February 26, 2014

Dear Neighbors,

Town Hall Meeting

I want to thank everyone who came to my Town Hall Meeting this past weekend. We had a great turnout and it was evident that Fairbanksans have been paying close attention to what’s going on in Juneau. It was also clear that there is frustration because of the lack of action. I share that frustration. I will continue to fight for everyday Alaskans to improve our public education system, ensure Alaskans get their fair share for our resources, and make sure that corporate money doesn’t overpower your voices.

Introducing Several Bills

The deadline to submit personal legislation came and went on Monday February 24th. For the remainder of session, only standing committees may introduce legislation, and bills can only be amended during the committee process. I introduced legislation to fix problems in the Alaskan criminal statutes.

Eyewitness Identification: Introduced at the end of last week, HB 339 creates a fairer process for witnesses to identify a suspect. Eyewitness misidentification was a factor in 73% of all cases exonerated by DNA, suggesting the eyewitness identification process has some serious flaws. My bill addresses one of these flaws by changing the identification process for both live and photo lineups to make the presentation of suspects sequential rather than simultaneous. This forces the eyewitness to give either a positive or negative identification on the suspect, rather than undergo a comparison between individuals to choose the “best fit.”

Exoneration and Compensation for Wrongful Imprisonment: House Bill 352 creates an administrative process whereby victims of overturned criminal convictions can request compensation for time served. This bill sets the compensation at $50,000 per year with a cap at two million dollars to fit with the other 29 states that have already passed compensation legislation. While any monetary sum is insufficient to compensate for the emotional and personal turmoil of being wrongfully imprisoned, I’m hopeful that HB 352 will start the discussion of how we compensate for these horrific mistakes.

Creating a Non-Partisan Redistricting Board: I am pleased to sponsor House Joint Resolution 28 with Anchorage Democrat Rep. Les Gara. HJR28 would make future redistricting boards fair and equitable. The board would be made up of seven members: 3 from each political party and 1 individual who is not affiliated with any political party. This is an important piece of legislation that will assure Alaskans that in upcoming redistricting years, the process will not be swayed by either political party.

If you have any questions on these newly introduced bills do not hesitate to contact my office.

Summer Internships

For current college students or recent college graduates, Senator Mark Begich offers internships in his Fairbanks, Anchorage, Juneau and Washington, DC offices. Interns work with legislative staff on congressional issues, helping with constituent cases as well as attending meetings and briefings. If interested, please contact Mr. Tom Moyer at 456-0261.

Working Hard for Fairbanks Families,

Scott Kawasaki
Alaska State Representative
District 4 - Fairbanks