It's a big task: Gov. Sean Parnell wants to "end the scourge of domestic violence and sexual assault in Alaska," and all within 10 years.
To that end, he's rolled out a multifaceted initiative involving statute changes, money and support that lawmakers are responding to favorably so far.
The package of bills, funding and programs to address Alaska's abysmal rates of domestic violence, sexual assault and child sexual assault is among Parnell's top priorities for this legislative session.
Part of it is personal. Parnell's grandfather was a domestic abuser, and the governor speaks of his father's commitment to breaking the destructive cycle of violence that is often passed on through generations.
Parnell's desire to put a personal touch on the initiative was echoed by Attorney General Dan Sullivan and Public Safety Commissioner Joe Master in hearings last week before the House and Senate Judiciary Committees.
"The term epidemic I don't think is an exaggeration," Sullivan said, speaking of "gut-wrenching" statistics with real lives attached.
Masters added some basic numbers: Alaskan women are two and a half times more likely to be raped than women in other parts of the U.S. That figure is as high as five times as likely in Fairbanks. And children are six times more likely to be sexually abused than the national average.
Parnell and the Department of Law want to lodge serious resources against the problem. For example, there's funding for a full-time employee to coordinate the initiative; more money for shelters to help victims; and a pledge to participate in prevention work, such as a Choose Respect ad campaign underway now through the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.
The governor's package includes four pieces of legislation, two of which will probably be passed to lawmakers early this week, Department of Law spokesman Bill McAllister said.
Here's what the initiative would do, among other things:
-- Realign Alaska's laws so that sex offenders can't avoid registering when they move to Alaska from the states where they were convicted. Currently, Alaska has a loophole preventing that.
"We don't want to be a safe harbor for sex offenders," Fairbanks Republican Rep. Jay Ramras said.
-- Increase the potential consequences for people convicted of some sex offenses by allowing courts to consider aggravating factors, such as age differentials between offenders and victims, or taking advantage of a victim who has been drinking alcohol or using drugs.
"Unfortunately, there are statistics that show that significant victims in Alaska of sexual assault are actually passed out," Sullivan remarked.
-- Close an Alaska loophole that allows people to have child pornography on their computers. Right now, that doesn't count as possession.
-- Make a law that bans some sex offenders from interactions with children under 16 years old.
-- Order long-term preservation of evidence in sexual assault cases, and build a new state crime lab in Anchorage.
-- Add officers in every rural area that wants a law enforcement presence.
On the House side, chairman Ramras said the Judiciary Committee has about 14 amendments to discuss when it convenes on Monday. Brought by Ramras and two Anchorage Democrats, Reps. Lindsey Holmes and Max Gruenberg, the changes are fairly procedural.
"We're working very happily with the governor's office to improve this piece of legislation," Ramras said. "We're doing the due diligence of the Judiciary Committee, which is to make sure a piece of legislation passes the constitutional tests."
The Senate Judiciary Committee is also hearing the governor's bill. Sen. Hollis French, D-Anchorage, chairs that committee. His office staff said the group is taking a measured path through the bill and anticipates additional hearings in early February.
Contact Rena Delbridge at rena(at)alaskadispatch.com.