2017-04-15                     Senate Journal                      Page 0974
SB 115                                                                                                                        
SENATE BILL NO. 115 BY THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE                                                                               
BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, entitled:                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
             "An Act relating to the Alaska Commercial Fisheries                                                               
               Entry Commission; and providing for an effective                                                                
          date."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
was read the first time and referred to the State Affairs and Finance                                                           
Committees.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
The following fiscal information was published today:                                                                           
 Fiscal Note No. 1, Office of the Governor                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Governor's transmittal letter dated April 14:                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Dear President Kelly:                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Under the authority of Article III, Section 18, of the Alaska                                                                   
Constitution, I am transmitting this bill relating to the Alaska                                                                
Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (Commission).                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
The Commission is a regulatory and quasi-judicial agency tasked to                                                              
promote the conservation and sustained yield management of Alaska's                                                             
commercial fishery resource by regulating and controlling entry of                                                              
participants and vessels into the commercial fisheries in the public                                                            
interest and without unjust discrimination. This bill proposes                                                                  
amendments to address the changing environment of the Commission                                                                
without affecting the Commission's mission.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Therefore, the bill proposes to adjust the salary range for                                                                     
Commissioners of the Commission from range 27 to range 24 to better                                                             
align them with other comparable positions. Further, the bill would                                                             
amend AS 16.43.080 to remove a requirement that employees of the                                                                
Commission be in the exempt service. To accommodate this change,                                                                
Commission employees would be transferred to the classified service,                                                            
but would still be employed by the Commission.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                

2017-04-15                     Senate Journal                      Page 0975
I urge your prompt and favorable action on this measure.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Sincerely,                                                                                                                      
/s/                                                                                                                             
Bill Walker                                                                                                                     
Governor