2005-01-18                     House Journal                      Page 0094
HB 79                                                                                             
HOUSE BILL NO. 79 by the House Rules Committee by request of                                        
the Governor, entitled:                                                                             
                                                                                                    
     "An Act making a supplemental appropriation for increased                                      
     operating costs of the division of elections; and providing for an                             
     effective date."                                                                               
                                                                                                    
was read the first time and referred to the State Affairs and Finance                               
Committees.                                                                                         
                                                                                                    
                                                                                                    
The Governor's transmittal letter dated January 14, 2005, follows:                                  
                                                                                                    
"Dear Speaker Harris:                                                                               
                                                                                                    
Under the authority of art. III, sec. 18, of the Alaska Constitution, I am                          
transmitting a separate "fast-track" supplemental appropriation bill for                            
fiscal year 2005 for the Division of Elections in the Office of the                                 
Lieutenant Governor.                                                                                
                                                                                                    
                                                                                                    
The bill would appropriate a total of $694,900 from the general fund.                               
The appropriation would cover the costs of circumstances that were                                  
not within management's control, such as court-ordered costs,                                       
unexpected municipal ballot costs, and unexpected citizen-action                                    
generated costs.  The Division of Elections faced unusual operating                                 
costs due to a number of circumstances, including ballot printing and                               
distribution of the Municipality of Anchorage bond questions, an                                    
application for recall of a member of the state Legislature, complying                              
with a court order to reprint the general election ballots, and an                                  
unusually high number of requests from voters for absentee and                                      
facsimile ballots.  Due to these additional costs, it now appears that a                            
total of $694,900 more in general fund money will be needed to meet                                 
the state's obligations to administer elections during fiscal year 2005.                            
                                                                                                    

2005-01-18                     House Journal                      Page 0095
The Division of Elections is anticipated to run out of money in late                                
February.  Therefore, I request that you put this bill on a "fast track"                            
for final action in February.                                                                       
                                                                                                    
                                Sincerely yours,                                                    
                                /s/                                                                 
                                Frank H. Murkowski                                                  
                                 Governor"