Perhaps one of the best examples of a truly non-partisan bill, House Bill 101 amends Alaska criminal law to raise the age of consent from 16 years old to 18 years old.
The bill would increase protection for minors who are victims of sexual abuse, assault, stalking, enticement, endangerment, indecent exposure, pornography distribution, sexual solicitation, and sexual exploitation.
At its regular meeting this past Tuesday, April 14, the Anchorage Assembly unanimously passed Assembly Resolution 2026-98, As Amended, which urges the State Legislature to pass HB 101. The resolution also affirms the Assembly’s “commitment to policies that protect minors
from exploitation and strengthen accountability for offenders.”
The resolution was co-sponsored by Assemblymembers Jared Goecker and Yarrow Silvers.
“Alaska has some of the highest rates of sexual violence in the country,” said Goecker. “[HB101] passed the House unanimously: 39 to 0. And yet, it’s been sitting in the Senate for nearly a year. That is unacceptable. Every day this bill sits, more kids are put at risk.”
Silvers commented: “One of the biggest issues I see with the state and federal governments is often an unwillingness to simply do the right thing and pass laws based on merit. It’s time to do the right thing and pass this now, as stand alone legislation that’s ready to go, and if Senator Claman won’t move it out of committee, then the Senate has the power and responsibility to go around him on a committee vote or a discharge vote on the floor. Anything less is to be complicit in the continued victimization of Alaska’s youth.”
HB 101 was introduced by Rep. Andrew Gray (D-Anchorage) and is cosponsored by a slew of both Democrat and Republican Representatives and Senators: Representatives Bynum, Tomaszewski, Vance, Jimmie, Galvin, Schrage, Josephson, Fields, Mina, Story, Himschoot, Kopp, and Nelson; Senators Gray-Jackson, Myers, Tilton, Kawasaki, Yundt, Bjorkman, Cronk, Merrick, and Giessel.
