2018-01-19                     House Journal                      Page 2206
HB 290                                                                                                                        
HOUSE BILL NO. 290 by the House Rules Committee by request of                                                                   
the Governor, entitled:                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the membership of the Alaska Criminal Justice                                                          
     Commission; and providing for an effective date."                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
was read the first time and referred to the Health & Social Services                                                            
and Judiciary Committees.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
The following fiscal note(s) apply:                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1.  Zero, Dept. of Health & Social Services                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
The Governor's transmittal letter dated January 17 follows:                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
"Dear Speaker Edgmon:                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Under the authority of Article III, Section 18, of the Alaska                                                                   
Constitution, I am transmitting a bill relating to the Alaska Criminal                                                          
Justice Commission membership.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
The Alaska Criminal Justice Commission was established to evaluate                                                              
a broad spectrum of criminal justice subjects including sentencing and                                                          
criminal justice practices, the rights of victims and of the accused,                                                           
restitution, and reformation. The Commission's membership includes                                                              
voices from the Alaska Native community, the judicial system,                                                                   
municipal law enforcement, victim's rights advocates and legislators                                                            
(in a nonvoting, ex officio capacity) and many other perspectives.                                                              
                                                                                                                                

2018-01-19                     House Journal                      Page 2207
Chapter One, 4SSLA 2017, added the Commissioner of the                                                                          
Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), or the                                                                         
Commissioner's designee, to the Alaska Criminal Justice Commission                                                              
as a nonvoting member serving ex officio. Because the Commissioner                                                              
of DHSS oversees the Division of Juvenile Justice and the Division of                                                           
Behavioral Health, their membership ought to include voting                                                                     
authority. This bill would change the Commissioner of DHSS, or the                                                              
Commissioner's designee, from a nonvoting member to a voting                                                                    
member. Adjusting this Commissioner's membership to include voting                                                              
authority will bring a juvenile justice and behavioral health                                                                   
perspective to the Commission's important work. Further, the DHSS                                                               
Commissioner will bring needed input to help better integrate DHSS                                                              
programming into the overall adult and juvenile criminal justice                                                                
reform efforts.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
This bill would also add as a member a resident of the state who was                                                            
the victim of a felony crime. This addition will bring the needed                                                               
perspective of victims to the Commission's evaluations of criminal                                                              
justice subjects.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Furthermore, this will return to having an odd number of                                                                        
Commissioners for voting purposes which was the case prior to the                                                               
enactment of Chapter One, 4SSLA 2017.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
I urge your prompt and favorable action on this measure.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Sincerely,                                                                                                                      
/s/                                                                                                                             
Bill Walker                                                                                                                     
Governor"