ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES  STANDING COMMITTEE  April 20, 2004 3:22 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Peggy Wilson, Chair Representative Carl Gatto, Vice Chair Representative John Coghill Representative Paul Seaton Representative Kelly Wolf Representative Sharon Cissna MEMBERS ABSENT  Representative Mary Kapsner COMMITTEE CALENDAR PRESENTATION BY FAITH-BASED AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVES TASK FORCE TAPES  04-35, SIDE(S) A & B CHAIR PEGGY WILSON convened the meeting of the House Health, Education and Social Services Standing Committee at 3:22 p.m. Representatives Wilson, Coghill, Cissna, Gatto, Seaton, and Wolf were present. SUMMARY OF INFORMATION  LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR LOREN LEMAN provided a general introduction and overview of the Faith-Based and Community Initiative Task Force. He described the composition of the task force, and also what the task force has been doing to date. Lieutenant Governor Leman introduced Scott Merriner, Chairman of the Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Task Force and resident of Anchorage. SCOTT MERRINER, Chairman, Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Task Force, took questions from the committee and then discussed briefly the legality of the task force, and how the task force does not violate the separation of church and state. He further described how the relevant law has been changing in favor of organizations like the task force in recent years. Mr. Merriner discussed how the task force has been working and where it would like to go in the future. He gave examples of how the members of the task force are able to provide services that the government could provide, but which the task force members are able to provide cheaper and with a higher level of personal service. ANNOUNCEMENTS  There were no announcements. COMMITTEE ACTION  The committee took no action. ADJOURNMENT  NOTE: The meeting was recorded and handwritten log notes were taken. A copy of the tape(s) and log notes may be obtained by contacting the House Records Office at State Capitol, Room 3, Juneau, Alaska 99801 (mailing address), (907) 465-2214, and after adjournment of the second session of the Twenty-Third Alaska State Legislature this information may be obtained by contacting the Legislative Reference Library at (907) 465-3808.