HB 13 - PROPERTY CRIMES                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:47:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAMRAS announced that the  final order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL NO. 13, "An Act relating to property crimes."                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAMRAS, after  ascertaining that no one  wished to testify,                                                               
closed public testimony on HB 13.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  COGHILL, speaking  as  the  sponsor, offered  his                                                               
belief that  some of the  existing fines for property  crimes are                                                               
not  equitable, and  opined that  it's the  right policy  call to                                                               
effect the  changes proposed  by HB 13,  surmising that  doing so                                                               
would result in a less costly legal system.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAMRAS asked whether felony  property crimes that have been                                                               
plead down  to misdemeanors  always get  heard in  superior court                                                               
anyway.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:50:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DOUG  WOOLIVER,  Administrative Attorney,  Administrative  Staff,                                                               
Office  of  the  Administrative  Director,  Alaska  Court  System                                                               
(ACS), said  it depends  on when the  plea agreement  occurs, and                                                               
that oftentimes,  most "low value"  [property] crime  cases don't                                                               
ever go to superior court because they are resolved before then.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAMRAS  offered his understanding  that there are a  lot of                                                               
property  crimes  that "go  under  investigated."   He  expressed                                                               
favor with  establishing higher  thresholds for  property crimes,                                                               
and  characterized doing  so  as good  public  policy, though  he                                                               
acknowledged  that to  some extent  the  proposed thresholds  are                                                               
arbitrary.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LYNN said  HB 13  seems to  be inflation-proofing                                                               
crime, and relayed that he has concerns with doing so.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  RAMRAS  acknowledged  that  concern, but  noted  that  the                                                               
current thresholds have not changed in over 30 years.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN said he does not support HB 13 regardless.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GATTO  referred to the  language on page  1, lines                                                               
10-13,  which   refers  to   property  crimes   involving  safety                                                               
equipment and  survival equipment from vessels  and aircraft, and                                                               
questioned whether those provisions  are meant to protect vessels                                                               
and aircraft to a greater degree.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL said the  bill is only establishing higher                                                               
property   value  thresholds   between  misdemeanor   and  felony                                                               
property  crimes,  and is  not  intended  to alter  any  specific                                                               
property descriptions.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:56:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM moved  to report HB 13  out of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.   There being no  objection, HB  13 was reported  from the                                                               
House Judiciary Standing Committee.