HCR 7-UNIFORM RULES: EXECUTIVE SESSIONS CHAIR ROKEBERG announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 7, Proposing an amendment to the Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature relating to executive sessions of legislative bodies; and providing for an effective date for the amendment. Number 1950 REPRESENTATIVE BRUCE WEYHRAUCH, Chair, House State Affairs Standing Committee, Alaska State Legislature, testified as the Chair of the House State Affairs Standing Committee, the sponsor of HCR 7. Representative Weyhrauch said that he introduced HCR 7 based on his experience in the House State Affairs Standing Committee in regard to dealing with an overview of homeland security. In working the homeland security issue with the committee and the administration, he said he had asked Tamara Cook, Director, Legislative Legal and Research Services, to put together a legal basis for the House State Affairs Standing Committee to go into executive session because there was nothing in the legislative rules that allowed discussion of matters of homeland security during an executive session. REPRESENTATIVE WEYHRAUCH explained that the House State Affairs Standing Committee went into executive session based on a couple of Alaska Statutes and the desire to have a secure and confidential overview of homeland security. The review of homeland security issues in Alaska is a tense matter involving almost every agency of the state as well as private sector groups such as the pipeline, the Alaska Marine Highway System, the U.S. Coast Guard, private security firms, power companies, et cetera. The committee wanted to add something to the Uniform Rules that would allow committees to go into executive session. Therefore, HCR 7 amends Uniform Rule 22(b) to allow paragraph (4), which reads: "discussion of a matter that affects the security of the state or nation, or that affects the security of a governmental unit or agency." REPRESENTATIVE BERKOWITZ noted his support of Representative Weyhrauch's effort in this regard. It's preferable to provide more clarity with regard to when committee's can go into executive session as well as the reasons for doing so, he said. Number 1627 REPRESENTATIVE KERTTULA expressed concern that the language of new paragraph (4) seems fairly broad. She asked if any thought had been given to adding the modifier "adversely" before "affects". TAMARA COOK, Director, Legislative Legal and Research Services, Legislative Affairs Agency, said that she wasn't sure "adversely affects" would accomplish what Representative Kerttula wants. Perhaps, the language should read "discussion of a matter the public knowledge of which would adversely effect ...." REPRESENTATIVE KERTTULA agreed that Ms. Cook's suggestion would be more appropriate. She inquired as to the sponsor's reaction. REPRESENTATIVE WEYHRAUCH said that there is an important balance between doing the public's business in the open and having enough information as a policy body to hear confidential matters to make policy beneficial to the public. Number 1789 REPRESENTATIVE KERTTULA discussed a conceptual amendment that would change paragraph (4) to read as follows: "discussion of a matter that the public knowledge of which would adversely affect the security of the state or nation, or that adversely affects the security of the governmental unit or agency." CHAIR ROKEBERG remarked that the word "adversely" isn't necessary because there are other principles at work. REPRESENTATIVE KERTTULA disagreed and related her belief that inclusion of "adversely" is important. Number 1812 REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL pointed out that paragraph (1) under Section 1(b) uses the word "adversely". However, he wasn't aware of areas in which a committee would want to go into executive session when there wasn't an adverse affect with regard to the topic of security. REPRESENTATIVE WEYHRAUCH said that paragraph (4) could be conceptually amended to read: "for discussion of a matter the public knowledge of would adversely affect the security of the state or nation or adversely affect the security of a governmental unit or agency." REPRESENTATIVE KERTTULA moved that the committee adopt the conceptual amendment stated by Representative Weyhrauch. There being no objection, the conceptual amendment was adopted. Number 1901 REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE moved to report HCR 7 as amended out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHCR 7(RLS) was reported from the House Rules Standing Committee.