Senate panel advances resolution to form commission to review Alaska state seal

The Alaska Senate Education Committee on March 23 voted to report Senate Concurrent Resolution 11, a measure to form a legislative commission to review the official Alaska state seal. President Stevens moved the committee action and the committee reported the resolution without recorded objection.

Tim Lampkin, staff to President Stevens, described the resolution and a revised fiscal note, saying the commission would convene stakeholders and legislators to "create a commission to evaluate and make, possible recommendations to redesign the Alaska state seal." He told the committee the costs for per diem and travel related to the task force would be "relatively minimal" and "able to be absorbed by existing resources or existing budgets." The fiscal note was uploaded to BASIS and distributed to members.

The committee recorded its report and Chair Senator Lukey Veil Tobin asked members to remain after the hearing to sign the committee report. The action forwards SCR 11 for further consideration in the legislature; no roll-call vote or vote tally was recorded in the committee transcript.

The committee was joined by Senator Bjorkman during the action. The next procedural step is the committee report being filed and the resolution moving forward per legislative rules.