SCR  6-APRIL 2001 SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
JOHN JOERIGHT, staff to  Senator Leman, introduced the resolution as                                                            
legislative  desire to increase public  awareness of the  prevalence                                                            
of sexual  assault and  abuse in  Alaska by  proclaiming April  2001                                                            
Sexual Assault Awareness Month.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Sexual assault crimes in  Alaska are the highest, per capita, in the                                                            
nation at 2.4  times the national average. It is estimated  that one                                                            
in four  Alaska women  will  be an assault  or abuse  victim in  her                                                            
lifetime. Greater  awareness is needed because unreported  incidents                                                            
are about eight times higher than the documented occurrences.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Thirty-six   other  states  have   declared  April  Sexual   Assault                                                            
Awareness   Month  to   better   coordinate  national   efforts   in                                                            
preventing,  educating  and  promoting  a  better  understanding  of                                                            
sexual   assault.    The   Statewide  Sexual   Violence   Prevention                                                            
Conference, to be held  September 5-7, 2001, will undoubtedly have a                                                            
greater impact with the passage of SCR 6.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
He pointed out  the need to delete the word "first"  on page 2, line                                                            
10, because this isn't the first conference to be held.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
TRISHA  GENTLE, Director  of the  Council on  Domestic Violence  and                                                            
Sexual Assault,  expressed  support for the  resolution and  thanked                                                            
the sponsor and  the committee for their efforts in  heightening the                                                            
public awareness  of domestic violence  and sexual assault  problems                                                            
in Alaska.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
LAUREE HUGONIN, Director  of Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and                                                            
Sexual  Assault,  also  thanked  the  sponsor   and  committee.  She                                                            
explained that activities  are usually planned throughout the month;                                                            
communities  plan marches  and candle light  ceremonies and  provide                                                            
time and  place for victims  to speak out  about crimes perpetrated                                                             
against  them. The  recognition that  the resolution  would  provide                                                            
would be appreciated.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked for questions. There were none.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
He proposed  deleting  the word  "first" from  page  2, line 10,  as                                                            
amendment 1  because this isn't the  first conference. There  was no                                                            
objection.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
He spoke with  Senator Leman's staff  about rewording lines  6 and 7                                                            
on page  1  and they  agreed that  it could  be improved.  He  asked                                                            
Senator Phillips for his input.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR PHILLIPS said it  was a formal resolution and the word "our"                                                            
on line 6 was informal.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT suggested substituting "Alaska" for "our."                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DAVIS  asked whether  "one in four"  referred to Alaskan  or                                                            
national statistics.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
LAUREE HUGONIN  said she  thought it was  a national statistic  that                                                            
one in four women and one  in six men will be sexually abused by the                                                            
time they are eighteen.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
ANNETTE KREITZER,  staff to  Senator Leman,  clarified that it  is a                                                            
national, not Alaskan, statistic.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT  proposed amendment 2, page 1,  line 6, to read,                                                            
"Whereas one in four women  in America are likely," thereby dropping                                                            
the specific reference  to mothers, daughters, sisters  or wives and                                                            
making it a collective.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
ANNETTE  KREITZER said  that they  struggled with  the word  "will,"                                                            
just as Chairman  Therriault had, when rewording line  6. Since they                                                            
were quoting a national  statistic, the word "will" is more accurate                                                            
because one  in four women will experience  sexual assault.  This is                                                            
very  different than  one in  four women  are likely  to  experience                                                            
sexual assault.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  THERRIAULT  said he  had  no objection  to  that being  an                                                            
amendment  to  amendment   2. There   were  no  objections  and  the                                                            
amendment was adopted.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
He asked for other amendments and noted that there was a zero                                                                   
fiscal note. There were no other amendments.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DAVIS moved CSSCR 6(STA) and zero fiscal note from                                                                      
committee with individual recommendations. There were no                                                                        
objections.