Legislature(2023 - 2024)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

05/09/2024 05:15 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE

Note: the audio and video recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.

Download Mp3. <- Right click and save file as

* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
-- Please Note Time Change --
+= HB 226 PHARMACIES/PHARMACISTS/BENEFITS MANAGERS TELECONFERENCED
Moved SCS CSHB 226(L&C) Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony --
+= HB 189 SALE OF ALCOHOL TELECONFERENCED
Moved SCS CSHB 189(L&C) Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony <Time Limit May Be Set> --
+= HB 88 WAREHOUSE WORK QUOTAS TELECONFERENCED
Moved SCS CSHB 88(L&C) Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony --
+= HB 203 PAYMENT OF WAGES; PAYROLL CARD ACCOUNT TELECONFERENCED
Moved SCS HB 203(L&C) Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony <Time Limit May Be Set> --
+= HB 146 REGULATION OF FIREWORKS TELECONFERENCED
Moved SCS CSHB 146(L&C) Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony <Time Limit May Be Set> --
+= SB 146 GAMING; ELECTRONIC PULL-TABS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Public Testimony --
+= HB 233 RATES: MOTOR VEHICLE WARRANTY WORK TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSHB 233(TRA) am Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony --
*+ HB 251 EXEMPTIONS FOR HOMEMADE FOODS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Public Testimony <Time Limit May Be Set> --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
**Streamed live on AKL.tv**
                     HB 189-SALE OF ALCOHOL                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
5:27:04 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  BJORKMAN   reconvened  the   meeting  and   announced  the                                                               
consideration  of CS  FOR  HOUSE  BILL NO.  189(L&C)  am "An  Act                                                               
relating  to the  sale of  alcohol;  relating to  the posting  of                                                               
warning  signs  for alcoholic  beverages;  and  providing for  an                                                               
effective date."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  BJORKMAN stated  the motion  to adopt  SCS CSHB  189, work                                                               
order 33-LS0697\U, was  pending before the committee;  he said he                                                               
had maintained  his objection as  there was  a need to  amend the                                                               
bill further.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
5:27:41 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN removed his objection;  found no further objection                                                               
and SCS CSHB 189 was adopted as the working document.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
5:28:00 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN solicited a motion.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
5:28:02 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  GRAY-JACKSON  moved to  adopt  Amendment  1 (U.2),  work                                                               
order 33-LS0697\U.2, for HB 189.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                                                 33-LS0697\U.2                                                                  
                                                   C. Radford                                                                   
                                                       5/9/24                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                          AMENDMENT 1                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     OFFERED IN THE SENATE                  BY SENATOR BJORKMAN                                                                 
     TO:  SCS CSHB 189(L&C), Draft Version "U"                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 1, following "alcohol;":                                                                                    
          Insert "relating to the posting of warning signs                                                                    
     for alcoholic beverages;"                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Page 5, following line 27:                                                                                                 
          Insert a new bill section to read:                                                                                    
        "* Sec. 11. AS 04.21.065(b) is amended to read:                                                                     
          (b)  The warning signs required by (a) of this                                                                        
     section must  be at least  11 inches by 14  inches, and                                                                    
     the lettering must  be at least one-half  inch high and                                                                    
     in  contrasting  colors.  The  first  sign  must  read,                                                                    
     "WARNING:  Alcohol  use [DRINKING  ALCOHOLIC  BEVERAGES                                                                
     SUCH  AS  BEER,  WINE,   WINE  COOLERS,  AND  DISTILLED                                                                    
     SPIRITS  OR SMOKING  CIGARETTES]  during pregnancy  can                                                                    
     cause  birth defects.  Alcohol  use  can cause  cancer,                                                                
     including breast  and colon  cancers." The  second sign                                                                
     must read,  "WARNING: A  person who  provides alcoholic                                                                    
     beverages  to  a  person  under 21  years  of  age,  if                                                                    
     convicted under  AS 04.16.051, could be  imprisoned for                                                                    
     up to  five years and  fined up to $50,000."  The third                                                                    
     sign  must  read,  "WARNING:  An  unaccompanied  person                                                                    
     under  21 years  of age  who enters  these premises  in                                                                    
     violation  of   law  may,  under   AS 04.16.049(e),  be                                                                    
     civilly liable  for damages of $1,500."  The license or                                                                    
     permit holder shall display the  first and second signs                                                                    
     in  a manner  that  would make  them  conspicuous to  a                                                                    
     person who  will be  purchasing or  consuming alcoholic                                                                    
     beverages  or smoking  cigarettes  on  the licensed  or                                                                    
     designated  premises  and shall  conspicuously  display                                                                    
     the  third sign  at each  door through  which customers                                                                    
     enter the licensed premises."                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 5, following line 31:                                                                                                 
          Insert a new bill section to read:                                                                                    
        "*  Sec. 14.  Section 11  of this  Act takes  effect                                                                
     January 1, 2025."                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Renumber the following bill section accordingly.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Page 6, line 1:                                                                                                            
          Delete "This"                                                                                                         
          Insert "Except as provided in sec. 14 of this                                                                         
     Act, this"                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
5:28:10 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN objected for purposes of discussion.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
5:28:22 PM                                                                                                                    
KONRAD  JACKSON,  Staff,  Senator Jesse  Bjorkman,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  Juneau, Alaska,  said  Amendment 1  (U.2), page  1,                                                               
would restore language  which was removed from  CSHB 189, version                                                               
U,  and [Amendment  1  (U.2)],  page 2,  would  insert a  delayed                                                               
effective date  at the  request of Joan  Wilson, Director  of the                                                               
Alcohol and  Marijuana Control Office (AMCO)  to allow additional                                                               
time for [cancer  warning signs]to be printed  and distributed to                                                               
the various vendors in a reasonable time.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
5:29:16 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  BJORKMAN  asked  for   clarification  about  the  extended                                                               
effective date. He  asked whether it applied only  to the section                                                               
of HB 189 that addressed the [cancer warning] signs.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
5:29:25 PM                                                                                                                    
MR. JACKSON affirmed  that only the effective date  for the signs                                                               
was  changed; the  effective  date  for HB  189  overall was  not                                                               
changed.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
5:29:34 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN removed his objection;  found no further objection                                                               
and Amendment 1 (U.2), work order 33-LS0697\U.2 was adopted.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
5:29:59 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN solicited a motion.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
5:30:02 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  GRAY-JACKSON  moved to  adopt  Amendment  2 (U.1),  work                                                               
order 33-LS0697\U.1, to HB 189.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
                                                 33-LS0697\U.1                                                                  
                                                   C. Radford                                                                   
                                                       5/8/24                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                          AMENDMENT 2                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     OFFERED IN THE SENATE                  BY SENATOR BJORKMAN                                                                 
     TO:  SCS CSHB 189(L&C), Draft Version "U"                                                                                  
     Page 4, line 28, following "(1)":                                                                                      
          Insert    "beverage    dispensary   or    beverage                                                                
      dispensary tourism licensee that has a large resort                                                                   
     endorsement,"                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 5, line 7:                                                                                                            
          Delete ";"                                                                                                        
          Insert "."                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Page 5, lines 8 - 12:                                                                                                      
          Delete all material.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
5:30:11 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN objected for purposes of discussion.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
5:30:21 PM                                                                                                                    
MR. JACKSON stated  Amendment 2 (U.1) corrected  a minor drafting                                                               
error in  the rewrite  of Title  IV. He  explained that  Title IV                                                               
dealt  with large  resorts [who  hold  alcohol endorsements].  He                                                               
said  current statute  prohibits  small  children from  wandering                                                               
around [on resort premises] without  direct adult supervision. He                                                               
said  language was  inserted on  page four,  line 28  which would                                                               
permit children  to be on  the premises of large  resorts holding                                                               
alcohol endorsements. He  noted the large resort  in Girdwood was                                                               
the only resort that Amendment 2  (U.1) applied to. He said there                                                               
was also  language in the  amendment that deleted the  attempt on                                                               
page five  of HB 189,  which was inadvertently drafted  and which                                                               
would  have  allowed  children  16  years or  so  of  age  to  be                                                               
unaccompanied in a bar at a  large resort. He said that was never                                                               
the intention  of that  CS, so  that was  deleted [from  HB 189],                                                               
page five, lines eight through twelve.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
5:32:01 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN removed his objection;  found no further objection                                                               
and Amendment 2 (U.1) was adopted.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
5:32:33 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DUNBAR  spoke in favor  of HB 189.  He noted that  it was                                                               
crucial to employers facing workforce  shortages. He also said it                                                               
was incredibly  important that young people,  eighteen, nineteen,                                                               
twenty  years old,  had access  to  employment opportunities.  He                                                               
noted  that young  people  in  this country  are  expected to  be                                                               
adults at 18 and we  should not further restrict their employment                                                               
opportunities.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
5:33:21 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN opened public testimony on HB 189.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
5:33:43 PM                                                                                                                    
LEE  ELLIS,  President,  Brewers   Guild  of  Alaska,  Anchorage,                                                               
Alaska,   testified  in   support   of  HB   189.  He   expressed                                                               
appreciation  for  the  inclusion of  manufacturers  [of  alcohol                                                               
products in HB  189]. He emphasized the  importance of recruiting                                                               
new employees,  including college  students, and  highlighted the                                                               
benefits of  internships for students studying  food sciences. He                                                               
said HB  189 would allow  younger college students, under  21, to                                                               
work  in  various  roles  without   handling  alcohol,  which  is                                                               
beneficial  for  staffing  and family-owned  breweries.  He  also                                                               
mentioned collaborating with the  University of Alaska to develop                                                               
a brewing  education program,  which would  be possible  with the                                                               
bill's passage. He stressed the  brewing industry's commitment to                                                               
responsible    alcohol    consumption   and    the    educational                                                               
opportunities for younger workers.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
5:36:36 PM                                                                                                                    
NOELLE LOCONTE, representing  self, Madison, Wisconsin, testified                                                               
in support of  the cancer warning sign provisions of  HB 189. She                                                               
emphasized  the   low  awareness  nationwide  of   alcohol  as  a                                                               
carcinogen,  with   only  30  percent  of   the  U.S.  population                                                               
understanding this  link and she  said physicians'  awareness was                                                               
not much  better. She advocated  for increased awareness  to help                                                               
people make informed choices [about their alcohol consumption].                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
DR.  LOCONTE   listed  seven  cancers  associated   with  alcohol                                                               
consumption:   head   and   neck,  breast,   liver,   colorectal,                                                               
esophageal, gastric,  and pancreatic cancer. She  highlighted the                                                               
need for public education on this topic.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
5:38:00 PM                                                                                                                    
TIFFANY  HALL,  President  and CEO,  Recover  Alaska,  Anchorage,                                                               
Alaska,  testified   in  support  of  the   cancer  warning  sign                                                               
provisions of  HB 189.  She said Recover  Alaska was  a statewide                                                               
organization focused  on reducing  excessive alcohol use  and its                                                               
associated harms.  She highlighted the significance  of cancer as                                                               
the leading  cause of death  in Alaska  and alcohol as  the third                                                               
leading  modifiable  cause.  She   emphasized  that  alcohol  was                                                               
related to nine out of the top ten causes of death in the state.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS. HALL said  there was no question that  alcohol causes cancer.                                                               
and there was no credible  authority that disputed that. Even so,                                                               
she said, it  was largely unknown. She said  knowledge was power.                                                               
Public awareness  was critical. She said  Recover Alaska believed                                                               
the [alcohol cancer risk] warning  signs would be reaching a very                                                               
relevant group. She thanked the  committee for hearing HB 189 and                                                               
expressed appreciation for  the very clean language  and the work                                                               
of the Alcohol Marijuana Control Office (AMCO).                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
5:39:37 PM                                                                                                                    
THOMAS GREMILLION, Director, Food  Policy, Consumer Federation of                                                               
America (CFA), Washington,  D.C, testified in support  of HB 189.                                                               
He said the Consumer Federation  of America (CFA) was a nonprofit                                                               
organization  established   in  1968  to  advance   the  consumer                                                               
interest in research, education  and advocacy. He explained that,                                                               
for  decades,  CFA  advocated  to  bring  alcohol  labeling  into                                                               
alignment with  other beverages and  food with respect  to things                                                               
like  calories, ingredients  and allergens.  They also  advocated                                                               
for updates  to health warning statements  on alcoholic beverages                                                               
to  include  alcohol  cancer warnings.  He  said  alcohol  cancer                                                               
warnings  are a  powerful public  policy tool,  precisely because                                                               
alcohol  cancer  risk  represents a  significant  health  burden,                                                               
killing  over  20,000  Americans   a  year,  dying  from  alcohol                                                               
attributable  cancers.  He  emphasized  previous  testimony  that                                                               
public awareness of  [alcohol cancer risk] is very  low and noted                                                               
that 10 percent of the  population thought alcohol reduced cancer                                                               
risk, at  least in  the form  of wine, and,  he said,  that's not                                                               
true.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR.  GREMILLION  said  CFA  supported  federal  alcohol  labeling                                                               
reform and  state laws to  require point of sale  cancer warnings                                                               
for alcohol.  He referred to  a paper on their  website entitled:                                                               
State and  Local Public Policy  Options for Raising  Awareness of                                                               
Alcohol Cancer Risk. He said  it listed an extensive bibliography                                                               
of academic  research articles that  support provisions  like the                                                               
one in  HB 189.  He said point  of sale warning  signs do  have a                                                               
record  of success.  He pointed  out  that warning  signs on  the                                                               
dangers of drinking while pregnant,  which were adopted in Alaska                                                               
and nearly  half of the other  states in the union  in the 1990s,                                                               
are  associated  with  a  significantly  reduced  rate  of  fetal                                                               
alcohol syndrome.  He emphasized that  while it may seem  like no                                                               
one is paying  attention to these warning signs, they  do get the                                                               
message out, and slowly change the public mindset over time.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
5:42:23 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN closed public testimony on HB 189.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
5:42:40 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN solicited the will of the committee.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
5:42:45 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON  moved to  report SCS  CSHB 189,  work order                                                               
33-LS0697\U,   as  amended,   from   committee  with   individual                                                               
recommendations and attached fiscal note(s).                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
5:43:04 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  BJORKMAN found  no  objection and  SCS  CSHB 189(L&C)  was                                                               
reported from the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.                                                                 

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
HB88 Draft Proposed Amendment ver S.1.pdf SL&C 5/9/2024 5:15:00 PM
HB 88
SB146 Draft Proposed CS ver U.pdf SL&C 5/9/2024 5:15:00 PM
SB 146
SB146 Public Testimony-Jack Heesch 04.22.24.pdf SL&C 5/9/2024 5:15:00 PM
SB 146
HB251 U.A.pdf SL&C 5/9/2024 5:15:00 PM
HB 251
HB251 Sponsor Statement.pdf SL&C 5/9/2024 5:15:00 PM
HB 251
HB251 Sectional Analysis.pdf SL&C 5/9/2024 5:15:00 PM
HB 251
HB251 Fiscal Note DEC-EH 01.26.24.pdf SL&C 5/9/2024 5:15:00 PM
HB 251
HB146 Draft Proposed CS ver U.pdf SL&C 5/9/2024 5:15:00 PM
HB 146
HB146 Fiscal Note DPS-FLS 01.11.24.pdf SL&C 5/9/2024 5:15:00 PM
HB 146
HB189 Draft Proposed Amendment U.2.pdf SL&C 5/9/2024 5:15:00 PM
HB 189