00                  SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 29                                                                   
01 Relating to urging the Governor to institute a hiring freeze on state government.                                       
02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
03       WHEREAS the state is facing a budget shortfall of $873,000,000 for fiscal year 2002,                            
04 and the proposed fiscal year 2003 budget has an estimated $1,200,000,000 shortfall; and                                 
05       WHEREAS the balance of the constitutional budget reserve fund used to fill this                                 
06 budget shortfall is expected to be exhausted by July 2004 if the proposed fiscal year 2003                              
07 budget is fully funded; and                                                                                             
08       WHEREAS the proposed fiscal year 2003 budget contains an increase of 858 full-                                  
09 time positions from the current fiscal year, at a cost of $115,000,000; and                                             
10       WHEREAS reduced spending for state operations will likely be necessary in dealing                               
11 with the budget shortfall; and                                                                                          
12       WHEREAS the decision to avoid hiring state employees rather than resorting to                                   
13 layoffs is fairer to current employees; and                                                                             
14       WHEREAS reducing the number of state positions through the process of attrition                                 
15 allows for both immediate and long-term savings in personnel costs;                                                     
16       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests the                                      

01 Governor to institute an immediate hiring freeze for all positions funded with general funds                            
02 except those temporary positions needed to respond to emergencies or needed for reasons                                 
03 involving healthy and safety.