Legislature(2019 - 2020)GRUENBERG 120

02/03/2020 01:45 PM House JUDICIARY

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Audio Topic
01:48:42 PM Start
01:49:32 PM Confirmation Hearing(s):|| Select Committee on Legislative Ethics
01:58:53 PM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
-- Please Note Time Change --
+ Confirmation Hearings: Select Committee on TELECONFERENCED
Legislative Ethics
Joyce M. Anderson - Anchorage
Deborah Fancher - Anchorage
Lee F. Holmes - Anchorage
-- Public Testimony --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
               HOUSE JUDICIARY STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                             
                        February 3, 2020                                                                                        
                           1:48 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Matt Claman, Chair                                                                                               
Representative Chuck Kopp                                                                                                       
Representative Harriet Drummond                                                                                                 
Representative Gabrielle LeDoux                                                                                                 
Representative Laddie Shaw                                                                                                      
Representative David Eastman                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Louise Stutes                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Senator Lora Reinbold                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Select Committee on Legislative Ethics                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Deborah Fancher - Anchorage                                                                                                
     Joyce M. Anderson - Anchorage                                                                                              
     Lee F. Holmes - Anchorage                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     - CONFIRMATION(S) ADVANCED                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
No previous action to record                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
DEBORAH FANCHER, Appointee                                                                                                      
Select Committee on Legislative Ethics                                                                                          
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT:  Offered testimony on her appointment to the                                                              
Select Committee on Legislative Ethics.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
JOYCE M. ANDERSON, Appointee                                                                                                    
Select Committee on Legislative Ethics                                                                                          
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT:  Offered testimony  on her appointment to the                                                             
Select Committee on Legislative Ethics.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
LEE F. HOLMES, Appointee                                                                                                        
Select Committee on Legislative Ethics                                                                                          
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT:  Offered testimony  on his appointment to the                                                             
Select Committee on Legislative Ethics.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:48:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MATT  CLAMAN called the House  Judiciary Standing Committee                                                             
meeting  to order  at 1:48  p.m.   Representatives Claman,  Kopp,                                                               
Drummond, LeDoux,  and Shaw  were present at  the call  to order.                                                               
Representative Eastman  arrived as  the meeting was  in progress.                                                               
Also present was Senator Lora Reinbold.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):                                                                                                       
            ^Select Committee on Legislative Ethics                                                                         
                    CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):                                                                                
             Select Committee on Legislative Ethics                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:49:32 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CLAMAN announced  that the only order of  business would be                                                               
the Confirmation Hearings on the  Select Committee on Legislative                                                               
Ethics.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:50:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  CLAMAN  opened  public testimony.    He  welcomed  Deborah                                                               
Fancher for testimony.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:50:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DEBORAH  FANCHER,  Appointee,  Select  Committee  on  Legislative                                                               
Ethics,  Alaska  State  Legislature,  offered  testimony  on  her                                                               
appointment to the  Select Committee on Legislative  Ethics.  She                                                               
stated that  she did not have  a prepared testimony but  would be                                                               
happy to answer any questions the committee has.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:50:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CLAMAN  asked Ms. Fancher  to explain to the  committee why                                                               
she would  like to serve  on the Select Committee  on Legislative                                                               
Ethics.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS.  FANCHER  answered  that  she was  appointed  to  the  Select                                                               
Committee on  Legislative Ethics three  years ago.  She  said, "I                                                               
feel like in some ways I was  the one that wasn't smart enough to                                                               
step  backward   when  everyone  else  stepped   forward."    She                                                               
explained  that she  is a  retired  teacher and  has enjoyed  the                                                               
opportunity to  work in legislative  ethics.  She  expressed that                                                               
the  reason she  would like  to  continue serving  on the  Select                                                               
Committee on Legislative Ethics is  because her first three years                                                               
had a steep learning curve, and  she would like to continue using                                                               
the knowledge she has gained to serve the public.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:51:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CLAMAN  stated that  Ms. Fancher  was being  reappointed to                                                               
the  Select  Committee  on  Legislative   Ethics,  if  it  wasn't                                                               
apparent from the fact she has  already served.  He asked whether                                                               
there  were any  further  questions from  the  committee for  Ms.                                                               
Fancher.    Hearing  none,  he welcomed  Joyce  M.  Anderson  for                                                               
testimony.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:52:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOYCE  M. ANDERSON,  Appointee, Select  Committee on  Legislative                                                               
Ethics,  Alaska  State  Legislature,  offered  testimony  on  her                                                               
appointment to the  Select Committee on Legislative  Ethics.  She                                                               
clarified for  Chair Claman that she  has served one term  on the                                                               
committee.   She  stated that  her previous  position was  as the                                                               
administrator  for the  Select  Committee  on Legislative  Ethics                                                               
from  2001  to 2015.    She  explained  that  she has  a  14-year                                                               
background  working  with  the Select  Committee  on  Legislative                                                               
Ethics  and  feels that  her  experience  adds insight  into  the                                                               
committee members.   She said  that because of this  insight, she                                                               
asked for a reappointment to the committee.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:52:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CLAMAN asked whether there  were any further questions from                                                               
the committee  for Ms. Anderson.   Hearing none, he  welcomed Lee                                                               
F. Holmes for testimony.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:53:07 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LEE  F.  HOLMES,  Appointee,   Select  Committee  on  Legislative                                                               
Ethics,  Alaska  State  Legislature,  offered  testimony  on  his                                                               
appointment to  the Select Committee  on Legislative Ethics.   He                                                               
stated that  he has served  one term  on the Select  Committee on                                                               
Legislative  Ethics and  was reappointed  by  Chief Justice  Joel                                                               
Bolger.   He expressed his belief  that people need to  give back                                                               
to  their  communities;  therefore,  he  has  served  on  several                                                               
municipal  and charitable  committees throughout  the years.   He                                                               
added that  this was his  opportunity to  give back at  the state                                                               
level, and  he has enjoyed  working with the  Representatives and                                                               
Senators in  the legislature.   He summarized that he  would like                                                               
to continue  this work  as a  member of  the Select  Committee on                                                               
Legislative Ethics for another three years.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:54:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR   CLAMAN   asked  for   clarification   on   some  of   the                                                               
certifications listed  on Mr.  Holmes' qualifications  [hard copy                                                               
included in the committee packet].                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR.  HOLMES  responded  that they  are  technical  certifications                                                               
required for various government jobs.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:55:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  CLAMAN  remarked   that  it  was  such  a   long  list  of                                                               
certifications he was impressed.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:55:17 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SHAW commented that he  noticed Ms. Anderson was a                                                               
member  of the  Brooklyn Park  Minnesota Charter  Commission from                                                               
1990 to  1994.  He asked  whether she had encountered  one of his                                                               
former U.S.  Navy Sea,  Air, and  Land Forces  (SEALs) teammates,                                                               
former Governor Jesse Ventura.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:55:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. ANDERSON answered that she lived  in the same suburb as Jesse                                                               
Ventura  and served  on the  charter commission  when he  was the                                                               
mayor of the city, so she did have interactions with him.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:55:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SHAW stated,  "I just want to  highlight how small                                                               
of a community we are in America."                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MS. ANDERSON agreed with Representative Shaw.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:56:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LEDOUX thanked  all three  of the  appointees for                                                               
their service  as committee  members on  the Select  Committee on                                                               
Legislative Ethics.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:56:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KOPP expressed  that  he supports  Representative                                                               
LeDoux's remarks.   He said that he wrestled in  high school with                                                               
Ms. Fancher's brother, and he knows  Ms. Fancher to be an amazing                                                               
person, with professional experience  in the scientific field and                                                               
affiliations  that bring  great critical  thinking to  the Select                                                               
Committee on  Legislative Ethics.   He  said that  Ms. Anderson's                                                               
service  to  the  legislature  has  been  distinguished,  and  he                                                               
appreciates  her willingness  to  serve again.    He thanked  Mr.                                                               
Holmes for the professionalism he  brings to the Select Committee                                                               
on Legislative  Ethics and  thanked all  three of  the appointees                                                               
for their  willingness to step up  and serve another term  on the                                                               
committee.   He recognized that  serving on the  Select Committee                                                               
on Legislative Ethics is a significant investment of their time.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:57:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CLAMAN  noted that he  is encouraged to see  people willing                                                               
to sign  up for  another opportunity  to provide  public service.                                                               
He  said  it indicates  that  not  only  are they  interested  in                                                               
serving,  but   they  see  the   value  they  provide   to  their                                                               
communities, as well.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:57:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP stated that  in accordance with AS 24.60.130,                                                               
the  House   Judiciary  Standing   Committee  has   reviewed  the                                                               
qualifications  of the  following Chief  Justice's appointees  to                                                               
the Select  Committee on Legislative Ethics,  and recommends that                                                               
the following names  be forwarded to the  House for ratification:                                                               
Deborah Fancher, Joyce  M. Anderson, and Lee F. Holmes.   He said                                                               
that this does  not reflect intent by any of  the members to vote                                                               
for,  or against,  any of  these individuals  during any  further                                                               
sessions for the purposes of ratification.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:58:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CLAMAN clarified that the names of the appointees would be                                                                
forwarded to the joint session [of the House and Senate for                                                                     
consideration].                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:58:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no further business before the committee, the House                                                                 
Judiciary Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 1:59 p.m.