ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE JUDICIARY STANDING COMMITTEE  March 1, 2019 1:08 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Matt Claman, Chair Representative Gabrielle LeDoux, Vice Chair Representative Chuck Kopp Representative David Eastman MEMBERS ABSENT  Representative Louise Stutes Representative Adam Wool Representative Laddie Shaw COMMITTEE CALENDAR  CONFIRMATION HEARING(S): Board of Governors Alaska Bar Association Jedediah Cox Anchorage, Alaska - CONFIRMATION(S) ADVANCED PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION  No previous action to record WITNESS REGISTER JEDEDIAH COX, Appointee Board of Governors Alaska Bar Association Anchorage Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified and answered questions during his confirmation hearing. THERESA OBERMEYER Anchorage, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified during the confirmation hearing for the Board of Governors Alaska Bar Association CHARLES MCKEE Anchorage, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified during the confirmation hearing for the Board of Governors Alaska Bar Association ACTION NARRATIVE 1:08:31 PM CHAIR MATT CLAMAN called the House Judiciary Standing Committee meeting to order at 1:08 p.m. Representatives Claman, LeDoux, Eastman, and Kopp were present at the call to order. ^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S): Board of Governors Alaska Bar Association CONFIRMATION HEARING(S): Board of Governors Alaska Bar  Association    1:09:01 PM CHAIR CLAMAN announced that the only order of business would be consideration of the governor's appointee, Jedediah Cox, to the Board of Governors of the Alaska Bar Association. 1:09:22 PM CHAIR CLAMAN opened public testimony for the appointment of Jedediah Cox to the Board of Governors of the Alaska Bar Association. 1:09:49 PM JEDEDIAH COX, Appointee to the Board of Governors of the Alaska Bar Association (ABA), expressed his appreciation to the committee for its consideration. Mr. Cox relayed his educational and professional background. He has been an educator for ten years in the public and private sector, domestic and foreign. Mr. Cox stated that the work that he did on the University of Montana Academic Standards Committee, for the Montana Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, and as a professor gave him the opportunity to work on state policy, university bylaws, and review academic performance. Mr. Cox stated that he brings with him values of honesty, hard work, courage, fairness, tolerance, patriotism, and the willingness to learn and listen. 1:11:08 PM CHAIR CLAMAN thanked Mr. Cox for his testimony and stated that it was his intention to open the meeting to questions from the public. At the time, he opened the meeting to questions from the members. 1:11:22 PM REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX noted Mr. Coxs interesting employment history and asked for clarification on the Vietnam Banking Academy. 1:11:35 PM MR. COX stated that the Vietnam Banking Academy is a university focused on banking. While employed, Mr. Cox worked as an English teacher out of Singapore. 1:12:29 PM REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked if Mr. Cox was physically present in Vietnam or if he provided instruction online. 1:12:39 PM MR. COX stated that he lived in Hanoi, Vietnam. 1:12:47 PM REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked for clarification on Mr. Coxs experience in the Montana House of Representatives and the Florida House of Representatives. 1:13:13 PM MR. COX stated that in Montana he was on the higher education general education committee. The committee sought to unify the general education requirements to enable students to more easily transfer between schools. The committee also worked to update the general education curriculum. REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked for temporal clarification on Mr. Coxs position on the committee with other positions held at the Montana State Legislature. 1:14:02 PM MR. COX clarified that he interned for U.S. Representative Rehberg of Montana. At a similar time, from 2005 to 2008, he was on the General Education Committee. 1:14:29 PM REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked for clarification on the position that Mr. Cox held in 2017 in the Florida House of Representatives. MR. COX stated that he was an Executive Secretary for the Rules and Policy Committee. In the position, he assisted with the preparation of bills before sending them to the floor. 1:15:11 PM CHAIR CLAMAN stated that it appeared Mr. Cox does not have prior experience with an organized bar association. Chair Claman asked Mr. Cox if that was accurate. MR. COX confirmed that that was accurate. CHAIR CLAMAN sought clarification as to Mr. Coxs understanding of the position, explaining that Mr. Cox would be in a significant minority on the Board of Governors considering his lack of experience with a bar association. Chair Claman asked if Mr. Cox was aware of that and would be comfortable in that role. MR. COX confirmed that he would be comfortable. CHAIR CLAMAN sought to confirm that Mr. Cox would be comfortable interacting with that many lawyers so frequently. MR. COX answered in the affirmative. 1:15:53 PM CHAIR CLAMAN noted that he served on the Board of Governors of the ABA for several years, including serving as the President of the Board. Chair Claman stated that he found public members were often very active in discussions and brought a perspective that was helpful to the Bar. 1:16:29 PM REPRESENTATIVE KOPP asked for Mr. Cox to explain, specifically, why he would like to serve on the Board of Governors of the ABA. 1:16:44 PM MR. COX described how his prior experience in education and in academic standards review would be useful to the board. He stated his belief that this position would be a good fit. Mr. Cox said he is also interested in holding a position in public service. He is currently employed by the State of Alaska in the Division of Community and Regional Affairs. 1:17:33 PM REPRESENTATIVE KOPP asked for Mr. Coxs understanding of the role of the Board of Governors with respect to the Alaska Supreme Court. 1:17:43 PM MR. COX stated that the goal is to vet and put forward good candidates. Mr. Cox then asked the committee if his understanding was correct. CHAIR CLAMAN stated that Mr. Cox was confusing the Board of Governors of the ABA with the Alaska Judicial Council. MR. COX apologized. 1:18:10 PM REPRESENTATIVE KOPP described the role of the board as concerned with discipline/complaint matters and academic/continuing education matters. Representative Kopp then asked Mr. Cox about his position with the Anchorage School District (ASD). 1:18:33 PM MR. COX stated that he was an English tutor and worked with ESL students while at ASD. Mr. Cox then stated that his experience in the Florida House of Representatives had given him some, though limited, experience reprimanding misconduct. 1:19:30 PM REPRESENTATIVE KOPP asked Mr. Cox if he is familiar with the annual events that the Bar plans. MR. COX asked if Representative Kopp was referencing the continuing education events. 1:20:03 PM CHAIR CLAMAN clarified that Representative Kopp was referring to the Annual Convention of the Bar Association that occurs in May. 1:20:11 PM MR. COX stated that he has been focusing on the matters that the Board concerns itself with during meetings. 1:20:24 PM CHAIR CLAMAN stated that no one else had any questions. Chair Claman thanked Mr. Cox for providing his testimony and opened the meeting up to public testimony. 1:20:49 PM CHAIR CLAMAN introduced Theresa Obermeyer as the first person to testify as a public witness. 1:21:57 PM THERESA OBERMEYER, Ph.D., made comments not on topic with the published agenda. 1:24:31 PM CHARLES MCKEE, made comments not on topic with the published agenda. 1:26:51 PM CHAIR CLAMAN, after ascertaining that there was no one else who wished to testify, closed public testimony. 1:27:36 PM REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX moved to advance the confirmation of Jedediah Cox, appointee to the Board of Governors for the Alaska Bar Association to the joint session of the House and Senate for consideration. There being no objection, the confirmation was forwarded. She reminded the committee that signing the reports regarding appointments in no way reflects individual members' approval or disapproval of the appointees, and that the nominations are merely forwarded to the full legislature for confirmation or rejection. 1:27:59 PM CHAIR CLAMAN announced that the name of the appointee would be forwarded to the joint session. 1:28:23 PM ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, the House Judiciary Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 1:28 p.m.