Juneau, AK
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Weekly Legislative Update 2009 AWL Mission: To defend and advance the rights and needs of Women, Children and Families in Alaska Visit us on the web: www.akwomenslobby.org
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Budgets closed out in the House and House Finance scheduled public testimony for both the operating and mental health budgets on March 2nd and 3rd. See committee hearing schedules below. Many legislators will be attending the National Energy Council Conference toward the end of next week. Committee meetings are not scheduled for Thursday or Friday. Legislative Committee Assignments: Go
to BASIS committee assignments list: http://w3.legis.state.ak.us/docs/pdf/commlist.pdf NEW BILLS: Look here for legislation introduced during the previous week. Click on the bill number to access the bill. EDUCATION ISSUES: Bill: SB
122 Sponsor: Davis, Kookesh Title: Prekindergarten School
Programs/Plans Referrals: EDC, FIN Content: Expands
the definition of elementary school to include a prekindergarten program
provided by a school district for students ages 4 and 5; sets parameters for
the prekindergarten program. OTHER ISSUES: Bill: HB
149 Sponsor: H JUD Title: Civil Legal Services Fund Referrals: JUD, FIN Content: Allows the legislature to appropriate
an amount from the general fund that is up to 25% of the filing fees received
by the Court System during the previous fiscal year to the Civil Legal Services
Fund. HB 26, was heard and held in HSS Committee. HB 26 reauthorizes the
dental program without an end date. Without reauthorization, the dental program
will sunset this summer, June 30, 2009. HB
63, Council on Domestic Violence:
Members & Staff was amended in FIN and passed from committee. The CS changed the definition of rural to
mean a community with a population of 7,500 or less that is not connected
by road or rail to Anchorage or Fairbanks or with a population of 3,500 or less
that is connected by road or rail to Anchorage or Fairbanks. The bill is scheduled for the House Floor on
Monday, March 2nd. SB
1, Alaska Minimum Wage, was amended in L&C and passed from
committee. The CS deletes the specific
step increases in the original bill and now states the minimum wage will be $1
more an hour than the federal minimum wage.
Its next referral is Finance. SB
10, Medicaid/Ins for Cancer Clinical Trials, passed from HSS this
week. Its next referral is L&C. SB
13/SB
87 Medical Assistance Eligibility, both bills were heard and held in Finance
on the 25th. COMMITTEE SCHEDULE: Look here for committee meetings for the coming week. Bill hearings OFTEN change. If you are planning to testify it is a good
idea to check the committee calendar the day of the hearing. Go to BASIS Committee
schedules: http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/hearing_form.asp?session=26 Monday, March 2 8:00am H EDC
HB
126, Foster Care/CINA/Education of Homeless 1:00pm H JUD HB
9, Capital Punishment 1:30pm H FIN Adopt
subcommittee budget reports; general discussion 1:30pm S HSS SB
61, Mandatory Universal Health Care SB
47, Statute of Limitations for Sexual Offenses Tuesday, March 3 8:00am S HSS Fin Sub Public Health Initiatives 1:30pm H FIN Public
Testimony for Operating and Mental Health Budgets-testimony limited to two
minutes each; arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the end of the allotted time for
your area 1:30-3:00pm Juneau 3:00-3:45pm Bethel,
Kotzebue, Barrow, Nome, Delta Junction, Offnets 4:00-5:30pm Fairbanks 1:30pm S DPS Fin Sub Governor’s amendments Q&A session Wednesday, March 4 1:30pm H FIN Public
Testimony for Operating and Mental Health Budgets-testimony limited to two
minutes each; arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the end of the allotted time for
your area 1:30-3:00pm Anchorage 3:30-4:15pm Sitka,
Wrangell, Homer, Petersburg, Dillingham, Cordova 4:15-5:00pm Kenai,
Valdez, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Seward, Mat-Su, Glennallen, Tok Download legislators contact
information: http://w3.legis.state.ak.us/docs/pdf/whoswho.pdf Governor’s Corner: The Governor held a press conference on Thursday with Rep. Coghill, Sen. Olson and other lawmakers supporting legislation that would require parental notice and consent before a minor can have an abortion. HB 35 has been scheduled for its first hearing on March 9th in House Judiciary. Contact Caren Robinson: dcc@alaska.net |