ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE STATE AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE  February 19, 2009 8:04 a.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Bob Lynn, Chair Representative Paul Seaton, Vice Chair Representative Carl Gatto Representative Craig Johnson Representative Peggy Wilson Representative Max Gruenberg Representative Pete Petersen MEMBERS ABSENT  All members present COMMITTEE CALENDAR  HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 13 Proposing amendments to the Constitution of the State of Alaska to correct obsolete references to the office of secretary of state by substituting references to the office of lieutenant governor. - MOVED HJR 13 OUT OF COMMITTEE HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 12 Relating to the Ground-based Midcourse Defense System. - BILL HEARING CANCELED PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION  BILL: HJR 13 SHORT TITLE: CONST AM: SEC. OF STATE REFERENCES SPONSOR(s): STATE AFFAIRS 02/02/09 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 02/02/09 (H) STA, JUD, FIN 02/19/09 (H) STA AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106 WITNESS REGISTER JESSICA SRADER, Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Labor and State Affairs Section Civil Division Department of Law Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Responded to requests during the hearing on HJR 13. ACTION NARRATIVE 8:04:25 AM CHAIR BOB LYNN called the House State Affairs Standing Committee meeting to order at 8:04 a.m. Representatives Seaton, Gatto, Wilson, Gruenberg, Petersen, and Lynn were present at the call to order. Representative Johnson arrived as the meeting was in progress. HJR 13-CONST AM: SEC. OF STATE REFERENCES 8:05:08 AM CHAIR LYNN announced that the only order of business was HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 13, Proposing amendments to the Constitution of the State of Alaska to correct obsolete references to the office of secretary of state by substituting references to the office of lieutenant governor. 8:05:42 AM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG introduced HJR 13, which is sponsored by the House State Affairs Standing Committee. He relayed that 20-30 years ago, the title of secretary of state was changed to lieutenant governor, but the change was omitted in two areas of the constitution, and HJR 13 would serve as a conforming amendment. He noted that the same legislation was introduced as House Joint Resolution 7 in the Twenty-Fourth Alaska State Legislature, but did not pass. He said he does not know why. The legislation was introduced again as House Joint Resolution 37 in Twenty-Fifth Alaska State Legislature, but was not heard in time by both bodies. 8:07:20 AM REPRESENTATIVE GATTO said the House State Affairs Standing Committee will be hearing a bill he is sponsoring regarding gender neutrality, and he asked for committee feedback as to whether or not it should be combined with HJR 13. He said his recommendation would be to keep the two pieces of legislation separate. CHAIR LYNN noted that combining the two resolutions would require a title change. 8:09:37 AM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG said he strongly favors the gender neutrality bill and would have no problem combining the two. He recommended that Legislative Legal and Research Services be consulted regarding the issue of combining two separate constitutional amendments and what the effects might be in considering "this omnibus constitutional amendment - a revision, which under the best case is unconstitutional." He said he wants to avoid legal complications. 8:12:30 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON noted that both resolutions would change references, which would be appropriate. He predicted that the electorate would not take issue with gender neutrality, since the majority voted for a female governor. He suggested combining the resolutions and holding them until a legal opinion was obtained. 8:16:38 AM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG said he would like to see the two resolutions remain separate, but said he would not ask for a hearing on HJR 13 in the House Judiciary Standing Committee until the gender equality legislation had been introduced. He said it would give the next committee of referral options, and would not delay HJR 13. 8:17:35 AM REPRESENTATIVE GATTO, in response to Chair Lynn, said the legislation regarding gender neutrality has been scheduled for hearing in the House State Affairs Standing Committee. 8:17:48 AM REPRESENTATIVE PETERSEN said he does not think there would be a problem combining the two resolutions, because neither would profoundly change the constitution. 8:18:25 AM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG suggested sending a letter of intent to the House Judiciary Standing Committee. REPRESENTATIVE GATTO concurred. CHAIR LYNN said, in general, he is reluctant to join two bills together, because it complicates the issue. 8:19:42 AM JESSICA SRADER, Assistant Attorney General (AAG), Labor and State Affairs Section, Civil Division, Department of Law, in response Chair Lynn, said she would research answers to the committee's aforementioned questions and concerns before HJR 13 is heard by the House Judiciary Standing Committee. 8:20:43 AM CHAIR LYNN, after ascertaining that there was no one else to testify, closed public testimony. 8:21:04 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON moved to report HJR 13 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, HJR 13 was moved out of the House State Affairs Standing Committee. REPRESENTATIVE GATTO observed in the fiscal note that it costs the state $1,500 to list something in an election pamphlet, but it costs $22,000 to "make a ballot." REPRESENTATIVE PETERSEN said he interpreted that information to mean that if the language is concise enough to fit on one page, then the cost would be $1,500 instead of $22,000. 8:26:13 AM ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, the House State Affairs Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 8:26 a.m.