03/07/2024 03:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

        HJR 13-CALL FED. CONSTITUTIONAL CONV:TERM LIMITS                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:08:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHAW  announced that  the next order  of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE  JOINT  RESOLUTION NO.  13,  Requesting  the United  States                                                               
Congress  to  call a  convention  of  the  states to  propose  an                                                               
amendment  to the  Constitution of  the  United States  to set  a                                                               
limit on the  number of terms that  a person may be  elected as a                                                               
member of  the United  States House of  Representatives and  as a                                                               
member of the  United States Senate; and  urging the legislatures                                                               
of the other  49 states to request the United  States Congress to                                                               
call a convention of the  states.  [Before the committee, adopted                                                               
as  a working  document  on 3/1/24,  was  the proposed  committee                                                               
substitute  (CS)  for  HJR   13,  labeled  33-LS0690\B,  Wallace,                                                               
1/22/24 ("Version B").]                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:08:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TREVOR  JEPSEN, Staff,  Representative  Tom  McKay, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, provided wrap  up comments for HJR 13,  on behalf of                                                               
Representative McKay,  prime sponsor.   He explained that  HJR 13                                                               
would  encourage  the  U.S.  Congress to  enact  term  limits  on                                                               
itself.  There are currently no  term limit requirements.  If HJR
 were  to pass,  Alaska would  be one of  seven states  to pass                                                               
similar legislation,  which may prevent Congress  from needing to                                                               
call a convention.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:09:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STORY   expressed  her  concern  about   HJR  13,                                                               
[Version B].   She made note that Alaskans voted  not to open the                                                               
constitution.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:10:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.   JEPSEN  commented   about  the   legal  gray   area  around                                                               
constitutional conventions.   He  admitted that  if there  were a                                                               
convention, there  may be legal  implications.  He said  the goal                                                               
of the resolution is for enough  states to enact it and encourage                                                               
Congress to impose term limits.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:11:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  C. JOHNSON  noted  that states  that have  passed                                                               
this  type  of  resolution  have limited  their  delegates  under                                                               
penalty  of law  to prevent  the constitution  from being  opened                                                               
beyond the scope of setting term limits.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:12:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY  asked if the current  resolution is limited                                                               
to only  allowing delegates to  act on  the narrow topic  of term                                                               
limits.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:12:21 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
AZABEL  ORDAZ,  Staff,  Representative Tom  McKay,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, on  behalf of  Representative McKay,  prime sponsor,                                                               
answered, "No, the resolution does not limit..."                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:12:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE C.  JOHNSON responded to Representative  Story and                                                               
said   that  limits   to  delegates   would  occur   through  the                                                               
legislature  after  a  constitutional convention  is  called  and                                                               
delegates are nominated.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:13:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WRIGHT  moved to  report  CSHJR  13, Version  33-                                                               
LS0690\B,  Wallace, 1/22/24,  out  of  committee with  individual                                                               
recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:13:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE C. JOHNSON objected.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
A roll call  vote was taken.   Representatives Wright, Carpenter,                                                               
C. Johnson,  Allard, and Shaw  voted in favor of  reporting CSHJR
,  Version  33-LS0690\B,  Wallace, 1/22/24  out  of  committee.                                                               
Representatives Story  and Carrick voted against  it.  Therefore,                                                               
CSHJR  13(STA)  was  reported  out of  the  House  State  Affairs                                                               
Standing Committee by a vote of 5-2.