03/11/2021 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

            SB 7-STATE TROOPER POLICIES: PUBLIC ACCESS                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:15:27 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER  announced the  consideration of  SENATE BILL  NO. 7                                                               
"An  Act requiring  the Department  of Public  Safety to  publish                                                               
certain  policies and  procedures  on  the department's  Internet                                                               
website."                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:15:32 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER opened public testimony on SB 7.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:15:52 PM                                                                                                                    
MORGAN  LIM,  Planned  Parenthood Votes,  Northwest  and  Hawaii,                                                               
Juneau,  Alaska, stated  that  SB 7  is a  first  step to  ensure                                                               
accountability in  policing to better  serve Alaskans.  He opined                                                               
that that the police that we  know need to be reimagined and held                                                               
accountable to  be in Alaska.  He said  the health and  safety of                                                               
patients  is  PPVNH's first  priority  whether  they are  in  the                                                               
office or elsewhere.  "We know our patients  of color, especially                                                               
our Black  and Indigenous  patients, live in  a society  in which                                                               
law  enforcement  disproportionately   target  and  harass  their                                                               
communities," he said.  He urged the dismantling  of the systemic                                                               
racism  that permeates  public institutions,  including both  the                                                               
criminal justice  system and the healthcare  system. He concluded                                                               
that  requiring the  public display  the policies  and procedures                                                               
related to the peace officers'  code of conduct helps in ensuring                                                               
accountability and is a step in the right direction.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:18:33 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  SHOWER  found  no further  testifiers  and  closed  public                                                               
testimony on SB 7.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
[SB 7 was held in committee.]