said HB 56 would recognize them and the sacrifices made on
behalf of the United States by the Hmong people. He added that
permanently putting Hmong-American Veterans Day on the calendar
would honor those Hmong-Americans who chose to settle in Alaska.
1:09:35 PM
SAMAK VONGVILAY, his testimony translated from Lao by Pasert
Lee, testified in favor of HB 56. He asked for May 15 to be a
permanent recognition of Hmong and Lao veterans.
1:11:21 PM
XAI SHOUA VANG, his testimony translated from Hmong by Mai
Xiong, testified as a Hmong-American veteran in support of HB
56. He said he supported making May 15 a permanent day to honor
Hmong-American veterans.
1:13:39 PM
WILSON VANG testified in support of HB 56 and a permanent Hmong-
American Veterans Day.
1:16:16 PM
MAI XIONG Hmong Alaska Community, Inc., testified in support of
HB 56. She said she wanted May 15 permanently added to the
calendar as Hmong-American Veterans Day. She noted that the
community has celebrated on May 15 for several years.
1:17:06 PM
KANG YANG introduced herself as the daughter and granddaughter
of two Hmong Vietnam War veterans. She said she spoke for the
younger generation of the Anchorage Hmong community. She
relayed that her grandfather died without any recognition during
his lifetime. She said HB 56 represents an opportunity to honor
those veterans still living. Ms. Yang said when she was
younger, she did not know how to answer the question "who or
what are the Hmong?" She said her confusion about Hmong history
made her feel ashamed. She said when she was older, she learned
about Hmong participation during the Secret War in Laos. She
said her father was born into a warzone and fought side by side
with American soldiers at the age of 14. She expressed support
for HB 56, reaffirmed the importance of honoring Hmong-American
veterans, and thanked the bill's sponsors.
1:18:46 PM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX thanked all the testifiers. She closed public
testimony on HB 56.
1:19:24 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP thanked Representative Tarr for bringing the
bill forward. He remarked that the Hmong have remained absent
from the written narrative of the Vietnam War for many decades.
He compared it to the absence of Alaska's indigenous population
from Alaska's written narrative. He said he was pleased to see
the Hmong recognized. He said, "We owe a great debt to these
people we can never repay."
1:20:21 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER summarized what he saw as positive
aspects of HB 56. He shared his appreciation for Representative
Tarr and Chair LeDoux.
1:21:13 PM
REPRESENTATIVE THOMPSON said he would like to co-sponsor HB 56.
1:21:25 PM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX said she expected multiple representatives will
co-sponsor HB 56.
1:21:40 PM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR thanked the testifiers and acknowledged the
coordination required to translate from Lao and Hmong.
1:22:12 PM
REPRESENTATIVE JACKSON asked Mr. Bowen if there is a book about
Hmong veterans.
MR. BOWEN referenced a book titled The Tragic Mountain. He said
the Office of Veteran Affairs has not produced its own title.
REPRESENTATIVE JACKSON said she recalled a book available
through the Office of Veterans Affairs.
1:23:28 PM
MR. BOWEN said his office has a book commemorating the fiftieth
anniversary of the Vietnam War. He said the office has four
copies remaining of 1,500.
1:23:50 PM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX shared her experience getting to know Hmong
people in Anchorage. She called it a tragedy that their
sacrifices have gone unknown. She thanked the legislature for
efforts to recognize them. She said more needs to be done on
the federal level.
1:25:19 PM
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK moved to report HB 56 out of committee with
individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal
note. There being no objection, HB 56 was moved from the House
Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs.
1:25:50 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting was
adjourned at 1:26 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB056 ver A 2.26.19.pdf |
HMLV 3/5/2019 1:00:00 PM HMLV 3/7/2019 1:00:00 PM |
HB 56 |
| HB056 Sectional Analysis ver A 2.26.19.pdf |
HMLV 3/5/2019 1:00:00 PM HMLV 3/7/2019 1:00:00 PM |
HB 56 |
| HB056 Sponsor Statement 2.26.19.pdf |
HMLV 3/5/2019 1:00:00 PM HMLV 3/7/2019 1:00:00 PM |
HB 56 |
| HB056 Supporting Documents- Article ADN -Hmong veterans honored in Anchorage 2.26.19.pdf |
HMLV 3/5/2019 1:00:00 PM HMLV 3/7/2019 1:00:00 PM |
HB 56 |
| HB0056 Ver A 3.11.19.PDF |
HCRA 3/28/2019 8:00:00 AM HMLV 3/7/2019 1:00:00 PM |
HB 56 |
| HB056 Fiscal Note 3.11.19.PDF |
HCRA 3/28/2019 8:00:00 AM HMLV 3/7/2019 1:00:00 PM |
HB 56 |
| HB056 Sectional Analysis ver A 2.26.19.pdf |
HCRA 3/28/2019 8:00:00 AM HMLV 3/7/2019 1:00:00 PM |
HB 56 |
| HB056 Supporting Document - Legislative Research.pdf |
HCRA 3/28/2019 8:00:00 AM HMLV 3/7/2019 1:00:00 PM |
HB 56 |
| HB056 Supporting Documents- Article ADN -Hmong veterans honored in Anchorage 2.26.19.pdf |
HCRA 3/28/2019 8:00:00 AM HMLV 3/7/2019 1:00:00 PM |
HB 56 |
| HB056 Supporting Document-Support Letters 3.06.19.pdf |
HMLV 3/7/2019 1:00:00 PM |
HB 56 |
| HB056 Sponsor Statement 3.26.19.pdf |
HCRA 3/28/2019 8:00:00 AM HMLV 3/7/2019 1:00:00 PM |
HB 56 |
| HB056 Supporting Documents - Letters of Support 3.29.19.pdf |
HCRA 3/28/2019 8:00:00 AM HMLV 3/7/2019 1:00:00 PM |
HB 56 |