05/05/2004 04:22 PM House FIN

HOUSE CS FOR CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 30(JUD)                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     An Act  relating to  information and services  available                                                                   
     to pregnant  women and other persons;  ensuring informed                                                                   
     consent  before  an  abortion   may  be  performed;  and                                                                   
     providing  exceptions  to  informed consent  in  certain                                                                   
     cases.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR FRED  DYSON, SPONSOR,  explained that the  Department                                                                   
of Health &  Social Services requested that  all reproductive                                                                   
information including  abortion services be  provided online.                                                                   
The  first  change  made by  the  House  Judiciary  Committee                                                                   
required that  information reviewed by obstetricians  also be                                                                   
reviewed  by the state  medical board,  which, Senator  Dyson                                                                   
said,  it would  prefer not  to  do. He  explained the  other                                                                   
amendments made by House Judiciary  Committee, and noted that                                                                   
the  major  change eliminated  the  24-hour  waiting  period.                                                                   
Senator Dyson felt that the 24-hour  waiting period would not                                                                   
pose a barrier to receiving the service.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
In response to  a question by Representative  Croft, Co-Chair                                                                   
Williams  clarified that  Version  G is  the House  Judiciary                                                                   
Committee Substitute and Version Y is the blank Finance CS.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MYRNA GARDNER, JUNEAU, spoke from  written testimony (copy on                                                                   
file.)  She  felt that the underlying intentions  of the bill                                                                   
are  anti-abortion, and  that it  implies that  women do  not                                                                   
have  a right  to  privacy even  though  Alaska's history  on                                                                   
privacy is very clear. She asked  that female constituents be                                                                   
considered   intelligent  enough   to   make  this   decision                                                                   
themselves  without State  invasion into  their privacy.  She                                                                   
asked the Committee not to vote for the bill.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
TAPE HFC 04 - 107, Side A                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
At Ease:       3:25 PM                                                                                                        
Reconvene:     3:30 PM                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
VICKI  HALCRO,   DIRECTOR,  PUBLIC  AFFAIRS   AND  MARKETING,                                                                   
PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF ALASKA,  ANCHORAGE, VIA TELECONFERENCE,                                                                   
voiced  opposition  to  SB  30.  She  commented  that  it  is                                                                   
redundant and discriminatory.  Under the Alaska Constitution,                                                                   
the right  to choose  is a  fundamental right  of women.  The                                                                   
bill  assumes  that physicians  are  being negligent  in  not                                                                   
giving  women the  information needed  for informed  consent.                                                                   
She added that the House Judiciary  Committee had removed the                                                                   
24-hour  waiting period,  and she stated  that this  [waiting                                                                   
period] would add  an undue burden on women  in rural Alaska.                                                                   
She felt that the bill has serious constitutional issues.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
KAREN  VOSBURG,  (TESTIFIED  VIA  TELECONFERENCE),  EXECUTIVE                                                                   
DIRECTOR,  ALASKA RIGHT  TO LIFE,  ANCHORAGE, voiced  support                                                                   
for the  legislation.   She spoke to  the description  of the                                                                   
unborn  baby and  argued that  women  need to  know "what  is                                                                   
being removed  during an abortion." She asserted  that nearly                                                                   
80% of women  surveyed by the Elliott Institute  believe that                                                                   
they  were  denied information  or  actively  misinformed  by                                                                   
their counselors  prior  to their abortion.   She  continued,                                                                   
stating that women  were not given a full explanation  of the                                                                   
possible risks  or complications.  Abortion counseling  is an                                                                   
opportunity  to  discuss  birth  control, and  she  spoke  to                                                                   
censoring information. Ms. Vosburg urged that the                                                                               
legislation be passed from Committee.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Williams requested that the Department of Law be                                                                       
present to discuss these issues.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SB 30 was HELD in Committee for further consideration.