SB 20-OFFENSES AGAINST UNBORN CHILDREN  8:41:29 AM CHAIR RALPH SEEKINS announced SB 20 to be up for consideration. SENATOR FRED DYSON advised the committee after SB 20 passed out of the Senate Judiciary Standing Committee on April 19, 2005, his staff came to him with two necessary amendments. He asked to return SB 20 to the committee in order to make it even clearer there won't be an action against a woman who has conflicting interest and may choose an option. He urged the committee to pass SB 20 out of committee. 8:43:47 AM SENATOR HOLLIS FRENCH offered Amendment 1. He voiced his suspicion that SB 20 could be used to overturn Roe v Wade. 24-LS0197\R.1 Crawford A M E N D M E N T 1 OFFERED IN THE SENATE BY SENATOR FRENCH TO: CSSB 20(JUD) Page 1, following line 2: Insert a bill section to read: "* Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to read: LEGISLATIVE INTENT. Nothing in this Act is intended to grant personhood status to an unborn child, as defined in sec. 6 of this Act, or to create any other legal basis for a challenge to the U.S. Supreme Court's holding in Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, 93 S.Ct. 705, 35 L.Ed.2d 147 (1973)." Page 1, line 3: Delete "Section 1" Insert "Sec. 2" Renumber the following bill sections accordingly. CHAIR SEEKINS objected. He does not believe a state law could overturn a US Supreme Court decision. 8:47:45 AM SENATOR GRETCHEN GUESS voiced support for Senator French's amendment. Roll call proved Amendment 1 failed 3-2, with Senators Huggins, Therriault, and Chair Seekins dissenting. 8:49:13 AM SENATOR GUESS moved Amendment 2. It is not the intent of the committee that women in domestic violence situations be criminalized under SB 20. 24-LS0197\R.3 Crawford 11/3/05 A M E N D M E N T 2 OFFERED IN THE SENATE BY SENATOR GUESS TO: CSSB 20(JUD) Page 2, line 7, following "life": Insert "; for purposes of this paragraph, a pregnant woman's decision to remain in a relationship in which domestic violence as defined in AS 18.66.990 has occurred does not, by itself, constitute conduct manifesting an extreme indifference to the value of human life" Page 3, line 13, following "life": Insert "; for purposes of this paragraph, a pregnant woman's decision to remain in a relationship in which domestic violence as defined in AS 18.66.990 has occurred does not, by itself, constitute conduct manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life" SENATOR DYSON voiced support for Amendment 2. Hearing no objections, Amendment 2 was adopted. SENATOR CHARLIE HUGGINS moved CSSB 20(JUD) from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). There being no objection, the motion carried.