Legislature(2017 - 2018)
2018-01-18 Senate Journal
Full Journal pdf2018-01-18 Senate Journal Page 1767 SB 145 SENATE BILL NO. 145 BY THE SENATE 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 Judiciary and Finance Committees. The following fiscal information was published today: Fiscal Note No. 1, zero, Department of Health and Social Services Governor's transmittal letter dated January 17: Dear President Kelly: 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. 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 2018-01-18 Senate Journal Page 1768 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