2212 ALASKA CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION January 16, 1956 FIFTY-FIFTH DAY PRESIDENT EGAN: The Convention will come to order. We have with us this morning the Reverend Purviance of the Methodist Church. Reverend Purviance will give our daily invocation. REVEREND PURVIANCE: Our Father and our God, we praise Thy Name that Thou has seen fit to spare us to be together once again. We come now in humility, asking for Thy wisdom, Thy guiding hand upon us, particularly now during these final days of this session that we may be prayerful and careful and that Thou may guide every thought and every motive. For we ask these things in the Master's Name. Amen. PRESIDENT EGAN: The Chief Clerk will call the roll. (The Chief Clerk called the roll at this time.) HELLENTHAL: Mr. Harris and Mr. McLaughlin are both here but they are temporarily occupied with other matters. PRESIDENT EGAN: The Chief Clerk will please show they are here. Mr. Buckalew is present. CHIEF CLERK: All members present. PRESIDENT EGAN: A quorum is present. Does the special Committee to read the journal have a report to make at this time? If not, we will hold the report in abeyance until later in the day. Are there any petitions, memorials or communications from outside the Convention? The Chief Clerk will please read the communications. (The Chief Clerk read a telegram from Senator Marcus F. Jensen of Douglas requesting the separation of the resources of game and fish as worded in the proposal made by the Territorial Sportsmen, Inc.) PRESIDENT EGAN: The communication will be referred to the Committee on Resources. Are there other communications? If not, are there reports of standing committees? Are there reports of select committees? SUNDBORG: Mr. President, I would like to announce a meeting of the Committee on Style and Drafting for the morning recess at the rear of the gallery. PRESIDENT EGAN: Mr. Sundborg announces a meeting of the Committee on Style and Drafting immediately upon the morning recess at 10:30. Are there other committee announcements? Mr. Sundborg. 2213 SUNDBORG: Mr. President, I notice that just entering the chamber is a man whom we have summoned from Louisiana, Kimbrough Owen, who is going to assist the Style and Drafting Committee throughout the balance of the Convention. I would like to ask unanimous consent that he be introduced to the body at this time. PRESIDENT EGAN: Mr. Owen, we would be appreciative if you could come forward and present a few remarks to the delegates. We are happy to have you here. (Applause) MR. OWEN: Mr. President and delegates, since brevity seems to be one of the characteristics of this Convention, I would just like to say I am very happy to be here, and I am very profoundly impressed with the draft I have seen and I hope I can be of service. Thank you. PRESIDENT EGAN: Thank you, Mr. Owen. (Applause) Mr. Rosswog. ROSSWOG: Mr. Chairman, I have a report by the Style and Drafting Committee. The Local Government Committee worked all yesterday on their proposal and we hope to have the services of Mr. Owen for at least a short time, as he is experienced in local government. PRESIDENT EGAN: Thank you, Mr. Rosswog, and we are sure you can obtain the services of Mr. Owen. Are there any motions or resolutions to come before us at this time? Is there any unfinished business? Under unfinished business we have before us -- Mr. Hilscher. HILSCHER: Mr. President, I should like to take the time of the Convention for a few minutes to discuss a matter which I think is pretty important to us in the over-all view of the job we have to do. PRESIDENT EGAN: If there is no objection, Mr. Hilscher. HILSCHER: There has been no publicity on the Constitutional Convention on a national basis that we have heard of as yet, and there have been letters written to members of the Convention from friends in the states stating that they are interested in Alaska and the Constitutional Convention but unless they had heard from them they would not know that the Alaska Constitutional Convention was in existence. We have in this room representatives from 19 states and six foreign countries. I should like to suggest, Mr. President, that before too long the President of this Convention request or arrange for a committee to possibly meet with the Statehood Committee for the purpose of working out a publicity and public relations campaign. I can see where a photograph taken right at work here and a story with it should go to every hometown paper or every place of origin. Now we have five from Minnesota. It might be pretty important to the passage of the Alaska statehood bill, if and when it is presented to Congress, that we have the support of the two senators and the congressmen from Minnesota. 2214 I can readily see where if one of our lady delegates who comes from Minnesota, if her picture appeared in the hometown paper, and there was quite a write-up, and the fact that she is the National Democratic Committeewoman from Alaska, it could create quite a bit of interest in her hometown. I also believe all of these should also be represented in their professional publications. I can see where photographs should go to the American Bar Association and to their publications, to the American Mining Journal. Mr. Harris is in the hotel business, there are a half-dozen hotel publications which would be very pleased to have a picture of Mr. Harris, all of which is in the nature of national publicity, to get the story out that Alaska is doing something about the constitution. Something should also be done about a poster contest in the schools on "Ratification of the Constitution" or "Understand the Constitution". Then if and when the people of Alaska decide to ratify the constitution a definite method should be worked out for the delivery of the constitution to the President and to the Congress. We have an end product to sell and there is just as much salesmanship involved in selling statehood or selling our constitution as there is in a pair of shoes or real estate or any other product. Therefore, Mr. President, I feel it is quite incumbent upon us to be aware of this fact and to decide whether or not we are going to do something about it or whether the Statehood Committee is going to do something about it, and I would like very much. Mr. President, to suggest this matter be taken under consideration by you. I should imagine that our Administration Committee would probably be a logical committee, or certain members, and I know there are several people in our Convention who are acquainted with publicity and such matters and I would strongly urge that definite action be taken on this in the very near future. I understand the Statehood Committee is going to hold a meeting next Sunday. Well, perhaps we can find out whether or not the Statehood Committee is going to do anything about it, but it certainly should be done with our cooperation and our assistance, or at least we should be a party to it. I don't know whether it is the function of the Statehood Committee, but something should be done. PRESIDENT EGAN: Mrs. Hermann. HERMANN: Correction on meeting next Sunday. It is a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Statehood Committee, and not the Statehood Committee as a whole. I was under the impression that the Rules Committee had outlined this particular thing as one of the manifest and many duties of the Secretary of the Convention. If I am wrong I stand corrected. PRESIDENT EGAN: If there is no further discussion we will take the matter under consideration. We have before us Committee Proposal No. 10/a. Was there a pending amendment? Mrs. Hermann. HERMANN: Mr. President, I want to speak on a matter of privilege 2215 on a matter that is far removed from Convention business. PRESIDENT EGAN: Mrs. Hermann, if there is no objection. (Mrs. Hermann spoke on a matter of privilege.) PRESIDENT EGAN: Thank you, Mrs. Hermann. Did we have two reconsiderations of amendments that had been adopted, pending or was there one? The Chair only brings it up at this time inasmuch as it might be best if we consider any reconsiderations on this proposal as quickly as we can. That is, it would be up to the maker of the motion actually, but were there two reconsiderations or one? CHIEF CLERK: One, I think. PRESIDENT EGAN: If the Chair remembers it, Mr. Kilcher I think reconsidered on the last proposed amendment, but I had the feeling there had been another notice given during the day. If not, we will continue. Mr. Victor Rivers. V. RIVERS: I have an amendment. PRESIDENT EGAN: You have an amendment by the Committee? V. RIVERS: By a minority group of the Committee, myself and Mr. Harris. PRESIDENT EGAN: Mr. Victor Rivers, you may present your proposed amendment. The Chief Clerk may present the proposed amendment. CHIEF CLERK: "After Section 14, page 7 of Committee Proposal No. lO/a, insert a new section as follows: 'Section 15. The Attorney General shall be appointed by the Governor from two or more qualified persons nominated in the same manner as judges by the judicial council. He shall have been admitted to practice law in the State and shall have the other qualifications prescribed herein for heads of principal departments and shall be subject to approval by the Legislature in a similar manner.