To Whom It May Concern:

The Methamphetamine bill, HB 149, has been in the Legislature for many months now. As you know, the House recently voted not to accept the conference committee substitute. Your concerns about our youth are clearly important and no one in this office takes these concerns lightly. However, the concerns expressed by Representative Seaton and others were also significant and I hope a short history will provide some illumination.

HB 149 originally dealt with the Methamphetamine problems, which have become so apparent in our own district. This was the only issue addressed in the bill that passed the House with Rep. Seaton's support following the full committee process. Bills addressing steroids and marijuana use were also in the House, but neither moved from a single committee. Nevertheless, all three of these bills were rolled into HB 149 during the final Senate committee hearing on the bill. A vote of concurrence by the House would have approved several measures the House had never examined. We are a deliberative body and our constituents rely on us to inspect the details of bills before they are enacted into law. This action circumvented the public process by not allowing for appropriate discussion and public testimony.

The marijuana provision raised additional concerns. The move by the Administration to overturn the 1970 Raven ruling was a top-down approach to force a re-examination of the safety risks posed by marijuana. It has been suggested that the potency of the drug has increased over the last 30 years. However, these findings, which are asserted in the bill, conflict with those of all previous commissions. An adequate review of the facts on this matter was not conducted in either House.

The previous 1970 Raven ruling was based on an individual's constitutional rights to privacy. This right is guaranteed under Alaska's constitution more clearly than in other states. Representative Seaton is a strong supporter of personal rights, and he did not consider it appropriate to address the concerns posed by marijuana use by restricting the rights of individual Alaskans in his own home.

This is a fine line to tread when it comes to drug law. Please understand, however, that Representative Seaton's vote was determined by what he considers to be an appropriate legislative process and his conviction to protect your constitutional rights. His actions have always reflected these strong beliefs. Thanks again for taking the time to write and if you have any further questions, please free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Ian Laing, staff
Representative Paul Seaton

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