call the Senate Finance Committee back to order.
It is 1.30, we're in the senate finance committee meeting,
present Senator Stidman, Senator Olson,
Senator Keel, St. America,
Senator Kauffman Senator Crocken, myself Senator Hoffman.
We have three items on the agenda.
The first is Senate Bill 140,
Fire Station Grant Program by Senator Steadman.
Invite senator stedman and or a staff to the table to introduce the bill
We have Margot
Yuntberg young work
Youngberg close to The Table he's introduced yourself and tell us what the Bill does
Margo Youngburg staff, to Senator studman
SB 140 is an absolute, let me start again, in our state.
It is absolute necessity that firefighters across Alaska have functional facilities to
ensure that they can respond to emergencies swiftly and safely.
Regrettably, numerous fire stations in the state are in critical need of repairs and modernization.
Investing in these fire stations means supporting the dedicated individuals who consistently
stand by our communities during times of our greatest need.
Many stations are nearing the end of their useful lives, and each one serves an essential
role in protecting their communities.
Each new year brings innovation in technology and updates to best station design practices
coupled with regular wear and tear from daily use.
And it is inevitable that existing fire stations eventually become outdated.
SB 140 establishes a matching grant program that provides funding for
up to 50% of the total project cost for your constructing or renovating firestations.
This program would allow the structure of others, this program.
would follow the structure of other successful infrastructure investment programs already established in our state.
One notable example is the Harbor Matching Grant Program, which is awarded approximately $118 million to 57 harbor projects over the past two decades.
A decade ago the legislature appropriated substantial funding to construct or replace a dozen fire stations across Alaska.
And that to date is one of the most highly popular capital budget items.
And that in brief is what the bill would do
Thank you, and thank you for the presentation. I think this is your first bill
Actually, I had one honoring the energy council last year. Okay
Okay, the first real bill so
You did very well by the way
So, let me add a little bit. There's a couple slides that show some fire halls that were
constructed. And when I look back in the history of my tenure, along with the college here at
the table, years ago we had a healthy revenue stream and we funded firehalls around the country,
excuse me, around this state, several of them. The one on the screen and back was up in Nikiski.
fire halls around. But it's one of the most popular capital projects we've ever done.
The energy program that we did years ago to upgrade homes all over the state, I'd say
that was probably our number one. And I would say this is getting right up there.
And when we look at the need for fire holes, they're very expensive. They do get outdated.
And there's quite a few of them that need to be replaced.
There is no intent of putting this program in place this capital year.
It has a zero fiscal note, what we're trying to do is put the program
in that would allow then communities to submit applications for the grants.
And then they'd get ranked just like the harbor matching grant fund.
And we'd have the discussion here at the table.
much money we want to put in, and by having it independently ranked, we take the politics
off the table as far as, you know, what Fire Hall gets built. And the 50 percent came from
the Power Matching Grant Fund. We talked about this with libraries, did something similar,
but it seemed to be a very popular way of doing it and the fire halls that we built
They don't target one particular geographical area, one, you know, political group, or anything like that.
It's for everybody in the community, so Mr. Chairman, that's in essence what this bill does.
Thank you, Senator Steadman.
Do members of the committee have questions of prime sponsor or testifier?
Senator Keel.
To whoever whichever wants to answer it looks like this is in the Department of Commerce
Would you have them rank these fire halls or would you
Have public safety where the fire marshal is?
Rank them who would who do the prioritization? I would I think it would not be the Fire Fire Marshall
It would be The Department
And right and they may quite frankly
Be a little late
If I'd can guess how some of the department's work writing that until it's time as they see a
highly probable
appropriation hitting the table
But I think they can they could work on that. That's why it doesn't have much of a physical note or anything
So it was just the shell program
So I don't think it would be the fire Marshall. Thank you. No, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I was curious about whose expertise we were going to use
Thank You further questions from committee members
Thank you, Margo. We will go to invite a testimony the first individual that we have
signed up that has been invited is the
immediate past president of Alaska Fire Chiefs Association
First
Kuiper please come forward
Is he here in person?
Or online?
online, please identify yourself and proceed with your testimony
You know, I think that there is no need for the Senate committee.
You're welcome.
My name is Paul Bell.
I'm speaking today on behalf of the Alaska Politics Association.
It was strong unified support by Senator 140.
I serve as the authority that the University part of our mandate programs.
The Alaska Parks Chiefs Association represent practical speakers
from every region of a state.
From urban, rural, road system remote.
volunteer, combination, and career departments.
SB-140 reflects something powerful and important,
for listening statewide support for our last state emergency service
being discussed. This bill is not about one department,
it is about what we're doing, it was about Alaska.
Across our state fire stations, fire stationers
are engaging beyond those useful ways. Some were built in the 1960s,
can't do prevention and best practices,
decomformation requirements,
or ADA compliance requirements.
Others would vote for different era,
before modern, upper, out-of-side rules,
before advanced E-and-S deliveries,
and before today's funding and response demands.
SB-140 addresses two critical needs.
First, employment and usage structure
for facilities are no longer viable.
Renovation is not always possible.
In many communities, oral replacement is the only responsible option.
This need also reflects growing communities that need new spaces to effectively meet the needs of those communities.
Second, infrastructure upgrade.
In sharing our spaces and states, we build a capable of having modern firefighting and EMS equipment.
and 22 million Toronto bakers.
That number making marks, but it reflects decades
at the third maintenance and the reality
of Alaska's construction environment.
Fire stations are non-optional and perception.
They are critical response hubs.
They house emergency medical services,
exact response, capability, wildfire response assets,
community and regional operations.
They project homes, schools, agencies,
in between, and in any case, there are economic savings for our communities.
And that community fire engine is investing in life safety.
It is investment in faster response lines.
It's investing entire part of health and cancer prevention.
It has induced investing and public safety readiness statewide.
SB140 represents a thoughtful partnership between the legislator and local governments with a 50% local match.
It recognizes that while communities are doing everything they can locally, the scale of need requires state partnership.
On behalf of the Alaska Heart Chiefs Association, I respectfully ask for the passing of SB 140.
This bill strengthens emergency services capability across Alaska,
and ensures we can continue protecting our communities today for generations to come.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you, Chief Kuiper. We will go north to Kotzebue and hear from Tristan Ferguson
with the Kotzubue Fire Alaska Fire Chiefs Association
Mr. Ferguson, please identify yourself and proceed with their testimony
Senate Bill 140 today.
My name is Tristan Ferguson.
I'm the fire chief for the North War started borough.
I speak today in favor of Senate bill 140.
You have to be a last fire chiefs association.
I just like past president or stated it's
an effort for all state of Alaska.
My region in North West Africa is
And the facility that was built in the early 80s and had four additions on the station and it is in need of crucial upgrades to be applied and have more safety factors in for the response of the community and the responders.
In Alaska, I oversee villages in my region.
We do not have fire stations in these villages.
Neither we have warm storage facilities that has ATVs.
Fire trailers and fire equipment.
We believe that Senate Bill 140 would be beneficial to not only my
region, but to the rest of the state of Alaska.
If you have any questions, back to the next.
Thank you for that.
We'll open public hearing at this time.
We go to Anchorage, Alaska, Douglas Shraghi,
the fire chief for the Anchorage Fire Department.
Please identify yourself for their record
and proceed with your testimony.
Yes, good afternoon.
Thank You.
This is Doug Shraaghi.
I am the Fire Chief for the Anchorage Fire Department in the municipality of Anchorage.
I also am a past president of the Alaska Fire Chiefs Association and I speak in strong support
along with my other colleagues of Senate Bill 140 and i think the primary sponsor
In my role with the Alaska Fire Chiefs Association and in the positions I've held in fire departments in
the interior and South Central, I'm pretty well acquainted with some of the needs
in communities throughout Alaska.
In Anchorage, we are fortunate that most of
the fire stations that we staff and occupy are modern, well equipped facilities.
But we've had
difficulty adding new stations we have the municipality has added a net increase of
once one new fire station in the entire history of the
municipality when it was first formed in 1976. I'm aware of communities such as
to talk about our concerns and our needs including Senate Bill 140 and I got to know
The interim fire chief for the Gustavus fire department
This is a community of between
425 and 650 he told me depending on how you count and
their fire station has been added on to multiple times and the original building is held together with wooden pegs and
With the tax base as small as
the community of Gustavus, it would be hard to conceive how that community could afford
to bring a bond proposition that would pay for a new public safety building.
I think Senate Bill 140 provides a path for communities large and small to combine their
I look forward to its passage, and if I can help it any way, I would be glad to.
Thank you again for the time in considering this bill and taking my testimony.
Thank You, Chief Schrag, you will go to Ketchikan.
And we will hear from Steve Raiden, the President of the Alaska Fire Chiefs Association.
Please identify yourself for
the record and proceed with your testimony here.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.
My name is Steve Wright.
I'm the fire chief for South August fire department.
And we catch you again.
We borrow.
And I also serve as the current president of the Alaska Fire Chiefs Association.
I am speaking today in favor of Senate bill 140 on behalf of fire chiefs and of our local community.
30 personnel, 25 of them are volunteered, five are paid.
We serve 3,100 residents in my district, but we work very closely with the city of Ketchikan,
which is approximately 8,000 people, and the north end of the challenge, which has another
3500.
We provide fire suppression, EMS, rescue, special, uh,
combined space rescue French rescue or another, um, other elements of,
um in the fire service. Um, our stations, we have two stations in,
in this community station to City of Ketchkins was built in 1974 and is in
The station five in the city of Saxman was built in 1965 and it needs to be replaced.
The city has a community of approximately 465 people don't have the resources to come
up with the funding to build a new fire station or public safety station for that matter.
We you know, we look for grants and opportunities to do assist her small communities
Just like Gus Davis can't afford it because of their their size cool walk is the same way. We have a number of southeast
Communities that don't have the ability to go out for bond for
Public safety buildings or fire stations
Down here in Southeast
So I am in support of
Senate Bill 140, and I thank you for your time.
Would you have any questions?
I'm open.
Thank you, Mr. Rideen.
Seeing no questions, Senator Stedman.
You just for a brief comment, I got involved
with building fire stations almost 25 years ago here,
say just 20.
The South Tongass and Ketchcan was the first one.
They came in, needed a new fire station.
The fire chief at the time had no idea how the system worked, and so we worked through the legislative process, took a couple years,
and the state helped build a fire station there.
And then several years later, we had strong financial revenue,
and then the State to the capital budget helped built well over half a dozen or more.
I'd have to go back and get the list quite a few around the state.
And then two years ago for just entertainment, we're finishing up the capital budget and
the original fire station in Ketchikan, South Tonga's caught on fire.
So I just thought I had mentioned that.
You know you've been around here long enough when you see a project constructed and that
So anyway, they got that under control and saved that fire station and then started the
conversation now and how could we move fire holes forward around the state and should we put in a
program to make it fair so you know all the communities have access to it and that was the
Think it's a was one of the best
Capital project items we've built over the years, and I just think we should move forward when we have the revenue to do more of them
Thank you senator Stidman. Is there anyone in the audience that's one to testify on Senate bill 40
Is anyone on mine
Mr. Chairman
Senator Stigman before you set this bill aside for further review could we ask?
the senate president to come forward i see him in the audience and find out
what he's going to do this weekend
who is that? senator stevens oh he he can testify another bill
no no he isn't just friends he doesn't know yet
mr president senator sedman and thank you mister president
m mrs chairman and i'd like to welcome senate
I'd like to know his opinion on this bill and where he's planning on going this weekend and for what purpose?
Thank you
Senator stegman center off on the senator Gary Stevens proteac
So I am going home this week this we can on for Saturday a dedication of a new fire station and Kodiak
And just so you know how that was achieved over a period of years
I believe something like fifteen million dollars was put in by the state of Alaska by by you
another $7 million by the federal government another two million dollars by
the local community it was a the lion's share came from the state of Alaska and I
am totally appreciate all of the efforts you've done and making sure that comes
true so it's a beautiful building have not been inside it yet it just opened up
and they'll have the dedication on Saturday thank you for that testimony
make sure you have fire extinguishers
Is there anyone online?
With that we'll close the public hearing
Go to senator keel for review of the fiscal note
Thank You, mr. Chairman. There is one fiscal, note
Submitted by the Department of Commerce community and economic developments division of community in regional affairs
It creates a new fund
which will never show up on Senator Kauffman's list of more abundant funds and it the fiscal
note calls for ten thousand dollars UGF one time only in FY26. Any questions on the
Thank you through the chair. I just wanted to ask the bill sponsor if you'd consider a amendment to have a specification for fireproof fire station
Thank You mr. Chairman for the opportunity, I think
The architects will be very careful to try to make sure that the fire hall doesn't catch on fire because when it
It's hard. It is embarrassing when that happens and it does once in a while
Thank you for that. We'll set this bill aside and take a brief at ease.
I'm going to stand in for the chairman today for a little bit.
Next up is Senate Bill 23, civics education.
This is the first hearing on this bill.
I'd like to go ahead and invite Senator Stevens and his trusty staff, Tim Lampkin,
to come forward to the table and introduce Senate bill 23.
And when you're ready, go head and
introduce yourself for
the record and introduces the bill
Thank you Mr. Chairman, Senator Gary Stevens, Kodiak, a lesson learned never walk into
finance when you don't know what you're going to be expected to do.
I appreciate your hearing, Senate Bill 23, civics education.
So there has been a quiet epidemic in this country of apathy and division for decades.
We've had a focus in our schools and it's important on math and science reading and writing,
Senate Bill 23 is an effort among many
that are needed to help restore faith
and understanding of our system of government
by our younger generations.
The bill calls for the creation of civics curriculum
and creates a required exam or completion of a course
on civic for graduating seniors.
It's not a high stakes test.
It is a higher stakes issue, but not
a highest stakes tests.
It tasks our Board of Education early development.
to develop curriculum and assistance for school districts
to align our education with those civic standards.
And with this bill, we hope to rekindle a spirit
within our Education System for helping foster
citizenship, voting, community engagement,
which is a fundamental purpose of our public education system.
It is also a purpose consistent with our founding fathers.
with their vision of an education system intended to create good citizens within our
republic. And Mr. Chairman, I'd like to end very briefly with a quotation from General Washington,
President Washington and George Washington. In 1796, 20 years after the declaration of
independence, Washington gave his farewell address. I'm sure you've all read it at one time.
But what he said, two sentences, sort of on a high level, maybe a little difficult,
Washington said this to the citizens of America,
promote then as an object of primary importance,
institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge.
In proportion, as the structure of a government gives force to public opinion,
it is essential that public opinions should be enlightened.
Great, amazing words from George Washington.
It is the essential, that Public opinion should
be enlightened.
Coming soon on July 4th of 2026, we're going to be commemorating our
250th anniversary of the signing of The Declaration of Independence,
historic milestone, reflection on those principles has really defined American
democracy, and also echo George Washington's enduring call for civic
enlightenment. It's still even a more urgent today to expand and strengthen
civic education for our children.
Okay, any questions the initial questions for the bill sponsor
Seeing none, I'd like to go ahead and go to invite a testimony and we'll start up in the keen I am a peninsula with Alex
Copeland and introduce yourself for The record who you represent and speak to the Bill, please
Yes, this is Alex Copland. Can you hear me? Okay? Yes
Okay
So, I'm from Homer, and I represent the United States for Votes.
And I want to thank the Senate Finance Committee today for the opportunity to testify in support
of SB 23, Civic's Education and Alaska Schools sponsored by Senator Stevenson, Senator Greg Jackson.
I would have to testified today through a couple of reasons.
One reason is that we're not going to announce the votes, KPV, he's done on the Southern
I've been a member since typically out in 2016.
We began the idea to recruit both turnout and voter education.
As we said, you want everyone to vote, vote.
But just as importantly, be educated about what you're voting on.
Just don't ask your uncle or aunt who you vote for on election day.
Voting takes work.
It's not easy.
KPV is how numerous events to educate the public about elections in civics.
We've worked in public schools in the local college here.
In 2022, the health of Amy Galloway is now retired
and taught history at West Valley in February.
The home of high school students
all the female students on Maryland, Canada,
mayoral, and Canada Forum at the high schools.
But the 200 students are tended,
and it's completely run by students.
Newby, honestly, in the teacher and child
for the steadfast of the change,
the students with whom you control
with very fast and uniform.
Afterwards, the students were so proud of themselves that they won't forget that experience.
The other reason I was asked is that I am a nerd about civics.
I used the word, you're the positive light.
I'm always tended by JFK speech when he said,
that's not what your country can do for you.
That's what you can be for your culture.
Now I want to address our speech 23.
Here's the foremost.
I wanted to acknowledge that it is critical for all our students to have civic classes.
and even more so should study kindergarten
because we will all applaud grades.
I taught government and high school and home.
To graduate from KPBSD,
you must earn a half a credit in government
and a Half a Credit in H.A. Studies.
The curriculum for those two classes
align one with Part B of the sectional analysis,
the F.D.22.
Given my experience in teaching high-school government
I am curious how many small districts require the government class.
In other words, if all three to five districts are already doing this,
do we need to address this culture of the bill?
On this bill, I'm advocating for a cogent-based assessment.
I have not entirely sure the line to the language and sectionary of essential analysis,
but within my school, our hand-run civics project will be mandatory to pass civICS.
I already mentioned a home of a high school student she did, and they all attended it for.
There are many more project-based assessments that could be easily identified and required.
This was not required any additional funds.
Could be as simple as attending the local city council to deal in writing a paper on what they're doing.
Other examples of project based assessments include a letter to the editor.
You have to not know.
A program that we push here on the peninsula is a youth voter, vote a massive program,
and this is all throughout the whole state.
There are 16-year-olds who are up to work at a polling station and get paid to.
Hearing came down projects with youth students at better understanding of civics
and how they can be directly impacted.
Leading and writing them happen in the foundations of learning,
but when you are learning their subjects, you need contact
leading wider than you have this critical.
Keeping me in support of civic education and school
is a part of what we can achieve.
I believe we are already doing this in many of our school
districts, but having students compete a project
that goes beyond the facts can instill a lifelong understanding
and can help students make their homes even better places
to work.
I leave you with this quote from John Glenn.
By its very definition, civic responsibility means taking a healthy role in the life of
one's community.
That means the classroom lesson should be complemented by work outside the classrooms.
Service learning is just that, time community changes to academic learning.
I want to thank you for taking the time away, and if you have any questions, I'm here.
But thank for your service you guys do too.
Okay.
Thank you.
Yes, thank your for the testimony.
McCammon, board member of the Alaska Historical Society.
Am I, um, uh, can you hear me okay?
Yes.
Okay, thank you.
Um, my name is Molly McCamin. I live in Anchorage and I am testifying as a board
member at the Alaskan Historical society.
which is Alaska's largest and only statewide historical organization dedicated to the preservation
and promotion of our state's history. I speak on behalf of the more than 400 plus members of
the society and express our enthusiastic support for Senate Bill 23 and after relating to civic
The Alaska Historical Society has long been concerned about the lack of civil discourse among
Alaskans, and in response to that, we've sponsored over the past several years a series
of public lectures to promote civic discourse on a variety of topics, whether it be sovereignty
or auto development or subsistence or any other kind of topic.
can also be traced to the poor condition
of physics education in Alaska.
And so preparing young people for active citizenship
and engagement in our democracy is increasingly important.
As the challenges we face at the local, national,
and global levels become increasingly complex.
I think requiring poor government
and physics educational at high school level
and passage of a civic assessment
like that required by naturalized.
immigrants, or comparable civics project assessment would go a long way towards helping
young Alaskans prepare for your place as active citizens.
In fact, if there was some way to require this for Alascans of all ages, we would enthusiastically
support that as well as we all need frequent refreshers on the core principles included
in documents such as the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, the U.S. Constitution,
and our Bill of Rights.
And so as we approach the 250th anniversary of the signing of
the Declaration of Independence, which Senator Stevens referenced,
a well-educated citizenship is more important than ever.
And with young people now beginning to vote at the age of 18,
now is the time to make sure that they're prepared for future community engagement.
So the Historical Society really encourage you strongly to
vote to approve this important piece of legislation.
And if possible, get as enacted before July 4th, 2026.
Thank you for allowing me to testify today.
Thank for your testimony.
Next up, Dr. Sean Healy.
Hey.
Good afternoon.
My name is Sean.
He only I am the chief policy and advocacy officer
in our mission called I-Sivix.
Sandra Day O'Connor's legacy organization, as you may know, when she retired from the Supreme Court,
she had a deep concern about the state of knowledge in the country. And as my
predecessors in this testimony of stated, civic knowledge isn't passed,
David Jean has to be cultivated with each successive generation. So she founded our
And we are the leading civic curriculum provider in the country, but also do policy work.
So support stronger civic education policy at both the state and the federal level.
So I'm speaking to you today in that capacity and just to reiterate what my colleagues have testified already.
skills, attitudes and behaviors that are necessary for life while informed engagement
in our constitutional democracy and especially in this our 250th year.
We have put forward a policy menu as we make recommendations to states.
What does a comprehensive civic education look like?
That means, of course, in high school, we also think there should be a course in middle
school and instructional time and in K-5.
We know, for example, from national test data, the NAEP civics test, known as the nation's
report card, that students are taking stand-alone class in civICS do about 10 percent better
on the test and that's pretty phenomenal in education circles.
It's also important to have civics embedded in state standards, assessment is critical
and a couple of my colleagues here have attested to.
We also think that students in schools should be recognized for excellence in civic, which
I know there's still addresses.
It is important that teachers have professional learning opportunities in Civics to both
And it's critical that civics be funded as other subject areas are.
So, how's the country doing and how Alaska doing with respect to these recommendations?
As of 2025, 37 states have a standalone high school class in civICS.
Seven of them are doing it for a full year.
Of course, Alaska is not one of those states, but this bill would change that.
middle school class. However, 47 states require instruction in civics in the middle grades that
includes Alaska. 29 states have a form of civic assessments. Most are doing some version of the
U.S. naturalization test, which this bill of course calls for. But some states
have alternative forms of its assessment, like a project-based component, also reference to this
In terms of recognition programs, 19 states either recognize students, teachers, or schools
for excellence in civics.
That's really a growing area.
Alaska is not doing that.
44 states, including Alaska, provide professional learning opportunities for teachers in the
realm of civic, either state agency, and 16 states provide dedicated appropriations for
Alaska is not among them.
So to conclude, we are not sentenced to the current predicament
that we're experiencing nationally.
Were there role levels of civic knowledge,
were there's historic distrust of our institutions
in a morning mother, and of course,
toxic political polarization.
Dates across the country, including Alaska.
are embracing civic learning as an antidote to strengthening and sustaining our constitutional
democracy. Just in the last five years, 33 states have adopted at least 50 policies
to strengthen civic education. I'm hopeful that Alaska will be that 34 states to join the roster
that aim to address civic education by our measure 115 of them,
including Senate Bill 23, would strengthen civic
education.
In closing, as my colleague had suggested,
we are nearing our 250th celebration on July 4.
And if you think about it, a young person that's
in kindergarten right now, we'll graduate kindergarten.
This coming spring, last summer.
and we'll celebrate that 250, we will shoot off fireworks
for them, in our harbors.
That same young person, that same kindergartner,
will actually graduate at high school in the year 2038.
And that's the way we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the
ratification of U.S. Constitution.
I think it's a challenge to all of us in policy circles.
What we have done to invest?
in this rising generation and to make sure that this grand
experiment in democracy is carried forth to the next generation.
I think this skill, Senate Bill 23, is a huge step in that direction for Alaska.
Thank you. Thank You for your testimony, Dr. Hilly.
That concludes the invited testimony. I'd like to go ahead and open up the public
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
Torino, overlier calling for language.
It's so great to see Senator Olson here,
but I get at the table because I know you've been sick,
Dr. Olson, and I'm so glad you're feeling them.
I am a long time roughing them of Anchorage, Alaska.
I represent a family of 14 11 Anchorage
eight of whom are voters and six children.
I mention this because we care.
I'm focused on, and I sent you not only to the Senate Finance Committee, but the
individual senators, my interest in civic education, which should include the whole
continuum, starting with American legal education going to undergraduate college education
definitely high school and elementary and middle school.
and I certainly care about civic education.
I refer you specifically to you might say,
well, why don't you speak to the Senate and the House
Judiciary Committee, they have not really been willing
to hear me, and it is kindly the gentleman
for something fair for all of us.
I'm mainly focused on the Alaska Bench and Bar.
I don' t know whether any of you know
that all the other 49 states
have elected autocolders who require me members of the respective bar association.
Alaska does not. We have no elected representatives who are a statewide officer,
who is required to be a member of The Oscar Bar Association. I find this a polling that
could still be going on since later. Nothing seems to ever change. And the other thing that
that we live in the only state of the United States
that does not have an American Bar Association
on credit at law school.
This makes our state so very different
and it makes for sure how important.
Civic education is to the future of Alaska.
I hope you know that in our Alaska Constitution,
Article 13 Section 1,
it is required that all amendments
to the Constitution have to be improved by two thirds of each house of the Alaska legislature.
You see, ladies and gentlemen, I consider that almost insurmountable unless you help me.
And let me also ask that even they have an initiative petition, 18 states have allowed
initiative petitions without having to go before their legislators. We have such a difficult
in order to get a constitutional change.
But I hope you won't rate Senator Joye Resolution 21.
And it has been introduced by Senator Gray Jackson in 2001.
We certainly need American legal education to please.
You know what, I really thought was a fun idea.
Senator Stevens and Senator Hoffman, since you are retiring,
why don't you introduce the bill?
So you're one so that would be a good place finish up your career. Can you please finish out, please?
We're going over time. That's all I have to say lastly is I am to Facebook first one is elect Alaska Attorney General
2026, but 26 is going on and we haven't even got the bill introduced and then the other one it's Alaska Permanent Fund board
Confirmation committee, I have just posted finally.
Yes, thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Obamire.
Thank-thank you for your testimony.
Yes.
Yes thank-you for
your testimony and let the record note that Ms Obumire supports this bill from many angles.
Anybody in the room that would like to come forward and speak on this bell please.
For or against?
Seeing no-nobody, nobody else is on the list.
That will conclude then the public testimony
Senator keel for the review of fiscal note, please
Yes, thank you. Mr. Chairman Senate bill 23 has a single fiscal. Note. It is from the Department of Education and Early Development
Student and school achievement allocation
It Is a fiscal Note of unrestricted general funds for first-year cost of eight hundred and thirty seven point one and one
permanent full-time position
that cost
Drops in the out years to
179.1 until you're five when it goes back up
Thank you
Senator keel that physical sounds a little padded. We'll have to take a look at that
Any further comments from committee members
Senator Kaufman
Thank you through the chair to the bill's sponsor.
I was just looking at the list of your resources
and I just wondering have you had any interface
with the education community around their willingness
to use those in general?
Thank-you.
Thank You.
And yes, we've been talking a lot to teachers and former teachers that, as you know, Mr. Copeland
that spoke first was a former teacher, and I should just address that one issue that
he brought up that his district is doing education, civil education already,
and that's true.
Some of our districts are not all of them are though, and this would bring some
consistency throughout the state that all districts have to consider this.
But yes, in fact, I'll turn it over to Tim Lamkin if he can maybe give us a
further information on who he's been talking to.
Through chairs, Senator Koppman, for the record, Tim
Lamkins, staff to Senator Stevens, that list that you're referring to is just
a small sample set.
There are the teaching community.
Mr. Copplin in particular is aware that these resources exist, that they're out there,
they are freely available, not just the curriculum, but even down to lesson plans.
Okay, other questions before we close in comments from the bill's sponsor before
we set this pull aside?
Thank you, Mr Chairman.
So important issues came up.
I want us to realize that some districts were doing just a fine job in the state,
but not all are.
I really appreciate the comments from the gentleman from Icyvix. They've done a great job of bringing us all into
Up to date on what's going on the
Immigration test was talked about, and as you may recall, Senator, I passed that test
out a few years ago on the Senate floor and promised that if anyone would fill it out,
I would grade it and get it back to them,
and nobody did. But, you know, the problem is that people think it's an all-or-nothing test.
Have you all had any questions right? That's not true at all. 70% is what we're looking for.
And I took it myself several times,
and what the nice thing about it is you can take it as often as
And so that by the time you get through taking it, anybody with a simple rationale of American government will be able to get 70 percent.
Teresa Omerra, I think she was saying that we should have the State House and State Senate members pass that test.
That's not in this bill, believe me.
Okay, thank you.
We'll go ahead and set this Bill aside for the review.
Next up.
SGR 2, constitutional amendment.
Boats needed to veto override.
This is the first hearing on his resolution.
Invited is Senator Clayman and staff support.
Through the table to introduce SDR 2.
Please introduce yourself for the record,
along with Carly,
Tennyson,
and
We'll have invited testimony. We will have you up, Mr. Bertello here in a little bit.
I know you're excited about its commonancy in us, but it'll just be a few minutes.
Good afternoon members of the committee for the record. I'm Matt Playman, State Senator for Senate District H in West Anchorage.
Thank you for hearing Senate Joint Resolution 2.
Senate joint resolution 2 proposes an important change to our state constitution to improve our public's ability to
to influence executive and legislative decisions on revenue and appropriations matters.
It would ask Alaska voters to amend Article 2, Section 16 of our Constitution,
to lower the override requirements for revenue, and appropriation vetoes
from three-quarters of the legislature sitting in joint session, or 45 votes,
to two-thirds or 40 votes. In recent years, former legislators, John Coghella,
Both introduced identical resolutions in the House and the Senate.
Alaska has the highest requirements for overriding revenue or appropriations veto of any state.
Only one other state, Arizona, even comes close to this override requirement.
And Arizona only requires it for revenue bills, not appropriations.
The other 48 states all have lower override requirements
for revenues and appropriations bills.
Most states require a two-thirds vote from both legislative chambers
to override a gubernatorial veto.
Seven states require a three-fifths vote, and six states only require simple majority.
Few states differentiate between vetoed revenue and appropriations items and typical policy bills.
The three quarter vote requirement makes it extremely difficult for
the legislature to override a revenue or appropriations veto.
Since statehood, the Legislature has only overridden the appropriation vetoes five times and only twice since 1987.
The three-quarter requirement also creates a difficult double standard for revenue and appropriations legislation to pass the governor.
A typical policy bill, although it might contain a fiscal note, requires a two-thirds vote to override if it receives a governor's veto.
If that override vote succeeds, the government may then use his line item veto to remove funding for the bill from the budget.
That line item veto then requires a three-quarter vote to pass.
We saw this dynamic unfold last year when the governor vetoed House Bill 57 in May.
The legislature met quickly and vetoed that with the required two-thirds override.
And then the Governor vetoed the education funding from the budget.
To override that, we needed 45 votes to override the veto.
Lowering the revenue and appropriations requirement to two-thirds will align the requirements for all vetoed legislation and eliminate what I think has become a bit of a double standard.
In crafting this art constitution, Alaska's framers established a strong governor form of government.
The structure is evident when looking at the three-quarter legislative vote requirement
to override fiscal legislation, and the governor's right to select the attorney general.
When Alaska was a young state, the idea of the strong Governor made sense.
Today we are no longer a young state, at least if we don't compare ourselves to the 13 colonies.
Our economy has grown, and public participation in the political process has increased substantially.
This amendment returns more power to all Alaskans and their elected representatives and senators,
and it will establish a better balance between the governor and the legislature.
If two-thirds of the House and two thirds of Senate approve S.A.R.
2, it'll appear on the general election ballot for voters to decide in November.
And it is not the subject of a governor's veto to appear in a ballot.
And that's all I have.
We have any initial questions before we go to invite a testimony for the bill sponsor
Seeing none, thank you senator claim it. I'd like to go ahead and invite the former Oscar Attorney General Bruce Bartello forward
Mr. Chairman members of the committee I
Look forward to providing some perspective
that
Relates to my previous role as Attorney General and you are what Bruce Rotello last thank you the OT EL h. Oh, you know
I'm representing myself
Just to do a brief
History lesson as it were seems particularly appropriate in light of the previous bill
To simply note that the power of The Executive DeVito
Has a very long tradition. It comes initially from Roman times in the colonial period
The veto power was exercised by the royally appointed governors or the the monarchy
itself was free to veto any measure
That a colonial parliament legislature would would enact
And this, in fact, was one of the grievances that's actually included in the Declaration
of Independence.
The monarch's use in, the words of our members of The Continental Congress, abuse of power
in blocking what were considered fair and just laws.
not only for the executive power to veto, but we have the origins of the veto override.
The first three states proposed in each two-thirds majority to require
be able to override a veto.
And that has actually become the norm, as Senator Clayman pointed out.
has a provision for veto overrides and the vast majority actually provide for a two-thirds vote.
I want to note we're talking about the 250th anniversary on July 4th of US independence,
but there was another anniversary last Friday, and that was the final day of the Alaska Constitutional Convention.
on February 7th of 1956, and it embodied at that point the provisions both for the power
of veto but the veto override.
And that brings us to the question of the choice that the framers put together to provide
Every provision except those dealing specifically with appropriations, the three-quarter vote.
The reasoning reflected in the minutes of the Constitution suggests that the primary
driver here was the importance of having a very strong executive, and that's replete
Making sure, for example, that there was a single chief executive that the departments would be responsive to the governor.
Governor able to remove commissioners,
for examples.
One exception that was specifically carved out was the Department of Education,
which was to be run by a board and the idea there to make sure that education was not political.
It was a nice aspiration in any event.
And the other that was left up in the air was actually the issue.
We had a board of fisheries.
We have a Board of Game.
And we also had the Department of Fisheries and Game and it was
left to the first legislature to decide who would actually be the.
Head of the department and so those are the two anomalies, but another feature in terms of this strong executive was the line item
Beto, which is also today
Included in most constitutions and that brings us then to the three-quarter vote
What was a reasoning there does not seem to be any?
Deep reflection other than the idea of a strong Executive there
Was no other state
that had considered and adopted the three-quarter provision in fact as
Senator senator to claim and noted we have today 36 states that use the two-thirds
majority formula for all bills
seven that require a
three fifths to say 60 percent and
Six states. That only require majority vote
It was not a result of anything that happened in territorial days.
The Organic Act of 1912, which created the Alaska legislature,
provided that vetoes could be overridden by two-thirds vote.
Interestingly, and it was a choice that our framers could have made,
but chose not to, was the two thirds was required from each house.
as opposed to what is unique here in Alaska
is that it be required in joint session.
The only reference that I can find anywhere
to the concept of a barrier of three quarters
is a debate at the U.S. Constitutional Convention
where Alexander Hamilton, representing New York,
overriding of a presidential veto, a three-quarters vote,
and it was soundly rejected.
So again, what we have is framers who were not looking
to any previous experience with the veto number,
simply settling on the idea
that we had to have a strong executive.
My suggestion and I think based in part again on Senator Clayman's observations about the veto power if we look at
State history dr. Gordon Harrison has actually looked at all the vidos since
Statehood there've been four hundred and seventy-five through
2024 so we can
Overlook last year or edit to of those only a hundred were challenged
50 of those were overridden, and almost all of them had nothing to do with appropriations.
What it says is that there is, I suspect, what I would describe as an imbalance in the
respective powers of the legislature and the executive, particularly with regard to appropriations,
The outcome is that the executive has extraordinary power over the purse, a prerogative that is
in our constitution as in virtually all other states, the pregative of the legislature to
decide as representatives of people how money should be appropriated and to the extent that
really distorts, in my view, the idea of the legislature being a co-equal branch and particularly
the risk when one can see partisan driven or policy driven vetoes that are controlled
able to block the will of a supermajority.
I think it is somewhat ironic that it takes a 3-quarter vote
to override the governor's veto
in a slightly different context.
It only takes 2-thirds vote of the legislature
to actually propose an amendment to the Constitution.
And I thing in terms of waiting value
while obviously the budget
Bill is the most important single function you have and it's the one single action you must take
that
Power I think it is unduly restricted to the extent that it would take
as
Has been the case historically the three-quarter vote which is almost never successful
Those conclude my comments. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Okay. Thanks. You
I'd like to go ahead and open it up for public testimony.
Is there anybody in the audience,
there's nobody online,
is there anyone in your audience
that wants would like
to come forward and testify?
Any other claimant in their audience
that want to look forward to testify.
Seeing no,
anybody else in
the Audience wants to
come for it, I'll go and close.
Oh, excuse me.
I didn't push the right button here on my screen.
on line. So we'll go to the online testimony. Please, we have a two minute limit.
So let's we will start with Mr. Esalba Meyer from Anchorage.
Esolba. And thank you. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for hearing me. Would you forgive
First of all, ladies and gentlemen, they are wolves in sheep skinned.
I say that to their faces.
I am so darn apologetic.
I'm a judge's daughter from St. Louis, Missouri, and I grew up in a courthouse.
I took from a family of attorneys.
I know decency and my family and should never have been through.
the things we have in Alaska.
Ms. Obermeyer, Ms Oberoir, Mrs. O'Mire, Mr.
Man is trying to get elected governor or all of them.
Yes, Miss Ober
We need to keep the comments to Senate joint resolution number two dealing with the constitutional amendment, please
Yes. And it really is like my comments about civic education
Of course, I support them, but we had to look beyond this and I want to say lastly and forgive me always
our constitutional forefathers that delegates to our
constitutional assembly, they did not get it right about
lawyers. I apologize. And I'm trying to tell you, we have to
create a brighter future. So if anyone had a question, I'd be
glad to feel them. But you're very patient to hear me.
And that's a good meeting. Thank you.
Thank
you for your testimony, Mr. Hulmeyer.
I don't see anybody else online and I do apologize for not pushing the right tab on
my iPad here.
I would have picked that up if we had someone waiting.
So I'll go back.
There's been new people come into the room, so we will.
In the era of inclusion, we'll back and open up the public testimony from the
room.
Anybody who wants to testify on SJR2, constitutional amendment, now is your chance from
the audience.
Okay, seeing nobody coming forward we'll go ahead and close public testimony. We'll come back for the review of the fiscal note by
Senator keel senator keell could you help the committee, please? Thank You, mr. Chairman
Senator joint resolution two has a pair of fiscal notes the first is from the legislature
Under the legislative operating budget for session expenses. That is a zero fiscal not
The second is for from The Office of The Governor
the Division of Elections, they also submit a zero fiscal note.
That concludes them.
Thank you, Senator Keel.
We have any final questions, comments from any committee members.
I'd like to go back to the resolution sponsor,
Senator Clayman, for final comments before we set this resolution aside for further review.
No comments, thank you for hearing that resolution today.
Thank-you for everybody coming in on a busy afternoon.
testifying on an extremely important issue in balancing the powers of government.
So that will conclude this action on this resolution today.
We'll set this aside for further review.
That actually concludes the meeting today, our next meeting is scheduled for tomorrow
morning, 9 a.m.
We're going to get an update on Mount Etcham High School, what's the goings-ons there?
Four of our members traveled there last week, take a look at it.
We'll be having some discussion on the capital needs and
physical infrastructure along with the health and well-being of the students at Mount Edgeville High School.
9am tomorrow morning, we are adjourned at 2.37 in.