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Senator Elton Introduces Resolution Urging the Continuation of the Governor's Children's Cabinet and Applauding its Past Accomplishments

Senator Kim Elton (D-Juneau) introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 11 this week to urge the Governor to continue and build on the past successes of the Governor's Children's Cabinet. The Governor's Children's Cabinet was created in 1995 with the mission of ensuring that children's issues are always considered during top-level policy discussions. The children's cabinet has been instrumental in bringing a cross-disciplinary approach to children's issues, integrating the Offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and the office of management and budget with the Departments of Public Safety, Education and Early Development, Corrections, Health and Social Services, and Law to address challenges facing Alaska children.

This approach has been extremely successful in administrative implementation of legislative enactments like welfare reform, school improvement, children's health care initiatives, improving child protection, and increasing adoption of foster kids. The children's cabinet has also helped develop pro-child policies like improving child care quality and availability, fighting youth smoking, preventing fetal alcohol syndrome, hiring more state troopers, and expanding Head Start.

SCR 11 respectfully calls on Governor Frank Murkowski and future governors to continue the Governor's Children's Cabinet.

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Senator Bettye Davis' Tampering With Public Records Bill to be Heard in Senate Judiciary Committee

Senator Bettye Davis' (D- Anchorage) Senate Bill 8 relating to tampering with public records will be heard in Senate Judiciary Committee Friday, April, 25 at 1:00 pm. The tampering of public records at any time is illegal and can create problems and set in motion a series of unintended consequences. However, when the tampering involves the records of a child under the age of 18 in the care or custody of the state those consequences can be grave. This bill makes tampering with public records of a child under 18 years of age in the care or custody of the state a class C felony.