03/24/2011 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

                                                                                                                                
             HCR  6-SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:43:14 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI announced the next  order of business would be                                                               
HCR  6,  proclaiming  the  month   of  April  as  Sexual  Assault                                                               
Awareness Month.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MIA  COSTELLO,  sponsor   of  HCR  6,  said  this                                                               
resolution  declares the  month of  April  2011 in  Alaska to  be                                                               
Sexual  Assault  Awareness  Month.  Every year  since  2007,  the                                                               
legislature has declared  a month to be  Sexual Assault Awareness                                                               
Month.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
There  are  alarming  statistics surrounding  sexual  assault  in                                                               
Alaska; one in three women, one  in four girls, one in four boys,                                                               
and one man  out of every 11  will be a victim  of sexual assault                                                               
in   their  lifetimes.   This  resolution   intends  to   provide                                                               
heightened  awareness  around  this   issue;  it  allows  service                                                               
providers to focus on the issue for one month.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:45:30 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  WIELECHOWSKI  opened  public  testimony,  and  asked  that                                                               
witnesses limit their testimony to two minutes.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:45:49 AM                                                                                                                    
RICK  SVOBODNY,  Deputy   Attorney  General,  Criminal  Division,                                                               
Department of  Law (DOL), said  he speaks for  the administration                                                               
throughout all  departments in  strong support of  HCR 6.  He had                                                               
prepared remarks but  said the chair and the  sponsor had already                                                               
referred to them. The more  awareness we have about this problem,                                                               
the more likely we  will be able to solve it.  DOL plays just one                                                               
small part  of the puzzle in  fixing this problem; their  part is                                                               
holding   offenders  accountable.   Resolution  of   the  problem                                                               
requires a  holistic approach  to changing  the culture.  This is                                                               
similar to drunk driving or  smoking. We made cultural changes in                                                               
these areas, and we can do the same with sexual assault.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:47:33 AM]                                                                                                                   
CHAIR  WIELECHOWSKI  asked  if the  administration  supports  the                                                               
reestablishment of the Alaska Women's Commission.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MR. SVOBODNY said he did not know.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  WIELECHOWSKI  asked  if he  could  have  that  information                                                               
available for the next meeting.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:47:58 AM                                                                                                                    
PEGGY  BROWN,  Executive  Director, Alaska  Network  on  Domestic                                                               
Violence and  Sexual Assault, said  we stand on the  shoulders of                                                               
the women who testified previously.  Domestic violence and sexual                                                               
assault are  difficult issues  to talk about.  There is  a common                                                               
public misperception  about how sexual  assault plays out  in our                                                               
state.  This  contributes to  the  shame  and stigma  and  victim                                                               
blaming that  happens. People don't want  to believe perpetrators                                                               
could be someone  within their own circle of  family and friends;                                                               
this is something people don't want to deal with.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Ten percent  of high school  students in Alaska  have experienced                                                               
some  type  of sexual  violence  in  their  lives. Last  year  in                                                               
Alaska,  10,600  adult women  were  victims  of sexual  violence.                                                               
Alaska needs to  make sure that we are  publicly educating people                                                               
and allowing space to talk about this issue.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:50:26 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI  closed public testimony  and set HCR  6 aside                                                               
for future hearing.