ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  SENATE STATE AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE  March 25, 2010 9:40 a.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Senator Linda Menard, Chair Senator Kevin Meyer, Vice Chair Senator Albert Kookesh Senator Joe Paskvan MEMBERS ABSENT  Senator Hollis French COMMITTEE CALENDAR  HOUSE BILL NO. 24 "An Act relating to a public procurement preference for Alaska veterans." - BILL HEARING CANCELED HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 20 Proclaiming the month of April 2010 to be Sexual Assault Awareness Month. - MOVED HCR 20 OUT OF COMMITTEE PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION  BILL: HCR 20 SHORT TITLE: SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) FAIRCLOUGH 02/17/10 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 02/17/10 (H) STA 03/09/10 (H) STA AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106 03/09/10 (H) Moved Out of Committee 03/09/10 (H) MINUTE(STA) 03/10/10 (H) STA RPT 6DP 03/10/10 (H) DP: JOHNSON, GATTO, SEATON, GRUENBERG, PETERSEN, LYNN 03/10/10 (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S) 03/10/10 (H) VERSION: HCR 20 03/12/10 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 03/12/10 (S) STA 03/25/10 (S) STA AT 9:00 AM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg) WITNESS REGISTER KAREN SCHUESSLER Staff to Representative Anna Fairclough Alaska State Legislature Juneau, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HCR 20 for the sponsor. ACTION NARRATIVE 9:40:07 AM CHAIR LINDA MENARD called the Senate State Affairs Standing Committee meeting to order at 9:40 a.m. Present at the call to order were Senators Meyer, Paskvan, Kookesh and Menard. HCR 20-SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH  9:40:48 AM CHAIR MENARD announced the consideration of HCR 20. KAREN SCHUESSLER, aide to Representative Fairclough, said HCR 20 proclaims April 2010 to be Sexual Assault Awareness month. Sexual assault affects men, women and children of all racial and economic backgrounds. A person is 2.6 times more likely to be sexually assaulted in Alaska than any other state. Sexual assault leaves long-lasting physical and emotional scars that can influence every aspect of an individual's life. 9:42:03 AM CHAIR MENARD opened and closed public testimony. SENATOR MEYER noted that he and Representative Fairclough served on the Standing Together Against Rape (STAR) board of directors for years. He suggested that bringing the resolution up every year, rather than making it permanent, acts as a reminder that sexual assault is a problem in Alaska that needs continual work. CHAIR MENARD said she appreciated the voice for victims of these crimes. SENATOR PASKVAN commented that he also feels that bringing the resolution up each year is important; it is actively before the Legislature and is not forgotten about. 9:43:48 AM SENATOR MEYER moved to report HCR 20 from committee with individual recommendations and attached zero fiscal note(s). There being no objection, the motion carried. 9:44:15 AM CHAIR MENARD, seeing no further business to come before the committee, adjourned the meeting at 9:44 a.m.