Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee sets aside bill to ban masked peace officers; sponsor to offer tactical-gear exceptions
Summary
Lawmakers debated HB250, a proposal to restrict masked peace officers, with sponsors arguing it affirms Alaska policing standards and opponents warning it could be unnecessary or harm recruitment; the committee set the bill aside and set an amendment deadline for March 4.
The House State Affairs Committee discussed House Bill 250 on March 3, a measure intended to limit peace officers' use of face coverings while on duty. The sponsor, Representative Sarah Hannan, said the bill is designed to affirm standards Alaskan agencies already follow and to create a state-level floor for identification practices that apply even to officers not covered by the Alaska Police Standards Council.
Opponents, including Representative Saint Claire and Representative McCabe, said the practice the bill targets is not widespread in Alaska and that the measure risks interfering with department-level policies. Representative Saint Claire cited media reports and comments from the Anchorage police chief and said some jurisdictions that passed similar rules have not enforced them. Representative Vance questioned whether criminalizing mask-wearing would actually prevent the types of violent incidents cited in other states and warned of potential negative effects on recruitment and retention.
Sarah Heeb, an administrative investigator with the Alaska Police Standards Council, told the committee the council does not currently have a position on HB250 and provided technical answers about certification, minimum training standards and the council's code of ethics. She clarified that many identification and badge policies are department-level practices rather than statewide rules set by the council.
Chair Kerrick set HB250 aside to allow the sponsor to circulate amendments and set an amendment deadline for Wednesday, March 4 at 5 p.m. Representative Hannan said she planned to distribute a drafted amendment that would clarify tactical-gear exceptions (for example, SWAT operations, helmets, and operators on motorcycles or snow machines). Members also requested Department of Law be available during the amendment period to answer threshold questions about enforcement and jurisdiction.
The committee did not vote on the underlying bill at this meeting. Members were asked to submit amendments to legislative legal by the deadline and to notify the chair's office if legal review was delayed.
Next step: HB250 is set aside pending sponsor amendments to be distributed before the stated deadline; further committee action will follow once the amendments are filed.
