03/11/2011 01:30 PM Senate JUDICIARY

        SCR  2-UNIFORM RULES: PRESIDING OFFICER PRO TEM                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
2:36:30 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  FRENCH announced  the consideration  of  SCR 2,  proposing                                                               
amendments to the  Uniform Rules of the  Alaska State Legislature                                                               
relating to  the presiding  officer pro  tempore.   [CSSCR 2(STA)                                                               
was before the committee.]                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BETTYE  DAVIS, sponsor of  SCR 2, informed  the committee                                                               
that Mr. Obermeyer would introduce the bill.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TOM OBERMEYER,  staff to  Senator Davis, sponsor  of SCR  2, said                                                               
the committee  substitute (CS)  amends language  in Section  4 on                                                               
page 2.  The original bill  unintentionally placed  the presiding                                                               
officer pro tempore before the  majority leader in the absence of                                                               
the regular  presiding officer.  The CS  establishes that  in the                                                               
absence of  both the regular  presiding officer and  the majority                                                               
leader, the  presiding officer pro tempore  elected under Uniform                                                               
Rule 1(b) shall preside over sessions of the house.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
The result  of the amendment to  Section 4 is that  the presiding                                                               
officer pro tempore elected at the  start of the first session of                                                               
a  Legislature,  in  addition  to the  duties  of  the  presiding                                                               
officer pro tempore set out in  Rule 1(b), will continue for both                                                               
sessions  to serve  as a  backup in  the absence  of the  regular                                                               
presiding officer and majority leader.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR.  OBERMEYER said  the  sponsor  statement clearly  establishes                                                               
that  the amendment  to  Uniform  Rule 1  changes  the titles  of                                                               
temporary presiding  officers to  presiding officers  pro tempore                                                               
and permanent  presiding officers to regular  presiding officers.                                                               
These changes  to the  Uniform Rules  essentially create  a third                                                               
permanent  position  in  the   leadership  without  changing  the                                                               
leadership structure, he said.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
2:39:10 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR FRENCH  summarized that the  bill makes two  basic changes:                                                               
1)  It   replaces  the  temporary  presiding   officer  with  the                                                               
president pro  tempore and  2) it  creates a  permanent president                                                               
pro tempore.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DAVIS agreed;  it removes the temporary  aspect and makes                                                               
the   president  pro   tempore  a   permanent  position   in  the                                                               
leadership. She stated that the  committee packets should contain                                                               
information on  the number  of states that  have this.  She added                                                               
that this  new position would  make it  easier for women  to move                                                               
into the  leadership, but  it doesn't take  any duties  away from                                                               
the current leadership positions.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR FRENCH  noted that  Doug Gardiner  was available  to answer                                                               
questions.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:43:10 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  COGHILL  observed  that the  majority  leader  currently                                                               
fills that position.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DAVIS agreed and added  that the majority leader is still                                                               
second  on  the list.  This  bill  just  adds a  third  permanent                                                               
leadership position.  She offered to provide  information on what                                                               
other states  have done with  this position  if it wasn't  in the                                                               
packet.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  FRENCH  said his  packet  was  very thorough.  Finding  no                                                               
further  questions,  he   announced  he  would  hold   SCR  2  in                                                               
committee.