HB 250-LAW ENFORCEMENT; CONCEALING ONE'S FACE  4:26:51 PM CHAIR CARRICK announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 250, "An Act establishing the crime of wearing a mask in public while acting as a peace officer; and providing for an effective date." [Before the committee, adopted as a working document on 2/10/26, was CSHB 250, Version 34-LS1284\I, C. Radford, 1/21/26 ("Version I").] CHAIR CARRICK announced the committee would hear invited testimony. 4:27:29 PM SEAN CASE, Chief, Anchorage Police Department, Municipality of Anchorage, began his invited testimony on HB 250. He stated that he opposes police officers wearing masks to conceal their identity and he opposes HB 250. Officers serve openly with name tags to ensure trust and accountability. He said using masks to avoid doxing is not valid. The fear and the reality of stalking have happened for decades without masking. Police officers have been in riots with violence, and they keep their faces uncovered. Police officers wear a badge with pride. This bill attempts to solve a problem that doesn't exist in Alaska. State and local officers are accountable to those people that they serve with transparency. 4:31:45 PM SARAH HIEB, Administrative Investigator I, Alaska Police Standards Council, Alaska Department of Public Safety, answered questions on HB 250. 4:32:55 PM REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE no question but would like to express appreciation to Chief Case. 4:33:21 PM REPRESENTATIVE ST. CLAIR asked what the stance of the Alaska Police Council on masking is. He asked whether there would be a reason to mask. MS. HIEB replied that she doesn't have a good answer and would need to get back to Representative St. Clair. REPRESENTATIVE ST. CLAIR asked whether there is anything in standards or training that says officers need to mask anytime. MS. HIEB replied there is nothing in the regulations on masking of police officers. 4:35:18 PM CHAIR CARRICK opened public testimony on HB 250, Version I. 4:35:30 PM JAMES ALDRIDGE, representing self, testified in support of HB 250. He said he would like to see some amendments. This bill is mostly about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He would like to see numbered badge clearly displayed, standardized uniforms, and judicial warrants. 4:36:45 PM JAMES MANNING, representing self, testified in support of HB 250. He said he would like to see wearing a mask in combination with committing an assault raised to a felony. He stated that wearing a mask is a form of intimidation. 4:38:38 PM BRIDGET SMITH, representing self, testified in support of HB 250. A peace officer wearing a mask to conceal his face would lead me to question his motive. Masks are used by criminals to conceal their identities. She mentioned the Klan and wearing hoods to conceal their identity. 4:41:23 PM REPRESENTATIVE ST. CLAIR asked whether she had seen peace officers with masks in Alaska. MS. SMITH answered no, but there is a possibility with ICE. 4:42:15 PM LAURA LUCAS, representing self, testified in support of HB 250. She applauded the proactive action in Alaska in light of the shooting of two individuals in Minneapolis. She said hearing discussion that police officers in Alaska are not masked. The public is responding to changes in this country that have not been seen before. She discussed her experience as a social worker and with deescalation in verbal and non-verbal communication. Masks promote fear and contribute to an "us versus them mentality." Masks have a capacity to transform the wearer. The value of this legislation is to promote trust not fear in peace officers. 4:45:05 PM RIZA SMITH, representing self, testified in support of HB 250. She said the bill is interesting because "we are not encountering this in Alaska." The bill is in response to what is occurring nationally. 4:47:05 PM LUANN MCVEY, representing self, testified in support of HB 250. She said wearing masks to conceal recalls the Ku Klux Klan and the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie. Face masks allow committing crimes with anonymity. This bill is crafted with specific exemptions for Alaska. She would like to congratulate Chief Case on the wearing of badges, name tags, uniforms, and body cams. Minneapolis probably did not anticipate someone coming in with masks, but violence ensued. She said this bill would strengthen community relationships with Alaska's police officers. 4:50:02 PM PAUL SEATON, representing self, testified in support of HB 250. He said he knows no law enforcement in Alaska that intentionally disguises themselves from the public. He would be opposed to them doing so as it would create dangerous situations. He supports the legislation for all law enforcement, state and federal. 4:51:36 PM BERNIE HOFFMAN, representing self, testified in support of HB 250. She said she supports the legislation for local, state, and federal officials. She appreciates the bill looking to the future to protect Alaskans. She said being anonymous leads to a lack of trust. Thank you for the future protection of Alaska residents. 4:53:17 PM REPRESENTATIVE ST. CLAIR apologized to Ms. Smith for his previous comment. MS. SMITH responded that's okay. 4:54:17 PM CHAIR CARRICK, after ascertaining there was no one else who wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 250, Version I. 4:54:25 PM CHAIR CARRICK announced that HB 250, Version I, was held over.