Legislature(2011 - 2012)CAPITOL 106
04/12/2012 08:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB53 | |
| SCR24 | |
| SB179 | |
| SJR11 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 179 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SCR 24 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SJR 11 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 53 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SCR 24-COMMISSION ON 100TH ANNIV. OF LEGISLATURE
8:21:02 AM
CHAIR LYNN announced that the next order of business was SENATE
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 24, Establishing the Alaska
Legislative Celebration Commission to organize events to
commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first convening of the
legislative branch of government in Alaska.
8:21:15 AM
TIM LAMKIN, Staff, Senator Gary Stevens, Alaska State
Legislature, gave a PowerPoint presentation on behalf of the
Senate Rules Standing Committee, on which Senator Stevens is a
member. He said the convening of the first Alaska Territorial
Legislature was 45 years in the making and took place on March
3, 1913. He showed a photograph of Juneau in 1905 and noted
that the usable land then was just where the mountains met the
sea. In 1911, U.S. Congress authorized the funds for the Alaska
[territorial] capitol; however, because of a lack of land and
the advent of WW1, construction was not started until September
1929. The building, then known as the Federal and Territorial
Building, was completed in February 1931. Mr. Lamkin showed a
photograph of the first [Territorial] House of Representatives,
dated Spring 1913. He noted that the House was comprised
entirely of men at the time; the first female representative was
elected in 1923. He said the initial gatherings of the
Territorial Senate were held in the Elks Lodge, but related that
he had been unable to get confirmation regarding the early
gathering place of the House members, other than that it met in
"various halls."
8:25:11 AM
MR. LAMKIN indicated that from 1913 to 1947, the Alaska
Territorial House had 16 members serving 15 committees. In
response to a question, he said the Senate was comprised of 8
people. He indicated that in one particular 60-day session, 84
bills were passed. He offered examples of the legislation that
was passed, and he noted that the first bill to pass gave women
the right to vote. Mr. Lamkin pointed to a member of the Alaska
Territorial Legislature, depicted in a photograph, and noted
that the man's name was Elwood Bruner (ph), whom Mr. Lamkin
discovered was a distant cousin.
8:29:21 AM
MR. LAMKIN said SCR 24 is a rare opportunity to pay tribute to
Alaska's history. He noted that there were some historians
available to testify.
8:30:00 AM
CHAIR LYNN noted that some of the laws passed by the Alaska
Territorial Legislature are still in effect, and he ventured
that it would be interesting to look through some of the old
laws.
8:30:20 AM
STEVE HAYCOX, Professor of History, testified in support of SCR
24. He expressed his hope that the legislature would see the
proposed concurrent resolution not only as an act of
commemoration of the first legislature, but also an act of
education for the citizens of Alaska - particularly students.
He said SCR 24 represents the beginning of self-government for
Alaska. He stated James Wickersham, the principal champion of
the bill that created the legislature, was committed to
democracy and government by consent of the governed. He talked
about the long road from territorial government to statehood and
the lesson that provides young Alaskans regarding the importance
of perseverance. He ventured that the commission would not need
to spend much money, because people could use "on line and
electronic technology" to do "what needs to be done fairly
reasonably." He suggested having a half-day public session on
March 3.
8:32:41 AM
CLAUS M. NASKE, Professor Emeritus, University of Alaska,
Fairbanks, remarked upon the interesting manner in which
legislators arrived in Juneau during territorial days, including
some by foot. Regarding the work done by the territorial
legislature, he said one of the constraints had to do with
taxation. He mentioned an influential lobbyist who represented
fishermen. Mr. Naske said the Alaska Territorial Legislature
met every other year and established devices intended to
circumscribe the federally appointed governor. He echoed Mr.
Haycox' remark that not much money needs to be spent, but opined
that it is worthwhile to remind people of Alaska's colorful
history. He stated his support of SCR 24.
8:35:29 AM
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON stated her support of SCR 14. She
asked Mr. Naske what the first budget was and how many bills
were passed that year.
MR. NASKE said he has that information in his books, but does
not know off hand. Notwithstanding that, he said the budget
amounted to about $2 million at one point. He said there was
not much money available to spend; taxation and the powers of
the legislation were limited. He said the first state budget
was just about $40 million, which is a drop in the bucket
compared to the current budgets of several billion dollars.
8:36:38 AM
MR. LAMKIN stated that the budget in 1913 was $200,000.
8:37:18 AM
MARIE DARLIN specified that she was testifying on behalf of
herself. She said she is a walking tour guide. She said
considerable research has been done and she would like to see
more done. She explained the reason the Alaska Territorial
Legislators met in the Elks Lodge was because that organization
offered the space for the least amount of money. Following that
the legislature met in the Goldstein building, which she
indicated was erected in 1913-1914. Regarding a building that
was referred to as the governor's house, she explained that it
was used as offices; the governor actually lived across the
street. She confirmed that Mr. Wickersham was the one
responsible for getting a territorial legislature. She said
there was a person who took six weeks to get to Juneau to serve
in the legislature, because he traveled through Interior Alaska
by dog team and from Valdez on a steamship. She said one of the
reasons that he may have taken so long to arrive in Juneau is
that back then the steamships often traveled first from Valdez
to Seattle before heading back north to Juneau. She echoed
previous testimony that the legislature met every other year,
and she said U.S. Congress put many stipulations on what the
legislature could do. She said Mr. Wickersham bought the house
on Seventh Street in 1928. She explained that the women in the
photos of the earliest legislature were staff to legislators.
She offered her understanding that the first woman to serve on
the legislature was not elected, but took the place of her
husband; the second female legislator was elected. She pointed
out that the Alaska Territorial Legislature gave women the right
to vote seven years before U.S. Congress did.
8:42:29 AM
MS. DARLIN, in response to Representative Gruenberg, offered her
understanding that Henry Rodin at one time was the territorial
treasurer.
8:42:49 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PETERSEN, regarding the aforementioned period
when Alaska's governance had to be approved by U.S. Congress,
remarked upon the great distance between the East Coast and
Alaska and the challenges that must have presented.
8:43:26 AM
CHAIR LYNN, after ascertaining that there was no one else who
wished to testify, closed public testimony.
8:43:35 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG noted that the date the Alaska
Territorial Legislature first convened - March 3, 1913 - is
shown on page 2, line 8. He expressed his hope that the
proposed commission would recommend that schools might observe
that historical event on that date, and that legislative members
could visit schools on that date.
8:44:38 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to report SCR 24 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
notes. There being no objection, SCR 24 was reported out of the
House State Affairs Standing Committee.
CHAIR LYNN commended the committee for its work, said this may
be the last meeting of regular session, and handed the gavel to
Vice Chair Keller.