03/12/2015 03:30 PM Senate EDUCATION

               SCR 1-CIVICS EDUCATION TASK FORCE                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:39:03 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNLEAVY  announced the consideration  of SCR 1. He  said it                                                              
is the second  hearing of the  resolution and he intended  to move                                                              
it out of committee.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
TIM   LAMKIN,   Staff,   Senator  Gary   Stevens,   Alaska   State                                                              
Legislature,  explained  the changes  in  the new  CS  for SCR  1,                                                              
version N.  He said the  bill is modeled  after one  from Illinois                                                              
and  the  language   was  changed  to  fit  Alaska's   task  force                                                              
composition. There  is a net  change to  twelve for the  number of                                                              
task force  members. On page  2, lines  23-26, the task  force now                                                              
has three representatives  and three senators, including  one each                                                              
from  the minority  caucus.  On page  3, line  1,  the NEA  member                                                              
would  be a teacher  with significant  experience  in the  area of                                                              
civics and social studies.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  HUGGINS moved  to adopt  the CS  for SCR  1, labeled  29-                                                              
LS0237\N, as the working document before the committee.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DUNLEAVY objected.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR.  LAMKIN continued  to describe  the  changes in  the bill.  On                                                              
page 3,  lines 4-6,  the reference  to a member  of the  media was                                                              
deleted and  replaced with  a student.  Also, on  page 3,  lines 7                                                              
and 8,  a civics  non-profit member  was deleted  and replaced  by                                                              
someone  from the  judicial branch  of government.  Representation                                                              
by  the  superintendent  was  also   deleted  since  school  board                                                              
representation was maintained.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:41:57 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GARDNER pointed  out that there is an even  number of task                                                              
force members and she assumed they would work for consensus.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  LAMKIN  said  historically   there  is  consensus  with  task                                                              
forces. In the event of a tie, a motion would fail.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DUNLEAVY opened public testimony.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:42:41 PM                                                                                                                    
STUART  THOMPSON, representing  himself, testified  in support  of                                                              
SCR 1. He discussed  his belief in citizen participation.  He said                                                              
he has  five methods  for financing civics  education. He  said he                                                              
will fax his comments to the committee.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:47:23 PM                                                                                                                    
LISA SKILES PARADY,  Executive Director, Alaska Council  of School                                                              
Administrators    (ACSA),   and    Executive   Director,    Alaska                                                              
Superintendents  Association, testified  on SCR  1. She  requested                                                              
that a  superintendent be left on  the task force.  She maintained                                                              
that   school  board   members   have   a  different   role   than                                                              
superintendents.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DUNLEAVY closed public testimony.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR STEVENS  voiced appreciation  for Mr. Thompson's  support.                                                              
He  recognized  the   problem  of  funding  the   task  force.  He                                                              
appreciated  Dr. Parady's  comments.  He said  he  would not  mind                                                              
adding the superintendent  position back, but there  is a limit to                                                              
the number of members.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:51:21 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  HUGGINS asked  for  clarification of  the  status of  the                                                              
fiscal note.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. LAMKIN  said there is a  fiscal note for the  original version                                                              
of the  bill and a replacement  is being considered.  He explained                                                              
that it  is the sponsor's  intent to have  the bulk of  task force                                                              
members who reside in or near Anchorage.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DUNLEAVY said  there could  be a discussion  of the  fiscal                                                              
note in Senate Finance.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:52:37 PM                                                                                                                    
At ease                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:52:46 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  DUNLEAVY said  they would  move the bill  out of  committee                                                              
with a fiscal note that could be discussed in Senate Finance.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  HUGGINS moved  to report  CSSCR 1(EDC),  version N,  from                                                              
committee  with  individual recommendations  and  attached  fiscal                                                              
note.  There  being   no  objection,  the  motion   carried.  [The                                                              
assumption  is that Chair  Dunleavy removed  his objection  to the                                                              
adoption of version N.]                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:53:35 PM                                                                                                                    
At ease