Legislature(1997 - 1998)
03/12/1998 03:40 PM Senate STA
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
SENATE STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
March 12, 1998
3:40 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Jerry Ward, Vice-Chairman
Senator Jerry Mackie
Senator Jim Duncan
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Lyda Green, Chairman
Senator Mike Miller
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARINGS:
Alaska Army National Guard - Assistant Adjutant General
Brigadier General Stephen P. Korenek
Alaska Public Offices Commission
Kathleen Harrington - Anchorage
Phillip R. Volland, Esq. - Anchorage
State Commission for Human Rights
Christine R. Marasigan - Kodiak
James H. Chase - Anchorage
WITNESS REGISTER
Brigadier General Stephen P. Korenek
Alaska Army National Guard
P.O. Box 5800
Fort Richardson, AK 99505-0800
Kurt P Autor
P.O. Box 23-2021
Anchorage, AK 99523
Ms. Kathleen Harrington
1242 St. Gotthard Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99508
Phillip R. Volland
211 H St.
Anchorage, AK 99517
Ms. Christine Marasigan
1512 Mission Road
Kodiak, AK 99615
James H. Chase
P.O. Box 5506
Fort Richardson, AK 99505
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 98-12, SIDE A
Number 001
VICE CHAIRMAN WARD called the Senate State Affairs Committee to
order at 3:40 p.m., and noted the presence of Senators Mackie,
Duncan and Ward. Chairman Green was absent due to illness.
VICE CHAIRMAN WARD announced the first order of business would be
a confirmation hearing on Brigadier General Korenek's appointment
as Assistant Adjutant General of the Alaska Army National Guard.
BRIGADIER GENERAL STEPHEN P. KORENEK, addressing the committee via
teleconference from Washington, D.C., stated he came to Alaska with
the U.S. Army in 1970, which was his first duty station after his
tour in Viet Nam. After three years at Fort Wainwright, he went to
the Infantry Officer Advanced Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. He
then returned to duty in Alaska until 1975 when he left active duty
and went to work for the Department of Corrections in Fairbanks.
Brigadier General Korenek said in 1976 he received his first Alaska
Army National Guard assignment in Fairbanks and he has been active
with the guard ever since. He has held many command positions,
including company command, detachment command of the Public
Affairs Detachment, battalion command in Nome for four years, and
command of the 207th Infantry Group.
Brigadier General Korenek related that since his appointment by
Governor Knowles to the assistant adjutant general position, he
has left his full-time job with the Department of Corrections in
Nome and he and his wife have moved to Anchorage.
VICE CHAIRMAN WARD thanked Brigadier General Korenek for his
presentation.
Number 104
KURT P. AUTOR, an Anchorage attorney testifying via teleconference
from Anchorage, stated he represents various members of the Alaska
National Guard in discrimination complaints and retaliation
complaints which directly involve allegations against Brigadier
General Korenek.
Mr. Autor related that in the course of his representation, which
started in October 1997, he has uncovered fairly substantial
evidence of widespread systematic illegal activity by the senior
command of the Alaska National Guard, specifically including
Brigadier General Korenek. The evidence he has is not only based
on the clients that he represents, but also various witnesses and
other similarly situated members of the guard, both with the Air
Guard and the Army Guard who have pending complaints or various
sources of grievances in the nature of EEO violations. He said the
people he has obtained his evidence from represent a very, very
broad section of the guard.
Mr. Autor emphasized that it is his opinion and very firm belief
that the information he has is not based on isolated cases of
agitators or malcontents, etc., but instead, they are people who
have come forward and tried to bring matters of illegal activity
and corrupt practices to the attention of the appropriate parties
responsible for oversight.
Mr. Autor related that he had short notice for Brigadier General
Korenek's confirmation hearing and he was not able to provide a
supplemental written statement with his testimony, but he advised
the committee that he would set forth in specificity the nature of
the allegations he was making, and that he could provide supporting
evidence as well.
Mr. Autor stated that Brigadier General Korenek has been named as
a responsible management official for engaging in separate and
distinct acts of discrimination or retaliation based on his
condoning conduct of a subordinate officer who has demonstrated by
written evidence that he perjured himself in testimony in making
false allegations against various members of the guard. Mr. Autor
said he further made false statements in a memorandum to the
Adjutant General in stating in an adverse administrative finding
that these individuals had demonstrated poor conduct.
Number 186
VICE CHAIRMAN WARD asked if there was any civil litigation going on
at this time. MR. AUTOR responded that there is no civil
litigation in which he is presently involved; however, there is
civil litigation involving other guard members in various stages.
In one such case that was handed down by the Alaska Supreme Court
several weeks ago, it was found that the Alaska Senior Command had
violated a staff judge advocate's constitutional right of due
process.
VICE CHAIRMAN thanked Mr. Autor for his testimony and assured him
that upon receipt of his written statement, it would be distributed
to the senators and to Brigadier General Korenek as well so that he
would be able to respond to it in a timely manner.
Number 242
BRIGADIER GENERAL KORENEK commented that these matters should be
dealt with administratively through the channels that are available
to the complainants, and those which are found to need to go
through that process certainly will. He said that Mr. Autor is
correct that there have been complaints filed through the EEO
channels with his name at the top of them, and he noted that there
were some lawsuits filed with his name at the top of them when he
was a probation/parole officer with the Department of Corrections
as well. He added that it is sort of the nature of the game that
you are in. He also noted that prior to assuming his present
position in the guard, in 20-plus years there had never been a
complaint filed against him.
Number 285
SENATOR MACKIE moved that the name of Brigadier General Korenek be
forwarded to the joint session for consideration, and that this
does not reflect an intent by any committee member to vote for or
against the nominee. Hearing no objection, VICE CHAIRMAN WARD
stated the motion carried.
Number 290
VICE CHAIRMAN WARD stated the next order of business would be the
confirmation hearing on the appointment of Ms. Harrington to the
Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC).
KATHLEEN HARRINGTON, testifying from Anchorage via the
teleconference network, said she has been a resident of Alaska
since 1976 and a practicing attorney for the last 22 years. She
expressed her interest in campaign issues and said she has attended
two separate sessions of the APOC. She said she has the time to
devote to the work of the Commission, and she requested the
committee's favorable consideration of her nomination to the APOC.
Number 318
SENATOR MACKIE asked Ms. Harrington if she has any family or
friends that are currently in an elected position that she may have
to sit in judgement of as a member of the Commission. MS.
HARRINGTON responded that she does not.
Number 325
Due to the temporary loss of a quorum, the motion to forward Ms.
Harrington's name for consideration at a joint session was delayed
until a quorum was reestablished.
Number 330
VICE CHAIRMAN WARD stated the next order of business would be the
confirmation hearing on the appointment of Mr. Volland to the
Alaska Public Offices Commission.
PHILLIP R. VOLLAND, ESQ., testifying via teleconference from
Anchorage, said he knows some of the committee members from his
work in Juneau and that he would respond to questions the committee
may have.
VICE CHAIRMAN WARD asked Mr. Volland if he currently has any
relatives in office that would have the opportunity to come before
the Commission. MR. VOLLAND responded that he does not.
Number 346
SENATOR MACKIE moved that the names of Kathleen Harrington and
Phillips Volland be forwarded to a joint session for consideration,
and that this does not reflect an intent by any committee member to
vote for or against the nominees. Hearing no objection, VICE
CHAIRMAN WARD stated the motion carried.
Number 360
VICE CHAIRMAN WARD stated the final order of business would be
confirmation hearings on the nominees to the State Commission for
Human Rights.
CHRISTINE R. MARASIGAN, testifying via teleconference from Kodiak,
stated that she grew up in Kodiak and that she is willing and able
to serve on the State Commission for Human Rights.
SENATOR MACKIE commented that Ms. Marasigan is an excellent
appointment by the Governor, and he thinks she is very well
qualified to serve as a commissioner.
SENATOR MACKIE moved that the name of Christine Marasigan be
forwarded to a joint session for consideration, and that this does
not reflect an intent by any committee member to vote for or
against the nominee. Hearing no objection, VICE CHAIRMAN WARD
stated the motion carried.
Number 372
JAMES H. CHASE, testifying via teleconference Anchorage, noted he
served on the State Commission for Human Rights from 1978 until
1989 when he left the state for a few years, and he views this
appointment as a request to go back and finish the job that he
started.
SENATOR MACKIE moved that the name of James Chase to be forward to
a joint session for consideration, and that this does not reflect
an intent by any committee member to vote for or against the
nominee. Hearing no objection, VICE CHAIRMAN WARD stated the
motion carried.
There being no further business to come before the committee, the
meeting adjourned at 4:10 p.m.
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