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Witnesses tell committee HB170 targets people who conceal violent crimes; amendment deadline set
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Summary
Public testimony on House Bill 170 focused on changing failure-to-report-a-crime from a $500 violation to a misdemeanor in cases where people knowingly conceal violent crimes; the committee set an amendment deadline and will revisit the bill Thursday.
Representative Stephanie Kerrick opened public testimony on House Bill 170 on May 6. Representative Meinock Burke's office staff and a DPS official were present for questions; Representative Burke was not in the room.
Antonia Comack of Wasilla, who said she previously testified on April 29, called the committee in support of HB170 and described the bill as “Kathleen’s law,” aimed at increasing penalties for people who knowingly hide information about violent crimes. Comack provided examples from charging documents in past Anchorage cases and read portions of those documents into the record to illustrate where family members or acquaintances admitted knowledge of a violent incident and took actions to clean up or hide evidence rather than report it.
Comack cited two Anchorage case numbers — 3AN1605644CR and 3AN1605645CR — and described allegations that family members heard a disturbance, cleaned up blood at the scene, and did not contact police. She said the intent of HB170 is to target people who had evidence of a violent crime and admitted knowledge during police interviews, and not inadvertent passersby.
Susie Frenzel of the Department of Public Safety’s Victim Assistance and Forensic Science Division joined the hearing for questions only. Representative Kerrick closed public testimony, set an amendment deadline of Wednesday, May 7 at 5 p.m., and said the bill will be taken up on Thursday.
