Legislature(2023 - 2024)BARNES 124
03/06/2024 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB254 | |
| HB204 | |
| HB233 | |
| HB333 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 189 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 204 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 333 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 233 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 226 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 254 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 254-PROHIBIT PORNOGRAPHY TO MINORS
3:18:05 PM
CHAIR SUMNER announced that the first order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 254 "An Act relating to liability for publishing
or distributing pornography to minors on the Internet."
3:18:16 PM
CHAIR SUMNER opened public testimony on HB 254.
3:18:49 PM
ERIC FALER, representing self, testified in support of HB 254.
He invited the committee to consider whether access to
pornography on the Internet has affected children today. He
shared an anecdote about how exposure to porn affected him as a
young adult. He said he supports any effort at the state level
to protect citizens from pornography.
3:21:07 PM
DELAYNA WEST, representing self, Testified in support of HB 254.
She said abusers and traffickers use porn to groom kids and
encouraged the committee to pass the bill.
3:22:00 PM
NICKI KUMFER, representing self, testified in support of HB 254.
She cited studies on how porn exposure affects adolescents and
their development. She opined that prevention, intervention,
and protection programs are necessary to address pornography
addiction. She reiterated her support for the bill to protect
minors.
3:24:03 PM
BRENDA EDENS, representing self, testified in support of HB 254,
explaining that she is totally against the publishing and online
distribution of pornography to minors.
3:24:43 PM
MAXINE DOOGAN, President, Community United for Safety &
Protection, testified in opposition to HB 254 because it would
create civil liability for adult content creators if a child
were to access their content. She opined that the legislature
should "deal with" people who steal and resell their content.
3:27:03 PM
STACI YATES, Director, Human Trafficking Recovery Services, My
House, testified in support of HB 254 and shared an anecdote
about how exposure to porn at a young age negatively affected
her. She cited research on the impact of porn consumption and
said there needs to be mandatory age verification for online
porn distributors. She noted that there's no way to guarantee
that porn content is consensual, adding that exploitation and
trafficking are common experiences in the industry.
3:29:17 PM
KAREN LEWIS, representing self, testified in support of HB 254.
She opined that additional legislation is needed to add
liability to teachers, libraries, publishers, vendors, and other
adults who allow this content to be put in the hands of
children.
3:30:08 PM
THERESA O'CONNEL, representing self, testified in support of HB
254. She shared an anecdote about how exposure to pornography
corrupted the innocence of the kids she grew up with. She
advocated for age verification and reiterated her support for
the bill.
3:31:17 PM
WINDY PERKINS, representing self, testified in support of HB
254. She said pornography negatively impacts children because
their prefrontal cortex is not fully developed. She said the
bill is a "no brainer" and shared a personal anecdote about how
exposure to pornography has negatively impacted her family.
3:32:57 PM
ASHLEY GREEN, representing self, testified in support of HB 254.
She shared her understanding that porn negatively impacts child
development, encourages children to experiment with sexually
explicit behavior, and affects mental health. She opined that
the consequences need to be severe and urged support for the
bill.
3:33:48 PM
RAYMOND WALKER, representing self, testified in support of HB
254. He said the bill is a "no brainer," adding "any legislator
that votes against bills like this should be tarred and
feathered."
3:34:14 PM
TERRA BURNS, Advocate, Community United for Safety & Protection,
testified in opposition to HB 254 and reminded the committee
that is already a serious state and federal crime to distribute
pornography to a minor. She said the bill would make adult
content creators civilly liable for children consuming their
content, which they can't control as people steal, resell, and
repost their content on other websites. She asked why the
legislature is attacking sex workers and urged a "no" vote on
the bill.
3:36:32 PM
TREVOR MCGEE, representing self, testified in support of HB 254.
He noted the traumatic affect that pornography has on the young
mind and likened it to drug use. He said allowing pornographic
content to be readily accessible to minors should be a crime.
3:37:23 PM
NICOLE THOMAS, representing self, testified in support of HB
254. She opined that citizens and parents have a moral
obligation to protect youth from the harmful effects of
unrestricted access to explicit content online. She said HB 254
presents a corrective and necessary step that would mitigate the
adverse effects and promote a healthier online experience. She
said she put together a petition in support of HB 254 that
garnered over 200 signatures.
3:39:25 PM
BELLA ROBINSON, executive Director, Coyote RI, testified in
opposition to HB 254, reiterating that it is already a serious
state and federal offense to share pornography with minors. She
opined that the bill is discriminatory against an entire sector
of workers, adding that age verification has already been ruled
unconstitutional in other states. She opined that parents
should be responsible for their kids' online activity.
3:41:53 PM
RHODA MYERS, Executive Director, Alaska Faith & Family Services,
testified in support of HB 254, saying that [the legislature]
should do everything it can to protect children. She opined
that minors should not have access to pornography and urged the
committee to pass the bill.
3:43:29 PM
SYLIVA FRANCINE TRYGSTAD, representing self, testified in
support of HB 254. She said children need to be protected from
access to pornography and urged the committee to vote "yes."
3:44:16 PM
CHAIR SUMNER closed public testimony on HB 254 and announced
that the bill would be held over.