Alaska Matters: Legislation Update & DOJ Investigation

Protecting Your Rights: Serving West Anchorage

February 10, 2023

Learn more about the legislation our office introduced last week to strengthen Alaska's involuntary commitment law. Read the press release here.

Watch this week's video update

Legislation Update

Last week, our office introduced Senate Bill 53. This legislation strengthens our involuntary commitment statutes and is part of our work to improve public safety while making wise use of our public safety resources. In February 2022, Angela Harris was returning books at the Loussac Library when a man stabbed her in the back. The perpetrator had been found incompetent to stand trial two months earlier for attacks on other women. The prosecutor had dismissed the case and the perpetrator was released to the community.

Senate Bill 53 addresses the problem presented by Angela’s experience. The perpetrator should not have been released to the community.

This legislation will allow the state to seek involuntary commitment of individuals who have been found incompetent to stand trial, have a history of violent felony offenses, and have already been subject to involuntary holds. We’ll be working on this legislation in the weeks ahead.

Additional Legislation Sponsored by Our Office

Senate Bill 28: WORKPLACE VIOLENCE PROTECTIVE ORDERS

One piece of legislation that we are carrying over from the last legislative session is SB 28 to create workplace violence protective orders. This bill is modeled after the domestic violence protection laws that are already in statute. It will allow individuals and businesses to maintain safety in the workplace by creating a mechanism for businesses to seek a protective order.

Senate Bill 37: CRIME COUNTERFEIT/NONFUNCTIONING AIRBAG

We have proposed SB 37 to establish the crime of airbag fraud, which includes selling or installing counterfeit airbags. This legislation joins a national effort to empower public safety officials to limit the sale and importation of non-functioning airbags and devices created to conceal a non-functioning airbag.

Senate Joint Resolution 5: CONST. AM: 90 DAY REGULAR SESSION

SJR 5 is a resolution to allow Alaska voters to decide whether to add the 90-day session limit to the Alaska Constitution. Article II, section 8 of the Alaska Constitution currently limits the session to 120 days.

Department of Justice Investigation of the State of Alaska's Behavioral Health System for Children

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an informational hearing on the Department of Justice investigation and subsequent report on the state of Alaska's behavioral health system for children.

The report describes violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to provide services to Alaska's children with behavioral health disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs. Children with behavioral health disabilities are institutionalized at unnecessarily high rates, in settings far from home and often out of state, for unnecessary and excessively long admissions. I read the Department of Justice report with great interest and my reaction was a mixture of sadness, disappointment, and frustration. The report describes problems that have been going on for years.

Based on what we heard from the Department of Health and the Department of Family and Community Services during the hearing, the state is working on a formal response to the report. Once that response has been made public, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a second hearing on the topic.

Moving forward, we will continue to monitor the state's response. Our office is committed to supporting better care and empowering communities to provide the better community-based behavioral health care.

Read full Department of Justice report

ADN Article about the report

Watch the Senate Judiciary hearing

Meeting with Alaskans

It was great meeting with Kids Corp. and hearing about their legislative priorities including more support for childcare and Head Start programs. The success of Alaska's children and families remains a top priority!

During the Association of Alaska School Boards Legislative Fly-in, our office was pleased to meet with Anchorage School Board member Dora Wilson. We share concerns for the success of Anchorage schools and look forward to continuing our advocacy for Alaska students.

Members of the Alaska Reentry Partnership--Lance Hanes from Therapeutic Courts in Wasilla and Kristopher Burk and Teri Tibbett from the Juneau Reentry Coalition--joined our office to discuss incarceration and reentry. We appreciate their commitment to promoting success for current and formerly incarcerated Alaskans and their families.

Community Information

→ CAPSIS Deadline

The deadline for community member submissions to CAPSIS is Tuesday, February 14. Please call our office at (907) 465-4919 or email staff Emma Potter at emma.potter@akleg.gov to get a project uploaded to the Capital Budget request system.

→ Review of Community Council Boundaries

The Municipality of Anchorage initiated a review of Anchorage's community council boundaries. This review is required by municipal code to ensure that the community council areas continue to reflect neighborhoods in our community. The survey response period closes at 5:00 PM on Friday, February 17.

To respond to the survey, click here.

→ Rave Mobile Safety Launch

The Municipality of Anchorage announced the launch of Rave Mobile Safety, a free public safety notification service that is replacing Nixle. Through Rave, residents can receive public safety alerts from state and local authorities via phone, text, and email. It will also allow residents to answer poll questions intended to give public safety officials critical information during emergency situations.

To join Rave Mobile Safety and input notification preferences, individuals will need to sign up here. Anyone who had previously subscribed for Nixle alerts will not be automatically enrolled in Rave.

→ FedEx ANCA Facility Development at Ted Stevens (ANC)

Project information: FedEx is planning to redevelop and expand the FedEx Cargo Development area at ANC with the intention of accommodating existing and future demand for cargo operations, increasing operational efficiencies, and meeting FAA and airport safety requirements. The project includes construction of new feeder aircraft parking apron, cargo building, automobile parking areas, two connections to Postmark Drive, and new security and perimeter fencing.

Public meeting: A public open house will be held on Thursday, February 16 from 6:00 – 7:30 PM at the Coast Inn at Lake Hood (3450 Aviation Ave, Anchorage). This meeting is considered a public scoping meeting, meant to allow the project sponsor to receive input as they draft the Environmental Assessment.