SCR 21-UNIFORM RLS:EDUC./HSS STANDING COMMITTEES  8:02:46 AM CO-CHAIR MEYER announced the first order of business was the consideration of SCR 21. 8:03:10 AM EDRA MORLEDGE, staff to Senator Meyer, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, said Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 21 makes the Senate and House standing education committees permanent in both bodies. She said the committees become permanent by repealing two sections of Uniform Rule 20 that served as a sunset clause. She said the 2008 Legislature changed the Uniform Rules to create stand-alone committees in both bodies via Legislative Resolve Number 35. She said prior to 2008, education was under the purview of the merged Health, Education and Social Services Committees in both bodies. She said at the time, due to the unknown logistics of maintaining a new standing committee, a five year sunset provision was added. She said without SCR 21, jurisdiction over education would revert back to the merged committees in both houses on January 15, 2013. She said it was determined that it was in the best interest of diligent policy making to continue the Standing Education Committees on a permanent basis. She said there was a zero fiscal note attached from the Legislative Affairs Agency. 8:04:47 AM SENATOR STEVENS commented that he was surprised that Alaska did not have a standing committee due to the amount of issues. He said Alaska was probably the only state without a standing education committee. CO-CHAIR MEYER agreed with Senator Stevens. 8:06:02 AM SENATOR DAVIS commented that her goal since 1991 was to make education a permanent committee. 8:07:07 AM CO-CHAIR THOMAS moved to report SCR 21 from the committee with individual recommendations and an attached zero fiscal note(s). 8:07:20 AM CO-CHAIR MEYER said without objections, SCR 21 moved from the Senate Education Standing Committee.