SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 24 Establishing the Alaska Legislative Celebration Commission to organize events to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first convening of the legislative branch of government in Alaska. 9:07:39 AM TIM LAMKIN, STAFF, SENATOR GARY STEVENS, introduced SCR 24 and stated that it commemorated the 100th anniversary of the first convening of the territorial legislative branch of government in Alaska. He furthered that March 3, 2013 marked the 100-year anniversary and that the intent of the legislation was to recognize and potentially follow up the anniversary with other events throughout the year. He remarked that in the first session of the legislature there were 13 committees in the Senate alone; the equivalents of the Senate Finance Committee were the Finance Contingent Expenses and Printing Committee and the Revenue and Taxation Committee. He noted that the first legislature passed 84 bills during the 60-day session; the bills involved issues such as the women's right to vote, the registration of lobbyists, regulations on physicians and dentists, the eight-hour work shift, the compulsory school age, and punishment for pimps. 9:09:39 AM STEPHEN HAYCOX, UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), testified in support of SCR 24. He related the importance of establishing a commission and recognizing the anniversary. He observed that the first convening of the legislature gave Alaskans their first opportunity to express the collective will of the constituency. He offered that on March 3, the legislature could devote a half day session to recognizing the anniversary or something similar in order to direct the public's attention towards its significance. He observed that there were limitations on the first convening legislature and that Congress had not been ready to turn over some critical issues to the territory of Alaska. 9:11:51 AM CLAUS NASKE, SELF, TEXAS (via teleconference), expressed support of SCR 24 and believed that it was appropriate to establish a commission to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the first convening legislature. He observed that it was important to note that the federal government had still retained a significant amount of control over Alaska's resources. He furthered that there had been a clause inserted into the Second Organic Act that expressly forbade the Alaska Legislature to alter, amend, modify, or repeal fish and game related measures; it also forbade interference with the primary soil disposal. He added that Congress had retained the exclusive rights to legislate on matters such as gambling, the sale of liquor, the incorporation of towns, and taxation. He noted that it had been a sore point for many years that the federal government had maintained the exclusive rights and that it had not been until Alaska achieved statehood that the legislature was able to fully represent Alaska's population. He concluded that the legislation did not need to be costly, but that it was worthy and appropriate that the commission be established. Co-Chair Hoffman noted that Senator McGuire had joined the committee shortly after the meeting had started. 9:14:36 AM TERRENCE COLE, HISTORY PROFESSOR, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), expressed his support of SCR 24 and shared that the anniversary was a momentous occasion. He related that the Second Organic Act, which had passed Congress, was the bill that created the Alaska Legislature; the act was the fundamental congressional law that had set Alaska on the road to eventual statehood. He furthered that the act had been passed despite strong objections by President Taft. He explained that the president did not want Alaska to have a legislature, but had instead wanted the state to be governed by a non-elected commission. He observed that at the time, the most important restriction on Alaska had been the lack of control over natural resources and that the first convening legislature had been referred to as the most feeble legislature in the history of democracy. He noted that the reason there were no counties in Alaska today was because they were expressly forbidden by the Second Organic Act. He observed that the act had been passed despite the president's objections largely because of the delegate Judge James Wickersham's efforts. He reiterated the importance of establishing the commission and stated that it involved modest costs. 9:17:51 AM MARY EHRLANDER, UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), testified in support of SCR 24 and stated that the legislation was appropriate. She reiterated the support of prior testifiers and opined that the struggle to achieve representative government in Alaska should not be taken for granted. She furthered that it was worthy to note the difference it made to have an elected, rather than an appointed governing body. She shared that women's suffrage was the first act passed by the Alaska legislature and related that the first legislature illustrated the importance of federalism, state and local control, regional differences within the country, and the importance of keeping governance close to the people. She firmly supported the establishment of the commission and urged the committee's support. 9:19:54 AM BYRON CHARLES, SELF, KETCHIKAN (via teleconference), spoke to SCR 24 and related that the federal law had applied before Alaska's statehood. He inquired whether legislators believed that the original intent was provided for the people of the state prior to statehood and if "they" had a knowledge and understanding of the workings of an equally shared processing system on a government to government level. 9:21:18 AM Co-Chair Hoffman discussed the fiscal note in the packet. SCR 24 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further consideration. 9:21:37 AM AT EASE 9:23:04 AM RECONVENED