Alaska State Senators Bettye Davis and Kim Elton

Senate Bill 22, sponsored [statement] by Senator Bettye Davis (D-Anchorage), will add birthing centers to the list of allowable medical costs under Medicaid.

Last session, the legislature passed Senate Bill 349 by Senator Davis, to put all birthing centers under the same licensing requirements. Davis' new bill, SB 22, extends to the birthing centers the same funding opportunities as are given to hospitals.

Price comparisons of service in Anchorage Fairbanks and Juneau show the centers are half the price of hospitals, or even less.

"Birthing centers offer a safe, sensitive, emotionally positive, family centered alternative to hospital births," said Senator Davis, "It saves the state money and provides parents-to-be more birthing options.

Twelve states have already added the centers to their Medicaid payment lists.

SB 22 now goes to Senate Finance.

Elton New Chair of West Coast Fish Group

In January, members of the bi-partisan Pacific Fisheries Legislative Task Force elected Sen. Kim Elton (D-Juneau) chair of the task force.

The task force is composed of legislators from the states of Alaska, California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Four legislators from each state, two from the upper bodies and two from the lower bodies, serve on the task force and deal with a wide variety of fish and shellfish management and regulation issues.

"There's a convergence of major fishery events-the Pew ocean report, President Bush's ocean commission report and upcoming Congressional renewal of the Magnuson-Steven federal fish management act-and state legislators and managers must be involved as we work to enhance our coastal economies," Elton said yesterday. He noted West Coast fish issues are much different than fish issues on the East Coast.

The task force meets three times each year. The September meeting was in Homer. Elton noted two of his priorities are more communication with members of Congress and federal managers as they make decisions that impact western states and adding British Columbia to the task force.

Elton replaces Oregon Senator Joan Dukes. Vice chair of the task force is Idaho Rep. Mary Lou Shepard.