Legislature(2015 - 2016)CAPITOL 106
04/07/2016 08:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SCR16 | |
| SB123 | |
| SCR20 | |
| SB6 | |
| SB24 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SCR 16 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 123 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SCR 20 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 6 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 24 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SCR 20-SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH: APRIL 2016
8:38:25 AM
CHAIR LYNN announced that the next order of business would be
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 20, Proclaiming April 2016 as
Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
8:40:40 AM
SENATOR KEVIN MEYER, Alaska State Legislature, as prime sponsor,
explained that SCR 20 is a resolution brought forward every year
to proclaim April as the Sexual Assault Awareness Month. He
described it as part of a national campaign to raise public
awareness about sexual assault and educate communities and
individuals on how to prevent sexual violence. He related he
has been doing this for many years and spent much time during
his Anchorage Assembly days on Stand Together Against Rape
(STAR) and believes this is an important issue.
CHAIR LYNN interjected that if this is done every year, why not
make it permanent, because unfortunately the problem will
continue.
SENATOR MEYER explained that groups prefer to bring the issue
forward each year to put it in front of people, because the
problem will not go away any time soon. Nationwide, sexual
assault statistics continue to be staggering, and regrettably
Alaska is almost 2.5 times higher than the national rate on
sexual assault. Sexual violence is preventable, and he
described it as a social, public health, criminal justice, and
human rights issue. This year, he explained, the 2016 Sexual
Assault Awareness Month campaign is focusing on building blocks
of prevention by communicating how individuals, communities, and
the private sector can take action to promote safety, respect,
and equality.
8:43:43 AM
LAUREE MORTON, Executive Director, Council on Domestic Violence
and Sexual Assault (CDVSA), reiterated that Alaska is above the
national average in sexual assault and there must be ongoing
hard work and daily efforts to end sexual violence. However,
she said the 2013 Alaska Victimization Survey showed, compared
to 2010, a decrease in sexual violence victimization. There
were 3,072 fewer victims of sexual violence in 2015 than in
2010. Acknowledging the good news, she pointed out there is
still much work to do, because in 2010, 58 out of 100 women
suffered intimate partner violence, sexual violence, or both.
In 2015, the number reduced to 50 out of 100 women, which is one
out of every two women in Alaska, and the combination of
intervention and prevention work must continue. She pointed to
SCR 20, page 2, lines 4-7, which read as follows:
WHEREAS, in 2015, first responders from 16
communities--Anchorage, Barrow, Bethel, Cordova,
Dillingham, Eielson Air Force Base, Fairbanks, Fort
Wainwright, Juneau, Kodiak, Kotzebue, Nome, Palmer,
Seward, Unalaska, and Valdez--participated in Sexual
Assault Response Team training; and
MS. MORTON continued that these first responders and advocates
met jointly for training to learn about each other's roles and
how the system can better work in response to victims when they
come forward and progress through forensic exams. She advised
that page 2 of the resolution refers to different primary
prevention activities that communities are taking on to end
sexual violence, such as Girls on the Run, Coaching Boys into
Men, Green Dot, the 4thR, and Compass. Not only is this a
concentrated effort by programs funded across the state with
paid staff, community members are also invested in working with
the programs to end sexual violence. Over the last year, more
than 3,000 people have given their time, energy, and efforts to
this cause by providing over 63,000 hours of service. She said
that Alaska needs to thank the people who day in and day out
answer phone calls at 3:00 a.m., go to the hospital with
victims, and help when a victim is in court, with law
enforcement, or at social services. These people hear the
horrendous things people are capable of doing to one another,
and they continue to come back and work so that someone will be
available when a victim of sexual violence is ready to share
his/her story. Advocates work tirelessly to provide a sense of
dignity and bear witness to these horrible crimes, and they are
owed a great debt of gratitude, she said.
8:48:23 AM
CHAIR LYNN thanked Ms. Morton for her work and the work the
advocates do to make this a better place, and he said there is a
special place in heaven for these folks.
8:48:39 AM
REPRESENTATIVE VAZQUEZ related that while in the district
attorney's office, she saw volunteers firsthand and was
impressed with the type of support they provide to victims.
CHAIR LYNN, after ascertaining no one further wished to testify,
closed public testimony on SCR 20.
8:49:26 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to report SCR 20, out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
notes. There being no objection, SCR 20 was reported out of the
House State Affairs Standing Committee.