03/14/2023 03:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB2 | |
| HB23 | |
| HJR3 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 2 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 23 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HJR 3 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE STATE AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
March 14, 2023
3:03 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Laddie Shaw, Chair
Representative Stanley Wright, Vice Chair
Representative Ben Carpenter
Representative Craig Johnson
Representative Jamie Allard
Representative Jennie Armstrong (via teleconference)
Representative Andi Story
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 2
"An Act relating to contracts with public agencies; and relating
to the State of Israel."
- MOVED CSHB 2(STA) OUT OF COMMITTEE
HOUSE BILL NO. 23
"An Act establishing the month of October as Filipino American
History Month."
- MOVED HB 23 OUT OF COMMITTEE
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 3
Encouraging Congress to pass the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act
or a similar bill.
- MOVED CSHJR 3(JUD) OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 2
SHORT TITLE: CONTRACTS: PROHIBIT ISRAEL DISCRIMINATION
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) VANCE
01/19/23 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/9/23
01/19/23 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/19/23 (H) STA
02/28/23 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
02/28/23 (H) Heard & Held
02/28/23 (H) MINUTE(STA)
03/07/23 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
03/07/23 (H) Heard & Held
03/07/23 (H) MINUTE(STA)
03/14/23 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
BILL: HB 23
SHORT TITLE: FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) MINA
01/19/23 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/9/23
01/19/23 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/19/23 (H) STA
02/28/23 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
02/28/23 (H) Heard & Held
02/28/23 (H) MINUTE(STA)
03/14/23 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
BILL: HJR 3
SHORT TITLE: CONCEALED HANDGUN RECIPROCITY B/W STATES
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) RAUSCHER
02/01/23 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/01/23 (H) JUD, STA
02/10/23 (H) JUD AT 1:30 PM GRUENBERG 120
02/10/23 (H) Heard & Held
02/10/23 (H) MINUTE(JUD)
02/17/23 (H) JUD AT 1:30 PM GRUENBERG 120
02/17/23 (H) Moved CSHJR 3(JUD) Out of Committee
02/17/23 (H) MINUTE(JUD)
02/20/23 (H) JUD RPT CS(JUD) 3DP 4NR
02/20/23 (H) DP: C.JOHNSON, GROH, VANCE
02/20/23 (H) NR: CARPENTER, EASTMAN, GRAY, ALLARD
02/28/23 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
02/28/23 (H) Scheduled but Not Heard
03/02/23 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
03/02/23 (H) Heard & Held
03/02/23 (H) MINUTE(STA)
03/14/23 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
WITNESS REGISTER
BOB KAUFMAN
Representing Self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 2.
GARY MORTON
Christians United for Israel
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 2.
ALICE MORTON
Representing Self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 2.
PAULA COLESCOTT
Christians United for Israel
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 2.
BRAD LOWERY, Executive Pastor
Anchorage First Assembly
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 2.
QUEEN PARKER
Representing Self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 2.
IVAN HODES
Representing Self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to HB 2.
ALEX KOPLIN
Representing Self
Homer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to HB 2.
CHAVA SCHAPIRA
Representing Self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to HB 2.
JOHN MILLER
Representing Self
Matsu, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 2.
LORAN BAXTER
Representing Self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 2.
STEVE ZELENER
Representing Self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 2.
SARAH BELLER
Representing Self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to HB 2.
GERALDINE PRYME
Representing Self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 2.
CANDY MILLER
Representing Self
Matsu, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 2.
ALEX PETKANAS
Representing Self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to HB 2.
PHILLIP MOSER
Representing Self
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to HB 2.
REPRESENTATIVE SARAH VANCE
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Offered closing remarks on HB 2, as the
prime sponsor.
JAKE ALMEIDA, Staff
Representative Sarah Vance
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the hearing on HB
2, on behalf of Representative Vance, prime sponsor.
REPRESENTATIVE GEORGE RAUSCHER
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the hearing on
CSHJR 3(JUD), as the prime sponsor.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:03:50 PM
CHAIR LADDIE SHAW called the House State Affairs Standing
Committee meeting to order at [3:03] p.m. Representatives C.
Johnson, Armstrong (via teleconference), Story, Wright, and Shaw
were present at the call to order. Representative Carpenter
arrived as the meeting was in progress.
HB 2-CONTRACTS: PROHIBIT ISRAEL DISCRIMINATION
3:04:29 PM
CHAIR SHAW announced that the first order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 2, "An Act relating to contracts with public
agencies; and relating to the State of Israel." [Before the
committee, adopted as the work draft on 3/7/23, was the proposed
committee substitute (CS) for HB 2, Version 33-LS0084\B,
Dunmire, 3/1/23, "Version B."]
3:05:01 PM
CHAIR SHAW opened public testimony on HB 2.
3:05:44 PM
The committee took a brief at-ease.
3:06:04 PM
BOB KAUFMAN expressed his support for HB 2. He shared a
personal anecdote, opining that the boycott, divestment,
sanctions (BDS) movement was designed to villainize Israel. He
stated that anti-BDS legislation was in the interest of both
Alaska and the U.S., as trade with Israel created billions in
investment and tens-of-thousands of jobs. BDS aimed to end this
mutually beneficial relationship by severing cooperation between
the U.S. and Israel, he said, in addition to weakening Israel as
the homeland of the Jewish people. He shared his belief that
the bill was well designed. He urged the legislature to enact
anti-BDS legislation to remove from the table the Palestinian
leadership's desire to liquidate Israel.
3:08:49 PM
GARY MORTON, Christians United for Israel, stated his support
for the bill, citing it as vital to Israel and to the Alaska
Jewish and Christian communities. He urged unanimous and
bipartisan support for HB 2, characterizing the campaign to
boycott Israel as immoral. He discussed the BDS movement's
strategy to systematically spread hate, as well as the parallel
rise in anti-Semitic crime across the country. He urged the
state to "do the right thing" for Israel.
3:11:16 PM
ALICE MORTON, Representing Self, stated her support for HB 2,
characterizing Israel as a good trade partner with Alaska. She
discussed the BDS movement that sought to socially alienate and
economically isolate Israel. She urged the committee to support
the bill.
3:12:37 PM
PAULA COLESCOTT, Christians United for Israel, discussed the
mutual beneficial relationship between Israel and Alaska. She
indicated that the political gain for BDS was to bring down the
state of Israel. She described choosing to stand with Israel
and defending the Jewish people's right to self-determination in
their ancestral homeland as "American." She encouraged support
for the bill.
3:14:31 PM
BRAD LOWERY, Executive Pastor, Anchorage First Assembly, agreed
with the statements made by previous testifiers. He emphasized
his support for the proposed legislation, as the bill would
ensure that Alaskan taxpayer dollars were not spent subsidizing
an anti-Semitic effort designed with terroristic intent to
destroy Israel. He further noted that HB 2 would not constrain
an individual's right to boycott. He requested support for the
HB 2.
3:16:00 PM
QUEEN PARKER, Representing Self, expressed support for HB 2 and
voiced her agreeance with the previous testifiers.
3:16:41 PM
IVAN HODES, Representing Self, noted that he was a member of the
Jewish congregation in Anchorage, Beth Sholom. He stated his
opposition to HB 2. He opined that it was a business's right to
choose which entities to do business with, adding that the state
should not be determining whether those choices were acceptable.
He acknowledged that some but not all - BDS was rooted in
anti-Semitism. Nonetheless, he pointed out that many of the
policies carried out by the state of Israel were in conflict
with his interpretation of Judaism; therefore, he rejected the
idea that any criticism of Israel was anti-Semitic. He
continued by noting that most of the testifiers were Christian
not Jewish, characterizing their support for the measure as
hypocritical. He argued that if people were truly committed to
anti-Semitism, domestic anti-Semitism should be included in the
bill as well.
3:19:50 PM
ALEX KOPLIN, Representing Self, characterized the bill's
reference to state taxpayer dollars as misleading, as there was
no statewide sales or income tax in Alaska. He discussed his
opposition to the bill moving forward and elaborated on his
Jewish heritage. He pointed out that his opposition to many of
government issues in Israel did not make him anti-Semitic. He
opined that the bill would give too much power to Israel.
3:23:20 PM
CHAVA SCHAPIRA, Representing Self, shared her strong opposition
to HB 2. She explained that in practice, the BDS movement
allowed people to boycott products made in Israel. She
described BDS as a method of political speech that allowed
people to object to Israeli policies without violence. She
characterized the bill as "anti-free speech," insisting that it
violated First Amendment rights and would likely be struck down
by the Alaska Supreme Court. She opined that the legislation
had nothing to do with protecting Jews in Alaska from anti-
Semitism, and more to do with targeting other leftist movements
and allowing the government to monitor political speech.
3:26:22 PM
The committee took a brief at-ease.
3:27:44 PM
JOHN MILLER, Representing Self, voiced his support for HB 2. He
believed that it was in the best interest of the U.S. and Alaska
to support Israel and to discourage countries or corporations
that would attempt to harm an ally.
3:28:55 PM
LORAN BAXTER, Representing Self, affiliated himself with the
International Fellowship of Christians and Jews and Christians
United for Israel. He stated his support for HB 2. He
emphasized Israel's right to a biblical homeland. He remarked
that Israel was the only democratic country in its area and a
strong ally to the U.S. in an "unforgiving" region of the world.
He shared his personal reverence for Israel's development of
effective missile defense technology. He relayed a personal
anecdote. He questioned the message that would be sent by
failing to pass the legislation.
3:32:38 PM
STEVE ZELENER, Representing Self, expressed his support for HB
2. He informed the committee of his personal background and
summarized his experience moving from his birthplace of Kyiv,
Ukraine to Israel at a young age. He referenced the rise in
anti-Semitic attacks against students. He opined that any
creation of more anti-Semitism would continue to destroy culture
and friendship on campus. He urged the legislative body to "do
the right thing."
3:34:49 PM
SARAH BELLER, Representing Self, shared that she was an attorney
in Anchorage and a member of Congregation Beth Sholom. She
stated her strong opposition to the bill, which she
characterized as dangerous. She contended that the bill would
not make Jews safer in Alaska and would not help Israel.
Instead, she said, HB 2 would allow the government to dictate
what Alaskans think and how they spend their money. Further,
she believed that the bill likely violated the First Amendment
rights, as it attempted to coerce businesses into certain
political views and actions. She pointed out that the bill was
written by the far-right organization ALEC [American Legislative
Exchange Council], which was pushing the same law in dozens of
states around the country. She stressed that out-of-state money
should not be allowed to dictate Alaskans' beliefs or where they
shop and spend their money. She urged a "no" vote on HB 2.
3:35:59 PM
GERALDINE PRYME, Representing Self, stated her support for HB 2.
She characterized the proposed legislation as vital to Israel
and the local Jewish community. She referenced the rise in
anti-Semitism across [Anchorage].
3:36:44 PM
CANDY MILLER, Representing Self, stated her support for HB 2.
She said she was in favor of policies and legislation that
supported sound positions aimed at creating a strong
relationship between U.S. and Israel.
3:37:51 PM
ALEX PETKANAS, Representing Self, emphasized his strong
opposition to the bill, noting that he attended Congregation
Beth Sholom regularly for services and adult learning classes.
He characterized the legislation as an affront to free speech,
adding that it would do nothing to protect Jewish people. He
contended that anti-Semitism was not the same as being anti-
Israel. He noted that as Israel was not his homeland, he had
the right to oppose the harm done to Palestinian people by a
violent government. He added that as an American, he also had
the right to free speech and to protest his own government. He
characterized any attempt to take away that right as disturbing.
He employed the committee to oppose the bill.
3:39:02 PM
PHILLIP MOSER, Representing Self, stated his opposition to HB 2,
describing it as incredible and harmful. He said he found it
incredulous that the bill was being brought forward by
legislators who didn't speak out against a colleague that was
linked to a Holocaust denial website. He remarked, "I find it
incredulous that this action is coming from the same law body
that decried the situation in Russia, yet still has the vast
majority of their funds invested in the same things they said
they were going to divest from." He stated that he found it
incredulous that the bill was coming from the same legislative
body that forwarded anti-trans bills. He elaborated on the BDS
movement, describing it as legitimate and not anti-Semitic. He
reiterated his opposition to the bill.
3:42:18 PM
CHAIR SHAW closed public testimony on HB 2.
3:42:44 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SARAH VANCE, Alaska State Legislature, prime
sponsor of HB 2, clarified that the bill was focused on state
contracts related to Israel, adding that it would reinforce
Alaska's support for Israel as an ally. She said the bill
clearly stated that it would not infringe upon an individual's
right to free speech. She discussed legal challenges to the
legislation across the country, noting that HB 2 had been
tailored to avoid such occurrences with the inclusion of one
word that was absent from the bills that were litigated in other
states. She emphasized that HB 2 was crafted after a "lesson
learned" from the legal challenges in those states. She
described the legislation as vetted, sound policy that sought
the authority to justify Alaskan dollars in support of Israel.
CHAIR SHAW invited questions from members of the committee.
3:45:12 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY sought to verify that the legislation aimed
to limit state contracts with public agencies that were
participating in boycotts of Israel.
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE explained that the bill pertained to
businesses with contracts over $100,000 and at least 10
employees that were choosing to boycott Israel. She emphasized
that smaller businesses would not be impacted.
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked why the Alaska Permanent Fund
Corporation (APFC) was exempted.
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE indicated that APFC was excluded to
maintain its distance from social - or "lightning rod" issues.
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked whether the state had any existing
contracts that would be impacted by the bill.
3:46:59 PM
JAKE ALMEIDA, Staff, Representative Sarah Vance, Alaska State
Legislature, offered to follow up with the requested
information.
3:48:10 PM
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT moved to report CSHB 2, Version 33-
LS0084\B, Dunmire, 3/1/23, out of committee with individual
recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being
no objection, CSHB 2(STA) was reported from the House State
Affairs Standing Committee.
3:48:40 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 3:48 p.m. to 3:52 p.m.
HB 23-FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH
3:52:01 PM
CHAIR SHAW announced that the next order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 23, "An Act establishing the month of October as
Filipino American History Month."
3:52:50 PM
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT moved to report HB 23 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
notes. There being no objection, HB 23 was reported from the
House State Affairs Standing Committee.
3:53:11 PM
The committee took a brief at-ease.
3:53:25 PM
CHAIR SHAW announced that HB 23 was reported out of committee.
3:53:37 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 3:53 p.m. to 3:56 p.m.
3:56:17 PM
The committee took a brief at-ease.
3:56:23 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SHAW invited closing remarks on HB 23.
3:56:29 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY highlighted the excitement in the Filipino
community surrounding the legislation. She thanked the sponsor
for bringing it forward.
HJR 3-CONCEALED HANDGUN RECIPROCITY B/W STATES
3:57:03 PM
CHAIR SHAW announced that the final order of business would be
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 3, "Encouraging Congress to pass the
Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act or a similar bill." [Before the
committee was CSHJR 3(JUD).]
CHAIR SHAW invited questions from members of the committee.
3:57:40 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY said she was comforted that the laws of the
home state would remain intact should the bill pass. However,
she expressed concern about the lack of an educational component
and asked whether the bill sponsor had considered including one
in the resolution.
3:59:13 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GEORGE RAUSCHER, Alaska State Legislature, prime
sponsor of CSHJR 3(JUD), shared that he had not considered an
educational component. He recommended that people conduct their
own research into state laws when traveling with a weapon. He
added that he was unsure of the feasibility of implementing
classes in each state and unclear on the fiscal implications.
REPRESENTATIVE STORY suggested the inclusion of a statewide
public service announcement or public notice.
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER said he would take it into
consideration.
4:02:12 PM
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT moved to report CSHJR 3(JUD) out of
committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying
fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHJR 3(JUD) was
reported from the House State Affairs Standing Committee.
4:02:36 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
State Affairs Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at [4:02]
p.m.
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