Legislature(2017 - 2018)BUTROVICH 205
02/15/2017 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SR3 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SR 3 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
February 15, 2017
8:00 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Shelley Hughes, Chair
Senator Gary Stevens
Senator Cathy Giessel
Senator Tom Begich
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator John Coghill
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 3
Proclaiming February 2017 as Black History Month.
- MOVED SR 3 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SR 3
SHORT TITLE: FEBRUARY 2017: BLACK HISTORY MONTH
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) BEGICH
02/01/17 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/01/17 (S) EDC, STA
02/15/17 (S) EDC AT 8:00 AM BUTROVICH 205
WITNESS REGISTER
SENATOR TOM BEGICH
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of SR 3.
CELESTE HODGE GROWDEN, Executive Director
Shiloh Community Development
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SR 3.
ED WESLEY, Former President
NAACP-Anchorage
Chair
Black History Month Committee
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SR 3.
CALVIN WILLIAMS, Political Action Chair
NAACP
Chair
John S. Parks Name Panel
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SR 3.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:00:54 AM
CHAIR SHELLEY HUGHES called the Senate Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Giessel, Begich, and Chair Hughes. Senator
Stevens arrived shortly thereafter.
SR 3-FEBRUARY 2017: BLACK HISTORY MONTH
CHAIR HUGHES announced that the only order of business would be
SR 3.
SENATOR TOM BEGICH, Sponsor, Alaska State Legislature, presented
SR 3. He paraphrased from the following sponsor statement:
In 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson established a Negro
History Week to coincide with the birth week shared by
President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist leader
Fredrick Douglass. It was Fredrick Douglass who
observed that it is easier to build strong children
than to repair broken men, which makes it appropriate
that the Senate Education Committee would be the first
committee of referral for this resolution honoring
Black History Month.
In 1976, then-President Gerald R. Ford expanded
February to Black History Month in honor of the
nation's bicentennial. He reinforced the idea that
African Americans and the role they played in history
are not forgotten. The "whereas" clauses in the
resolution cite some of those examples, such as the
honoring of Company L, 24th Infantry, which was the
African American company which helped build the
Alaskan Highway.
SENATOR BEGICH reported that last night the Anchorage Assembly
dedicated their transit center to John S. Parks, a long-time
Black activist. He encouraged support of the resolution.
8:04:08 AM
SENATOR GIESSEL recommended a National Geographic video on
YouTube on the building of the Alaska Highway by African
Americans.
CHAIR HUGHES asked Senator Begich to provide the video link to
the committee.
SENATOR BEGICH agreed to do so.
8:05:07 AM
CELESTE HODGE GROWDEN, Executive Director, Shiloh Community
Development, Inc. (SCD), testified in support of SR 3. She said
the main goal of SCD is to empower youth, minorities, and the
disadvantaged to improve lives. Their goal is to enhance the
quality of life of those less fortunate by providing
transitional assistance, economic and educational opportunities,
job search support, health education, prevention and wellness
programs, and youth mentorship. SCD's major emphasis is to
develop and promote programs that advance minorities, youth, and
the disadvantaged in health, education, justice, and economic
development. She thanked Senator Begich for sponsoring SR 3 and
urged passage of SR 3.
CHAIR HUGHES thanked Ms. Growden and congratulated her on
receiving an honor at the Anchorage Assembly meeting.
8:06:41 AM
ED WESLEY, Former President, NAACP-Anchorage, Chair, Black
History Month Committee, testified in support of SR 3. He
pointed out that it is unfortunate that there is a separate
category for Black history. He stressed that the omission of
Black history from American History books takes place due to
those who want to keep that history from being included. Over 50
percent of comforts and conveniences enjoyed today come from
African American inventions.
8:09:19 AM
CALVIN WILLIAMS, Political Action Chair, NAACP, Chair, John S.
Parks Name Panel, testified in support of SR 3. He noted that
Anchorage's transit center was named after Mr. Parks, who was a
carpenter with little education and yet able to do great things
for Alaska and his community. He pointed out that much of
history has been lost because of lack of a place to house the
information. He thanked the committee for its efforts and
suggested having a permanent housing place for historical
documents.
8:12:13 AM
CHAIR HUGHES opened public testimony. Seeing no testifiers, she
closed public testimony.
SENATOR BEGICH noted that colleagues in the Senate have been
recognizing the important contributions of national and Alaskan
African Americans.
CHAIR HUGHES voiced appreciation for SR 3. She asked for the
will of the committee.
SENATOR GIESSEL moved to report SR 3, version 30-LS0418\D, from
committee with individual recommendations. There being no
objection, the motion carried.
8:14:01 AM
At ease
8:15:04 AM
CHAIR HUGHES brought the committee back to order and made
announcements.
8:15:46 AM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Hughes adjourned the Senate Education Standing Committee
at 8:15 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SR 3 - Sponsor Statement.pdf |
SEDC 2/15/2017 8:00:00 AM |
SR 3 |
| SR 3 - Legislation Ver. D.pdf |
SEDC 2/15/2017 8:00:00 AM |
SR 3 |