03/05/1993 09:04 AM Senate STA

                                                                               
                                                                               
                 SENATE STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE                                
                          March 5, 1993                                        
                            9:04 a.m.                                          
                                                                               
                                                                               
  MEMBERS PRESENT                                                              
                                                                               
  Senator Loren Leman, Chairman                                                
  Senator Mike Miller, Vice Chairman                                           
  Senator Johnny Ellis                                                         
                                                                               
  MEMBERS ABSENT                                                               
                                                                               
  Senator Robin Taylor                                                         
  Senator Jim Duncan                                                           
                                                                               
  COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                           
                                                                               
  CONFIRMATION HEARING:  Robyn F. States                                       
                         State Commission for Human Rights                     
                                                                               
  WITNESS REGISTER                                                             
                                                                               
  None                                                                         
                                                                               
  ACTION NARRATIVE                                                             
                                                                               
  TAPE 93-16, SIDE A                                                           
  Number 001                                                                   
                                                                               
  Chairman  Leman called  the  Senate State  Affairs Committee                 
  meeting to order at 9:04 a.m.                                                
                                                                               
  SENATOR LEMAN announced  the only  order of business  before                 
  the committee would  be a  confirmation hearing on  Governor                 
  appointee Robyn  States to  the State  Commission for  Human                 
  Rights.  He invited Ms. States, who was participating in the                 
  hearing by teleconference from Fairbanks, to make an opening                 
                                                                               
  statement.                                                                   
                                                                               
  Number 032                                                                   
                                                                               
  ROBYN STATES said she is a lifelong Alaskan, who was born in                 
  Fairbanks.                                                                   
                                                                               
  Ms.  States  said that  she and  her  husband have  owned an                 
  advertising  business for  the past 10  years, so  they deal                 
  with a lot of different people  around the state.  She added                 
  that they  deal with  different races  and different  things                 
  that would cause  them not to  want to discriminate  against                 
  someone.                                                                     
                                                                               
                                                                               
  Ms. States said  she has also  worked for the University  of                 
  Alaska doing  hiring, which  has involved  working with  the                 
  EEO's  at  the   university  in  the  hiring   of  different                 
  positions.                                                                   
                                                                               
  Ms. States' last job  was as an nutrition assistant  for the                 
  Cooperative Extension.  This involved travel around the City                 
  of  Fairbanks  where  she  worked  with  low-income  people,                 
  teaching  them about nutrition.  In that job, she met with a                 
  lot   of  the   different  agencies   in  Fairbanks,   which                 
  familiarized her with agencies that  deal with these people.                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
  Ms. States  noted that she is multi-racial, which she thinks                 
  will help her in  serving on the Commission, and  she enjoys                 
  being fair.                                                                  
                                                                               
  Number 068                                                                   
                                                                               
  SENATOR ELLIS  said one  of the  big issues  in the  country                 
  right now is the subject of complying with the American with                 
  Disabilities Act.  He asked Ms. States her general  attitude                 
  towards  the Act,  and  what  time  frame  she  thinks  that                 
  government should  act to  become accessible  and come  into                 
  compliance with the law.  ROBYN  STATES answered that she is                 
  aware that it is an  issue that the Alaska Human  Rights Law                 
  does cover,   but  she has  not yet  read the American  with                 
  Disabilities Act.   However,  she believes  it is  important                 
  that people are  not discriminated against because  of their                 
  abilities.  She didn't have a comment on the time frame, but                 
  she thinks it is an important issue.                                         
                                                                               
  Number 105                                                                   
                                                                               
  SENATOR ELLIS said there have been  a lot of complaints from                 
  business owners  who were  very critical  of President  Bush                 
  signing the bill  and very  critical of the  time lines  for                 
  implementation of the ADA  in the private sector.   He asked                 
  Ms. States  if she  would have  any trouble  with an  action                 
  before  the  Human    Rights  Commission against  a  private                 
  business or a government agency by a disabled Alaskan if the                 
  business or agency  didn't comply within the  time frame set                 
  out in the  law.  ROBYN STATES  answered that she  would not                 
  have a problem with that.                                                    
                                                                               
  Number 120                                                                   
                                                                               
  SENATOR LEMAN asked Ms. States if she has had an opportunity                 
  to meet with her other colleagues  on the Commission.  ROBYN                 
  STATES acknowledged  that they have had one meeting in Homer                 
  where they were all together.                                                
                                                                               
  Number 132                                                                   
                                                                               
                                                                               
  SENATOR LEMAN asked Ms. States what  she considers to be the                 
  most important human rights issue or  issues in the State of                 
  Alaska.   ROBYN STATES  answered that she  wouldn't say that                 
  any one is any more important than the other, because when a                 
  person comes  before the Commission, their issue is the most                 
  important to them,  and she would not want to  feel like she                 
  gave more weight to one than another.                                        
                                                                               
  There  being  no  further  questions  from  members  of  the                 
  committee, SENATOR LEMAN  thanked Ms. States for  her input.                 
  He  said  a letter  would be  sent  to the  Senate President                 
  stating the committee has held a confirmation hearing on Ms.                 
  States.                                                                      
                                                                               
  There  being  no   further  business  to  come   before  the                 
  committee, the meeting was adjourned at 9:15 a.m.