HB 20-SOLEMNIZE MARRIAGE: ELECTED OFFICIALS                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
11:03:47 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  announced that the first  order of business                                                               
would  be  HOUSE  BILL  NO.  20, "An  Act  relating  to  marriage                                                               
solemnization; and  authorizing elected  public officials  in the                                                               
state to solemnize marriages."                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
11:04:31 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  opened public  testimony on  HB 20.   After                                                               
ascertaining  that there  was no  one who  wished to  testify, he                                                               
closed public testimony.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
11:05:24 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SARA  PERMAN, Staff,  Representative  Matt  Claman, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, on  behalf of  Representative Claman,  prime sponsor                                                               
of  HB 20,  noted an  amendment had  been prepared  to address  a                                                               
concern,  expressed  during  the  House  State  Affairs  Standing                                                               
Committee's  previous  hearing of  HB  20  on 2/16/17,  that  the                                                               
proposed   legislation  would   require   elected  officials   to                                                               
solemnize   marriages.     She   asserted   that  the   amendment                                                               
[subsequently  moved  as  Amendment   1],  would  alleviate  that                                                               
concern.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
11:06:19 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK  moved to  report HB 20,  as amended,  out of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal notes.  [The motion  was subsequently treated as withdrawn                                                               
to address an amendment.]                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
11:06:50 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease at 11:07 a.m.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
11:07:03 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  TUCK moved  to adopt  Amendment  1, [labeled  30-                                                               
LS0242\A.1, Bruce, 2/17/17], which read:                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 1, following "state":                                                                                     
          Insert "; nothing in this paragraph requires or                                                                   
       obligates an individual holding an elective public                                                                   
     office in the state to solemnize a marriage"                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
There being no objection, it was so ordered.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
11:07:31 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BIRCH  stated that he  would be voting  against HB                                                               
20,  [as  amended].    He  offered his  belief  that  HB  20  was                                                               
unnecessary legislation,  because anyone in  the state can  buy a                                                               
license for $25.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
11:08:07 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK  moved to  report HB 20,  as amended,  out of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal notes.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BIRCH objected.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
A  roll  call  vote  was taken.    Representatives  Knopp,  Tuck,                                                               
Josephson, and Kreiss-Tomkins voted in  favor of reporting HB 20,                                                               
as amended, out of committee.   Representatives Birch and Johnson                                                               
voted against it.  Therefore,  CSHB 20(STA) was reported from the                                                               
the House State Affairs Standing Committee by a vote of 4-2.