02/28/2018 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

1:57:16 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  WILSON   reconvened  the  meeting  and   reviewed  upcoming                                                              
schedules. He recognized Senator Begich.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:57:44 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  BEGICH moved  to  report SB  72,  version LS0615\A,  from                                                              
committee with  individual recommendations  and accompanying  zero                                                              
fiscal note.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WILSON objected.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BEGICH said  the committee  recently  passed out  another                                                              
piece  of legislation  [SB 124]  it felt  was not  germane to  its                                                              
purview.  SB 72 relates  to the  Office of  Equal Opportunity  and                                                              
Employment  and discrimination  against  transgender people.  That                                                              
would be more  appropriately fall under the purview  of Judiciary.                                                              
That  particular piece  of  legislation had  tremendous  testimony                                                              
over a  day and half. There  has been a  request that it  be heard                                                              
again.  The public  testimony was  closed over  his objection.  He                                                              
removed his  objection with  an on-the-record  assurance from  the                                                              
chair  that there  would  be  action on  the  bill.  Based on  the                                                              
comments in  the hearing  of the other  piece of legislation  that                                                              
passed out, it  is clear to him  that if a bill is not  within the                                                              
purview  of  this  committee,  it  should be  moved  to  the  next                                                              
committee  of referral to  be appropriately  addressed. There  was                                                              
tremendous  support from  the public  on  that legislation,  while                                                              
there was also opposition,  unlike the bill they did  pass out. He                                                              
asked that  there be due consideration  to move SB 72 to  the next                                                              
committee of referral.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:59:23 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR WILSON  said he had spoken to  the sponsor of SB  72 and his                                                              
understanding  was  that  that the  [State  Commission  for  Human                                                              
Rights] was going  through the regulatory process. He  has not had                                                              
an official  response on the  process of moving  that legislation.                                                              
He maintained his objection and asked for a roll call.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
2:00:46 PM                                                                                                                    
A roll call vote  was taken. Senator Begich voted  in favor of the                                                              
motion  to move  SB 72  from committee  and  Senators von  Imhoff,                                                              
Giessel,  and  Wilson  voted against  it.  Therefore,  the  motion                                                              
failed by a 1:3 vote.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BEGICH thanked Chair Wilson for considering the request.