05/10/2002 05:00 PM Senate 345

                                                                                                                                
          SB 11-COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE/AK HISTORY                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  GENE  THERRIAULT  called  the  Conference  Committee  on                                                              
Senate Bill 11 to order at 5:00 p.m.   Present were Senators Olson                                                              
and  Wilken,  Representatives  Coghill, Kapsner  and  Stevens  and                                                              
Chairman Therriault.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT  said he had  prepared a committee  substitute                                                              
(CS).  He  said  the  CS  removes  the  mandatory  Alaska  history                                                              
amendment and retains Representative  Coghill's amendment allowing                                                              
parents who  determine their  child is  not emotionally  ready for                                                              
school at the age of six to withdraw  their child within the first                                                              
60 days. He said  parents could do so under  existing statutes but                                                              
they would be stretching those statutes.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT  noted that members still have  differences of                                                              
opinion  on  the Alaska  history  issue.    He said  members  have                                                              
discussed  the  possibility  that the  Anchorage  School  District                                                              
could donate  its Alaska history  curriculum to the  Department of                                                              
Education  and  Early  Development   (DOEED)  to  create  a  model                                                              
curriculum for other districts to  incorporate at a relatively low                                                              
cost.  He said the Alaska history  problem is being dealt with and                                                              
does not  require a statutory change.   The attendance issue  is a                                                              
very  specific issue  that  cannot be  fixed  without a  statutory                                                              
change.   He  distributed an  editorial from  the Fairbanks  Daily                                                              
News-Miner that supports separating the two issues.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR   OLSON   asked   for  Chairman   Therriault's   view   on                                                              
Representative Coghill's amendment.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  THERRIAULT said  he talked  with Representative  Coghill                                                              
about adding that  provision when the bill was in  the House State                                                              
Affairs  Committee.   He said  the  content of  the amendment  fit                                                              
within  the original  title of  SB 11  and it  seemed like  common                                                              
sense to allow it.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  COGHILL   informed  members  that   parents  could                                                              
withdraw  their children  from school without  the amendment,  but                                                              
they would be misusing the statutory  list of allowable reasons to                                                              
do so.  He said the  issue of withdrawing  students at the  age of                                                              
six  differs  from the  Alaska  history  issue  and he  wanted  to                                                              
include it in SB 11 because it seemed to fit.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STEVENS thought  both  bills were  excellent.   He                                                              
said  members had  the  choice of  either  killing  both bills  or                                                              
allowing one bill  to pass through.  He was willing  to remove the                                                              
Alaska history requirement to make  sure SB 11 would move forward.                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WILKEN moved  CCS SB 11 from committee  with attached zero                                                              
fiscal note and individual recommendations.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  THERRIAULT noted  that Senator  Wilken was referring  to                                                              
Version J.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
The motion  carried with  Senator Wilken, Representatives  Coghill                                                              
and Stevens  and Chairman  Therriault in  favor and Senator  Olson                                                              
and Representative  Kapsner  opposed. Therefore,  CCS SB  11 moved                                                              
out of  committee with  attached zero  fiscal note and  individual                                                              
recommendations.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
There  being  no  further  business   before  the  committee,  the                                                              
Conference Committee  on Senate Bill  11 meeting was  adjourned at                                                              
5:12 p.m.