2016-07-11                     House Journal                      Page 3136
HB 257                                                                                                                        
The following letter was dated June 28, 2016, and received June 29 at                                                           
9:37 a.m.:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
"Dear Speaker Chenault:                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
On this date, I have signed, with line item vetoes, the following bill                                                          
passed by the Fourth Special Session of the Twenty-Ninth Alaska                                                                 
State Legislature and am transmitting the engrossed and enrolled                                                                
copies to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor for permanent filing:                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     CONFERENCE CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 257                                                                                       
     "An Act making appropriations for the operating and capital                                                                
     expenses of the state's integrated comprehensive mental health                                                             
     program; making supplemental appropriations; and providing for                                                             
     an effective date."                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Chapter No. 1, 4SSLA 2016                                                                                                  
     Effective Date:  See Chapter                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                

2016-07-11                     House Journal                      Page 3137
As passed by the Legislature, the bill contains operating, capital, and                                                         
supplemental appropriations for fiscal years 2016 and 2017, totaling                                                            
$249.1 million, including $202.4 million in unrestricted general funds                                                          
and $27.6 million in designated general funds. Given our current fiscal                                                         
restraints, I have made the following change to the bill through line                                                           
item veto:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Section 9, page 19, lines 3 - 7, is an $11,000,000 supplemental multi-                                                          
year appropriation to the Department of Health and Social Services for                                                          
a pilot program to develop additional substance use disorder services.                                                          
This appropriation has been reduced by $5,000,000 and leaves                                                                    
sufficient start-up funding for the pilot program.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
While these vetoes do not come close to solving our deficit, they are a                                                         
necessary step in the process of preserving savings until appropriate                                                           
revenue measures are available to provide a sustainable balanced                                                                
budget.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Sincerely,                                                                                                                      
/s/                                                                                                                             
Bill Walker                                                                                                                     
Governor"