ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE RULES STANDING COMMITTEE  March 25, 2002 10:05 a.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Pete Kott, Chair Representative Carl Morgan Representative Lesil McGuire Representative Ethan Berkowitz MEMBERS ABSENT  Representative Brian Porter Representative Vic Kohring Representative Reggie Joule COMMITTEE CALENDAR HOUSE BILL NO. 207 "An Act relating to the judicial districts of the state." - MOVED CSHB 207(RLS) OUT OF COMMITTEE PREVIOUS ACTION BILL: HB 207 SHORT TITLE:REALIGNMENT OF JUDICIAL DISTRICTS SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S)KAPSNER Jrn-Date Jrn-Page Action 03/22/01 0691 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 03/22/01 0691 (H) JUD, FIN 04/27/01 (H) JUD AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 120 04/27/01 (H) Moved Out of Committee 04/27/01 (H) MINUTE(JUD) 04/28/01 1305 (H) JUD RPT 6DP 1NR 04/28/01 1305 (H) DP: BERKOWITZ, COGHILL, JAMES, 04/28/01 1305 (H) KOOKESH, MEYER, ROKEBERG; NR: OGAN 04/28/01 1305 (H) FN1: ZERO(CRT) 04/28/01 1343 (H) FIN REFERRAL WAIVED 04/28/01 1344 (H) REFERRED TO RULES 03/25/02 (H) RLS AT 10:00 AM BUTROVICH 205 WITNESS REGISTER REPRESENTATIVE MARY KAPSNER Alaska State Legislature Capitol Building, Room 424 Juneau, Alaska 99801 POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as the sponsor of HB 207. ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 02-4, SIDE A Number 0001 CHAIR PETE KOTT called the House Rules Standing Committee meeting to order at 10:05 a.m. Representatives Kott, Morgan, McGuire, and Berkowitz were present at the call to order. HB 207-REALIGNMENT OF JUDICIAL DISTRICTS CHAIR KOTT announced that the only order of business before the committee would be HOUSE BILL NO. 207, "An Act relating to the judicial districts of the state." Number 0038 REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE moved that the committee adopt CSHB 207, Version 22-LS0518\J, Luckhaupt, 3/20/02, as the working document. There being no objection, Version J was before the committee. REPRESENTATIVE MARY KAPSNER, Alaska State Legislature, testified as the sponsor of HB 207, which she characterized as a cleanup bill. She explained that HB 207 places 13 villages along the coast and Yukon Rivers, which are commonly referred to as the Wade Hampton Census Area, in the same judicial district as the court that they are currently going through. The judicial boundaries were established upon statehood and were based on election districts and thus reflected the communication and commerce systems of that time, which has changed quite a bit since then. Bethel [has developed] into the hub and thus she said she feels that those on the Yukon [Rivers] should be officially part of the Bethel venue district. Representative Kapsner pointed out that Version C adds Nabesna, which faces a similar situation. She also pointed out the change in title suggestion that is included in the packet. Number 0206 REPRESENTATIVE BERKOWITZ moved that the committee adopt the title change amendment, Amendment 1, which reads as follows: An act moving election district 24 as described in the Constitution of the State of Alaska at statehood from the second judicial district to the fourth judicial district and adding the Nabesna area to the third judicial district and removing it from the fourth judicial district. There being no objection, Amendment 1 was adopted. Number 0236 REPRESENTATIVE BERKOWITZ moved to report CSHB 207 as amended out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal note. There being no objection, CSHB 207(RLS) was reported from the House Rules Standing Committee. ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, the House Rules Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 10:12 a.m.