1996-01-08                     Senate Journal                      Page 2064
SB 205                                                                       
Under this vehicle theft bill, juveniles who steal vehicles will be            
treated like juveniles who steal other property--waived into adult             
court if they are not amenable to treatment and dealt with in juvenile         
court if they are amenable to treatment.  By providing that first              
offense vehicle theft is a class C felony rather than a misdemeanor,           
the division of family and youth services in the Department of                 
Health and Social Services will have a much more effective tool for            
holding juveniles accountable for their acts.                                  
                                                                               
The bill also adds the conviction of either first or second degree             
vehicle theft to the statute authorizing immediate revocation of               
driving privileges, and provides for mandatory revocation of driving           
privileges by the court when a person is convicted of vehicle theft            
in the first or second degree.                                                 
                                                                               
For the bill to be effective in reducing vehicle theft in Alaska,  the         
state agencies responsible for enforcing it must be fully funded.  The         
division of family and youth services, which administers the juvenile          
justice system, must have additional probation officers; and the               
Department of Corrections must be funded for the additional costs              
of incarceration and supervision of car thieves.  Prosecution of               
felonies is more expensive for the Department of Law, and                      
administrative costs for the division of motor vehicles in the                 
Department of Public Safety will increase as a result of the                   
automatic license revocation for persons convicted of vehicle theft.           
A safer and more secure place to own and operate a vehicle will                
result from the passage and funding of this legislation.                       
                                                                               
I urge your prompt consideration and passage of this bill.                     
                                                                               
						Sincerely,                                                               
						/s/                                                                      
						Tony Knowles                                                             
						Governor                                                                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
SB 206                                                                       
SENATE BILL NO. 206 BY THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE                              
BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, entitled: