03/24/2021 09:00 AM Senate EDUCATION

                                                                                                                                
9:52:53 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HOLLAND reconvened the meeting  and noted the committee had                                                               
an item to address. He solicited a motion.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:53:05 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR STEVENS moved  that the committee approve  work order 32-                                                               
LS0485\W  [subsequently numbered  SB 111]  as a  Senate Education                                                               
Standing Committee bill for introduction to the Senate.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:53:17 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR BEGICH objected. He said  there are a number of different                                                               
bills before  the body  dealing with the  general subject  of the                                                               
power the  chair would be granted  under this motion. He  said he                                                               
had hoped  that the process  that the Senate  president initiated                                                               
would have led  the committee to a piece of  legislation that all                                                               
members of  the committee could support.  He has seen a  draft of                                                               
the bill  and he  identified a  number of  areas that  are deeply                                                               
problematic and do  not reflect the bills that  were discussed in                                                               
committee  over four  different hearings.  While this  bill is  a                                                               
committee bill,  he wants  the public  to know  that he  does not                                                               
support  it at  this  time. He  will  speak to  why  he does  not                                                               
support the  bill as  the committee goes  through the  process in                                                               
the hope that  the bill that finally comes out  of this committee                                                               
is one he can support.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:54:59 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  BEGICH  said   he  takes  his  role   on  the  committee                                                               
seriously, as does each committee member. He continued to say:                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     We  represent  the  leadership of  this  body  on  this                                                                    
     committee  - the  president, the  minority leader,  the                                                                    
     majority leader,  and Rules  chair. We  have identified                                                                    
     that the key  components, based on years  and years and                                                                    
     years of  research and work, both  in-state and out-of-                                                                    
     state,  focus on  certain elements  that  have to  come                                                                    
     together  to  make  working   legislation  that  has  a                                                                    
     meaningful  impact on  families. At  this time,  having                                                                    
     extensively and personally  reviewed the drafts, having                                                                    
     discussed those with you, I just don't see it here.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BEGICH  said he will  address his questions  and comments                                                               
when the  bill is heard but  he was withdrawing his  objection at                                                               
this time.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:55:33 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  HOLLAND  found  no further  objection  and  announced  the                                                               
motion passed.