Assembly supports move to reject foreign laws

PALMER - Worried about the growing influence of foreign laws in the American judiciary, the Mat-Su Borough Assembly has weighed in on a pending piece of state legislation.

Sponsored by Rep. Carl Gatto, R-Palmer, the legislation, House Bill 88, is described as "an act prohibiting a court, arbitrator, mediator, administrative agency or enforcement authority from applying a law, rule or provision of an agreement that violates an individual's right under the Constitution of the state of Alaska or the United States Constitution."

The act doesn't explicitly name any laws or bodies of law people are trying to apply in America.

Steve Renner, a resident of the Soapstone area, testified to the assembly that he sees Gatto's law applying to a wide range of foreign laws.

"Sharia Law happens to be one of them," Renner told the assembly recently. "I didn't pay a lot of attention to it until 9/11 (but) there are some things going on that we need to be aware of."

Sharia, also known as Islamic law, is a set of moral codes and religious laws laid out in Islamic texts.

Assemblyman Warren Keogh asked his colleagues for a delay so he might have time to read Gatto's law.

"It looks fine to me, but I would ask that we postpone this until the next meeting so I can have time to read House Bill 88," Keogh said. "Irrespective of the issue I find it hard, if not impossible, to vote in favor of a bill I haven't read."

Assemblyman Steve Colligan read the text of the bill aloud and urged its passage.

"You speak to the evidence of the application of foreign law, what evidence is there that that's happening in our country?" he asked. "Maybe I'm not as well read as I thought I was, but I haven't heard of that."

"In Europe this is rampant and there are 200 or so courts that have been set up," Colligan said. "There were several murders and court cases that were thrown out and other judgments set aside due to ideology or religious preference."

He said New York is also facing the problem.

"At first I thought it was bizarre and unbelievable but it is reality," Colligan said.

He said the law wouldn't single out any one group or do anything more than just affirm what is the law of the land.

"Those are the laws of our land. If you come to live in Alaska as a U.S. citizen you will abide by those laws," he said.

House Bill 88 was filed at the start of this year before the legislative session began, but didn't manage to make it to a vote before the Legislature adjourned. It will be back in play when the Legislature convenes later this month.

Eventually, the resolution voicing borough support for the act passed with only Keogh voting in opposition.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.

HOW THEY VOTED

Should the Mat-Su Borough Assembly endorse a state Legislature move to ban the application of foreign law in Alaska?

• Ron Arvin: Yes

• Steve Colligan: Yes

• Jim Colver: Yes

• Vern Halter: Yes

• Warren Keogh: No

• Darcie Salmon: Yes

• Noel Woods: Yes