ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  SENATE STATE AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE  March 7, 2023 3:31 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Senator Scott Kawasaki, Chair Senator Matt Claman, Vice Chair Senator Jesse Bjorkman Senator Bill Wielechowski Senator Kelly Merrick MEMBERS ABSENT  All members present COMMITTEE CALENDAR  SENATE BILL NO. 19 "An Act relating to elections; and providing for an effective date." - HEARD & HELD SENATE BILL NO. 1 "An Act relating to election security, voting, and ballots; and providing for an effective date." - HEARD & HELD PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION  BILL: SB 19 SHORT TITLE: ELECTIONS; BALLOTS SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) KAWASAKI 01/18/23 (S) PREFILE RELEASED 1/9/23 01/18/23 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 01/18/23 (S) STA, FIN 03/07/23 (S) STA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg) BILL: SB 1 SHORT TITLE: ELECTIONS: BALLOT, VOTING, SECURITY SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) SHOWER 01/18/23 (S) PREFILE RELEASED 1/9/23 01/18/23 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 01/18/23 (S) STA, JUD, FIN 03/07/23 (S) STA AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg) WITNESS REGISTER MATT LONGABAUGH, Staff Senator Scott Kawasaki Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Presented the sponsor statement for SB 19 on behalf of the sponsor. MIKE MASON, Staff Senator Loki Tobin Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Presented the sectional analysis for SB 19. CAROL BEECHER, Director Division of Elections Office of the Lieutenant Governor Anchorage, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Stated that the division did not have a position on SB 19. BARBARA SMITH WARNER, Executive Director National Vote at Home Institute Portland, Oregon POSITION STATEMENT: Provided invited testimony in support of SB 19. AMBER MCREYNOLDS, Member Board of Governors for the US Postal Service POSITION STATEMENT: Provided invited testimony in support of SB 19. CHRIS TUCK, former legislator representing self Anchorage, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified by invitation in support of SB 19. SENATOR MIKE SHOWER, District O Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of SB 1. SCOTT OGAN, Staff Senator Mike Shower Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Presented the sectional analysis for SB 1. JIM STOCKER, representing self Palmer, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Provided invited testimony in support of SB 1. ACTION NARRATIVE 3:31:41 PM CHAIR SCOTT KAWASAKI called the Senate State Affairs Standing Committee meeting to order at 3:31 p.m. Present at the call to order were Senators Bjorkman, Merrick, Wielechowski, Claman, and Chair Kawasaki. SB 19-ELECTIONS; BALLOTS  3:32:41 PM CHAIR KAWASAKI announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 19 "An Act relating to elections; and providing for an effective date." Speaking as the sponsor of SB 19, Senator Kawasaki explained that the purpose of the legislation is to modernize Alaska's election system by building on the successes in the 2020 and 2022 election cycles. This is done by removing barriers to the ballot box, ensuring that voters are able to register and get verified to vote, and ensuring election security and integrity. SB 19 provides provisions for automatic renewal for absentee voting, a ballot tracking system, signature verification, a curing process for absentee ballots, a provision on prepaid postage for mailed ballots, and a requirement for the Division of Elections to inform voters about problems with their ballot. 3:34:40 PM MATT LONGABAUGH, Staff, Senator Scott Kawasaki, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, paraphrased the sponsor statement for SB 19. Over 360,000 Alaskans voted in the 2020 election making it the election with the greatest participation in Alaska history. Yet 173,000 Alaskans were eligible to vote or register to vote but did not. Senate Bill 19 seeks to build upon the participatory success of the 2020 election by strengthening the voter registration system, paying postage for by-mail absentee ballots, and requiring the Alaska Division of Elections to offer absentee voters the option to fix errors in their ballots. This bill facilitates participation for those legally eligible to vote and ensures the integrity of elections by updating absentee ballot verification and curing. Currently, voters are not notified of errors in their absentee ballots until after the election is certified. Over 7,500 ballots were rejected in the 2022 special primary election, a 4.55% rejection rate. That's about 1/20 ballots. On average, some in this room's ballot was rejected. Voters still must fill out a formal application every year. While Alaska has a permanent absentee voter list, it is authorized by regulation, not statute. The current list is reserved for those who live in very rural areas, the disabled, and persons who live in institutions that serve elders or those with a disability. Moreover, those on the list don't automatically receive an absentee ballot, just an application for a ballot. This bill requires the state to pay return postage for by-mail absentee ballots. It requires the Division of Elections to provide an option for each absentee voter to permanently receive the absentee ballot unless that voter should not vote in a period of four years, or the absentee ballot were returned to the department as undeliverable. This bill also requires each voter to sign the ballot. That signature needs to match that voter's signature in the voter registration database using signature comparison software, and election workers comparing signatures are required to be trained in use of the software. SB 19 also establishes a ballot tracking system and a ballot curing process. The ballot curing process requires the division to notify voters if the signature on their ballot does not match the one on their registration. This bill allows family members, caregivers, elections officials, postal workers, or volunteers from nonpartisan nonprofit organizations, like the League of Women Voters, to deliver ballots to drop off locations and establishes a clear chain of custody thereof. Voting rights are fundamental to American Democracy, which works best when eligible voters can participate and have the freedom to choose our elected leaders. Expanding and broadening the ability for all eligible Alaskans to vote ensures that these freedoms and rights prevail. I respectfully urge your support of SB 19. Please reach out to my office with any questions. 3:38:06 PM MIKE MASON, Staff, Senator Loki Tobin, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, advised that he had spent the last four years working on election reform legislation that included many of the provisions in SB 19. He presented the following sectional analysis: Section 1. AS 15.20.030 Adds the words a postage-paid return envelope requiring the Division to pay for by- mail absentee ballot return envelopes. Section 2. AS 15.20.081 Adds a new subsection: (m) Absentee ballot applications must include an option for qualified voters to choose to receive ballots by mail and the department may not require the voter to reapply unless the (1) voter has not voted absentee for four years or (2) a ballot was returned to the department as undeliverable. Section 3. AS 15.20.203(a) Amends section requiring the local elections boards to determine if the signature on the ballot matches the voter's signature in their voter registration. Section 4. AS 15.20.203 (b) Amends the section adding AS 15.20.203(b)(7) and deleting AS 15.20.203(b)(6)(B)(ii). Adding (7) requires the signature on the voter's ballot to be consistent with the signature on their voter registration. Deleting AS 15.20.203(b)(6)(B)(ii) removes the requirement that voters must provide a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or other government document to have their ballot counted. Section 5. AS 15.20.203 Adds new subsection: (k) District absentee ballot counting boards shall determine whether a voter's signature on his ballot matches his signature in voter registration records using a verification process that includes signature comparison software. Section 6. AS 15.20 Adds two sections: Sec. 15.20.221. Ballot tracking system and Sec. 15.20.222. Procedure for curing uncounted ballot. Sec. 15.20.221. Subsection (a) requires the Director to establish a free online system through which a voter may: confirm their ballot has been sent by the division, track the date of the ballots delivery to the voter, confirm the receipt of the ballot by the division, determine whether the voter's certificate has been reviewed, and determine whether the voter's ballot has been counted. Subsection (b) requires the online system to indicate whether the signature on the ballot is missing or is not a match with the signature on the registration. Subsection (c) requires the online system to allow elected officials to access the names and political affiliations of the names on the master register including a person whose registration has been inactivated. Sec. 15.20.222. Subsection (a) requires the director to send a notification by non-forwardable first-class mail, email, or phone if the voter returns a ballot and that voter does not have a signature on file, the signature on the ballot does not match with the signature on file or their ballot does not have a signature. Subsection (b) requires the notification under (a) to include an explanation of the need for signature verification, provide a form and instructions for the voter to confirm they returned their ballot to the division or provide a piece of identification accepted in AS 15.07.060(e) or provide a signature for verification. Subsection (c) allows a ballot to be counted if the division receives the form provided for in the previous section within 14 days after election day, the voter provides a signature for verification, or the ballot is otherwise valid. Subsection (d) does not allow a voter's ballot to be counted if they return the form in (b) and it indicates they did not return a ballot, or the voter did not return that form. Subsection (e) does not allow elections officials to determine the signature on the returned ballot does not match the signature in the voter registration solely based on the use of initials or a common nickname. Subsection (f) requires the director to provide training in signature comparison and use of signature comparison software to election officials who compare signatures. Subsection (g) requires the division to update the voter's signature if the voter provides accepted identification like a state ID and a new signature or they cure an old signature. Section 7. AS 15.56.035(a) Amends AS 15.56.035(a) by allowing a family member, caregiver, an election official or worker, a postal service employee or private commercial delivery service employee, or a volunteer from a charitable or educational organization exempt under U.S.C 501(c)(3) can deliver ballots to designated locations on behalf of voters. Section 8. Repeals 15.20.203(j), 15.20.207(k), and 15.20.211(f). These sections related to the current online system which allowed voters to check the status of their ballot. Section 9. Adds applicability language for AS 15.56.035(a) saying that offenses under this section apply to offenses on or after the effective date. Section 10. The director of the division of elections may adopt regulations to implement this bill and they take effect after the effective date of this Act. Section 11. Section 10 shall take effect immediately. Section 12. This act shall take effect Jan 1, 2024. MR. MASON identified the individuals invited to provide testimony. CHAIR KAWASAKI noted who was available to answer questions and provide invited testimony. 3:47:17 PM SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked whether the Division of Elections had a position on the bill. 3:47:39 PM CAROL BEECHER, Director, Division of Elections, Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Anchorage, Alaska, stated that the division did not have a position on SB 19. CHAIR KAWASAKI turned to invited testimony. 3:48:36 PM BARBARA SMITH WARNER, Executive Director, National Vote at Home Institute, Portland, Oregon, provided invited testimony in support of SB 19. She paraphrased her prepared testimony that may be found on BASIS. She stated that the goal for Vote at Home is to increase voter access to, use of, and confidence in voting at home. This system has been used in Oregon for over 20 years. She expressed support for Alaska joining other states that have initiated voting reforms that increase voter turnout and election integrity. MS. SMITH WARNER described the benefits SB 19 provides to voters, election officials, and democracy. Permanent Absentee Voter Option  similar SB 19 gives voters the option to vote absentee permanently with a single request. Seven other states use "single signup." similar Voters are given a reminder to vote in each election, which is particularly important in local elections. similar Election officials benefit by saving time, paperwork, and administrative costs. similar Single sign up has proven to be highly secure. similar Anything that reduces friction in elections tends to increase voter engagement and turnout. Prepaid Postage  similar Prepaid postage for absentee ballots is easier and more convenient for voters. It's a simple change that can increase voter engagement. similar This streamlines functions for elections officials and is more "budget friendly." Ballot Tracking  similar Ballot tracking lets voters know where their ballot is in the process. This reduces anxiety and helps to give voters confidence in the system. similar A number of states provide ballot tracking and there are multiple vendors with software to make the process straightforward. similar The response from voters has been overwhelmingly positive. She cited substantiating 2020 research data from Capitol Weekly and published by BallotTrax. similar This is a powerful tool for elections officials. similar States that used ballot tracking software report meaningful increases in turnout among voters who signed up to track their by-mail ballots. 3:56:48 PM Ballot Curing similar SB 19 provides a simple way for voters to cure errors they unknowingly made on their absentee ballots. This reduces voter frustration. similar Election officials want every legitimate vote to be counted. similar The official US Elections Assistance Commission EAVS report for the 2020 election showed that over 50 percent of rejections were due to things that a robust curing process could easily address. similar Ballot curing is used successfully in 24 states. MS. SMITH WARNER stated that the only suggestion she would make for SB 19 is that it is redundant to require a witness on the return envelope and might be an impediment for some voters to use absentee ballots. The existing strong signature verification along with the new provision for ballot curing eliminates the need for that signature. MS. SMITH WARNER concluded her testimony stating that the four proposed reforms in SB 19 would move Alaska into the forefront of policies that are "voter centric." The bill will help voters and election officials and strengthen democracy overall. CHAIR KAWASAKI asked if there were questions. 3:58:50 PM SENATOR CLAMAN asked whether any jurisdictions that had adopted signature verification encountered problems with ballot fraud or other issues related to signature verification. MS. SMITH WARNER said no; if the signatures don't match, the ballot is ejected for an in-person second check. If there's still a discrepancy, an election official reaches out to the voter. Fraud could be caught in this process, but in practice it tends to catch errors. SENATOR CLAMAN asked how many jurisdictions, both local and state, have adopted signature verification. MS. SMITH WARNER said she would follow up with the answer. 4:01:00 PM CHAIR KAWASAKI asked if Oregon experienced any particular difficulties as it moved to an all-by-mail voting system. MS. SMITH WARNER replied that she's biased, but there haven't been any difficulties in the 20 years since all-by-mail voting was implemented. She said it's been an opportunity to increase voter engagement and reduce voter disenfranchisement. She noted that data from the 2022 election shows that more than 35 percent of voters in the country used by-mail balloting. CHAIR KAWASAKI thanked Ms. Smith Warner for her testimony. He reviewed Amber McReynolds' credentials and invited her to provide her testimony. 4:04:41 PM AMBER MCREYNOLDS, Member, Board of Governors for the US Postal Service, reviewed her credentials and 20 years' experience running elections. She relayed that her approach to election administration has always been that the policies should be nonpartisan. The focus should be on the voters and improving the voting experience for all electors. She believes the reforms in SB 19 match best practices that have worked over time. They improve the operations and administration and the security and integrity of elections. The bill also includes common sense solutions that have been proven to work in both red and blue states. She opined that a benefit of by mail ballots is that voters take more time to be informed about the candidates and issues on the ballot. Mistakes are reduced when voters don't feel rushed. She highlighted that the NCSL website has a link to "Voting Outside the Polling Place" that categorizes the issues related to by mail ballots, some of which are in SB 19. 4:07:45 PM MS. MCREYNOLDS reviewed the four points in SB 19. Ballot tracking - Her team developed this system. It was first implemented in 2009 and now is used by more than 90 million voters in the US. It also improves accountability and visibility of by mail ballots, which improves the security and integrity of the process. She agreed with previous testimony that costs decrease with mail ballots and emphasized that whatever can be done to improve the process is better for everyone who participates in this democratic process. Permanent Absentee List - This reduces costs and provides less bureaucracy for voters. Ballot Curing - SB 19 includes the common sense and best practice measures that are considered the gold standard nationwide. She relayed anecdotes of signature verification processes preventing fraud. Prepaid Postage - She listed the states that have this common sense policy initiative that eliminates bureaucracy, is more efficient for voters, and more predictable for election officials. MS. MCREYNOLDS expressed admiration for the work that's been done on the bill. It is an accumulation of best practices and efficiencies. 4:15:08 PM CHAIR KAWASAKI said the ballot in the last election cycle was longer than usual and it took more than one first class postage stamp. He asked her to expand on the statement that the Division of Elections bears the cost of ballots with insufficient postage. MS. MCREYNOLDS said the general policy throughout the country is for the US Postal Service to bill the election official for the total insufficient postage on ballots, which is inefficient. CHAIR KAWASAKI said the US Postal Service does a great job in Alaska. SENATOR CLAMAN asked if she agreed that the US Postal Service can bill for insufficient postage, but the agency is required to deliver all ballots regardless of the postage that is or is not attached. MS. MCREYNOLDS said that's correct; it's a postal service policy and some states have laws mandating the delivery of all ballots. She noted that the US Department of Defense pays for all outbound and incoming ballots for members of the military who are serving overseas. She advocated for the federal government to pay the postage for the ballots of all domestic voters in the US. 4:21:25 PM SENATOR CLAMAN asked if there was a federal regulation or federal law that requires the postal service to deliver all ballots regardless of postage. MS. MCREYNOLDS said Congress has never passed a law about that, but the US Postal Service has set the policy to deliver all ballots regardless of the postage. SENATOR CLAMAN noted that the chair thinks the answer is no, but it is likely in regulation. He noted that the legislature could pass a law that voters were not required to put any postage on the ballot envelope and the Division of Elections would get the bill for the postage. Ms. McReynolds responded and Senator Claman acknowledged that the question was rhetorical. MS. MCREYNOLDS said it would require an extensive manual process. CHAIR KAWASAKI thanked her for the testimony. He asked Ms. Beecher to comment. MS. BEECHER stated that prepaid envelopes are handled differently and ballot tracking may be affected. CHAIR KAWASAKI advised that the committee would discuss this further in a future meeting. 4:26:25 PM CHRIS TUCK, former legislator representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, testified by invitation in support of SB 19. He spoke about his interest in elections and the elections bills he introduced when he was serving in the House of Representatives. In 2012 he introduced legislation to apply once and continue to receive absentee ballots until the person missed multiple elections. In 2015 he sponsored a comprehensive election reform bill. It included same day registration, semi-permanent absentee voting, and a verification process for early voting and early absentee voting. In 2017 he sponsored a comprehensive election reform bill. The bill passed the House but not the Senate. In 2019 he sponsored a bill to create semi-permanent absentee voting. It passed the House, but the legislature ended early because of the Covid pandemic. Prior to the 2021 legislative session he pre-filed another elections reform bill. The goal was to modernize Alaska's elections and remove obstacles to casting a ballot. The bill had bipartisan support but still didn't pass. He said he hasn't given up on his goal to improve elections transparency, accountability, and access to Alaska elections so he worked with Senator Kawasaki to develop SB 19. His hope is that election reform will pass the 33 Alaska Legislature. He said the big-picture goal of SB 19 is to modernize Alaska's elections, building on the success of the 2020 and 2022 elections that had increased voter participation, primarily voting by mail. The bill proposes ballot tracking, permanent absentee voting, signature verification and ballot curing for absentee ballots, and prepaid return postage for return by-mail ballots. REPRESENTATIVE TUCK urged the committee to pass SB 19, which will update the voter processes in Alaska, increase transparency, and improve voter access. 4:40:20 PM CHAIR KAWASAKI held SB 19 in committee. SB 1-ELECTIONS: BALLOT, VOTING, SECURITY  4:41:10 PM CHAIR KAWASAKI announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 1 "An Act relating to election security, voting, and ballots; and providing for an effective date." 4:42:13 PM SENATOR MIKE SHOWER, District O, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, sponsor of SB 1, stated that many of the provisions in SB 1 are similar to those in SB 19. They reflect the bipartisan efforts to improve the elections system in Alaska. SB 1 addresses over registration, ballot tracking, and ballot curing. The intent is make the system as fair as possible, have processes to catch fraud, and restore faith in the elections system. He deferred to Scott Ogan for further introduction of SB 1. 4:45:46 PM SCOTT OGAN, Staff, Senator Mike Shower, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, provided a high level summary of the sponsor statement for SB 1. It read as follows: Senate Bill 1 was drafted to address concerns with chain of custody, ballot security, reporting election offenses, preserving forensic integrity of ballots, multi factor authentication ballot curing, ballot tracking, cybersecurity and Legislative Council's authority to contract with technical experts. This measure is part of the bill sponsor's policy metric to make it easy to vote, yet hard to cheat. When voting policy makes it easier to vote, the downside is to make it easier to cheat. This creates the public perception that our sacred right to vote is ripe for fraud and undermines voter confidence. When voting policy is to make it harder to cheat, it makes it harder to vote. This bill attempts to apply the policy metric of making it easy to vote, yet hard to cheat, which most people can agree upon. Ballot chain of custody protocols must be strengthened to assure every ballot gets tracked from printer until 22 months after the election. Destroying extra ballots in precincts exposes the election system to plausible fraud by destroying forensic integrity of said ballot. There is no widely published election offense system, nor is there anyone tasked with being an election fraud expert in the Department of Law or the Division of Elections. Election laws are complex and confusing. Creating an election offense hotline with staff trained in understanding potential fraud issues will keep people accountable and build public confidence. MR. OGAN described multi-factor authentication and advised that more information was in the bill packets. SB 1 requires the director to write and implement a cybersecurity plan and it authorizes Legislative Council to hire technical experts to conduct forensic audits to verify the security of an election. 4:51:24 PM CHAIR KAWASAKI turned to Jim Stocker who was invited to provide testimony by the sponsor's office. He summarized Mr. Stocker's biography, which includes some months of citizen involvement on voting issues. 4:51:52 PM JIM STOCKER, representing self, Palmer, Alaska, provided invited testimony in support of SB 1. He described SB 1 as a great start to restore system integrity and voter confidence. He relayed that he had provided front-line testimony the last seven months about Alaska's voting system and his perception was that voter confidence was crashing. He said this was reflected in the poll numbers for the last election. He relayed that his current effort was focused on gathering signatures to eliminate the voter initiative for ranked choice voting. He also recounted his efforts in the MatSu Valley to eliminate the use of Dominion voting machines. MR. STOCKER described the four major concern of voters he speaks to. These are ranked choice voting, Dominion voting machines, the reason it takes so long to count votes and voter rolls, and why the state uses the nonprofit, nonpartisan Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) system. He said he'd just become aware that states like Missouri, Florida, and Virginia announced they would no longer use this system. 4:55:09 PM SENATOR BJORKMAN requested an explanation of the ERIC system. MR. STOCKER said ERIC is the acronym for the Electronic Registration Information Center whose objective is to improve the accuracy of voter registration. He said it's obvious that it doesn't work because the numbers don't match and former President Trump has encouraged GOP governors to stop using the system. He encouraged people who were interested to look at who founded and funded ERIC. He continued that if he were to make a statement based on pure conjecture, he'd say the system is criminal. 4:56:23 PM SENATOR BJORKMAN asked if it was his understanding that the ERIC system provided a way for states to track whether people were also registered to vote in another state so they could be removed from the voter rolls. MR. STOCKER said that's the objective but it's not working. His belief is that in Alaska there are more ballots sent out than the number of registered voters on the rolls and it seems to be that way in other states. He acknowledged that he wasn't an expert and encouraged the committee to take a deeper look. 4:57:36 PM SENATOR BJORKMAN asked if there was a timeline states have to follow before they remove someone if they are not found to be registered in another state. MR. STOCKER said he didn't know. SENATOR BJORKMAN commented that it would be interesting to know whether the ERIC system speeds the process for removing someone from the voter rolls. 4:58:21 PM MR. OGAN offered his understanding that plus or minus 30 states participate in the ERIC system. What it does is crosscheck whether or not people are registered to vote in another state. He noted that the Public Interest Legal Foundation has developed best practices for a 50-state solution. It uses more databases to update voter rolls. 4:59:09 PM SENATOR SHOWER added that ERIC has a twofold problem. First, it violates the National Voting Rights Act of 1964 and second, it isn't a government entity so there is no oversight from state government. He continued that without a true forensic audit, nobody can say definitively that there was or was not fraud in the last election. He concluded that the goal of SB 1 is to do better with elections. 5:01:17 PM SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked whether the Division of Elections (DOE) would appear before the committee again on Thursday. CHAIR KAWASAKI confirmed that the committee would hear from several elections officials on Thursday. SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said he'd be interested in hearing the division discuss the concerns that have been articulated today and whether they merit further scrutiny. He emphasized that if the claims are accurate they need to be fixed, and if they aren't accurate the public should be informed. 5:02:54 PM SENATOR MERRICK asked the sponsor to describe a forensic audit and how it differs from a regular audit. SENATOR SHOWER clarified that the accurate term was a risk limiting audit. It entails a look into the system to determine whether people on the voter rolls are actually eligible and appropriately registered to vote. 5:05:12 PM MR. OGAN directed attention to a document in the packet titled "De-weaponizing and Standardizing the Post-Election Audit" that outlines the parameters for credible audits. CHAIR KAWASAKI thanked the sponsor and other participants and held SB 1 in committee. 5:07:26 PM There being no further business to come before the committee, Chair Kawasaki adjourned the Senate State Affairs Standing Committee meeting at 5:07 p.m.