[NASW Alaska Chapter Listserve] List Digest, Vol 21, Issue 4

Mon May 7 23:02:46 BST 2007

Margaret, I am not big on politics so forgive me. There were 14 "no"
votes on HJR9 but didn't it pass anyway? What's next? Andrew Beaulieu,
MSW

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Today's Topics:

   1. FW: ACTION ALERTS-HJR 9 vote in the	House and Denali Kid
Care
      in Senate Finance on Monday, May 7th (Margaret F. Lumpkin)
   2. Weekly Legislative Report (Margaret F. Lumpkin)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Mon, 7 May 2007 13:35:47 -0900
From: "Margaret F. Lumpkin" <director at naswak.org>
Subject: [NASW Alaska Chapter Listserve] FW: ACTION ALERTS-HJR 9 vote
	in the	House and Denali Kid Care in Senate Finance on Monday,
May 7th
To: <list at naswak.org>
Message-ID: <00d001c790f8$11546060$6501a8c0 at Laptop>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1250"

 Legislative Alert 

HJR9 scheduled for House vote this morning, 5/7 9 a.m.

SJR9 scheduled for Senate State Affairs Committee Weds., 5/9, 9 a.m.

HJR9 and the newer SJR9 are proposed constitutional amendments intended
to
stop public employers from offering health care benefits to unmarried
but
partnered employees. The way they would do this is to change the state's
marriage statute to prevent any two individuals of the same sex or
opposite
sex from engaging in any contractual agreements similar to those of
marriage. The language is so ambiguous that it would prevent unmarried
individuals from securing restraining orders against their boyfriends or
girlfriends (the unfortunate consequence in Wisconsin, using the same
constitutional amendment); prevent parents from buying vehicles with
their
children, or co-signing a loan; business partners, siblings, friends,
members of religious orders from co-owning property or vehicles; and, of
course, from sharing health care benefits.

The Legislature?s legal counsel says that if it passed, the
constitutional
amendment would likely be challenged and found to be unconstitutional
under
the equal protection clause. NASW is on record as opposing this type of
legislation nationally, and NASW-Alaska Chapter is on record as opposing
this at the state level.

If you haven't yet called your representative PLUS the representatives
listed below who are possible NO votes tomorrow, please take the time to
do
that right now.  We need at least 14 NO votes to stop this
constitutional
amendment in the House.  Let's put it to rest!

Rep. Bryce Edgmon (Southwest Alaska including Dillingham, King Salmon
and
parts of the Aleutians)
HYPERLINK
"mailto:Rep_Bryce_Edgmon at legis.state.ak.us"Rep_Bryce_Edgmon at legis.state.
ak.u
s   465-4451 

Rep. Reggie Joule (Kotzebue, Barrow and all the villages in between)
HYPERLINK
"mailto:Rep_Reggie_Joule at legis.state.ak.us"Rep_Reggie_Joule at legis.state.
ak.u
s  465-465-4833 

Rep. Mike Hawker (parts of Anchorage including Girdwood & Whittier)
HYPERLINK
"mailto:Rep_Mike_Hawker at legis.state.ak.us"Rep_Mike_Hawker at legis.state.ak
.us
465-4949 

Rep. Bob Roses (parts of Anchorage Muldoon & Nunaka Valley)
HYPERLINK
"mailto:Rep_Bob_Roses at legis.state.ak.us"Rep_Bob_Roses at legis.state.ak.us
465-4939

Rep. Paul Seaton (Homer, Seward and surrounding areas)
HYPERLINK
"mailto:Rep_Paul_Seaton at legis.state.ak.us"Rep_Paul_Seaton at legis.state.ak
.us
465-2689

SJR 9 is scheduled for a hearing in Senate State Affairs this coming
Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m.   Be prepared to testify Wednesday
morning at
9:00 in Room 211 of the Capitol or by teleconference from your local
Legislative Information Office.  Members of the Senate State Affairs
Committee are Senators McGuire, Stevens, French, Green, and Bunde. If
you
can not testify, please send a message to these Senators!  As always,
the
easy-to-use Public Opinion Message (POM) service is available to you for
free.  Simply go to the link at HYPERLINK
"http://www.legis.state.ak.us/poms/"http://www.legis.state.ak.us/poms/ .

________________________________________________________________ 

Legislative Alert 

SB 27 to be Heard in Senate Finance Monday May 7, 9:00am

HYPERLINK
"http://capwiz.com/mhtrust/issues/alert/?alertid=9717991&queueid=1179086
916"

HYPERLINK
"http://capwiz.com/mhtrust/issues/alert/?alertid=9717991&queueid=1179086
916"
Take Action!

Bill Raises Denali KidCare Eligibility to 200% FPL

SB 27, sponsored by Senator Bettye Davis, will restore Denali KidCare
eligibility to 200% FPL and give many more Alaskan children access to
health
care.  The bill will be heard in Senate Finance on Monday, May 7,
9:00am, so
please act now to send a strong message to legislators that Denali
KidCare
is important to all Alaskans!   

HYPERLINK
"http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_com_info.asp?comm=SFIN&session=2
5"Cl
ick here to see members of Senate Finance Committee.

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Message: 2
Date: Mon, 7 May 2007 13:40:30 -0900
From: "Margaret F. Lumpkin" <director at naswak.org>
Subject: [NASW Alaska Chapter Listserve] Weekly Legislative Report
To: <list at naswak.org>
Message-ID: <00db01c790f8$b9540950$6501a8c0 at Laptop>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1250"

Capitol Currents

Session One of the 25th legislature runs January 16-May 16, 2007.

10 LEGISLATIVE DAYS TO GO

Week Sixteen 

You are strongly encouraged to check BASIS after 4:00pm each day for the
next day?s schedule from now until the end of session. HYPERLINK
"http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/hearing_form.asp?session=25"http://w
ww.l
egis.state.ak.us/basis/hearing_form.asp?session=25 

Click on Committee Meeting and Public Hearing Schedules or if you only
want
to check on a specific bill, write the bill number in the Bill Root box
and
click on Display Bill Root.

This is the last weekly report you will receive from Capitol Currents.
A
summary of the last week of session will be available by May 21st and,
an
interim report covering the first session of the 25th Legislature will
be
printed once the Governor has acted on the budgets and bills of
interest.

Legislative Committee Assignments:

Go to BASIS committee assignments list: 

HYPERLINK
"http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/commbr_info.asp?session=25"http://ww
w.le
gis.state.ak.us/basis/commbr_info.asp?session=25

NEW BILLS:  Look here for legislation introduced during the previous
week.

Go to BASIS bill/resolution list:  HYPERLINK
"http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/bandr_stat.asp?session=25"http://www
.leg
is.state.ak.us/basis/bandr_stat.asp?session=25

CRIME:

Bill:                   HB 255

Sponsor:           Johnson

Title:                 Dual Sentencing

Referrals:          JUD, FIN

Content:           Amends AS 47.12 0659(a) to separate ages of juvenile
offenders and the offenses for which they can be referred to adult
courts.
Juveniles can be referred at 16 years of age or older at the time of the
offense if the offense is a class B felony crime against a person;
misconduct involving weapons in the 1st or 2nd degree; or, a class C
felony
crime against a person and the minor has previously been adjudicated a
delinquent for a felony offense that is a crime against a person.  They
can
be referred at 12 years of age but under 16 at the time of the offense
if
the offense is murder in the 1st or 2nd degree or murder of an unborn
child;
manslaughter or manslaughter of an unborn child; or sexual assault in
the
1st degree.

            .

HEALTH CARE:

Bill:                   HB 252                                   

Sponsor:           LeDoux

Title:                 Leave for Bone Marrow/Organ Donation

Referrals:          HES, STA

Content:           Similar to SB 140.  SB 150 requires companies with 20
or
more employees to provide the leave whereas this bill only requires
companies with 100 or more employees to provide the leave.  It?s
scheduled
for a hearing in HES on May 8th.

Bill:                   SB 170

Sponsor:           McGuire

Title:                 Insurance for Well-Baby Exams

Referrals:          L&C, HES, FIN

Content:           Amends AS 21.42 by adding AS 21.42.351. - Coverage
for
well-baby exams. The section requires a health care insurer that offers
health care insurance that covers a dependent of a covered individual to
initially and at each renewal, provide coverage for the cost of
well-baby
exams. Coverage is limited to $1,500 a year for each covered baby. A
?well-baby exam" means (A) a periodic physical examination by a
qualified
health care professional of a baby during the first 24 months of life in
which information is collected on matters including normal development,
growth rate, hearing, vision, language skills, motor development, diet,
general care, preventative health care, immunizations, and infectious
diseases; and (B) consultation between the health care professional and
a
parent.  The bill is scheduled for a hearing in STA on May 9th.

OTHER:

Bill:                   HB 250/SB 169

Sponsor:           Rep. Doogan, Dahlstrom

Sen. French

Title:                 Report Youth Inappropriate Sexual Conduct

Referrals:          H JUD, FIN and is scheduled for a hearing on May
10th in
JUD.

            S HES, JUD 

Content:           The bill creates a duty to report for a parent,
guardian,
other person responsible for a child and required reporters when the
person
witnesses or has other reasonable cause to believe that a child has
engaged
in inappropriate sexual conduct.  In appropriate sexual conduct is
defined
as conduct that would be punishable as a felony under AS 11.41.410-470
if an
adult were engaging in the conduct with a child.  Failure to report is a
class A misdemeanor.

BUDGET:

The conferees for the operating and mental health budgets are Sen.
Hoffman,
Stedman, Dyson and Rep. Chenault, Hawker and Joule.

UPDATES:  Look here to track bills of interest

HB 29, Safe Havens for Infants, is scheduled for a House floor vote on
Monday.

HB 90, Bail, passed the House and was referred to JUD, FIN in the
Senate.

HB 159, Stillbirth Certificate, passed the House and was referred to
STA,
FIN in the Senate.  It?s scheduled for a hearing in S STA on the 10th.

HB 171, Accommodate 90-day Session/Leg Procedures, had a conference
committee appointed.  Members are Rep. Coghill, Johnson, Gruenberg and
Sen.
McGuire, Stevens and Wilken

HB 194, Fines & Offenses, moved from JUD.  It?s next committee is FIN.

HB 215, Task Force for CDVSA, passed S FIN and is in RLS.  The S FIN
version
of the bill removes the duty to review the geographic location of the
Council office.

HJR 9, Constitutional Am.: Benefits & Marriage, is scheduled for a House
floor vote on Monday.

HJR 22, Denouncing Rapist Doll, passed STA and is scheduled for a
hearing in
RLS on the 7th.

HCR 6, Civics Educ/Citizen Advisory Task Force, is scheduled for a House
floor vote on Monday.

SB 8, Mental Health Patient Rights: Staff Gender, was amended in JUD to
move
the age of when a patient may make the request for certain staff from 18
to
16 years of age.  Its next referral is FIN.

SB 38, Salvia Divinorum as Controlled Substance, passed JUD and was
referred
to FIN.

SB 76, Tuition for Out-Of-Home-Care Children, passed H FIN and is in H
RLS.

SB 84, Testing & Packaging of Cigarettes, passed H L&C, was waived from
JUD
and is now in FIN.

SB 85, Extend State Medical Board, passed H HES and is now in FIN.

Download legislators contact information:

HYPERLINK
"http://w3.legis.state.ak.us/infodocs/infodocs.htm"http://w3.legis.state
.ak.
us/infodocs/infodocs.htm

Contact your lobbyist:

Caren Robinson HYPERLINK "mailto:dcc at alaska.net"dcc at alaska.net

Margaret F. Lumpkin
Executive Director, NASW Alaska Chapter
401 East Northern Lights Blvd. Suite 205  Anchorage, Alaska 99503
(907) 332-NASW (6279)     (800) 478-6279     Fax: (907) 332-6270
HYPERLINK "http://www.naswak.org"www.naswak.org

NASW Alaska Chapter Conference - October 1 - 3, 2007 at the Egan Center,
Anchorage - visit HYPERLINK "http://www.naswak.org/"www.naswak.org for
more
information.

Membership dues support the work that we do. Thank you! If you are not
yet a
member of NASW, we welcome you to discover the benefits of NASW
membership
at: HYPERLINK
"blocked::https://www.socialworkers.org/nasw/join/default.asp"https://ww
w.so
cialworkers.org/nasw/join/default.asp

NASW Alaska Chapter Opt-Out Statement: If you wish to be removed from
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If you experience any difficulty, please contact NASW Alaska Chapter 401
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Northern Lights Blvd. Ste. 205 (907) 332-6279 or HYPERLINK
"mailto:director at naswak.org"director at naswak.org for assistance. 

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