03/02/2016 01:30 PM Senate JUDICIARY

         SB 174-REG. OF FIREARMS/KNIVES BY UNIV. OF AK                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:35:53 PM                                                                                                                    
VICE  CHAIR COGHILL  announced the  consideration of  SB 174.  He                                                               
listed those who  were available for questions  and opened public                                                               
testimony.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:36:48 PM                                                                                                                    
GREG STODDARD,  representing himself, testified in  support of SB
. He  noted he works for  the university, but is  speaking for                                                               
himself. He opined that the  university's current firearms policy                                                               
is more of  an invitation to a perpetrator, than  a deterrent. He                                                               
said statistics  show gun-free zones  are where  violence occurs.                                                               
He said the bill requires  the university to follow existing law.                                                               
Americans have the constitutional  right to defend themselves. He                                                               
did not  think there was anything  to fear from a  polite society                                                               
that arms itself.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:39:29 PM                                                                                                                    
ROB CLIFT, Chair,  Libertarian Party, testified in  support of SB
. He  said the Libertarian  Party supports the right  to carry                                                               
"concealed" on  campus and is  cognizant that people  already are                                                               
carrying "concealed" on  campus. He said he  understands that the                                                               
university is  used by many people  and belongs to all  people of                                                               
Alaska, not  to the Board  of Regents. He concluded  that passage                                                               
of the bill aligns the university with state law.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:42:23 PM                                                                                                                    
LILY COHEN,  representing herself, testified in  opposition to SB
. She  said even though she  works on campus, she  is speaking                                                               
for herself. She  said she carries a gun in  situations where she                                                               
want to feel safe,  such as out in the field,  but not on campus.                                                               
She stated  that she does  not support  guns on campus  and feels                                                               
that they will not make the  campus safer. She did not think that                                                               
the committee received  letters opposing the bill.  She read from                                                               
an article in the Onion about mass shootings around the U.S.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
VICE  CHAIR COGHILL  noted the  committee has  received an  equal                                                               
number of letters against the bill.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:44:58 PM                                                                                                                    
BRIAN   JUDY,  Alaska   Liaison,   National  Rifle   Association,                                                               
testified in  support of SB  174. He questioned whether  a person                                                               
should have less freedom or safety  on a college campus and why a                                                               
person who can be armed off  campus, can't be armed on campus. He                                                               
stated  that self-defense  is a  fundamental right.  The bill  is                                                               
about providing  protection for law-abiding citizens  both on and                                                               
off  campus.  He  maintained  that  law  enforcement  cannot  not                                                               
respond to shootings quick enough.  He said gun-free school zones                                                               
have  been a  disaster with  every mass  killing recently  having                                                               
been in  such zones. He  said there  are currently 9  states that                                                               
allow concealed carry  on campus without any  problems. He shared                                                               
the history of  concealed carry law. He did not  believe the bill                                                               
would cause fiscal problems for the university.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:49:21 PM                                                                                                                    
MIKE  COONS, representing  himself,  testified in  support of  SB
.  He cited  times  when  there was  a  deadly  threat and  he                                                               
produced  a  weapon  to  stop   it.  He  debated  the  university                                                               
counsel's opinion  that it  is not a  state entity.  He suggested                                                               
cutting funds to the university. He  said an adult in Alaska does                                                               
not  need  a  concealed  carry  permit  and  he  maintained  that                                                               
training  does  not  make  a  person  safer.  He  concluded  that                                                               
children are safe around concealed carry on campus.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:53:38 PM                                                                                                                    
SETH WEAVER, representing himself,  testified in opposition to SB
. He  voiced concern  about the underlying  aura of  fear that                                                               
would infringe  on one's  ability to express  free speech  in the                                                               
classroom. He  spoke as  a student of  the university  system who                                                               
would be  affected by  this bill and  the general  reluctance for                                                               
students to speak  on a hot topic when students  in their classes                                                               
have guns.  He referred  to the Sumter  Incidence where  a person                                                               
was  caned to  death  for  speaking up.  He  suggested adding  an                                                               
amendment  to  also  allow  concealed   carry  inside  the  state                                                               
capitol.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:57:39 PM                                                                                                                    
BRIAN  SIMPSON, representing  himself, testified  in favor  of SB
. He said it is a  constitutional right to carry concealed. He                                                               
said safe zones  are not safe. He concluded that  those who would                                                               
carry concealed are law abiding citizens.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
VICE CHAIR  COGHILL noted the university  is preparing additional                                                               
statements regarding K-12 students on campus.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
2:01:20 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MICCICHE asked about the  UA fiscal note for $1.3 million                                                               
for FY2017  and $800,000,  per year,  for FY2018  through FY2020,                                                               
regarding  K-12 programs.  He asked  if the  university plans  to                                                               
issue  another fiscal  note after  the acceptance  of version  N,                                                               
which allows restricted areas.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
2:03:37 PM                                                                                                                    
MICHAEL  HOSTIN, General  Counsel, University  of Alaska  System,                                                               
answered questions related to SB  174. He explained that the K-12                                                               
programs are  mixed in with  other programs on campus  that would                                                               
not  be subject  to concerns  that would  normally be  associated                                                               
with  K-12  buildings  where  firearms  are  not  permitted.  The                                                               
university believes  that there would  have to be  secure points,                                                               
as allowed in the bill, during K-12 events.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MATT COOPER,  General Counsel, answered  questions related  to SB
.  He  said  that  in   addition  to  K-12,  the  fiscal  note                                                               
represents funding  to evaluate existing  secure areas to  see if                                                               
they qualify as secure access  points and possibly having to make                                                               
them  more secure.  He gave  as examples  the super  computer and                                                               
sensitive  labs  at UAF.  He  noted  they  are still  working  on                                                               
refining the fiscal note. The  fiscal note accompanying version N                                                               
is a substantial  reduction from the previous  fiscal note, which                                                               
included lock boxes for secure storage.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
VICE  CHAIR COGHILL  set SB  174 aside,  awaiting further  public                                                               
testimony.                                                                                                                      
         SB 174-REG. OF FIREARMS/KNIVES BY UNIV. OF AK                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:44:42 PM                                                                                                                    
VICE CHAIR COGHILL returned to public testimony for SB 174.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
2:44:58 PM                                                                                                                    
CARL  KANCIR, representing  himself, testified  in support  of SB
. He  said an  armed society  is a safe  society. He  said the                                                               
college police  said they could  arrive at  a crime scene  in two                                                               
minutes, however,  he shared  his experience  in the  service and                                                               
opined that  campus police cannot get  there in time. He  gave an                                                               
example  of robbers  in a  bar. He  gave an  analogy of  a hockey                                                               
game. He maintained that concealed  carry is good for defense. He                                                               
shared a number of stories.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
VICE  CHAIR COGHILL  thanked the  testifier  and held  SB 174  in                                                               
committee.