03/30/2021 03:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB72 | |
| SB17 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 72 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 17 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
March 30, 2021
3:30 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Shelley Hughes, Chair
Senator Robert Myers, Vice Chair
Senator David Wilson
Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Lyman Hoffman
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 72
"An Act relating to civics education, civics examinations, and
secondary school graduation requirements; and providing for an
effective date."
- HEARD & HELD
SENATE BILL NO. 17
"An Act relating to the retrofitting of certain public
facilities and community facilities; relating to the performance
of energy audits on schools and community facilities; relating
to the duties of the Alaska Energy Authority and the Alaska
Housing Finance Corporation; creating a rapid economic recovery
office in the Alaska Industrial Development and Export
Authority; and relating to the state energy policy and energy
source reporting by state agencies."
- HEARD & HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SB 72
SHORT TITLE: SEC. SCHOOL CIVICS EDUCATION
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) STEVENS
02/05/21 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/05/21 (S) EDC, CRA
03/10/21 (S) EDC AT 9:00 AM BUTROVICH 205
03/10/21 (S) Heard & Held
03/10/21 (S) MINUTE(EDC)
03/19/21 (S) EDC AT 9:00 AM BUTROVICH 205
03/19/21 (S) -- Invited & Public Testimony --
03/22/21 (S) EDC AT 9:00 AM BUTROVICH 205
03/22/21 (S) Scheduled but Not Heard
03/24/21 (S) EDC RPT CS 5DP NEW TITLE
03/24/21 (S) DP: HOLLAND, HUGHES, STEVENS, MICCICHE,
BEGICH
03/24/21 (S) EDC AT 9:00 AM BUTROVICH 205
03/24/21 (S) Moved CSSB 72(EDC) Out of Committee
03/24/21 (S) MINUTE(EDC)
03/30/21 (S) CRA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
BILL: SB 17
SHORT TITLE: ENERGY EFFICIENCY & POLICY: PUB. BLDGS
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) BEGICH
01/22/21 (S) PREFILE RELEASED 1/8/21
01/22/21 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/22/21 (S) CRA, L&C, FIN
02/25/21 (S) CRA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
02/25/21 (S) Heard & Held
02/25/21 (S) MINUTE(CRA)
03/30/21 (S) CRA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
WITNESS REGISTER
SENATOR GARY STEVENS
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of SB 72.
TIM LAMKIN, Staff
Senator Gary Stevens
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided an overview of SB 72.
DR. MICHAEL JOHNSON, Commissioner
Alaska Department of Education
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 72.
LA QUEN N?AY LIZ MEDICINE CROW, President and CEO
First Alaskans Institute
Kake, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 72.
JENNIFER KNUTSON, Senior Director of Teaching and Learning
Anchorage School District
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 72.
SENATOR TOM BEGICH
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of SB 17.
CONNOR OWENS, Intern
Senator Begich
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Reviewed the committee substitute for SB 17
on behalf of the sponsor.
CHRISTOPHER HODGIN, Engineer and Architect
Division of Facility Services
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions regarding SB 17.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:30:24 PM
CHAIR SHELLEY HUGHES called the Senate Community and Regional
Affairs Standing Committee meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. Present
at the call to order were Senators Gray-Jackson, Myers, and
Chair Hughes. Senator Wilson arrived during the course of the
meeting.
3:31:04 to 3:31:24
At ease
SB 72-SEC. SCHOOL CIVICS EDUCATION
3:32:28 PM
CHAIR HUGHES announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 72
"An Act relating to civics education, civics examinations, and
secondary school graduation requirements; and providing for an
effective date."
[CSSB 72(EDC) was before the committee.]
3:32:39 PM
SENATOR GARY STEVENS, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska,
sponsor of SB 72, said the bill is important to him because he
realizes when free public education started in the United
States, one of the reasons for education was to develop a
citizenry so that people going into schools would become
citizens, learn what it means to become a citizen in this
country, and to participate in votinga means of being a
citizencertainly, what everyone is doing in the capitol.
He explained the bill is a recognition that there has been a lot
of apathy in the vision in this country. A lot of focusrightly
so in many waysis on mass science sort of at the expense of the
liberal arts in terms of history, politics, and law. Other
states have been looking into [civics education], so Alaska is
not the only one.
SENATOR STEVENS said developing a curriculum with exams in
civics is important. The curriculum should include things like
flag etiquette and all those sorts of things to make sure that
people are more involved in the government, register to vote,
and they take leadership positions like committee members are
doing.
He explained that SB 72 is one effort to restore an
understanding of what it means to be an American citizen among
our youngest generations and to teach them about what it means
to be in the system of government that the country has. He said
to reverse the noted [civics apathy] trend, he thinks the bill
importantly makes an investment in the future of our country as
well as recognizes the cultural diversity of Alaska.
He detailed the bill includes an exit exam on civics for
graduating seniors, not necessarily a need to pass it in a high-
stakes exam, but students are subject to take it. The bill
directs the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
(DEED)who has been quite cooperative in the legislationto
develop a unique Alaskan civics and curriculum assessment. An
important part of the bill is to recognize the importance of
including Alaska Native tribal government system as well.
3:35:07 PM
TIM LAMKIN, Staff, Senator Gary Stevens, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, explained the bill before the
committee had quite an evolution. There have been a number of
task forces over the years that have come forward with a variety
of recommendations, one of them consistently being to review and
update the State's standards and even to develop curriculum for
the state, and that is what SB 72 reflects.
MR. LAMKIN said version I that came out of the Education
Committee steps away from the high-stakes naturalization test
administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and
instead embraces the idea of the state developing an assessment
that would be administered through DEED.
He noted another important component of SB 72 would recognize to
include not only traditional American and state government
studies, but very importantly, Alaskan Native tribal government
systemsinvited testifiers are available to specifically address
that.
CHAIR HUGHES asked for the sectional analysis for SB 72.
3:36:37 PM
MR. LAMKIN paraphrased the following sectional analysis for SB
72:
Section 1
AS 14.03.076 relates to public schools, adding a new
section directing the State Board of Education and
Early Development to develop the curriculum and a
related assessment aligned with our state standards
regarding government and citizenship to include U.S.
federal government, Alaska state government, and
Alaska Tribal government; and that it requires
students to take the assessment established there in
order to receive a high school diploma. Of course,
there would be some exceptions available as detailed
in the bill for students with special needs, but
schools are to document on student transcripts that
they have taken the exam; in this case, we purposely
did not include a requirement that they pass the exam
per se, but that they simply take it.
Section 2
AS 14.07.168 relates to reporting requirements by
State Board, and to include in their annual report a
description of that civics curriculum that was
developed and of the student performance on the
assessment that was described.
Section 3
There is an effective date in Section 3 of July 1,
2022.
3:37:58 PM
At ease
3:38:08 PM
CHAIR HUGHES reconvened the meeting and turned to invited
testimony.
3:38:37 PM
DR. MICHAEL JOHNSON, Commissioner, Alaska Department of
Education, Juneau, Alaska, testified in support of SB 72. He
thanked Senator Stevens, saying he has not waivered for years in
making sure public education in Alaska is built upon the purpose
of civics education. He added everyone can regret that more
policymakers in the country have not shared Senator Stevens'
efforts.
He said civics education is not a new innovation, it is timeless
wisdom that the country has somehow forgotten. He noted Plato
said the following:
Schools should create good men and women who act
nobly. If we have an education system that does less
than that, all our other efforts for life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness will be thwarted.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON referenced a study from the Woodrow Wilson
National Fellowship Foundation as follows:
• Only 36 percent of Americans passed a multiple-choice U.S.
citizens test
• Less than 25 percent know why the United States fought the
British
• Only 24 percent can name a single thing that Benjamin
Franklin was famous for
o 37 percent think he invented the lightbulbhe did not
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON stated the proof that Senator Stevens is
right to introduce SB 72 is noted in the study as follows:
• 74 percent of people 65 and older scored the bestanswering
at least 6 out of 10 questions correctly
• Only 19 [percent] of those 45 and younger passed
o That is 81 percent scoring 59 percent or lower on that
particular exam
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON said although he does not have specific
data, he is confident that everyone would be alarmed by how few
Alaskan citizens understand Alaska Native history and layers of
tribal governance. The presentation in the House Tribal Affairs
Committee on March 4, 2021 is a great example what Alaska
specific civics education could look like viapresentation by
the First Alaskans Institute.
3:41:10 PM
He stated SB 72 is not a new coat of paint on the Alaska public
education system, the bill is a much-needed effort to repair the
foundation. Civics education is about purpose and a public
education system without clear purpose is more expensive,
ineffective, and corrosive to the country's society. A public
education system with purpose is more efficient, more effective,
and improves the country's society.
He explained the legislature's purpose statement for education
in AS 14.03.015 is clear. It says:
It is the policy of this state that the purpose of
education is to help ensure that all students will
succeed in their education and work, shape worthwhile
and satisfying lives for themselves, exemplify the
best values of society, and be effective in improving
the character and quality of the world about them.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON said the statute is a great description of
the outcome of an education purposed with civicsit is also the
vision statement for the State Board of Education and Early
Development (State Board). Alaska spends over 160 billion
pennies each year on its public education system and every
single penny should have a purpose related to civics education.
He noted during the previous several months his fear has been
that the State will lower the bar and settle for less. Of
course, everyone wants schools to be open, but he hopes that
that is not the new benchmark for the state. Open is good,
purposeful, and effective is essential, and at times more
difficult.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON noted a few months after giving his going
to the Moon speech, John Kennedy addressed a growing public
questioning of why the country should spend all that money to go
to the moon. The President said in a speech later that year:
We choose to go to the moon in this decade and other
things not because they are easy, but because they are
hard, because that goal will serve to organize and
measure the best of our energies and skills.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON explained going to the moon was not about
improving the moon, it was about making America better. He
added:
Let's not storm the capitol, let's teach kids to read.
Let's inspire them to run for school board, run for
mayor, and even run for the legislature. Let's show
them how to work together to create good policy. Let's
teach them how to value liberty and never take it for
granted. Let's show them how to embrace what is
difficult because it makes us better and makes us more
thankful.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON concluded his comments with a quote from
President Kennedy's original Go to the Moon speech:
For while we cannot guarantee that we shall one day be
first, we can guarantee that any failure to make this
effort will make us last.
3:44:22 PM
SENATOR MYERS commented he was intrigued with the bill at first,
noting constituency support. However, he felt dismayed after
reviewing the committee substitute (CS) for SB 72. It took what
was a straight forward, concrete proposition and turned it into
something a bit more amorphous.
He noted Commissioner Johnson talked about the education and how
it should connect to society values and purpose; however, some
of the changes in bill lost those values and purpose. Instead of
talking about an exam that simply examined the understanding of
government that we expect out of people coming to our country,
the legislation now has a curriculum and an assessment that
includes government citizenship and a history of government
systems in the United States.
SENATOR MYERS argued one of the problems the country is having
these days is not just that we have not educated children on
government and citizenship, but that we do not agree on what
that means anymore, what the purpose of government is, and what
does it mean to be a good citizenover the last 40 or 50 years
those have changed.
SENATOR MYERS said the CS makes him hesitant to agree to
teaching a set of values when he does not know what that set of
values is. He asked Commissioner Johnson if DEED could provide
an idea of direction that they want to go in creating that
curriculum.
3:46:46 PM
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON replied the bill sponsor is best to answer
some of his question on changes. However, the department will
not be the only one creating the standards and curriculum. The
State Board has laid out a process that involves stakeholders,
communities, and educators in developing any kind of standards
and curriculum to make sure it is representative, that there is
a public process, and there is opportunity for public input and
comment on anything the State Board adopts.
He added fundamental to purpose is also fact and his hope is the
curriculum, and the standard includes facts and history about
the United States, including the unique history of Alaska.
3:48:08 PM
SENATOR STEVENS commented he is not exactly sure what Senator
Myers is getting at. The bill is about politics, but it is not
political. He said he does not think there is any attempt to
teach anyone about being a Republican or Democrat, the intent is
to understand what it means to be an American citizen and the
commissioner has a great grasp of that. The State is doing this
really well in some places, noting there are government teachers
he has met throughout Alaska who are doing a tremendous job in
educating their kids and what it means to be an American
citizen, what our history is all about, and the importance of
voting and participating.
He noteda little off the topiche was a different generation,
and he could not vote until he was 21. That was the requirement
in Alaska and the United States, and he voted when he was in
college. The ability to vote meant so much to him, he studied
it, he learned about it, and he knew what was going on from high
school classes.
SENATOR STEVENS stated there are some great teachers out there,
he had some great teachers when he went through school who
really made students proud to be an American citizen, and not
about party politics and the issues that legislators deal with,
but rather the bigger picture of what it means to be a citizen.
SENATOR STEVENS said he is not sure what Senator Myers means
about values, but he thinks the value of citizenship rises above
all the other issues.
CHAIR HUGHES thanked Commissioner Johnson for his passionate
presentation and asked that he provide his comments in writing.
3:50:35 PM
LA QUEN N?AY LIZ MEDICINE CROW, President and CEO, First
Alaskans Institute, Kake, Alaska, testified in support of SB 72.
She thanked Senator Stevens and the committee for inviting the
First Alaskans Institute (FAI) to share a few words about SB 72
and about the potential that FAI sees in the legislation. She
stated she was happy to see the CS containing a simple sentence
to include within civics education the tribal government systems
as well; to that point is what she really wants to speak to.
She noted she is a product of the Alaska public education
system, attending school in Kake and Juneau. When preparing for
her testimony she tried to recall at any time when her schools
ever mentioned anything relevant to her as a Tribal citizen.
However, her connection to her Tribe is strong through her
family and community, she is an enrolled citizen of the
Organized Village of Kake, and her family and many community
members have been involved in ensuring that their tribal
government is strong and taking care of its citizens in Kake.
She said she has been able to watch and learn very much from
what it means to be someone who cares about their community and
who steps forward to serve and take care of the things that
communities need to be addressed. However, not once did she ever
have to opportunity to learn about the sovereignty, about her
tribal government, what a tribal government was, how it was
different from state government, how state government, federal
government, and tribal governments are three sovereigns
operating in present day Alaska. There was a void of
understanding the critical role of tribal governments and the
wellbeing of all of Alaska.
MS. MEDICINE CROW stated what she really appreciates about SB 72
is that the bill is saying, "We will no longer erase one third
of that sovereignty picture that we have in Alaska, that when we
talk about what it means to be a citizen." She said too often in
Alaska's history the divisiveness and the racial inequities
between Alaska Native peoples and those who now call Alaska home
have allowed us to blindside our own best interests in the
education that our children receive.
3:54:02 PM
She noted FAI provides an Alaska Native governance and protocols
training. Legislatorsas elected officialsare making decisions
everyday about the wellbeing of Alaskans, but she questioned how
legislators could make those decisions with the best available
information if legislators never had a chance to learn about
tribal governments.
She detailed there are 229 tribal governments in Alaska and
those 229 tribal governments have created an incredible Alaska
Tribal Health Care System, which she believes all Alaskans
probably know of better today then they did before COVID-19. The
Tribal Health Care System has exemplified the power of tribal
governance and about what can happen when people are in charge
of their own destiny, which is essentially the same kind of
story Alaskans put forward in their pursuit to become a state.
She said there should not be a tension between tribal and state
governments in Alaska. There should be an opportunity for people
to understand that "one, plus one, plus one, equals three."
Three chances for children in Alaska to know more, to be better
citizens, to understand what it means when somebody says they
are a tribal citizen and understand where that relationship
comes from and how long it has been in Alaska.
She pointed out the federally recognized tribes in Alaska are
modern manifestations of the indigenous people in Alaska that
long predates the United States and the State of Alaska. That
inherent sovereignty that the tribal governments have is not
dissimilaralthough it is differentfrom state and federal
sovereignty. She asked committee members to imagine the power
the children of Alaska will have if they can understand those
three concepts, know how to make informed decisions, and build
relationships because of it.
MS. MEDICINE CROW remarked Alaska has yet to have that
opportunity and has stifled its own development by not
previously including [the three concepts]. The legislation is an
opportunity to change that and the trajectory of where the state
goes. She said she cannot imagine what it would be like to be a
child learning about these things, inquiring about these things,
learning how to critique these things, understanding
responsibility the legislature has to themit is not just about
the benefits that state citizens receive, it also about the
responsibilities.
MS. MEDICINE CROW stated the same applies to the Alaska tribal
governments and the federal government. By including Alaska
Native tribal governance within the civics education of the
public education students, she explained the following:
I believe that we will also make some really big
shifts in some of the racial dynamics that have played
too long a part and strangled the growth of Alaska,
because our history is imbedded in the civics and when
you have a better understanding of history, you have a
better understanding of your responsibility as a
citizen.
She said that is why she wanted to testify today, and to thank
Senator Stevens and the cosponsors for SB 72.
3:57:41 PM
CHAIR HUGHES thanked Ms. Medicine Crow. She added she personally
needs an education in tribal governments and suggested the
committee invite her back for a presentation to better
understand tribal governments.
She asked her if she would be working with Commissioner Johnson
to help the department as they develop the [tribal government]
curriculum.
MS. MEDICINE CROW answered yes. She added Alaska Native elders
and ancestors have already created cultural standards for Native
education so there is a good foundation and framework to build
from. FAI is ready to stand behind Commissioner Johnson to
create a robust curriculum and assessment that reflects Native
people and its tribal governance.
3:59:02 PM
CHAIR HUGHES commented that tribal governance is an important
area of focus and responsibility for the Senate Community and
Regional Affairs Committee.
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON thanked Ms. Medicine Crow for her inspiring
presentation. She concurred with Chair Hughes on the benefit of
a tribal governance presentation, hopefully during the current
legislative session.
4:00:08 PM
JENNIFER KNUTSON, Senior Director of Teaching and Learning,
Anchorage School District, Anchorage, Alaska, testified in
support of SB 72. She thanked the previous testifiers because
she is excited about what they said. The Anchorage School
District (ASD) is happy that civics is a focus of SB 72. ASD has
been embedding civics into its social studies and history
courses in grades 6-12 in alignment with standards. However, the
bill provides an opportunity for the district to work with the
State and [Alaska Native] tribal groups to review, strengthen,
and focus its curriculum and instruction.
She said she was excited about the discussion on strengthening
the understanding of Alaska Native governance. ASD has had an
opportunity to develop its Alaska studies curriculum for third
grade by partnering with elders and cultural consultants. The
recently completed studies provided the students with a rich and
highly accurate curriculum that allowed them to learn about the
place where they live. The curriculum touched on some of the
government pieces via partnering with cultural consultants, a
big strength that benefited the district. She stated she is
excited about the possibilities from the bill for the ASD civics
instruction.
MS. KNUTSON explained students will benefit from a statewide
curriculum by ensuring they have the needed skills and knowledge
for meaningful participation in public life as strong citizens
in today's world. The curriculum will also help districts
reflect on what they are doing to potentially strengthen their
current social studies and history course.
She referenced the assessment component of the bill and said ASD
is pleased with the adjustments, including assessment
development in conjunction with the curriculum. The assessment
will provide feedback not only for how students are doing and
what their skills are, but teachers, districts, and the State
will receive feedback about the students' knowledge and skills.
The assessment feedback allows for continuous instruction
adjustments to ensure students are growing and demonstrating
their skills to be successful in life.
MS. KNUTSON said ASD appreciates the student civics test will
show up on their transcripts. ASD has a formal assessment for
its students who are doing World Languages to obtain a Seal of
Biliteracy and that shows up on their transcriptsan attractive
recognition to colleges and businesses. ASD thinks that having
the civics assessment information on their transcripts will
reflect their good citizenship knowledge for application in
their post K-12 educationa similar transcription benefit to the
Seal of Biliteracy.
4:04:28 PM
MS. KNUTSON summarized ASD finds a lot of positive aspects with
the bill and appreciates the work that has gone into the team
that has improved the legislation. ASD looks forward to
partnering with the State and [Alaska Native] tribal
organizations on the curriculum and assessment components, and
ensuring that they are high quality, rigorous, and aligned to
the assessment.
CHAIR HUGHES asked if the World Language assessment that appears
on student transcripts indicates the score that students
received.
MS. KNUTSON answered no. She explained students take the
assessment (there is criteria to receive the Seal of Biliteracy,
like grade point average) but the transcript indicates the
student passed the assessment.
4:05:40 PM
CHAIR HUGHES asked her to confirm that the transcript indicates
that the student passed the assessment.
MS. KNUTSON answered yes.
CHAIR HUGHES noted the Senate Education Committee had policy
discussions regarding SB 72 and changes were made by the
committee, but members knew the Senate Community and Regional
Affairs Standing Committee would hear the bill next to do some
further work.
She said she shares the same concerns that Senator Myers
expressed, but she wants to work with the bill sponsor. One of
her concerns is if the legislature tasks teachers to instruct
the students in the civics material, will the curriculum
motivate and engage students when they know that it does not
matter whether they pass or fail. She suggested requiring the
assessment score appear on the transcript so the student knows
they would carry the score with them, and they would hopefully
want to get a passing score on their transcript.
CHAIR HUGHES explained she knows there are concerns, especially
when getting something up and running. The committee does not
want high school seniors to initially not graduate because of
the assessment. She noted receiving feedback from
superintendents regarding "unfunded mandates." Many districts
including ASDare already doing civics. Aligning with what DEED
might produce assures that a district covers all their bases so
students could do well in their assessments.
CHAIR HUGHES raised the question of moving towards a pass/fail
assessment and asked Ms. Knutson what she thought about
initially including the score on the transcript but with the
goal over several years of requiring the student pass to
graduate.
4:08:02 PM
MS. KNUTSON recommended focusing first on the curriculum that is
engaging and allows students to practice what they have learned
where they are not memorizing everything. The curriculum should
allow students to make connections between the different parts
of government and what that means to be a citizen. The
assessment should align to the curriculum for measuring what the
district is teaching the students. Having a score on a
transcript is not necessarily going to be a motivating factor
for how well a student does or how much they know civics.
CHAIR HUGHES noted an assessment actually can include a
portfolio that shows activities and engagement, perhaps a
student showing up at a city council meeting.
She said she is "kind of shocked" that Ms. Knutson would say
that a student's grade might not motivate them. Students are
motivated to get good gradessome students are notbut most
students do not want to fail their course work and recording a
score would motivate them.
CHAIR HUGHES asked Ms. Knutson if she is sure that she wants to
stick to her statement that posting a score would not motivate
students.
4:10:08 PM
MS. KNUTSON agreed that there are a lot of students who are
intrinsically motivated by having good grades and seeing that on
their transcripts. However, she would like to see assessments
linked to the instruction so that students see the outcome of
what they are learning.
She said she appreciates what Chair Hughes said about having
different means of assessing students where they are able to
demonstrate that they are learning as opposed to a fill-in-the-
blank assessment.
CHAIR HUGHES asked Senator Stevens if he had any comments as the
bill sponsor.
SENATOR STEVENS stated he appreciates the testimony from the
three individuals. He noted Ms. Medicine Crow used the word
"responsibility," a word he will say in the future because he
thinks it is the responsibility being a citizen to know what is
going on, to vote, and to participate.
He noted he stated earlier that there are a lot of good teachers
out there and a lot of school districts are doing a great job,
but not everyone is, and some are not doing it at all. He
remarked that starting the instruction must be with good
curriculum.
He added that one thing not addressed is the requirement for
DEED to provide an annual report to the House and Senate
education committees, so the legislature knows what is going on.
He said in time the legislature might want to make more
restrictionslike posting the scorebut he is not sure posting a
score is the right way to start.
SENATOR STEVENS remarked that a lot of citizens are not
motivated and a lot could not pass the immigration test, but
passing a test is not required if anybody wants to vote. The
[proposed civics instruction] begins an improvement of students
in Alaska to help them become more knowledgeable; that report is
very important and having that on the transcript is important as
well.
4:12:52 PM
CHAIR HUGHES asked the sponsor if there was a list of school
districts that are or are not offering [civics], and at what
grade level. She noted someone shared that in her community the
Alaska Native Studies instruction occurs in the freshman year,
but government civics is as a senior where taking an assessment
might be a problem due to the four-year difference.
SENATOR STEVENS replied there is not a lot of consistency across
the state and the legislation might bring some consistency to
the [civics instruction].
He asked Mr. Lamkin to comment on what the school districts are
doing.
4:13:54 PM
MR. LAMKIN noted he was alerted to the question and during the
last 24 hours he has carefully reviewed the websites for all 54
school districts. He said at this time he has not been able to
drill deeply, but at the surface there are three districts that
specifically reference "civics," "Inupiaq Studies" in Northwest
Arctic, or "Native History" in the Yukon-Koyukuk School
District.
He detailed there is a lot of civics-type activity out there,
typically referenced as "social studies" which includes United
States history, world history, United States government, current
events, economics, and the statutory requirement of a half a
credit for a semester in Alaska studies. That data is out there,
but there is quite a diverse and colorful variety of the
districts' approaches to thata part of local controlbut there
is no clearinghouse or central location to receive the
curriculum or certainlyto his knowledgenot an assessment that
is on civics or government in order to graduate.
MR. LAMKIN noted there are end-of-course exams that would
contribute to a grade. With Alaska studies, there is the simple
fact that they have to take the exams.
4:15:25 PM
CHAIR HUGHES thanked him for his time and effort to try to tease
out the information. She asked if he gets further information
and drills down any further to let the committee know when the
committee brings the bill back up.
She asked if some of the districts require the courses for
graduation.
MR. LAMKIN answered that state law requires each district
requires students to complete three years of social studies.
Students may choose between subjects such as United States
history, United States government, current events, and world
history but they must take half credit in Alaska studies.
4:16:24 PM
CHAIR HUGHES recognized that Senator Wilson had joined the
committee meeting.
She said because the committee did not focus on the tribal
government piece in the [Senate Education Committee], the
committee will address tribal government. She suggested offline
or committee meeting discussions with rural superintendents to
provide input, an important part the committee should not
neglect.
4:17:04 PM
CHAIR HUGHES held SB 72 in committee.
SB 17-ENERGY EFFICIENCY & POLICY: PUB. BLDGS
4:17:18 PM
CHAIR HUGHES announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 17,
"An Act relating to the retrofitting of certain public
facilities and community facilities; relating to the performance
of energy audits on schools and community facilities; relating
to the duties of the Alaska Energy Authority and the Alaska
Housing Finance Corporation; creating a rapid economic recovery
office in the Alaska Industrial Development and Export
Authority; and relating to the state energy policy and energy
source reporting by state agencies."
She noted this was the second hearing and there was a committee
substitute (CS) for the committee to consider.
4:17:37 PM
SENATOR MYERS moved to adopt the CS for SB 17, work order 32-
LS0187\B, as the working document.
4:17:52 PM
CHAIR HUGHES objected for discussion purposes.
4:18:05 PM
SENATOR TOM BEGICH, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska,
sponsor of SB 17, said Connor Owens will present the CS.
4:18:32 PM
CONNOR OWENS, Intern, Senator Tom Begich, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, paraphrased the summary of changes
from version A to version B. He stated the following:
Page 2, Lines 20-23:
This change clarifies that the energy audits the State
will perform under this legislation aren't going to be
large investment-grade audits. Instead, the audits are
meant to be minimal, level-one [American Society of
Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers]
(ASHRAE) audits that can be performed either in person
or virtually. The idea is that these more minimal
audits will reduce the fiscal notes of this bill but
still allow the State to determine if there are
potential projects for energy savings.
SENATOR BEGICH explained this change was a specific request from
testifiers for a preliminary [Reporting and Planning System]
(RAPS) virtual or another audit. The companies would do the real
intensive audits once a need was determined.
4:19:37 PM
MR. OWENS continued:
Page 4, line 13:
Clarifies the new office being established, the Rapid
Economic Recovery Office, is meant to use its
expertise to support and contract for these bundled
projects so that facilities don't have to navigate the
retrofitting process on their own. This will be
especially helpful for facilities with lower numbers
of employees and rural facilities. So this just makes
it clear that the new office is there to leverage its
expertise to help communities and facilities with
these projects.
Page 4, lines 17-26:
This change aligns terminology with existing statute.
It replaces "clean energy" with the definition of
"renewable energy." This is meant so that we do not
have to create a new definition for what energy
sources the bill addresses and allows us to stay
consistent with previous state statute.
SENATOR BEGICH noted he had inadvertently transferred language
from the Lower 48 to the bill and admitted he should have
checked the statutes to see what the definitions were.
4:21:52 PM
SENATOR MYERS stated he understands the idea behind the bill
that spending a little money now saves more money later. He said
what he is concerned about is the diminishing returns. For
example, retrofitting a 50-year-old building with the
expectation for quite a bit of savings, but retrofitting a 5-
year-old building is another thing.
He explained what he is concerned about is some of the language
in the bill regarding the number of buildings and the dollar
figure. He noted the previous presentation addressed the number
of retrofits and the annual dollar savings. However, his concern
is the possibility for spending more and getting less.
SENATOR MYERS asked what he expects to be the end result.
4:23:05 PM
SENATOR BEGICH replied he brought up the perfect question. He
noted there were two issues that came up in the previous hearing
for the bill, one was a suggestion from a testifier to address
50 percent of the buildings that are 5000 square foot or greater
as opposed to a 25 percent. Part of the reason why he rejected
the suggestion is because the number needs to be at a lower
percentage precisely because of diminishing returns for the
reason of not wanting to over extend the State in any regard.
However, the second thingand more importantlythat is why the
program is a public-private partnership in the bill.
He detailed the way [Energy Service Companies] (ESCOs) work is
you have to have a saleable product, so the initial work of the
virtual auditor the audit that was described by Mr. Owens
allows for taking a look at the structures to first see if they
are even relevant in terms of a retrofit or a quality-grade
investment. The second step after retrofitting determination is
to bundle that to see if there is private entity interest; that
is the whole point, no private company is going to invest in
something with diminishing returns.
SENATOR BEGICH explained the guarantee in the bill is that half
of the [energy savings], 25 percent of the overall bill, would
be for the reduction of energy priceswhich is where you would
get to that $40 million savings mark over timeand 25 percent
would go to covering the initial loan. The [Alaska Industrial
Development and Export Authority] (AIDEA) only serves as a
vehicle in a sense for managing the loan. The whole process
protects the State from exactly what Senator Myers addressed.
The State would not find itself in a situation where the
investment is not attractive for a return and guaranteed savings
for loan development.
SENATOR BEGICH noted Mr. Hodgin may provide more detail. He said
Mr. Hodgin has been actively involved in how the State did the
ESCOs via the bill in 2010. The State has realized-roughly over
a decade$40 million in energy cost savings. The real key is
private entities are not going to invest in a product that does
not give them a return and the State is guaranteed a return as
part of that process. The bill only targets 25 percent of those
buildings that are 5000 square feet or greater.
CHAIR HUGHES asked Mr. Hodgin to provide his prospective.
4:26:05 PM
CHRISTOPHER HODGIN, Engineer and Architect, Division of Facility
Services, Department of Transportation and Public Facilities,
Anchorage, Alaska, asked Senator Myers to confirm that his
question pertains to the age and quantities of buildings, and
program effectiveness on relatively new buildings versus older
buildings.
SENATOR MYERS answered yes.
MR. HODGIN noted one of the interesting things the department
has seen when retrofitting older and newer buildings over the
last decade is that building technology is getting more complex
and that results in desynchronization where new pieces of
technology are not optimized. The department has seen some
significant opportunity to improve complex systems in newer
buildings.
4:28:00 PM
CHAIR HUGHES removed her objection to the CS. Finding no further
objection, version B was before the committee.
4:28:15 PM
CHAIR HUGHES opened public testimony on SB 17. Finding none, she
closed public testimony.
4:29:14 PM
CHAIR HUGHES held SB 17 in committee.
4:29:54 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Hughes adjourned the Senate Community and Regional Affairs
Standing Committee meeting at 4:29 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SB 72 v. I Sectional Analysis.pdf |
SCRA 3/30/2021 3:30:00 PM |
SB 72 |
| SB 72 v. I Supporting Document-Civics Research AK-Gov Citizenship Standards 2006.pdf |
SCRA 3/30/2021 3:30:00 PM |
SB 72 |
| SB 72 Sponsor Statement Feb 2021.pdf |
SCRA 3/30/2021 3:30:00 PM SFIN 2/1/2022 1:00:00 PM |
SB 72 |
| SB 72 Summary of Changes Version A to I.pdf |
SCRA 3/30/2021 3:30:00 PM SFIN 2/1/2022 1:00:00 PM |
SB 72 |
| SB 17 v. B Summary of Changes 3.26.2021.pdf |
SCRA 3/30/2021 3:30:00 PM |
SB 17 |
| SB 17 v. B Legislation.pdf |
SCRA 3/30/2021 3:30:00 PM |
SB 17 |
| SB 72 v. I Legislation.PDF |
SCRA 3/30/2021 3:30:00 PM |
SB 72 |
| SB 72 Fiscal Note DEED 3.19.21.pdf |
SCRA 3/30/2021 3:30:00 PM |
SB 72 |