04/03/2018 03:15 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

        SCR 17-APRIL 2018:SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:49:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  announced that  the next order  of business                                                               
would be  SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO.  17, Proclaiming April                                                               
2018 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:49:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
EDRA  MORLEDGE,   Staff,  Senator   Kevin  Meyer,   Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, stated that  SCR 17 was a  resolution that proclaims                                                               
April 2018 as  Sexual Assault Awareness Month.  This  was part of                                                               
a  national  campaign  to raise  public  awareness  about  sexual                                                               
assault  and to  educate communities  and individuals  on how  to                                                               
prevent sexual violence.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS.  MORLEDGE  stated  that  Senator  Meyer  first  brought  this                                                               
resolution forward  in 2001  when he was  a Representative.   The                                                               
reason the sponsor  continues to bring forward  resolutions on an                                                               
annual basis rather  than to place it in  statute permanently was                                                               
to bring  attention to the  issue and to continually  educate our                                                               
communities throughout the state.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:50:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. MORLEDGE  reported that sexual assault  statistics nationwide                                                               
are staggering, such that one in  five women have been victims of                                                               
violent sexual  assault during  their lifetimes.   Unfortunately,                                                               
those  statistics are  much higher.    In fact,  the 2015  Alaska                                                               
victimization  survey reports  that one-third  of adult  women in                                                               
Alaska have experienced sexual assault.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS.   MORLEDGE  informed   members   that   sexual  assault   was                                                               
preventable.   It represents a  public health,  criminal justice,                                                               
and  human rights  issue.    She pointed  out  the importance  of                                                               
educating the public.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MS.  MORLEDGE  stated the  2018  sexual  assault awareness  month                                                               
campaign has  focused on  "embrace your voice."   She  hoped that                                                               
this  resolution  would help  to  strengthen  that effort  across                                                               
Alaska.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS. MORLEDGE offered her belief  that members heard the companion                                                               
bill, HCR 22  last month.  She hoped both  resolutions would help                                                               
to educate Alaskans.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:51:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS announced that SCR 17 would be held over.