2009-02-04                     House Journal                      Page 0163
     Development of a registry of professional foresters; and relating to                                                       
     the membership of the Board of Forestry."                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
was read the first time and referred to the Labor & Commerce and                                                                
Resources Committees.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
HB 113                                                                                                                        
HOUSE BILL NO. 113 by the House Rules Committee by request of                                                                   
the Governor, entitled:                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act making supplemental appropriations, capital                                                                        
     appropriations, and other appropriations; amending                                                                         
     appropriations; making appropriations to capitalize funds; making                                                          
     appropriations under art. IX, sec. 17(c), Constitution of the State                                                        
     of Alaska, from the constitutional budget reserve fund; and                                                                
     providing for an effective date."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
was read the first time and referred to the Finance Committee.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
A spreadsheet from the Office of the Governor, Office of Management                                                             
and Budget, pertaining to the supplemental requests accompanied the                                                             
governor's transmittal letter and is on file in the Chief Clerk's office.                                                       
                                                                                                                                
The Governor's transmittal letter dated February 2, 2009, follows:                                                              
                                                                                                                                
"Dear Speaker Chenault:                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
I am transmitting to you today a supplemental appropriation bill for                                                            
Fiscal Year 2009 that reduces demand on the general fund by $268.6                                                              
million and seeks your authorization to access the Constitutional                                                               
Budget Reserve Fund at the end of the fiscal year to balance the                                                                
FY2009 operating and capital budgets.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
FY2009 has been a year of unprecedented revenue volatility.  Due to                                                             
the dramatic decline in oil prices, the estimated revenue of $7.5 billion                                                       
in the Spring 2008 forecast was lowered to $5.5 billion in the January                                                          
2009 interim forecast, making responsible reductions necessary.  The                                                            
FY2009 budget authorized expenditures of $5.99 billion plus the                                                                 
savings appropriation of $1.18 billion totaling $7.17 billion.  The                                                             
$268.6 million in reductions will bring the estimated revenue shortfall                                                         
to $1.36 billion in FY2009.