3:40 p.m.
LeDoux points out that Jaime is a part of APEA, which eases her mind about concerns the candidate could be influenced by the governor. She said it makes it harder for the governor to fire him, and provides a sort of firewall to help maintain impartiality.
The committee passed his nomination through and recommends it be taken to a vote in a joint session.
After the committee gavels out, there is some chatter that Jaime would be the only person to ever receive a salary while sitting on the board. It’s a volunteer board.
— Mollie Barnes
3:36 p.m.
“The other point that Mr. Carrigan made is the proposal that the alcohol board and marijuana board be disbanded and the duties of these boards be in the hands of the commissioner. Do you have a position on this proposal?” Rep. Adam Wool, D-Fairbanks, asks.
“That’s the governor’s choice to do that or not,” Jaime says.
Wool is following up by asking if certain industries have a role for a board composed of both industry professionals and lay-people as opposed to strictly professional hired bureaucrats.
Rep. Sara Hannan, D-Juneau, asks if he’s on the state clock when he’s attending meetings and how it will impact his post.
— Mollie Barnes
3:31 p.m.
“I hope that this appointment was properly vetted,” says a resident from Anchorage on the line.
Greg Eagle, from Kodiak, says he knows it’s really important to keep in mind that (marijuana is) a business and it’s legal and the public safety member needs to keep a positive attitude.
“We need people who are up there just to make things work,” Eagle says.
Cary Carrigan is the executive director of the Alaska Marijuana Industry Association.
“While the AMIA has not issued testimony, we do think there is some cause for concern,” Carrigan says, noting that he could be directly influenced by the governor since Jaime is a state employee. “If there’s not some way to guarantee a firewall to protect him, there’s no real way to assure that the action Jaime would take could be shielded from the governor. We want to make sure that (board members are) impartial.”
— Mollie Barnes
3:27 p.m.
Rep. Dave Talerico, R-Healy, thanks him for his service as a veteran in the military.
Jaime is up for consideration for the public safety seat on the five-person control board.
Rep. Adam Wool, D-Fairbanks, asks if Jaime was involved in any political campaigns involving marijuana, and Jaime says he has not.
“I’ve never arrested anybody for it,” Jaime says, after being asked if he had arrested someone solely on marijuana charges.
Now it’s time for public testimony.
— Mollie Barnes
3:19 p.m.
The House Labor & Commerce committee is meeting for a confirmation of the nominee for the Marijuana Control Board.
Chris Jaime is one of two of Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s nominees for the five-person control board in charge of regulating the marijuana industry.
Jaime is an Alaska Wildlife Troopers lieutenant from Soldotna who’s served with the agency for 18 years.
“You’re a current state employee, so what would be your reaction or your concern, if as a current state employee you were contacted by the governor’s office for example when there was a regulation up for consideration and the governor’s office had a certain perspective on things,” said Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux, R-Anchorage. Would you as a state employee be at all concerned if your position on that didn’t exactly jam with that of the administration?”
—Mollie Barnes
2:50 p.m.
Sen. Peter Micciche’s bill that aims to close the “Schneider Loophole” has been passed out the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“We really have caught all the loopholes,” Micciche, R-Soldotna, the bill’s sponsor said. “This bill redefines a sex crime.”
Public testimony was taken. Every person spoke in favor of the bill.
Senate Bill 12 will move on to the Senate Finance Committee.
— Kevin Baird
1:45 p.m.
Judiciary Committee Chair Sen. Shelley Hughes, R-Wasilla, said she hopes Senate Bill 12 will be passed out of committee today. SB 12 would close the “Schneider loophole.” One major provision of SB 12 is not allowing time spent on an ankle bracelet to count toward prison sentence. Sen. Peter Micciche, R-Wasilla, noted that Justin Schnieder had his case postponed six times so he spent a whole year on his ankle bracelet. The second year of his sentence was suspended so Schnieder walked free.
Sen. Peter Micciche said doing your time “in a luxury home in Kachemak Bay” on an ankle monitor is not his idea of paying your debt to society.
Right now the committee is taking public testimony. Six people have testified in favor of the bill so far.
Scott Carson of Juneau said he’s worked in law enforcement for more than 20 years.
“I believe it’s a good bill.” Carson said. “I believe sex crimes are some of the most damaging. Not only for the victims it can hurt the family.”
Carson also said he was in favor of the tightening up the criminal code where sex crimes are concerned. being tightened up in terms of sex crimes.
Gene Reid said his wife died from drunk driving accident and the person responsible is on an ankle monitor now.
“The man responsible has been out over a year on an electronic monitoring device.” Reid sad. “It’s been really hard, it’s been traumatic, as a I live this over and over again.” Reid said it “would be a slap in the face” to have this time applied toward his sentence. “I hope you take that into consideration,” he said.
Vicki Jo Kennedy of Kodiak said, “I’m proud that you guys have put this bill forward.”
A Mr. Eichenlob spoke out against sex offenders and suggested the committee consider castration in the future.
— Kevin Baird.
11:55 a.m.
Senate Joint Resolution 7 passes with Democratic Sens. Elvi Gray-Jackson, Anchorage, and Tom Begich, Anchorage, carrying the dissenting votes. SJR 7 encourages government agencies to follow through with the oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The resolution will now go to the House Resources Committee.
— Kevin Baird
11:37 a.m.
When the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was passed in 2017 and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s 1002-area was opened, Alaska and the federal government agreed upon a 50-50 split on revenues.
Sen. Donny Olson, D-Golovin, has introduced a third amendment to Senate Joint Resolution 7, inserting language “that protects the environment and the naturally occurring population levels of the Porcupine and Central Arctic caribou herds, on which Inupiat, Gwich’in, and other local residents depend.”
Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, says the state should weigh-in and go on the record to say what “things are important to us.” Wielechowski says its a reasonable amendment.
After Republican Sens. John Coghill, North Pole, and Shelley Hughes, Wasilla explain why they won’t be voting in favor of the amendment, Olson’s amendment fails, six ‘Yeah’votes to 12 ‘Nay’ votes.
— Kevin Baird
11:30 a.m.
Sen. Jesse Kiehl, D-Juneau, offered an amendment to Senate Joint Resolution 7 to add language encouraging the oil and gas industry to use “the state’s workforce to the maximum extent possible.” The resolution urges the U.S. Department of Interior and Bureau of Land Management “to implement an oil and gas leasing program in the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.”
Kiehl’s amendment failed with seven ‘Yea’ votes and 11 ‘Nay’ votes. Sen. Natasha, R-Anchorage, von Imhof is absent.
The Senate debated an amendment from Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, which would increase the share of royalties coming into Alaska to a 90 percent-10 percent split with the federal government. After several objections and a conversation with Sen. John Coghill, R-North Pole,Wielechowski withdrew his amendment.
— Kevin Baird
11 a.m.
Juneau’s Rep. Andi Story has filed two bills.
The Democrat’s first, House Bill 71, also called the State Personnel Act, would allow for military experience and training to substitute other civilian training and experience. Co-sponsors are Reps. Josh Revak, R-Anchorage,;Laddie Shaw, R-Anchorage and Chris Tuck, D-Anchorage.
Story’s second bill, HB 72, would designate February as Black History Month in Alaska. It is a companion bill to Anchorage Democrat Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson’s Senate Bill 40. Co-sponsors are Reps. Ivy Sponholz, D-Anchorage; Josh Revak, R-Anchorage and Sharon Jackson, R-Eagle River.
— Kevin Baird
9:11 a.m.
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, tweets that she is joining a bipartisan effort to address the PFAS issue in the country and Alaska.
Communities like Gustavus, Fairbanks and others throughout the state have been affected by this emerging pollutant.
“The studies surrounding the effects of PFAS are ongoing, but emerging findings indicate that these compounds are linked to a number of adverse human health effects,” Murkowski said on Twitter.
Public officials believe the contamination sources from the Gustavus Airport, where aircraft rescue crews used fire-fighting foam containing PFAS. Manufacturing companies have phased out the use of the chemicals in foams used to contain jet-fuel fires since about 2001, but it remains on a list of Federal Aviation Administration-approved foams.
The governor’s proposed supplemental budget for this fiscal year also requested $9.4 million to identify these sites throughout the state and address the related concerns.
Read more about PFAS in our story here: ‘Emerging’ pollutant contaminates Gustavus well water
I recently joined a bipartisan effort to declare per- & polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as hazardous substances. The studies surrounding the effects of PFAS are ongoing, but emerging findings indicate that these compounds are linked to a number of adverse human health effects. pic.twitter.com/E3BIWHlqh3
— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) March 4, 2019
In Alaska, communities such as Utqiagvik, Fairbanks, Dillingham, and many others are currently responding to their groundwater having been contaminated with PFAS. https://t.co/58JfHmmlTn
— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) March 4, 2019
This legislation is just one step in the effort to clean up our contaminated lands, but by listing PFAS as a hazardous substance the federal government will be able to coordinate response, assist with remediation, and hold responsible parties liable for clean-up costs.
— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) March 4, 2019
