03/03/2023 01:00 PM House JUDICIARY

        HB  66-CONTROLLED SUB.;HOMICIDE;GOOD TIME DEDUC.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:01:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE announced  that the first order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 66, "An  Act relating to homicide  resulting from                                                               
conduct   involving  controlled   substances;  relating   to  the                                                               
computation of good time; and providing for an effective date."                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:01:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOHN  SKIDMORE,  Deputy   Attorney  General,  Criminal  Division,                                                               
Department of  Law (DOL), on  behalf of the House  Rules Standing                                                               
Committee, sponsor by  request of the governor,  provided a brief                                                               
overview of  HB 66.   He  stated that the  bill would  change the                                                               
classification for  the distribution  of drugs to  another person                                                               
that results in  that person's death from  manslaughter to murder                                                               
in the  second degree.   Further, it would place  restrictions on                                                               
the ability to receive good  time for those individuals convicted                                                               
of distributing a schedule IA through IVA controlled substance.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE opened invited testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:02:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SANDY SNODGRASS,  Founder, Alaska Fentanyl Response,  shared that                                                               
in  2021, her  only son,  Robert Bruce  Snodgrass, was  killed by                                                               
fentanyl  at  age 22  in  Anchorage.    His  death was  ruled  an                                                               
accidental  overdose; however,  she  argued that  it should  have                                                               
been ruled  a "drug-induced homicide"  and prosecuted  as second-                                                               
degree  murder.   She  argued  that the  bill  would  serve as  a                                                               
deterrent  to individuals  dealing illegal  drugs and  enable law                                                               
enforcement and district attorneys  to negotiate cooperation from                                                               
lower-level   drug  dealers   in   exchange   for  higher   level                                                               
associates.   She emphasized that  the intent of  the legislation                                                               
was to reach high level  dealers bringing Fentanyl into Alaska at                                                               
alarming  rates.     She  opined   that  the   legislation  would                                                               
demonstrate to Alaskans that their  leaders were taking action to                                                               
protect  the state  and punish  perpetrators  who were  poisoning                                                               
members of the community.  She  urged the committee to advance HB
  to the  House Finance  Committee.   She discussed  the Alaska                                                               
Fentanyl  Response   project.    She  outlined   a  three-pronged                                                               
approach  to  the  [Fentanyl]   epidemic:  AK  Fentanyl  Response                                                               
Project, which  provided prevention, awareness, and  education to                                                               
Alaska  communities;  law  enforcement,   which  the  bill  would                                                               
enable; and substance abuse treatment.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:07:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE opened public testimony on HB 66.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:08:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MIKE DUNDES, Representing Self,  stated his opposition to Section                                                               
2  of HB  66, which  would remove  the possibility  of good  time                                                               
deductions from  a long list  of drug-related crimes.   He shared                                                               
that  he  was presently  overcoming  his  struggles with  alcohol                                                               
addiction.   He  stressed  that by  removing  the possibility  of                                                               
receiving a good time deduction,  the incentive to seek treatment                                                               
would  also be  reduced.   He emphasized  the importance  of good                                                               
time for first  time offenders, as it offered a  second chance to                                                               
become a better  citizen.  He argued that  removing the incentive                                                               
could cause  first time law breakers  to give up hope  and become                                                               
less likely to continue on a path of recovery.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:10:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
THOMAS  NORRIS, Representing  Self, expressed  his opposition  to                                                               
Section  2 of  HB  66.   He  said he  was speaking  as  a man  in                                                               
recovery  who  had  made  bad  decisions  in  his  past  that  he                                                               
regretted  wholeheartedly.   He opined  that three  factors could                                                               
deter a person  from repeating past mistakes:  hope, support, and                                                               
labels.  He shared his belief  that addicts did not deserve to be                                                               
judged as "monsters," nor should  they be locked away without the                                                               
possibility of  getting help  or seeing their  family.   He urged                                                               
the  committee to  fight  the stigma  for  those struggling  with                                                               
addiction.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:13:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:13:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  VANCE closed  public testimony  on HB  66.   She announced                                                               
that the bill was held over.