04/26/2005 08:30 AM Senate JUDICIARY

             SB 20-OFFENSES AGAINST UNBORN CHILDREN                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:41:29 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR RALPH SEEKINS announced SB 20 to be up for consideration.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR FRED DYSON  advised the committee after SB  20 passed out                                                               
of the  Senate Judiciary  Standing Committee  on April  19, 2005,                                                               
his staff came to him with  two necessary amendments. He asked to                                                               
return SB  20 to the committee  in order to make  it even clearer                                                               
there  won't be  an action  against a  woman who  has conflicting                                                               
interest  and may  choose an  option. He  urged the  committee to                                                               
pass SB 20 out of committee.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:43:47 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  HOLLIS  FRENCH  offered   Amendment  1.  He  voiced  his                                                               
suspicion that SB 20 could be used to overturn Roe v Wade.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
                                                      24-LS0197\R.1                                                             
                                                          Crawford                                                              
                      A M E N D M E N T 1                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
OFFERED IN THE SENATE                         BY SENATOR FRENCH                                                                 
     TO:  CSSB 20(JUD)                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Page 1, following line 2:                                                                                                       
     Insert a bill section to read:                                                                                             
   "* Section  1.  The uncodified  law of the State  of Alaska is                                                             
amended by adding a new section to read:                                                                                        
     LEGISLATIVE INTENT.  Nothing in this Act is intended to                                                                    
grant personhood status to an unborn  child, as defined in sec. 6                                                               
of this Act,  or to create any other legal  basis for a challenge                                                               
to the  U.S. Supreme  Court's holding  in Roe  v. Wade,  410 U.S.                                                             
113, 93 S.Ct. 705, 35 L.Ed.2d 147 (1973)."                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Page 1, line 3:                                                                                                                 
     Delete "Section 1"                                                                                                       
     Insert "Sec. 2"                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SEEKINS  objected. He  does not believe  a state  law could                                                               
overturn a US Supreme Court decision.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:47:45 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  GRETCHEN  GUESS  voiced  support  for  Senator  French's                                                               
amendment.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Roll call proved  Amendment 1 failed 3-2,  with Senators Huggins,                                                               
Therriault, and Chair Seekins dissenting.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:49:13 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GUESS  moved Amendment  2. It  is not  the intent  of the                                                               
committee  that   women  in   domestic  violence   situations  be                                                               
criminalized under SB 20.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
                                                      24-LS0197\R.3                                                             
                                                          Crawford                                                              
                                                           11/3/05                                                              
                                                                                                                                
                      A M E N D M E N T 2                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
OFFERED IN THE SENATE                          BY SENATOR GUESS                                                                 
     TO:  CSSB 20(JUD)                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Page 2, line 7, following "life":                                                                                               
     Insert "; for purposes of this paragraph, a pregnant                                                                       
woman's decision  to remain in  a relationship in  which domestic                                                               
violence as  defined in  AS 18.66.990 has  occurred does  not, by                                                               
itself,  constitute conduct  manifesting an  extreme indifference                                                               
to the value of human life"                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Page 3, line 13, following "life":                                                                                              
     Insert "; for purposes of this paragraph, a pregnant                                                                       
woman's decision  to remain in  a relationship in  which domestic                                                               
violence as  defined in  AS 18.66.990 has  occurred does  not, by                                                               
itself,  constitute conduct  manifesting extreme  indifference to                                                               
the value of human life"                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DYSON voiced support for Amendment 2.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Hearing no objections, Amendment 2 was adopted.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR CHARLIE  HUGGINS moved CSSB  20(JUD) from  committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  attached  fiscal note(s).  There                                                               
being no objection, the motion carried.