03/18/2003 03:31 PM Senate STA

             SJR 10-PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE RESOLUTION                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS. JACQUELINE TUPOU, staff to Senator Lyda Green, paraphrased                                                                  
from the sponsor statement:                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Senate  Joint Resolution  10 resolves  that the  Alaska                                                                    
     State  Legislature  supports  a review  by  the  United                                                                    
     States  Supreme Court  of the  Newdow V.  U.S. Congress                                                                    
     decision.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     In Newdow  vs. United States  Congress, a panel  of the                                                                    
     Ninth  Circuit  decided  that  the  recitation  of  the                                                                    
     Pledge   of   Allegiance    in   public   schools   was                                                                    
     unconstitutional.  The Ninth  Circuit Court  of Appeals                                                                    
     confirmed this  decision and granted  a 90 day  stay to                                                                    
     the  California  School  District   to  appeal  to  the                                                                    
     Supreme  Court.  If  this  decision  is  not  reviewed,                                                                    
     public  schools  in   nine  western  states,  including                                                                    
     Alaska, will be banned from reciting the pledge.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     SJR  10  expresses  the support  of  the  Alaska  State                                                                    
     Legislature for the review of  Newdow vs. U.S. Congress                                                                    
     by  the United  States Supreme  Court and  of our  firm                                                                    
     belief  of  the principles  and  ideals  stated in  our                                                                    
     nation's Pledge of Allegiance.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     I  ask  for  your  support   in  the  passage  of  this                                                                    
     resolution.                                                                                                                
There were no questions.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GARY STEVENS asked for a motion.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  JOHN  COWDERY made  a  motion  and asked  for  unanimous                                                               
consent to  move SJR 10  and attached fiscal note  from committee                                                               
with  individual recommendations.  There being  no objection,  it                                                               
was so ordered.