Legislature(2017 - 2018)BUTROVICH 205
03/27/2018 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s): Alaska Police Standards Council, Alaska Public Office Commission | |
| HB44 | |
| SB186 | |
| HB138 | |
| SB210 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | HB 138 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 210 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 44 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 186 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 138-MARCH: SOBRIETY AWARENESS MONTH
4:39:56 PM
CHAIR MEYER called the committee back to order and announced the
consideration of House Bill 138 (HB 138).
4:40:41 PM
REPRESENTATIVE IVY SPOHNHOLZ, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau,
Alaska, sponsor of HB 138, provided an overview of the bill as
follows:
HB 138 permanently designates March as Sobriety
Awareness Month. Sobriety Awareness Month recognizes
and celebrates Alaskans who choose to live a sober
lifestyle and provides an opportunity for Alaskans to
promote sobriety through activities and celebrations
throughout the state.
This bill is not a new idea and the concept behind it
is not a new idea. In the 1980s and 1990s, native
Alaskan and rural communities recognized the negative
impact that alcohol and drug abuse had in their lives,
so they sought to help solve the problem by
highlighting models of sobriety in their communities.
This movement escalated in 1992 when the first "Idita
Pledge" event was undertaken by Akiak musher Mike
Williams who was a musher participating in the
Iditarod and he carried signatures of Alaskans who
pledged to live a sober lifestyle with him along the
Iditarod. In 1995 the Legislature adopted this idea
for the first time declaring its first sobriety
awareness month, but really the whole concept was
built in the Alaskan native community and has been
carried by the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) for
many years. In 1996 there was a big push around
Sobriety Awareness Month and the Alaska Legislature
amended the Uniform Alcoholism and Treatment Act to
reaffirm the state's commitment to sobriety by
recognizing that it's the policy of the state to
recognize, appreciate and reinforce the example set by
its citizens who lead in, believe in, and support a
life of sobriety. Sobriety Awareness Month continued
to live on as sort of an annual activity of the
Legislature until 2006; however, sobriety remains a
really important topic in the state as alcoholism and
drug addiction continue to plague us in many ways.
Last year the McDowell Group reported through a study
that found that the economic cost to the state in 2015
for alcohol and drug abuse was about $3 billion,
that's pretty significant and we of course have had a
lot of conversations recently in light of your crime
problem and the opioid epidemic about the challenge
with addiction that we continue to suffer from in the
State of Alaska. I would argue that even in spite of
the scope and the growth of the opioid epidemic,
alcohol is still the number-one drug of choice of most
Alaskans and remains probably our number-one problem.
Many of you may know that I made a personal choice
about 15-and-a-half years ago to become sober and have
raised my family with a sober mom and really proud of
that. I think that as a public person it's important
to use my position to help educate people about the
doors that sobriety can open to one if you allow
yourself to walk through and that in fact it can be
far from a burden but in fact can be quite liberating.
So, I'm pleased to be able to present this concept to
you.
4:44:10 PM
SENATOR COGHILL commented that his mind goes to the times of
year where alcohol consumption seems to "rev up." For example,
the holiday seasons like the Fourth of July, Christmas and New
Year's. He asked if she did a study on the placement of the
Sobriety Awareness Month to get more public attention.
REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ answered that choosing March was
founded on tradition. She explained that the tradition
originally came from the "Idita Pledge." She opined that the
sobriety message might be missed during the holidays when many
activities occur. She said the decision was to stick with
tradition and pick March for the Sobriety Awareness Month. She
disclosed that she inherited the bill from a former House
representative and decided to take the concept and run with it.
4:45:51 PM
TASHA ELIZARDE, Staff, Representative Spohnholz, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, explained that HB 138 establishes
March as "Sobriety Awareness Month" in the state.
She said Section 1 clarifies in codified law that the State of
Alaska recognizes the importance of sobriety in the state.
Section 2 adds a section to AS 44.12.150, designating March as
Sobriety Awareness Month that allows schools, community groups,
public and private agencies, other organizations, and
individuals who are invested in the cause of sobriety to
celebrate with activities.
CHAIR MEYER commented that there seems to be a lot of bills for
awareness months and days. He agreed that establishing March as
Sobriety Awareness Month is important and appreciated
Representative Spohnholz for bringing the legislation forward.
SENATOR GIESSEL stated that she appreciated March as the chosen
month because March is the month of the Iditarod where the race
goes through many rural villages. She said sobriety is a topic
that could be spotlighted by the Iditarod's platform where
everyone, even outside the state follows.
CHAIR MEYER noted that the intent is to make the designation in
statute rather than a resolution that is brought up annually to
serve as a reminder versus passing a bill and forgetting about
it. He pointed out that Representative Spohnholz has chosen to
dedicate her life to encourage people who need to be sober.
4:48:31 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ explained that she inherited the bill
and concurred that the intent is to designate the legislation
into law, a philosophy that she agreed with. She opined that the
sobriety message from advocates and community members should be
focused on Alaskans rather than educating legislators. She
asserted that Alaskans need to hear the message that sobriety is
a positive and powerful choice that can lead to a vibrant life.
She emphasized that the sobriety choice does not move a person
away from fun, self-realization and great relationships;
however, sobriety moves an individual towards those things. She
asserted that the bill will provide advocates with an
opportunity to move away from legislators and focus on building
a community of support around the sobriety topic, something that
she believes is a good use of their precious time as a resource.
4:49:53 PM
CHAIR MEYER opened public testimony.
4:50:18 PM
KIM ZELLO, Advocate, Fallen Up Ministries, Palmer, Alaska,
testified in support of HB 138. She explained that Fallen Up
Ministries is a nonprofit that advocates for those who have
addictions, seek sobriety and need peer support or transitional-
living services. She set forth that HB 138 will give notice to
the state and nation that Alaska recognizes important issues
that have affected residents like addiction and sobriety.
4:52:10 PM
JULIE KITKA, President, Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN),
Anchorage, Alaska, testified in support of HB 138. She disclosed
that AFN historically has been very involved in the sobriety
movement. She said making a permanent month dedication to
sobriety would be very constructive. She explained that AFN's
work in supporting the sobriety movement over the years has
shown to change the stigma of people, attitudes and lives. She
emphasized that the legislation is not the end-all for
everything but will be positive and will make a difference.
CHAIR MEYER thanked AFN for their resolution.
MS. KITKA explained that the resolution was from the AFN
convention.
4:55:16 PM
TIFFANY HALL, Executive Director, Recover Alaska, Anchorage,
Alaska, testified in support of HB 138. She disclosed that
Recover Alaska is a multi-sector action group working to reduce
excessive alcohol use and harm throughout Alaska. She asserted
that Recover Alaska's vision is for Alaskans to live free from
the consequences of alcohol misuse and to empower individuals to
achieve their full potential.
She stated that Recover Alaska wants to correct the falsehood
that addiction is a moral failing and emphasize that addiction
is a chronic disease. She remarked that Alaska has a pervasive
drinking culture and noted statistics connected to alcohol where
the state is at the top in terms of sexual assault, domestic
violence, child abuse, and suicide. She pointed out that the
state's alcohol mortality rate is over twice as high as the rest
of the nation and six-times higher with the Alaska native
population.
She thanked AFN's sobriety movement for initiating March for
sobriety as well as their year-round involvement in promoting
healthy, sober lifestyles. She thanked Representative Spohnholz
for taking up HB 138 and for serving as a strong and positive
role model of what a full, healthy, sober life can look like.
5:00:12 PM
CHAIR MEYER closed public testimony.
5:00:47 PM
SENATOR GIESSEL moved to report HB 138, version 30-LS0488\D from
committee with individual recommendations and attached zero
fiscal note.
5:01:01 PM
CHAIR MEYER announced that there being no objection, the motion
carried.