Legislature(2019 - 2020)GRUENBERG 120
03/01/2019 01:00 PM House JUDICIARY
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s): Board of Governors – Alaska Bar Association | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE JUDICIARY STANDING COMMITTEE
March 1, 2019
1:08 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Matt Claman, Chair
Representative Gabrielle LeDoux, Vice Chair
Representative Chuck Kopp
Representative David Eastman
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Louise Stutes
Representative Adam Wool
Representative Laddie Shaw
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
Board of Governors Alaska Bar Association
Jedediah Cox Anchorage, Alaska
- CONFIRMATION(S) ADVANCED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
JEDEDIAH COX, Appointee
Board of Governors Alaska Bar Association
Anchorage Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified and answered questions during his
confirmation hearing.
THERESA OBERMEYER
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified during the confirmation hearing
for the Board of Governors Alaska Bar Association
CHARLES MCKEE
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified during the confirmation hearing
for the Board of Governors Alaska Bar Association
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:08:31 PM
CHAIR MATT CLAMAN called the House Judiciary Standing Committee
meeting to order at 1:08 p.m. Representatives Claman, LeDoux,
Eastman, and Kopp were present at the call to order.
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S): Board of Governors Alaska Bar
Association
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S): Board of Governors Alaska Bar
Association
1:09:01 PM
CHAIR CLAMAN announced that the only order of business would be
consideration of the governor's appointee, Jedediah Cox, to the
Board of Governors of the Alaska Bar Association.
1:09:22 PM
CHAIR CLAMAN opened public testimony for the appointment of
Jedediah Cox to the Board of Governors of the Alaska Bar
Association.
1:09:49 PM
JEDEDIAH COX, Appointee to the Board of Governors of the Alaska
Bar Association (ABA), expressed his appreciation to the
committee for its consideration. Mr. Cox relayed his
educational and professional background. He has been an
educator for ten years in the public and private sector,
domestic and foreign. Mr. Cox stated that the work that he did
on the University of Montana Academic Standards Committee, for
the Montana Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, and
as a professor gave him the opportunity to work on state policy,
university bylaws, and review academic performance. Mr. Cox
stated that he brings with him values of honesty, hard work,
courage, fairness, tolerance, patriotism, and the willingness to
learn and listen.
1:11:08 PM
CHAIR CLAMAN thanked Mr. Cox for his testimony and stated that
it was his intention to open the meeting to questions from the
public. At the time, he opened the meeting to questions from
the members.
1:11:22 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX noted Mr. Coxs interesting employment
history and asked for clarification on the Vietnam Banking
Academy.
1:11:35 PM
MR. COX stated that the Vietnam Banking Academy is a university
focused on banking. While employed, Mr. Cox worked as an
English teacher out of Singapore.
1:12:29 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked if Mr. Cox was physically present in
Vietnam or if he provided instruction online.
1:12:39 PM
MR. COX stated that he lived in Hanoi, Vietnam.
1:12:47 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked for clarification on Mr. Coxs
experience in the Montana House of Representatives and the
Florida House of Representatives.
1:13:13 PM
MR. COX stated that in Montana he was on the higher education
general education committee. The committee sought to unify the
general education requirements to enable students to more easily
transfer between schools. The committee also worked to update
the general education curriculum.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked for temporal clarification on Mr.
Coxs position on the committee with other positions held at the
Montana State Legislature.
1:14:02 PM
MR. COX clarified that he interned for U.S. Representative
Rehberg of Montana. At a similar time, from 2005 to 2008, he
was on the General Education Committee.
1:14:29 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked for clarification on the position
that Mr. Cox held in 2017 in the Florida House of
Representatives.
MR. COX stated that he was an Executive Secretary for the Rules
and Policy Committee. In the position, he assisted with the
preparation of bills before sending them to the floor.
1:15:11 PM
CHAIR CLAMAN stated that it appeared Mr. Cox does not have prior
experience with an organized bar association. Chair Claman
asked Mr. Cox if that was accurate.
MR. COX confirmed that that was accurate.
CHAIR CLAMAN sought clarification as to Mr. Coxs understanding
of the position, explaining that Mr. Cox would be in a
significant minority on the Board of Governors considering his
lack of experience with a bar association. Chair Claman asked
if Mr. Cox was aware of that and would be comfortable in that
role.
MR. COX confirmed that he would be comfortable.
CHAIR CLAMAN sought to confirm that Mr. Cox would be comfortable
interacting with that many lawyers so frequently.
MR. COX answered in the affirmative.
1:15:53 PM
CHAIR CLAMAN noted that he served on the Board of Governors of
the ABA for several years, including serving as the President of
the Board. Chair Claman stated that he found public members
were often very active in discussions and brought a perspective
that was helpful to the Bar.
1:16:29 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP asked for Mr. Cox to explain, specifically,
why he would like to serve on the Board of Governors of the ABA.
1:16:44 PM
MR. COX described how his prior experience in education and in
academic standards review would be useful to the board. He
stated his belief that this position would be a good fit. Mr.
Cox said he is also interested in holding a position in public
service. He is currently employed by the State of Alaska in the
Division of Community and Regional Affairs.
1:17:33 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP asked for Mr. Coxs understanding of the
role of the Board of Governors with respect to the Alaska
Supreme Court.
1:17:43 PM
MR. COX stated that the goal is to vet and put forward good
candidates. Mr. Cox then asked the committee if his
understanding was correct.
CHAIR CLAMAN stated that Mr. Cox was confusing the Board of
Governors of the ABA with the Alaska Judicial Council.
MR. COX apologized.
1:18:10 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP described the role of the board as concerned
with discipline/complaint matters and academic/continuing
education matters. Representative Kopp then asked Mr. Cox about
his position with the Anchorage School District (ASD).
1:18:33 PM
MR. COX stated that he was an English tutor and worked with ESL
students while at ASD. Mr. Cox then stated that his experience
in the Florida House of Representatives had given him some,
though limited, experience reprimanding misconduct.
1:19:30 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP asked Mr. Cox if he is familiar with the
annual events that the Bar plans.
MR. COX asked if Representative Kopp was referencing the
continuing education events.
1:20:03 PM
CHAIR CLAMAN clarified that Representative Kopp was referring to
the Annual Convention of the Bar Association that occurs in May.
1:20:11 PM
MR. COX stated that he has been focusing on the matters that the
Board concerns itself with during meetings.
1:20:24 PM
CHAIR CLAMAN stated that no one else had any questions. Chair
Claman thanked Mr. Cox for providing his testimony and opened
the meeting up to public testimony.
1:20:49 PM
CHAIR CLAMAN introduced Theresa Obermeyer as the first person to
testify as a public witness.
1:21:57 PM
THERESA OBERMEYER, Ph.D., made comments not on topic with the
published agenda.
1:24:31 PM
CHARLES MCKEE, made comments not on topic with the published
agenda.
1:26:51 PM
CHAIR CLAMAN, after ascertaining that there was no one else who
wished to testify, closed public testimony.
1:27:36 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX moved to advance the confirmation of
Jedediah Cox, appointee to the Board of Governors for the Alaska
Bar Association to the joint session of the House and Senate for
consideration. There being no objection, the confirmation was
forwarded. She reminded the committee that signing the reports
regarding appointments in no way reflects individual members'
approval or disapproval of the appointees, and that the
nominations are merely forwarded to the full legislature for
confirmation or rejection.
1:27:59 PM
CHAIR CLAMAN announced that the name of the appointee would be
forwarded to the joint session.
1:28:23 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Judiciary Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 1:28 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Board of Governors of the Alaska Bar Appointment-Jedediah Cox Application 3.1.19.pdf |
HJUD 3/1/2019 1:00:00 PM |