SCR 4-US COUNTERMAND CONVENTION DELEGATES  2:24:05 PM CHAIR MCGUIRE announced the consideration of 4. 2:24:16 PM SENATOR BILL STOLTZE, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, sponsor of SCR 4, deferred to Mr. George to introduce the legislation. DANIEL GEORGE, Staff, Senator Bill Stoltze, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, stated that SCR 4 lays out the implementation process for the Countermand Amendment Convention. He related that this issue was brought by a constituent and is a grassroots effort. Other states interested in or that have passed similar legislation include New Mexico, New Hampshire, Louisiana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Utah and Oklahoma. He clarified that the purpose of this process is to countermand a federal decision or law, not to create new law that may be discriminatory. "We're talking about a decision that's been made at the federal level that you can get a pretty high majority of states to agree that it's an overreach or is in excess of federal power." Whether or not the bar is high enough is a question for the body to decide, he said. SENATOR STOLTZE thanked the committee for hearing the resolutions. He concluded that this is a modest first step in a process that is more deliberative by leaps and bounds than the Supreme Court process. CHAIR MCGUIRE opened public testimony. 2:29:55 PM MIKE COONS, National Legislative Director of Citizen Initiatives, Palmer, Alaska, stated support for both SJR 15 and SCR 4 and expressed disappointment that the resolutions wouldn't be passed from committee today. He related that the representative from Pennsylvania did a good job of laying out how the countermand amendment could be used effectively. He also mentioned the comment by the governor of Texas, related to the marriage ruling, that five justices can change the Constitution. He recalled a conversation with Senator Coghill, and opined that even if 30 states don't coalesce around a specific federal action within the 18 month timeframe, it will still provide impetus for Congress to "do what should have been done to begin with." He offered his belief that the entire process could be complete in six months, because "we have 38 energy producing states, we have 40 states with concealed carry shall-issue, [and] we have 29 states that have filed suit against Obama Care. He referred to Senator Coghill's comment about a "hair on fire moment, and offered his belief that the country is at that point. He cited Donald Trump as an example saying that the anger nationwide is palatable. He encouraged the committee to pass the legislation today. "As a point of pride as an Alaskan and as an American, I really want to see Alaska leading the way on this," he said. 2:37:26 PM CHAIR MCGUIRE stated that she would hold SCR 4 in committee and bring it up for a vote next week.