REPORT FROM JUNEAU: Week 9
by Senator Loren Leman
March 9, 2001

SESSION REACHES HALFWAY POINT: Although this was an unusual week for the Legislature because of the Special Olympics in Anchorage, Energy Council meetings in Washington, D.C. and ANWR lobbying by some of my colleagues, we continue to make progress, particularly on the State budget. We are now more than halfway through our session and I expect the pace of legislation to pick up. Check legislative progress at www.legis.state.ak.us/basis

HIGH SCHOOL EXAM COMES TO A HEAD: A number of different proposals, including my SB128, have been offered to deal with the challenges with implementation of the high school competency examination. This week the chairman of the Senate HESS Committee, Senator Lyda Green, unveiled another approach, which incorporates many of the features in my bill plus alternatives for students with learning disabilities. I expect that the HESS Committee bill will become the vehicle for Senate action. People are rightfully demanding results from our schools—and we want to assure their delivery.

MEET THE NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE—JUDGE SEN TAN: To my dismay and that of most of my colleagues, as well as many constitutional scholars, the Knowles Administration, through the Department of Health & Social Services, paid $215,000 for elective (not medically necessary) abortions for Medicaid recipients last year. Although this money was not appropriated by the Legislature and their action is in direct opposition to the federal law (Hyde Amendment) for matching federal funds, the Knowles team caved in to the demands of Anchorage Superior Court Judge Sen Tan. The Alaska Constitution provides that the Legislature appropriates money—not judges. Judge Tan’s action clearly sets up a constitutional crisis. The State has appealed his ruling to the Alaska Supreme Court and the Legislature is working on options to stop this violation of legislatively established policy.

FAREWELL TO NORM SOMMERS AND HUGH MALONE: Longtime Alaska businessman Norm Sommers died from cancer this past week at age 81. He built utilities and buildings in Anchorage and elsewhere in Alaska. I will attend his memorial service at the 1st Assembly of God in Anchorage on Saturday and present a legislative citation. Former Speaker of the House and Revenue Commissioner Hugh Malone died this week in Italy when he was struck by a rogue wave while he and his wife Deborah Vogt were walking on a rocky beach celebrating their honeymoon. He was 57. Both deaths are a reminder of the brevity and fragility of life.

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS: Among the people I met with this week were Frank Liu, Director General of the Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in Seattle. We discussed trade between Alaska and Taiwan. On Wednesday Gregg Vanourek from K12 visited. I mentioned Gregg in January in this report. His organization will offer a world-class, Internet-based education for kindergarten through 2nd grade starting this fall and later all the way through high school. This is a unique opportunity for parents who want educational alternatives. For information see www.K12.com. Thursday I met with Cindy Cashen from Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Her father Ladd Macaulay was killed last year near Cooper Landing by a drunk driver. Cindy is a fine representative for MADD and I support their efforts to eliminate the tragedies caused by people driving under the influence of alcohol.

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