SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE May 9, 1994 9:12 a.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Senator Robin Taylor, Chairman Senator Dave Donley Senator Suzanne Little MEMBERS ABSENT Senator Rick Halford, Vice-Chairman Senator George Jacko COMMITTEE CALENDAR CONFIRMATION HEARING - Attorney General Bruce Botelho ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 94-47, SIDE A Number 001 CHAIRMAN ROBIN TAYLOR called the Judiciary Committee meeting to order at 9:12 a.m., and invited Attorney General Botelho to address the committee. Attorney General Botelho said he was honored by his nomination by Governor Hickel to serve as Attorney General. Most of his professional life has been as a lawyer in the Department of Law, having worked with seven attorneys general. He also served for three years as the deputy commissioner in the Department of Revenue, as well as a five-month period serving as acting commissioner in that department. Attorney General Botelho outlined his family background, which has a long tradition both in Alaska and as public servants. His own background in terms of growing up has been influenced by family and school, as well as by the church and in scouting. Attorney General Botelho related that Governor Hickel, during the course of this year, has identified three priorities for him to pursue: (1) continued prosecution of the state's federal litigation on a wide variety of fronts; (2) the collection of back taxes; and (3) the continued rigorous enforcement of the state's criminal laws and efforts to see legislation enacted during the session. Attorney General Botelho said he has identified that his personal priority in terms of time be devoted to three issues: (1) the active attempts to collect back taxes; (2) resolution of the Mental Health Trust Lands controversy; and (3) internal management issues within the Department of Law. Number 158 SENATOR LITTLE asked if the Department of Law is setting up a separate unit for child support enforcement collections, and how will it coordinate the Child Support Enforcement Division (CSED) in the Department of Revenue. ATTORNEY GENERAL BOTELHO acknowledged that was correct and pointed out that the Department of Law has always provided legal services to CSED. The difficulty has been that because of other emergency proceedings involved in the process, child support enforcement efforts have gone to the bottom of the stack and that has created a backlog in both the Department of Law as well as CSED. There will now be collections specialists whose full time job will be to get that backlog taken care of. Number 184 SENATOR DONLEY spoke to concerns with past problems with insurance fraud in the state, and that he has heard the rumor that there is the intent by the Department of Law to take the fraud investigator position and use it for something else. ATTORNEY GENERAL BOTELHO agreed that insurance fraud has been a historic problem. The Department of Commerce & Economic Development has funded two positions for the Division of Insurance to work full time on insurance fraud investigations. One is located in Anchorage and the other in Juneau, however, he has transferred the Juneau position to Anchorage so that the two attorneys can work together full time with the bulk of the insurance division's work out of Anchorage. Number 251 SENATOR TAYLOR expressed his pleasure with Attorney General Botelho's appointment and commended him for the job he has been doing. Number 260 SENATOR DONLEY moved that a letter be sent to Senate President Halford stating that the committee has held a hearing on the appointment of Mr. Botelho as Attorney General and there were no stated objections to his confirmation. Hearing no objection, it was so ordered by the Chairman. There being no further business to come before the committee, the meeting was adjourned at 9:30 a.m.