04/27/2002 09:10 AM House OMB

                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                    
                  OMBUDSMAN SELECTION COMMITTEE                                                                               
                         April 27, 2002                                                                                         
                            9:10 a.m.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                              
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Randy Phillips, Co-Chair                                                                                                
Senator Ben Stevens                                                                                                             
Representative Pete Kott, Co-Chair                                                                                              
Representative Lesil McGuire                                                                                                    
Representative Ethan Berkowitz                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator Johnny Ellis                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SELECTION OF AN OMBUDSMAN                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
See Ombudsman  Selection Committee minutes dated  4/2/02, 4/17/02,                                                              
4/18/02 and 4/20/02.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
TAPE 02-4, SIDE A                                                                                                             
Number 001                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR RANDY  PHILLIPS called the Ombudsman  Selection Committee                                                            
meeting to order  at 9:10 a.m. Representatives  McGuire, Berkowitz                                                              
and Kott and Senators Stevens and Phillips were present.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  STEVENS  moved  that  the  committee  go  into  executive                                                              
session  pursuant to Uniform  Rule 22(b)(2),  "for discussions  of                                                              
subjects that  tend to  prejudice the  reputation or character  of                                                              
the person's name discussed."                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no  objection, CO-CHAIR PHILLIPS announced  the motion                                                              
carried and that the committee was in executive session.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:35 a.m.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR PHILLIPS reconvened the  public meeting and announced the                                                              
committee selected  Linda Lord-Jenkins  as the nominee  to present                                                              
to the  Speaker of the  House and Senate  President for  action by                                                              
both bodies.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  PHILLIPS  said  he  had   some  letters  he  would  like                                                              
committee members  to review  and asked Ms.  Ohmer to  address the                                                              
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS.  JUDY OHMER,  staff to  Co-Chair  Kott, told  members that  in                                                              
their packets,  in descending order,  are letters to  the nominee,                                                              
the people who were interviewed and to the other applicants.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR PHILLIPS  asked members to read the letters  and comment.                                                              
He then asked  Ms. Ohmer to change the conjunction  "we're" to "we                                                              
are"  in  the letters.  He  told  members  that  once all  of  the                                                              
[letters]  are  approved, the  letters  will be  circulated  among                                                              
members for their  signatures. He asked members if  there were any                                                              
objections to the  letters to be sent to Senate  President Halford                                                              
and House Speaker Porter.  There were none.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  STEVENS  said he  believes  the  committee, as  a  whole,                                                              
should  express  its  gratitude  to  Ms. Moya  for  serving  in  a                                                              
temporary  position  for  a  long  period  of  time  and  for  the                                                              
leadership  she has  exhibited.  He said  he  believes the  record                                                              
should show that  Ms. Moya made a significant  contribution to the                                                              
success  of the Office  of the  Ombudsman and  that the  committee                                                              
hopes that she will continue on in her current position.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  PHILLIPS  announced  that without  objection,  he  would                                                              
circulate a draft letter to Ms. Moya for members' review.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE said she would  like to thank the staff for                                                              
their  help throughout  this process.  She  noted two  grammatical                                                              
corrections.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
AN  UNIDENTIFIED  MEMBER said  he  believes the  committee  should                                                              
acknowledge the applicants who applied but were not selected.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR PHILLIPS said it is his  intent to draft letters to those                                                              
applicants  that he and  Co-Chair Kott  would sign. CO-CHAIR  KOTT                                                              
agreed to do so.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
There being no further business to  come before the committee, CO-                                                              
CHAIR PHILLIPS thanked  members and adjourned the  meeting at 9:40                                                              
a.m.