Legislature(2017 - 2018)BUTROVICH 205
02/09/2017 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB5 | |
| SJR1 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 5 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SJR 1 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SB 5-POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION LIMITS/PROHIBITION
3:31:09 PM
CHAIR DUNLEAVY announced the consideration of SB 5. [Version O
committee substitute (CS) was adopted 1/31/2017.]
CHAIR DUNLEAVY opened public testimony on SB 5.
3:31:57 PM
At ease
3:32:31 PM
CHAIR DUNLEAVY called the committee back to order.
3:32:51 PM
ANDREE MCLEOD, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, testified
in support of SB 5. She opined that SB 5 will close a loophole
in political action committees (PACs). She said there was a
reason why the Campaign Reform Act of 1996 was enacted to
prohibit lobbyists from certain activities. She pointed out that
Article 1 in the Legislative Declaration of Lobbying finds and
declares that the operation of responsible representative
democracy requires that the fullest opportunity be afforded to
the people to petition their government and so lobbyists have a
right to do what they do.
She set forth that the extortion scheme that has been brought up
by "Gabby's PAC" is bad and totally corrupts the process. She
pointed out that extortion is the practice of obtaining
something, especially money, through force or threats. She said
there are high moral and ethical standards among public servants
in the legislative branch and assuring the people's trust,
respect, and confidence is important. She stated that a fair and
open government requires legislators to conduct the public's
business in a manner that preserves the process's integrity and
avoids conflicts of interest or even appearances of conflicts of
interest. She said in order for the rules governing conduct to
be respected, the code must be administered fairly and without
favoritism.
She remarked that "heavy leaning" on legislators by the Rules
chair has occurred and allowing it to continue is egregious. She
noted that the Rules chair controls the door of the bills that
go on the floor. She detailed that the Ethics Act says that a
legislator may not, through inference or anything else,
threaten, state or imply that they take or withhold a
legislative action including support or opposition to a bill as
a result of a person's decision to provide or not provide a
political contribution. She opined that anybody who has been a
Rules chair understands the nuances, but her understanding has
been that some heavy leaning has occurred on lobbyists.
MS. MCLEOD summarized that corruption is going on and it has to
stop immediately. She said passing SB 5 will close the
loopholes. She asked that legislators not leave any ambiguities
in any definitions of what a "group" is. She asserted that
leaving the current situation unchecked, dysfunction and
corruption ensues.
3:37:18 PM
CHAIR DUNLEAVY closed public testimony on SB 5.
3:37:28 PM
At ease
3:38:02 PM
CHAIR DUNLEAVY called the committee back to order. He asked
Senator Meyer, the bill's sponsor, to provide his closing
comments on SB 5.
SENATOR KEVIN MEYER, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska,
summarized as follows:
The purpose of this legislation is to break as little
new ground as possible. We are not trying to do a
comprehensive restructuring or overhaul of our
campaign finance laws. We are not trying to prohibit
legislators from forming PACs, they will still be able
to do that under this legislation.
We only want to address the loophole that came to
everyone's attention last fall during the election
process and put some sideboards on legislator control
groups; this was obviously brought to our attention in
Anchorage by the Anchorage Daily News, and the
Democratic party took action and filed a complaint to
APOC, and others too have voiced concern and
complaints about this. I think all of us should be
concerned about it as well because it does kind of
taint the whole process, especially down here in
Juneau. These legislators that have PACs should
operate in line with how other elected officials are
required, ourselves. We cannot take contributions
while we are in session and we cannot take them from
lobbyists unless the lobbyist lives in our district.
So basically, SB 5 does two things: disallows a
lobbyist's contributions, except a lobbyist can still
contribute to candidates in their home district; and
it prevents fundraising and expenditure activity
during the legislative session.
3:40:16 PM
SENATOR GIESSEL moved to report CS for SB 5, version 30-
LS0112\O, from committee with individual recommendations and
attached fiscal note(s).
CHAIR DUNLEAVY announced that without objection, CSSB 5(STA)
moved out of the Senate State Affairs Standing Committee.