Legislature(2017 - 2018)GRUENBERG 120

03/12/2018 07:00 PM House JUDICIARY

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07:02:11 PM Start
07:02:40 PM HB75
07:44:41 PM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
-- Please Note Time Change --
+= HB 75 GUN VIOLENCE PROTECTIVE ORDERS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Public Testimony --
             HB  75-GUN VIOLENCE PROTECTIVE ORDERS                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
7:02:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CLAMAN announced  that the only order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 75, "An  Act relating to gun  violence protective                                                               
orders; relating  to the crime  of violating a  protective order;                                                               
relating to  a central registry  for protective  orders; relating                                                               
to  the  powers of  district  judges  and magistrates;  requiring                                                               
physicians,   psychologists,  psychological   associates,  social                                                               
workers,   marital   and    family   therapists,   and   licensed                                                               
professional  counselors  to  report   annually  threats  of  gun                                                               
violence;  and amending  Rules 4  and 65,  Alaska Rules  of Civil                                                               
Procedure, and Rule 9, Alaska Rules of Administration."                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CLAMAN continued public testimony on HB 75.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
7:03:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RACHEL GEARHART,  Clinical Social Worker, advised  that in Juneau                                                               
today,  the  National Association  of  Social  Workers Alaska  is                                                               
having  its legislative  education  and advocacy  day, and  asked                                                               
that  the  committee  support  HB  75.   Ms.  Gearhart  shared  a                                                               
personal experience as follows:                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     On December 1,  1997, I was a Sophomore  in high school                                                                    
     and I  experienced gun violence  in my hometown  at one                                                                    
     of  the  neighboring  city   --  county  high  schools.                                                                    
     Hunkering under my  desk, finding out that  a girl that                                                                    
     I  had  met,  and  having my  father  co-officiate  the                                                                    
     shared funeral,  changed me  and it made  me who  I am.                                                                    
     Twenty years, one month, and  twenty-two days later, at                                                                    
     Marshall County High School, the  county just next door                                                                    
     to  that,  there  was   another  school  shooting  that                                                                    
     happened just  this year  and it  affected some  of the                                                                    
     same families.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     HB 75  can help prevent  situations like this.   In the                                                                    
     weeks  before  the  Heath  High  School  shooting,  the                                                                    
     shooter, Michael  Carneal, tried to  sell a gun  to his                                                                    
     peers and he  told people that something  big was going                                                                    
     to happen.   Two things that might have led  to the use                                                                    
     of a gun protective violence  order by family or by law                                                                    
     enforcement.  I  urge you to support HB 75  as just one                                                                    
     possible  option to  save any  lives.   Thank you  very                                                                    
     much.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
7:05:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LEIGH  BOLIN,   Licensed  Clinical   Social  Worker,   asked  the                                                               
committee to  support this bill  because, as a  licensed clinical                                                               
social worker  in Dillingham,  the goal is  to provide  the least                                                               
restrictive environment for the people  they serve.  When someone                                                               
is a danger to themselves or  others, court orders must be sought                                                               
that violates  their rights by  hospitalization.  In the  event a                                                               
gun could be removed from that  person's home and keep the person                                                               
in their  home while "we  try to  help their mental  health, that                                                               
would be ideal."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
7:06:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MARTIN STEPTEN,  SR. advised  that he is  from Saint  Paul Island                                                               
but  currently lives  in  Juneau, and  he supports  HB  75 for  a                                                               
number  of reasons.   He  offered  that he  has never  personally                                                               
experienced gun violence  in his life, but there is  a lot of gun                                                               
violence in  St. Paul, and  a big part of  this [bill] has  to do                                                               
with protection for the people  who are going to hurt themselves.                                                               
It  is no  secret that  Alaska has  some of  the highest  suicide                                                               
rates in the  United States, and this bill speaks  to that issue.                                                               
He offered that  one of the worst  events to come out  of the St.                                                               
Paul Island community  was that one of the "folks  from home went                                                               
off and killed one  of the Coast Guard guys out  there."  He then                                                               
related a personal anecdote that took  place while he was in high                                                               
school.   Granted, he said,  Alaska has not experienced  the same                                                               
type of killings  and murders as in other states,  and God forbid                                                               
it  happens here,  but  the  legislature could  say  that it  was                                                               
trying  to do  something here  with this  bill.   This is  a pro-                                                               
active bill,  he described, and  it does  exactly what it  says -                                                               
there's nothing hidden,  it is straight-forward, and  it does not                                                               
infringe  on Second  Amendment rights.   In  the event  this bill                                                               
becomes  law,  the legislature  can  say  it is  progressing  and                                                               
trying  to help  the horrible  situations currently  taking place                                                               
throughout the United States.  He  said he supports this bill and                                                               
hopes the committee supports the bill.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
7:09:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
J.T.BOLIN, Licensed  Clinical Social  Worker, advised that  he is                                                               
in Juneau  with the National  Association of Social  Workers, and                                                               
he supports  HB 75.   Mr. Bolin related  that as a  mental health                                                               
clinician, he works with many  trauma victims, many of which have                                                               
suffered  domestic violence.    This  state has  a  high rate  of                                                               
domestic  violence  which  includes  threatening  with  firearms.                                                               
Personally,  he is  a social  worker who  likes firearms  and, he                                                               
pointed out  that due  process is  involved in  this legislation.                                                               
Many times, people  are sent to API because someone  is danger to                                                               
themselves  or others  while social  workers are  trying to  keep                                                               
people safe  in the region.   Whereas, he pointed out,  the state                                                               
is  spending dollars  to "send  people  out to  treatment out  of                                                               
region" when  treatment therapy could  be offered in  the region.                                                               
The big contributing factor is  the safety issue of firearms, and                                                               
the  state can  empower  law enforcement  and  family members  to                                                               
maintain safe  households with such  a simple bill  that involves                                                               
due  process and  going  before  a judge.    As  a mental  health                                                               
clinician and a citizen, this legislation makes sense, he said.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
7:10:32 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LIN  DAVIS thanked  the committee  for supporting  HB 75  because                                                               
Alaska has the highest rate of  gun killings well above any other                                                               
state  in  the  nation.    This  legislation  is  a  common-sense                                                               
measure,  she  described,  to address  "some  beginning  critical                                                               
Alaskan issues  related to gun  violence."  When she  first moved                                                               
to Juneau  she worked  at Juneau Alliance  for the  Mentally Ill,                                                               
(JAMI),  and worked  with people  who  experience chronic  mental                                                               
illness.  In the event a  person had gone off their medication or                                                               
they had been  newly diagnosed and are distraught  and a possible                                                               
danger to  themselves, this  common-sense bill  could help.   She                                                               
remarked that, "Along  with that, we all know that  people with a                                                               
chronic mental  illness are  no more likely  to commit  a violent                                                               
act than any  of us."  Al  people are vulnerable to  some kind of                                                               
horrific  experience that  puts someone  into a  new realm.   She                                                               
related that  when she was  a college student, her  mother became                                                               
suicidal and  her family had  a few  days of extreme  worry about                                                               
the guns in the house before  she was hospitalized.  This measure                                                               
makes sense for  Alaskans where many people own guns,  and as the                                                               
state's economy worsens,  the suicide rates tend to  rise.  There                                                               
is no  good reason  not to pass  HB 75, and  Alaska can  show the                                                               
nation that  it is taking  steps to  deal with gun  violence, she                                                               
stressed.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
7:12:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BARBARA LEARMONTH  advised that she  has lived in Juneau  for the                                                               
last 40 years and she supports HB  75.  She said she did not have                                                               
any  expert testimony  or research  to offer,  but she  wanted to                                                               
express  how  the  lack of  reasonable  regulations  affects  her                                                               
family in terms  of fear even though they have  not actually been                                                               
victims  of  gun violence.    Ms.  Learmonth explained  that  her                                                               
husband  is a  teacher, and  after the  Marjory Stoneman  Douglas                                                               
High School,  Parkland, Florida, shooting they  sat down together                                                               
and  with tears  in  his  eyes, he  explained  that  he does  not                                                               
believe it is  a question of whether there will  be a shooting in                                                               
Juneau  because he  believes  it  is a  question  of  when.   She                                                               
related  that if  her  husband  is there  when  a shooting  takes                                                               
place,  he will  die because  he will  protect the  students, not                                                               
with  a gun,  but with  his  body, his  resourcefulness, and  his                                                               
courage.   A gun  will not  make her husband  feel safer,  and it                                                               
won't  make her  feel  that  her husband  is  safer  with a  gun.                                                               
Approximately one week ago, she left  the office and did not take                                                               
her cell phone, and when she  returned, her office was locked up,                                                               
her supervisor  and her  two co-workers were  gone.   She checked                                                               
her phone  and a message  said, "Come  back right away,  your co-                                                               
worker  has  suffered  a  personal   tragedy"  with  no  details.                                                               
Immediately,  she thought  of the  woman's two  grandchildren and                                                               
that something had happened to  her two-year old grandson, or her                                                               
12-year old  granddaughter had  been shot  at the  middle school.                                                               
She  was alarmed  that that  is how  her mind  works now  because                                                               
Alaska does  not have  reasonable gun  regulations.   She related                                                               
that this Wednesday  she will march with  the Juneau-Douglas High                                                               
School (JDHS) students at 10:00  from their school to the Capitol                                                               
steps  to  honor  the  memory  of those  killed  in  the  Florida                                                               
shooting.   She offered pride  in the students  for demonstrating                                                               
what citizenship looks like, and  she hopes the committee members                                                               
will  be on  the steps  telling the  students of  their pride  in                                                               
them, and  that the  members will support  this legislation  as a                                                               
first step toward protecting students.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
7:15:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MARTHA  PALICKA  advised that  she  does  not  support HB  75  as                                                               
currently written because it does  not address what happens after                                                               
a person is ordered to give  up their guns, what happens with the                                                               
other family  member or  roommates' guns.   Language needs  to be                                                               
added to  this bill to protect  the rights of others.   She added                                                               
that certainly  guns are a tool  of suicide, but if  guns are not                                                               
available, a person  can access another means  to commit suicide,                                                               
and the bill does not address  that issue.  She related that that                                                               
is not  a reason to  take a gun away  from someone and  she urged                                                               
the committee to not support this bill.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
7:16:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JEAN CHENG  advised that  she is an  alumnus of  Marjory Stoneman                                                               
Douglas  High School  in Parkland,  Florida,  currently lives  in                                                               
Eagle  River, and  wholeheartedly  supports  HB 75.    This is  a                                                               
common-sense gun  bill, she related,  and she wants to  make sure                                                               
that all  children attending school  are safe and they  feel safe                                                               
in their environment.   She said she was recently  at a "March of                                                               
our lives"  meeting in  Anchorage and  the discussion  was around                                                               
what  could be  accomplished  immediately to  help children  feel                                                               
safe.  She explained that  the suggestions included a "hot line,"                                                               
students speaking up, and noticing  the warning signs of a person                                                               
with a  possible mental  illness, then this  can be  prevented in                                                               
Alaska.   She said she never  wants to see the  tragedy that took                                                               
place in  Parkland, Florida happen  in Alaska, and this  bill can                                                               
help prevent that event from taking place.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
7:18:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JACOB BERA advised that he is  testifying in strong support of HB
75, and  shared that  he is  a retired  United States  Marine, he                                                               
owns firearms, he  is comfortable around firearms, and  he has no                                                               
problem with  this common-sense bill.   Mr. Bera advised  that he                                                               
has  three  children  and  his  biggest fear  in  Alaska  is  gun                                                               
violence.   It appears that,  especially the legislators  who are                                                               
talking  tough about  getting tough  on  crime, especially  those                                                               
critical of  Senate Bill  91 [passed  in the  Twenty-Ninth Alaska                                                               
State Legislature] would be first in  line to pass this bill.  He                                                               
acknowledged that  one single bill will  not completely eliminate                                                               
the threat  of gun violence,  but this is a  common-sense middle-                                                               
of-the- road  bill that "can go  a long ways to  at least helping                                                               
out."                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
7:18:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ELLEN JOHNSTON-PRICE advised  that she supports HB  75, and asked                                                               
the committee to  move the bill forward.   Recently, she related,                                                               
her  family member  was suicidal  and had  access to  guns.   She                                                               
related  that  she  can  testify  that it  is  a  terrifying  and                                                               
helpless feeling to  know there was nothing she  could do legally                                                               
to prevent her loved one  from accessing firearms while suffering                                                               
from  such thoughts  and in  such  a difficult  place to  receive                                                               
help.    This  legislation  would   not  only  prevent  countless                                                               
suicides but it would also  keep other families from experiencing                                                               
this  sense of  helplessness.   Professionally, she  offered, she                                                               
works as a chaplain and has  worked as a hospital chaplain in the                                                               
past.   She has often worked  with people in times  of crisis and                                                               
with those suffering  from periods of depression.   Depression is                                                               
more common  than many  people realize  because those  who suffer                                                               
are  often "good  at masking  it" from  the general  public.   In                                                               
working with people  with those types of struggles  she said that                                                               
she discourages  them from  making major  decisions while  in the                                                               
midst  of that  crisis and  instability, such  as changing  jobs,                                                               
leaving  a marriage,  or starting  new  relationships, which  are                                                               
often major and  permanent types of decisions.  It  is her belief                                                               
that this  common-sense legislation would help  to prevent people                                                               
in crisis  from making "very  permanent lethal  decisions," using                                                               
firearms  to end  their  lives  or that  of  others.   For  those                                                               
reasons, and the  reasons of the other testifiers,  she speaks in                                                               
support of HB 75, she remarked.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
7:20:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KATHRINE CARSSOW  advised that she supports  HB 75, and she  is a                                                               
recently  retired psychotherapist  who  was the  director of  the                                                               
Adult Emergency  Services Program  at South  Peninsula Behavioral                                                               
Health Services.   She said that she could not  stress enough the                                                               
importance of this bill and having  the opportunity to be able to                                                               
take  guns away  from  folks  who are  at  risk  of suicide  with                                                               
suicide ideations, folks with homicidal  ideations, and folks who                                                               
are mentally ill  and in crisis at the time.   She explained that                                                               
she experienced a situation where  someone actually shot at their                                                               
spouse several times  and ended up being  hospitalized, except it                                                               
is hard  to keep people in  API because people have  rights.  The                                                               
person was released  and his guns were given back  to him because                                                               
that was his legal right.   She described that it was a dangerous                                                               
situation for  the family, but  also for the place  of employment                                                               
of the spouse and it was  a pretty terrifying situation for quite                                                               
a while.   That  scenario takes  place too  often.   Someone with                                                               
suicide ideation, she reiterated, can  be admitted into API for a                                                               
short  period of  time,  but  it is  not  possible  to keep  them                                                               
because  their   rights  are  protected,  which   is  essentially                                                               
"putting  them, like  in prison.   So,  they have  rights to  get                                                               
out."  She remarked that it  is important they not have access to                                                               
guns until  they are truly safe  for themselves and others.   She                                                               
urged  the committee  to support  HB 75,  as it  is an  important                                                               
piece of legislation.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
7:23:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LAURA  SPAAN advised  that she  is a  mother, grandmother,  a gun                                                               
owner, and she  is strongly in favor  of HB 75.   Many people are                                                               
frightened  that they  just  do not  have  protection from  those                                                               
people  doing  harm  to  themselves  or  others  with  guns,  she                                                               
related.   People  need this  [bill's] protection  in giving  law                                                               
enforcement  the tool  to diffuse  situations where  other people                                                               
can  be harmed  because people  being  left without  any type  of                                                               
protection must  change, she stressed.   Alaska can no  longer be                                                               
complacent in  this issue,  and she  reminded the  committee that                                                               
the  state regulates  many different  things in  society for  the                                                               
greater good,  and for  the protection of  people.   When looking                                                               
carefully  at  what HB  75  does,  she  described  that it  is  a                                                               
thoughtful and  a thorough piece  of legislation that  allows for                                                               
the   importance  of   due  process   rights  for   people,  this                                                               
legislation  does not  take away  anyone's rights.   Importantly,                                                               
she  remarked,  it  provides  protection  for  a  person  who  is                                                               
suffering  with   mental  health  issues,  a   crisis,  or  other                                                               
behavioral issues and the public  needs this protection now as it                                                               
is long overdue, she expressed.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
7:25:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JAMIE RODRIGUEZ advised  that she supports HB 75,  and noted that                                                               
it is good to finally see a bill  such as HB 75, because it fills                                                               
a  long-standing  and large  safety  gap.    By safety  gap,  she                                                               
explained, the heart of the issue  is that sometimes a person has                                                               
weaponry and people are concerned  they will do something unsafe.                                                               
In the event  someone is aware of  an issue that might  lead to a                                                               
tragic ending,  there currently  is no way  to legally  report it                                                               
because the person  in question had not taken  any illegal action                                                               
yet.   There  are no  legal means  within which  to step  in, and                                                               
while she can  see those legal arguments, mental  health does not                                                               
quite  fit into  that puzzle.    Therefore, she  pointed out,  it                                                               
appears  preferable to  rescue someone  before they  go over  the                                                               
cliff and  hurt themselves and  others, and this  legislation can                                                               
possibly  save a  life and  help them  through whatever  horrible                                                               
situation  they  are experiencing.    She  related that  she  has                                                               
retired  after  teaching for  30-years  in  the Anchorage  School                                                               
District.  Teachers see many  situations in families and, by law,                                                               
they are  obliged to  report a  situation to  protective services                                                               
when  they see  something or  suspect an  unsafe situation  for a                                                               
student.    This  bill  simply   broadens  that  safety  net  for                                                               
situations where young  lives may be at stake.   She said she can                                                               
only see  how this bill  will help and  not hurt, and  she cannot                                                               
see why  anyone would  not support  this bill.   Her  family, and                                                               
everyone she  has discussed this legislation  with wholeheartedly                                                               
supports  HB 75,  and  supports everyone's  effort  to pass  this                                                               
legislation out  of committee  tonight and  save some  lives, she                                                               
stressed.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
7:28:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MADELINE  SCHOLL, Moms  Demand Action,  noted that  she testified                                                               
previously.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  CLAMAN advised  that  it is  the  committee's policy  that                                                               
members of the public testify once on a piece of legislation.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS.  SCHOLL  urged   the  members  of  the   committee  who  have                                                               
reservations about the bill to reach  out to the sponsors and co-                                                               
sponsors to set the record straight.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
7:29:51 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOHN SOMAN advised that he is  a lifelong resident of Douglas and                                                               
as an  Alaskan, this bill  must pass.   He spoke  of "exhilarated                                                               
sensations," the  emotions in a  domestic situation, and  he said                                                               
it is common to "think digitally,"  which means "me or you, us or                                                               
them" with (indisc.) any kind  of abuse of "artificial inducement                                                               
to euphoria," which  is what he calls drugs and  alcohol, is more                                                               
exhilaration.  He  said the person doesn't think  of human beings                                                               
(indisc.)  yet, and  the reaction  is  deadly when  a firearm  is                                                               
involved.   [The  Gun Violence  Protective Orders]  would be  one                                                               
step in many  that must be taken to (indisc.)  90 deaths each day                                                               
from firearms  in this country.   He noted that he  was unsure in                                                               
Alaska and  probably (indisc.)  suicide rate.   It is  known that                                                               
domestic  violence is  accelerated  when a  gun  is involved,  he                                                               
stressed.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
7:32:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOE  SCHLANGER advised  that  he  is against  this  bill for  one                                                               
reason only, which is whether there  would be due process for the                                                               
respondent because the bill read that  guns can be taken away for                                                               
several  months.     This  legislation  gives  the   right  to  a                                                               
psychiatrist,  physician,  social  workers,  marital  and  family                                                               
therapists to issue  this type of order or, he  asked, whether it                                                               
is just  the judges.   He expressed confusion about  the language                                                               
and asked that someone to answer his question.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CLAMAN  noted that Mr.  Schlanger could continue  to listen                                                               
to the hearings as the  committee is only taking public testimony                                                               
at this time.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
7:33:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KAREN DEAPHERAGE  advised that she  supports HB 75, she  lives in                                                               
Anchorage  where there  definitely is  a gun  culture, and  these                                                               
past  couple of  years she  has experienced  that culture  first-                                                               
hand.   She  explained that  two individuals  were killed  on the                                                               
(indisc.),  and she  heard  the  gun shots  that  night from  her                                                               
bedroom and  she was quite  a distance away from  that situation.                                                               
Every day she  is reminded when she walks the  trail with her dog                                                               
and there is a  (indisc.) that was shot at random.   She said she                                                               
often wonders if the individual  who was doing these shootings is                                                               
someone who should not have a  gun because of known mental health                                                               
issues.  In the event the  guns had been taken away, she wouldn't                                                               
have  to look  at it  everyday and  remember the  person who  was                                                               
simply riding  their bike home and  is now deceased.   It is hard                                                               
for those of us, even if  they are not directly involved, to live                                                               
in this type of culture.  This bill  is a start and she asked the                                                               
committee  to support  this legislation  and pass  it out  of the                                                               
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
7:34:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
EILEEN  FOYL-SAFT  advised she  has  lived  in Anchorage  for  35                                                               
years,  and she  looks forward  to raising  her grandchildren  in                                                               
Anchorage.  She  said that for the last 27  years, she has taught                                                               
school in  the Anchorage School  District in the  primary grades,                                                               
and she  is honored to  be an educator  and remains proud  of the                                                               
fine citizens  the schools  continue to grow  in this  fine city.                                                               
Innocent lives  are lost due  to senseless  gun violence.    This                                                               
legislation will  create an extreme  risk protection  order which                                                               
will empower  families and  law enforcement  to remove  guns from                                                               
individuals experiencing  elevated risks  of mental  illness, and                                                               
of endangering themselves  or others.  Alaska  needs this common-                                                               
sense  and  measured  tool,  she   pointed  out,  because  it  is                                                               
temporary  in nature  and limited  in scope.   The  alarming high                                                               
rates of  domestic violence, suicide, and  sexual assault, demand                                                               
that  action be  taken  and  she asked  the  committee to  please                                                               
support  this bill  that promotes  responsible  gun ownership  in                                                               
this fine state.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
7:36:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
EARL  LACKEY  advised  that  he  is  against  HB  75  because  it                                                               
"absolutely messes  up our  program entirely."   He  advised that                                                               
after reading  HB 75,  his wife  commented that  "some vindictive                                                               
woman  is going  to  destroy  whoever it  is  that she's  dealing                                                               
with."  This  is not the way  to go about it, he  related, as the                                                               
state can take a man's guns  away, sell the guns, and do whatever                                                               
the  state wants  to do  with them.   In  the event  a person  is                                                               
determined to  take their own  life or  harm someone else,  it is                                                               
not  the gun  that does  it because  they could  use a  hammer or                                                               
something else.   He said,  "(Indisc.) for a  misdemeanor offense                                                               
it takes  the guns, (indisc.)  dealer to  sell them."   He opined                                                               
that it is  a crazy system that  has "definitely got to  go."  He                                                               
said he  is totally  against (indisc.) and  will "fight  right to                                                               
the end."                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
7:37:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MIKE ALEXANDER  said he is  a retired psychiatric nurse,  who has                                                               
worked at (indisc.)  Creek and was a health care  provider with a                                                               
national provider identifier (NPI) until  he retired.  He said he                                                               
has worked  (indisc.) violence.   He related that a  person could                                                               
use  a  hammer  or  rope,  and the  only  way  for  the  proposed                                                               
legislation to be effective would be  to require the person to be                                                               
locked  in a  padded cell  with  a straight-jacket  on, which  he                                                               
doubted was the  intent of the state.  He  referred to the public                                                               
testimony  wherein these  people were  afraid because  they heard                                                               
shots "and all  that," and suggested that if a  person is afraid,                                                               
he/she should  "take a  course" and  have their  own weapon.   He                                                               
related that an ex-spouse, be it a  man or a woman, will get even                                                               
if that  is their goal, and  the common-sense issue here  is that                                                               
"the  police are  only  minutes  away when  seconds  count."   He                                                               
opined that  this bill is  not common-sense, and he  predicted it                                                               
will  cause  a  lot  of  discontent  while  doing  nothing.    He                                                               
remarked, "There  are more people  probably killed with  a hammer                                                               
last  year than  there  ever has  been with  a  gun and  domestic                                                               
violence."  He said the committee  must consider what good can be                                                               
done  [under the  proposed legislation]  besides  (indisc.).   He                                                               
said if the committee's goal  is to increase bureaucracy, then it                                                               
is "right  on target  here."   He advised that  in the  event the                                                               
committee wants to  do something useful, then  everyone should be                                                               
required to  carry a weapon and  take a self-defense course.   He                                                               
surmised that would be less expensive.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
7:39:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
NINA SANDERS  advised that she  is a student at  Thunder Mountain                                                               
High School and offered testimony as follows:                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     I'm here to  represent myself.  I think  that this bill                                                                    
     is really good.  I,  personally, experienced some of --                                                                    
     my family  members have mental illnesses  and he killed                                                                    
     two cops.   And, I feel that if this  bill was in place                                                                    
     back then, the cops still  would have been alive.  And,                                                                    
     the cops were  great.  The cop, one of  the cops, had a                                                                    
     mental illness ... not a  mental illness, but a disease                                                                    
     also, but he  was really good, he was a  good cop.  ...                                                                    
     I  was born  ...  here,  raised in  Hoonah,  and I  was                                                                    
     taught  to  respect  elders,   and  respect  guns,  and                                                                    
     respect  everything.   ...  I'm  in  a U.S.  Government                                                                    
     class right now, and I'm  just learning all about this.                                                                    
     And, I wasn't really into  government before, but it is                                                                    
     starting to intrigue  me, and I think this  is a really                                                                    
     good bill to be made a law.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
7:42:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOANNE   BLOOM  offered   appreciation   to   the  sponsors   for                                                               
introducing  HB  75,  and  that   the  House  Judiciary  Standing                                                               
Committee is deliberating it today.  She offered testimony as                                                                   
follows:                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Earlier today I went for a  walk, up Basin Road past my                                                                    
     house, with a  friend, and it was  special because this                                                                    
     friend had  lost a child  through gun violence  and she                                                                    
     was  just starting  to get  out  and be  social.   And,                                                                    
     there was  just no way I  could have asked her  to come                                                                    
     and speak in  front of this committee.   She's just not                                                                    
     -- that's  not where  she is  in her  grieving process.                                                                    
     And I -- her child  was killed by someone who shouldn't                                                                    
     -- if  this law was in  place, I believe that  it could                                                                    
     have been prevented from happening.   Just like the two                                                                    
     suicides that  happened here in Juneau  less than three                                                                    
     weeks ago.   They  were both by  guns and  their family                                                                    
     members may have had  some understanding that something                                                                    
     was amiss,  and if this  was in place, maybe  those two                                                                    
     could  have  been  prevented.    But,  I'm  sure  those                                                                    
     families,  like   most  victims  and   their  families,                                                                    
     they're  not coming  and speaking  up.   It's just  too                                                                    
     darn  hard.   And so,  I'm  really glad  you have  this                                                                    
     before you and I really hope  that you pass this out of                                                                    
     committee  and it  becomes  law.   Thank  you for  your                                                                    
     time.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CLAMAN, after ascertaining that no one wished to testify,                                                                 
closed the public hearing on HB 75.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
[HB 75 was held over.]                                                                                                          

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
HB075 ver D 2.28.18.pdf HJUD 2/28/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 7:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/14/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/16/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/19/2018 1:00:00 PM
HB 75
HB075 Sponsor Statement 2.28.18.pdf HJUD 2/28/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 7:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/14/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/16/2018 1:00:00 PM
HB 75
HB075 Sectional Analysis 2.28.18.pdf HJUD 2/28/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 7:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/14/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/16/2018 1:00:00 PM
HB 75
HB075 Supporting Document-Washington Post Article - Five States Allow Gun Seizures 2.28.18.pdf HJUD 2/28/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 7:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/14/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/16/2018 1:00:00 PM
HB 75
HB075 Supporting Document-Washington Post Article - Missouri Case 2.28.18.pdf HJUD 2/28/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 7:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/14/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/16/2018 1:00:00 PM
HB 75
HB075 Supporting Document-The Trace Article - ERPOs Reduce Suicides 2.28.18.pdf HJUD 2/28/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 7:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/14/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/16/2018 1:00:00 PM
HB 75
HB075 Supporting Document-Sandy Hook Promise Letter 2.28.18.pdf HJUD 2/28/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 7:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/14/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/16/2018 1:00:00 PM
HB 75
HB075 Supporting Document-Sandy Hook Promise Letters (Part 1) 2.28.18.pdf HJUD 2/28/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 7:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/14/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/16/2018 1:00:00 PM
HB 75
HB075 Supporting Document-Public Comment (Part 1) 2.28.18.pdf HJUD 2/28/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 7:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/14/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/16/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/19/2018 1:00:00 PM
HB 75
HB075 Fact Sheet 2.28.18.pdf HJUD 2/28/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 7:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/14/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/16/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/19/2018 1:00:00 PM
HB 75
HB075 Fiscal Note DHSS-EPI 2.28.18.pdf HJUD 2/28/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 7:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/14/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/16/2018 1:00:00 PM
HB 75
HB075 Fiscal Note LAW-CRIM 2.28.18.pdf HJUD 2/28/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 7:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/14/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/16/2018 1:00:00 PM
HB 75
HB075 Fiscal Note DPS-CJISP 2.28.18.pdf HJUD 2/28/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 7:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/14/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/16/2018 1:00:00 PM
HB 75
HB075 Fiscal Note DPS-DET 2.28.18.pdf HJUD 2/28/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 7:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/14/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/16/2018 1:00:00 PM
HB 75
HB075 Supporting Document-NYT Opinion - Mental Health System Can't Stop Mass Shooters 3.12.18.pdf HJUD 3/12/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 7:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/14/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/16/2018 1:00:00 PM
HB 75
HB075 Opposing Document-Public Comment (Part 1) 3.12.18.pdf HJUD 3/12/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 7:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/14/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/16/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/19/2018 1:00:00 PM
HB 75
HB075 Supporting Document-Public Comment (Part 2) 3.12.18.pdf HJUD 3/12/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/12/2018 7:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/14/2018 1:00:00 PM
HJUD 3/19/2018 1:00:00 PM
HB 75