02/23/2018 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

        HB 341-REPEAL:ATHLETIC COMM;BOXING/WRESTLING LAW                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:29:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KITO  announced that  the next order  of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL NO.  341, "An Act relating to  the athletic commission                                                               
and  the  commissioner  of athletics;  and  relating  to  boxing,                                                               
sparring, and wrestling contests, matches, and exhibitions."                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:30:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MIKE  NAVARRE,  Commissioner  Designee, Department  of  Commerce,                                                               
Community &  Economic Development  (DCCED), introduced HB  341 on                                                               
behalf of the  House Rules Committee by request  of the governor.                                                               
He gave the history of the  commission and spoke to the licensing                                                               
fees and  the statute governing  the commission.  He  stated that                                                               
the department was looking to repeal the commission.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:32:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SULLIVAN-LEONARD mentioned a  boxing group in Mat-                                                               
Su and asked whether the group was overseen by any state entity.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:32:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SARA  CHAMBERS,   Deputy  Director,  Division   of  Corporations,                                                               
Business  &  Professional   Licensing,  Department  of  Commerce,                                                               
Community &  Economic Development (DCCED), answered  questions in                                                               
the  hearing on  HB  341.   She answered  that  the Muhammad  Ali                                                               
Boxing  Reform  Act  establishes   parameters  for  state  boxing                                                               
organizations.  The federal law states  that if there is no state                                                               
oversight, the organizations will be under federal oversight.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:33:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL gave the example  of a big championship fight                                                               
in Alaska  and suggested it  would have  to be backed  by another                                                               
state's license.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS.  CHAMBERS answered  that was  her understanding.   She  added                                                               
that industry members may be better suited to answer.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:34:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KITO opened public testimony on HB 341.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:34:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BILLY CHRISTENSEN testified in the hearing  on HB 341.  He shared                                                               
his  background  in  the  boxing  industry.    He  expressed  his                                                               
concerns with the removal of  the current athletic commission and                                                               
explained why  he thinks the federal  boxing reform act is  not a                                                               
good fit  for Alaska.   He  read the  final sentence  in Governor                                                               
Walker's  transmittal  letter  [including in  committee  packet],                                                               
which reads as follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Further, under the Muhammad Ali  Boxing Reform Act, the                                                                    
     Attorney  General, as  chief  law enforcement  officer,                                                                    
     count  maintain  a  civil action  in  federal  district                                                                    
     court to  enjoin a  professional boxing  match, enforce                                                                    
     compliance with federal law, or obtain fines.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR. CHRISTENSEN said the existing  commission already has details                                                               
specified within  it and he  stated his concern that  the federal                                                               
act  did not  make sense  in  Alaska.   He offered  his time  and                                                               
knowledge  of  the  industry  to answer  any  questions  or  find                                                               
solutions  moving forward.   He  added his  background is  in the                                                               
compliance industry and he is familiar with the language.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:37:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  BIRCH   asked  which  permits  or   licenses  are                                                               
currently needed to stage a boxing competition.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. CHRISTENSEN answered there is  not currently a governing body                                                               
in  Alaska.    He  stated  the  industry  is  successfully  self-                                                               
governing with the appropriate insurance.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BIRCH asked whether  Mr. Christensen wanted to see                                                               
the commission continue.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. CHRISTENSEN  said he wanted to  see things stay the  way they                                                               
are.  He  said he had concerns about  Governor Walker's statement                                                               
that the state would adhere to the federal act.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:40:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STUTES pointed  out  that  the commission  hasn't                                                               
been  active  since  1997,  so   she  surmised  deactivating  the                                                               
commission would  only mean  things continue  to operate  as they                                                               
have since 1997.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:41:21 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE NAVARRE answered in the affirmative.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STUTES said  she presumed  that Mr.  Christensen,                                                               
under those  conditions, would not  have consternation  about the                                                               
commission,  knowing  that things  would  continue  as they  have                                                               
since 1997.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR. CHRISTENSEN answered that was correct.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:41:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WOOL asked  what removing  the boxing  commission                                                               
would change.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS.  CHAMBERS  answered that  the  department  has been  carrying                                                               
around  "the trappings  of the  old commission"  and stated  that                                                               
includes $15  thousand in deficit.   She added the debt  could be                                                               
erased and the inactive statutes could be removed.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:44:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SULLIVAN-LEONARD asked about licensing.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS.  CHAMBERS  answered  there   is  not  currently  any  related                                                               
professional  license   for  boxers  and  wrestlers.     Business                                                               
licenses  are  always  required  but  there  is  no  professional                                                               
license.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:45:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KITO  asked  Mr.  Christensen   whether  boxers  who  were                                                               
sanctioned  under another  state's  commission  could operate  in                                                               
Alaska.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. CHRISTENSEN answered in the  affirmative.  He added that many                                                               
famous boxers  such as George  Foreman and Sugar Ray  Leonard had                                                               
boxed in the state.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KITO  asked whether events  sanctioned under  another state                                                               
would be precluded from adhering to the Muhammad Ali Reform Act.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. CHRISTENSEN  said the Muhammad  Ali Reform Act refers  to the                                                               
Association of  Boxing Commissions (ABC) standard.   He specified                                                               
that the ABC meets and exceeds the Muhammad Ali Reform Act.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KITO  asked whether  Mr.  Christensen's  concern was  that                                                               
everything in  the state  would fall  under the  [federal] reform                                                               
act if there were no state commission.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR. CHRISTENSEN  said that  was correct.   He explained  that the                                                               
act was  created in 1959  and the  game is very  different today.                                                               
He  added  the  industry  in  Alaska  is  more  an  entertainment                                                               
industry than  a professional venue  industry.  He  suggested the                                                               
average fighter  in Alaska has no  more than two or  three fights                                                               
in their  career.  He  added that the reform  act has more  to do                                                               
with professional  promoters and other  things that are  not seen                                                               
in Alaska.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KITO asked  if Mr.  Christensen would  be willing  to work                                                               
with his staff.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. CHRISTENSEN answered  that he would be more than  happy to do                                                               
so.                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:49:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  BIRCH   reiterated  the  last  sentence   of  the                                                               
governor's transmittal license and  surmised the concern was with                                                               
the enforcement by the attorney general.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE NAVARRE  said there is no plan  to have the                                                               
attorney general take  any action unless there is a  problem.  He                                                               
restated that the boxing organization is already self-governing.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:51:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KITO held over HB 341.