Therriault Bill Strengthening Personal ID Protections in State Records Moves Out of State Affairs Committee

JUNEAU – Legislation that would enhance existing statutory protections against public identity theft has been approved by the Senate State Affairs committee. Sponsored by Sen. Gene Therriault, R-North Pole, Senate Bill 36 takes the next step to further enhance the protection of Alaskans’ private information collected and used by state agencies.

“There are at least 642 systems within the executive branch that capture personal information,” Therriault said. “Working with Rep. John Coghill last year, we passed comprehensive anti-ID theft legislation. SB 36 is the latest step in a six-plus year process to ensure Alaskans’ personal information does not fall into the wrong hands.”

SB 36 strengthens and clarifies state laws by vesting the Department of Administration with the duty and responsibility to implement enhanced security standards. It also gives the department the authority to set security policies and to monitor implementation and adherence of those standards throughout the Executive Branch. The bill also directs the Department of Administration to review and report on the effectiveness of the standards five years after the bill becomes law, and then every two years thereafter.

“We are seeing more and more state and federal laws and programs that require citizens to provide personal information to government agencies. How we protect that information and maintain the public’s trust is of great concern to me,” Therriault said.

Private identity information is defined as a person’s name, address, or phone number, when combined with a social security number, an Alaska driver’s license or state ID number, a credit or debit card number, an account password, or a PIN number.

SB 36 has been referred to the Senate Finance committee.

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Senate Resolution Supports Restoring Military Retirement Service Credit for Territorial Guard Elders

Therriault, Olson co-sponsor SJR to Congress, President

JUNEAU – Senators Gene Therriault, R-North Pole, and Donny Olson, D-Nome, have introduced a Senate joint resolution (SJR 4) to support efforts by Alaska’s congressional delegation to restore retirement benefits to 25 Native elders who served during World War II in the Alaska Territorial Guard. A recent decision by the Department of Defense would reduce the elders’ monthly retirement checks by an average of $386.

“It is just unbelievable to me that someone at the US Army would deny these benefits to veterans who put their lives on the line to defend Alaska during the Second World War,” Therriault said. “It is wholly appropriate that this Legislature support the efforts of our congressional delegation to correct this injustice and restore these pensions.”

“It is a travesty that the military hierarchy would suddenly withdraw this small pension from those who earned it,” said Olson. “They deserve this federal benefit and they have earned it. These Eskimo Scouts were our first line of defense.”

The resolution also asks President Barack Obama to direct his Secretary of Defense to issue an apology to the ATG veterans who were adversely affected by the decision to stop the retirement benefit.

The ATG was formed by Governor Ernest Gruening in 1942, as Alaska National Guardsmen were called off to war, and was made up predominately of Alaska Natives. The ATG, at the direction of the US Army, undertook missions throughout the most remote areas of the state, including rescuing downed pilots, protecting Lend-Lease routes between Alaska and Siberia, and engaging in combat with Japanese invaders.

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Therriault Resolution Commends Pres. Bush, NPS on Rule Allowing Firearms in National Parks

JUNEAU – Sen. Gene Therriault, R-North Pole, has introduced a Senate Joint Resolution commending former President George Bush and the National Park Service for adopting a rule in December last year that allows the concealed carry of firearms for personal protection in national parks. The resolution,
SJR 3, also asks the Obama administration to continue and improve on the rule.

“In the wilds of Alaska – indeed, in many national parks in the western US – it is not unusual for hikers to find themselves in a life threatening situation,” Therriault said. “Bears, cougars, moose and other wild animals do not know and respect park boundaries, so when they threaten park users, those humans should have some realistic way to defend themselves.”

Therriault also noted that, in addition to providing personal protection, a handgun can also be used for signaling to searchers or others. “For example, the two young women who were lost in Denali National Park last summer might have been found much sooner if they had been able to fire off a few rounds to alert search parties to their location.”

Therriault said the rule could be improved by the Obama administration by removing the requirement that the firearm must be concealed, which may have been included in error. “I don’t think the wild animals would modify their behavior based on whether a handgun is concealed or not,” Therriault said.

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Therriault Resolution Warns of ESA Listing if Wood Bison are Introduced into Alaska Wild – ADF&G Project Could Negatively Impact O&G Exploration in Nenana Basin

JUNEAU – Sen. Gene Therriault, R-North Pole, has introduced legislation, SCR 2, which asks Governor Sarah Palin to stop a Department of Fish and Game project aimed at introducing wood bison into Minto Flats and the Nenana Basin. While Therriault is not opposed to the effort to expand the population of an endangered species, he is concerned that turning them loose could trigger protections under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), restricting or prohibiting oil and gas exploration in the Nenana Basin. The Nenana Basin holds high potential to provide energy for the Fairbanks area and other Interior communities.

“I am certainly in favor of Fish and Game working to increase the population of wood bison, but we have to be very careful of where we introduce them,” Therriault said. “They are not listed in the U.S. as endangered, because there are none of them in the wild. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considers them ‘foreign endangered,’ which indicates to me that if they are introduced in the wild in Alaska, they could be endangered.”

Therriault said that, although ADF&G has said his concern is nothing to worry about, he is looking for a concrete commitment from USF&WS that the introduced wood bison would not trigger an ESA listing and all the accompanying restrictions on habitat. He said he would like the introduction of SCR 2 to lead to committee hearings that will allow a clear public record on the issue to be established.

“I believe the professional biologists involved with this project are sincere and well-meaning,” Therriault said. “I also recognize that the introduction of a herd has strong support from sportsmen’s groups, such as Safari Club International and the Alaska Outdoor Council. However, I think we would make a grave mistake to hand over a tool to environmental extremists for them to challenge oil and gas development under the ESA.”

SCR 2 was referred to the Senate Resources Committee.

BASIS Link – Fact Sheet – Sponsor Statement – Sectional Analysis
(Documents are in Adobe Acrobat format)

• SB 5 – Partial-Birth Abortion
  Sponsor Statement
  
• SB 6 – Notice & Consent for Minor’s Abortion
  Fact Sheet – Sponsor Statement
  
• SB 7 – Municipal Land Use Regulation
• SB 9 – State Budget Priorities
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 15 – Info, Anesthesia, Consent for Abortion
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 16 – Definitions: Person/Child/Human/Etc
• SB 17 – Limited Liability Companies
• SB 26 – Power Cost Reduction/Energy Council
• SB 30 – State Government Missions: General & HSS
  Fact Sheet – Sponsor Statement
  
• SB 34 – Compressed Natural Gas for State Vehicles
• SB 36 – Executive Branch Records Security
  Fact Sheet
• SB 39 – Extend Board of Public Accountancy
  Fact Sheet
• SB 40 – Extend Suicide Prevention Council
  Fact Sheet
• SB 45 – Veterans’ Cemeteries/Fund/License Plates
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 48 – Meetings of Road Service Area Boards
  Fact Sheet
• SB 52 – Salvia Divinorum as Controlled Substance
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 53 – Approp: Bridges, Service Roads, Trail
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 71 – Alternative Energy for Public Works
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 78 – Legislative Audit Division Powers
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 98 – Medical Patient Billing Disclosures
  Sponsor Statement
  
• SB 106 – Reject Recommendation of Compensation Commission
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 137 – Relating to Meetings of the Board of Fisheries
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 146 – AK Firearms Exept from Federal Regulation
• SB 158 – Return of Property
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 168 – Certification and Designation of Trauma Centers
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 181 – Ultrasounds Preceding Abortions
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 197 – Emergency Contraceptives
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 198 – Liability for Failure to Report Abuse
• SB 200 – Municipal Land Use Regulation
• SB 204 – State Employee Health Savings Accounts
• SB 240 – Manicurist Licensing Requirements
• SB 264 – Alaska Commercial Fishing and Agriculture Bank
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 274 – William Jack Hernandez Fish Hatchery
  Sponsor Statement
• SB 290 – Tax Credit to Drill Wells in Cook Inlet
• SB 297 – Return of Seized Property
  Sponsor Statement
• SCR 2 – No Wood Bison in Certain Areas
  Sponsor Statement
  
• SCR 3 – Oppose Fed. Control of State Land and Water
  Sponsor Statement
• SCR 13 – Supporting Senior Caregivers
  Sponsor Statement
• SJR 3 – Firearms in National Park
  Sponsor Statement
• SJR 4 – AK Territorial Guard Retirement Benefits
  Fact Sheet
• SJR 6 – Oppose H.R. 45 in Congress
  Sponsor Statement
• SJR 7 – Oppose UN Designation of Arctic Ocean
  Sponsor Statement
• SJR 14 – Exemption for Hydraulic Fracturing
  
• SJR 15 – Oppose Assault Weapons Ban
  Sponsor Statement
• SJR 23 – Const. Am: Suits to Interpret Laws
• SJR 25 – Opposing S. 1535–Limit on Aerial Hunting
  Sponsor Statement
• SJR 26 – Parental Rights Amendment
• SR 6 – Oppose TSA Security Rule
• SR 7 – Vehicles Run By Propane/Compressed Natural Gas
  Sponsor Statement
• SR 10 – Domestic Natural Gas & Alternative Energy