Two weeks later, I received a frantic call from a constituent and friend who had seen the perpetrator, who had been bailed out of jail, back at the home where he’d been arrested.  My constituent called the police, but the patrol officer explained that he couldn’t do anything because there was no information in his computer that stated the man did not have the right to be at that address.

            The situation was resolved peacefully in the end, but it became clear that there needed to be a better way to inform our police officers of an individual's bail conditions. 

             All this led to my filing Senate Bill 249, which makes a change to the computer system that law enforcement officers rely on statewide.  The legislation requires that bail conditions be listed in the Alaska Public Safety Information Network (APSIN). 

            It is particularly important that bail conditions be listed in the computer because they are frequently used to prohibit people from doing acts that are otherwise lawful: driving a car, being near a certain person or place, or consuming alcohol, for example. 

           An updated APSIN will efficiently share public safety information and allow greater accountability for those awaiting trial.

           SB 249 recently passed with unanimous support from the Senate Judiciary Committee, and is slated for a vote on the Senate Floor.

In the Capitol

        Oil taxes continue to be the hot topic in the building.  The House and Senate Resource Committees are continuing meetings this week and are hearing testimony from economists and industry experts.  The House committee expects to have a new version of the bill this week.