03/12/2019 03:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

        HJR  9-ELIZABETH PERATROVICH COMMEMORATIVE COIN                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:00:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS   announced  that  the  next   order  of                                                               
business would  be HOUSE JOINT  RESOLUTION NO. 9,  Requesting the                                                               
United States  Secretary of  the Treasury to  mint not  less than                                                               
5,000,000  $1  coins  honoring Elizabeth  Peratrovich  under  the                                                               
Native American $1 Coin Act.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:01:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FIELDS moved to adopt Amendment  1 to HJR 9, labeled 31-                                                               
LS0573\A, which read as follows:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 16, following "Treasury" insert:                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     "; The Honorable Lisa  Murkowski, United States Senate;                                                                    
     the Honorable  Dan Sullivan, United States  Senate; The                                                                    
     Honorable   Don   Young,   United   States   House   of                                                                    
     Representatives"                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
There being no objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:02:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  FIELDS, in  response  to  Representative Vance,  stated                                                               
that the  amendment would add the  three names to the  end of the                                                               
list of  names to whom  copies of  the resolution would  be sent,                                                               
shown on page 2, beginning on line 12.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:03:32 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS opened public testimony on HJR 9.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:03:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DICK HANSCOM, Fairbanks Coin Club,  testified that the reason the                                                               
state and  the congressional delegation need  to act on HJR  9 is                                                               
because  the  U.S.  mint  has  not  issued  a  dollar  coin  into                                                               
circulation for about five years.   He stated that because of the                                                               
historical significance  of this coin  to the state, it  would be                                                               
beneficial  for the  coin to  be circulating,  educating Alaska's                                                               
young  people, and  all Alaskans.    Using the  coin would  honor                                                               
Elizabeth  Peratrovich and  educate people  about Alaska's  Anti-                                                               
discrimination Act [of 1945].                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:04:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PAULETTE  MORENO,  President,  Alaska  Native  Sisterhood  (ANS),                                                               
testified  that Elizabeth  Wanamaker Peratrovich  was a  past ANS                                                               
grand  president; her  courageous  words at  a  time of  critical                                                               
injustice affected the life that  all enjoy today.  Her [indisc.]                                                               
will be  highlighted during the  75th anniversary [of  the Alaska                                                               
Anti-Discrimination Act]  in 2020.   Ms.  Moreno relayed  that in                                                               
2020, the  release of the $1  coin will bring attention  not only                                                               
throughout the  state, but throughout  the nation and  the world.                                                               
Ms. Moreno  invited the  committee to  join the  75th anniversary                                                               
celebration  (indisc.) to  ensure that  Alaska Native  people and                                                               
their rights  are accepted for  the intelligence they  possess of                                                               
all matters of this great land.   She mentioned that the proposed                                                               
resolution came from the youth of  Alaska by way of the 4-H club,                                                               
who want  clear access not  only to the coin  but to the  hope to                                                               
hold  the  coin that  reflects  one  of Alaska's  most  important                                                               
stories.   The ANS and  Alaska Native Brotherhood (ANB)  has been                                                               
advocating  for  history  to  highlight  her  story.    They  are                                                               
currently working  with school superintendents  throughout Alaska                                                               
to   add   curriculum,   national  recognition   with   all   the                                                               
legislatures,  and  the   Alaska  [congressional]  delegation  to                                                               
collectively  draft a  bill in  2020  not only  to highlight  the                                                               
achievement  of  Elizabeth Peratrovich,  but  to  carry her  work                                                               
forward.  She said, "It is said  that a child will lead the way."                                                               
She  stated that  ANS  and  ANB express  their  gratitude to  all                                                               
contributors to the introduction of HJR 9.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:08:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LIBERTY SKELLIE,  4-H, testified  that in  the 1940s,  women were                                                               
barely  working outside  the home;  for Elizabeth  Peratrovich, a                                                               
Native  woman, to  talk  to legislators  about  civil rights  was                                                               
extremely (indisc.).  (indisc.--poor  sound quality)  She relayed                                                               
that she supports the proposed  resolution because it would honor                                                               
Elizabeth Peratrovich and the important things she did.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:09:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
STEPHEN  BRUNANSKI,  President,  Fairbanks Coin  Club,  testified                                                               
that  Elizabeth Peratrovich  is  an ideal  role  model for  young                                                               
people of Alaska.  To honor her  life and the bravery it took for                                                               
her to stand  up to discrimination that  she faced (indisc.--poor                                                               
sound quality).   He  said that  each time  this coin  is handled                                                               
within  a  commercial  transaction  creates  an  opportunity  for                                                               
conversation.    He  offered  that  if  the  U.S.  Department  of                                                               
Treasury   would  release   the   coin   into  circulation,   the                                                               
opportunities for  discussion about anti-discrimination  would be                                                               
multiplied.    He remarked  at  how  Alaska children  would  feel                                                               
having a coin  with the face of a fellow  Alaskan.  He maintained                                                               
that  the  coin  deserves  to  be distributed  to  a  much  wider                                                               
audience than just coin collectors.   He stated, "Let's put it in                                                               
circulation."                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:11:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS, after  ascertaining that  there was  no                                                               
one else  who wished to  testify, closed public testimony  on HJR
.                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:11:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STORY  expressed  that  she  is  pleased  at  the                                                               
introduction of the  bill and has great  admiration for Elizabeth                                                               
Peratrovich.  She  mentioned that the 4-H youth met  with her and                                                               
expressed that they wanted the coin to be put into circulation.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:12:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   VANCE  expressed   her   appreciation  for   the                                                               
introduction  of the  proposed legislation,  requested by  Alaska                                                               
youth; it signals  that youth can engage in  their government and                                                               
be a voice  for the next generation on  anti-discrimination.  She                                                               
maintained that the  coin would serve to  communicate the message                                                               
to other areas of the world.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:13:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS  commented  there is  "no  more  organic                                                               
democratic   process   in   motion"    than   the   response   of                                                               
Representative Johnson to the request from the youth.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:14:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  FIELDS  moved to  report  HJR  9,  as amended,  out  of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
zero fiscal note.   There being no objection,  CSHJR 9(STA) moved                                                               
out of committee.