02/17/2022 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

         SB  66-MEMBERS LEG COUNCIL; LEG BUDGET & AUDIT                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:45:38 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER  announced the consideration  of SENATE BILL  NO. 66                                                               
"An Act  relating to the  membership of the  legislative council;                                                               
and  relating to  the membership  of the  Legislative Budget  and                                                               
Audit Committee."                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
He noted that  the bill was first heard on  3/16/21. At that time                                                               
he objected to  adopting the committee substitute  (CS) version B                                                               
for discussion purposes.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:45:55 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER removed his objection  and version B was adopted. He                                                               
asked the sponsor to refresh the committee's recall of the bill.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:46:04 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  TOM BEGICH,  Alaska State  Legislature, Juneau,  Alaska,                                                               
sponsor or SB 66, recapped that  SB 66 seeks to ensure meaningful                                                               
minority  membership on  the very  important Legislative  Council                                                               
and  Legislative   Budget  and  Audit  committees.   He  said  he                                                               
appreciated  Senator  Reinbold's  comments  during  the  previous                                                               
hearing when she acknowledged that  the representation was unfair                                                               
due to a quirk in the law.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BEGICH  explained that  the  law  says these  committees                                                               
shall  have at  least  one  member from  each  of  the two  major                                                               
political parties in each house.  However, that provision ignores                                                               
the fact that bipartisan and  other coalitions have formed in the                                                               
past, effectively  denying the organized minority  seats on these                                                               
committees.  Following up  on a  previous question,  he explained                                                               
that in  the last  decade this has  consistently happened  in the                                                               
Senate.  A member  of  the majority  whose  party designation  is                                                               
different from  most members of  the majority has  been appointed                                                               
to the minority  seat. Explicitly in the last two  years, he said                                                               
that  has left  the  minority with  no  representation on  either                                                               
Legislative Council or Legislative Budget and Audit.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BEGICH emphasized that SB  66 would not take effect until                                                               
after the  32nd Legislature  so it would  not change  the current                                                               
membership on the committee. It  simply honors the minority voice                                                               
and gives the minority, regardless of  party, a seat on these key                                                               
legislative  committees.   To  demonstrate  the   importance,  he                                                               
highlighted that  the Legislative Budget and  Audit Committee may                                                               
consider  over  $3.2 billion  through  the  RPL process  and  his                                                               
caucus would have no voice.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER noted that he received no amendments.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR REINBOLD expressed appreciation  for the bill because the                                                               
minority  voice  needs  to  be  heard.  She  also  spoke  of  her                                                               
disagreement  with the  RPL process  and  bottlenecks in  certain                                                               
committees in the other body.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:51:31 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  BEGICH  responded that  he  shares  the desire  for  RPL                                                               
reform because  the process  is abused. To  the second  point, he                                                               
said he would do what he could.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:52:10 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR COSTELLO  asked: 1)  if the designee  is a  legislator or                                                               
somebody who  is not elected;  2) how  that is different  than an                                                               
alternate; and 3)  whether the minority leader would  be the only                                                               
member on the committee to have a designee.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BEGICH replied  the designee would need to  be an elected                                                               
member of the minority caucus.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COSTELLO  asked if  only the  minority leader  would have                                                               
the ability to have a designee, should the bill pass.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BEGICH answered yes because  the minority would have just                                                               
one seat  and the  minority leader's  schedule may  conflict with                                                               
these committee meetings. The majority  has more seats on each of                                                               
those committees so it is always represented.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COSTELLO pressed  the point that just  the minority would                                                               
have  a designee  and  the  bill does  not  indicate whether  the                                                               
designee  is permanent  or if  the minority  leader could  send a                                                               
minority  member  in  their  stead.  The  majority  only  has  an                                                               
alternate. She described the language as ambiguous.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:55:33 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR BEGICH suggested a simple  solution would be to amend the                                                               
language on  page 1, lines  6-7; page 1,  lines 8-9; and  page 2,                                                               
lines  6-7   by  deleting  "or   the  senate   minority  leader's                                                               
designee". He  cautioned that it  removes the flexibility  of the                                                               
minority from  selecting someone  other than the  minority leader                                                               
to sit  on these committees.  For example, he would  be appointed                                                               
to  the seat  since  he is  minority  leader but  it  would be  a                                                               
disservice to  the caucus.  His preference would  be to  have the                                                               
ability to  designate one  of the five  minority members  who are                                                               
far   more  knowledgeable   in  finance   matters.  He   said  he                                                               
understands  the concern,  but he  hopes she  would see  that the                                                               
intent is simply to provide flexibility.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:57:17 PM                                                                                                                    
At ease                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:00:08 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  SHOWER  reconvened  the   meeting  and  advised  that  the                                                               
discussion  was  about ensuring  there  is  both a  designee  and                                                               
flexibility. He noted that the sponsor proposed a solution.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:00:27 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR BEGICH  suggested replacing the word  "designee" with the                                                               
word "alternate" on page 1, line 7;  page 1, line 9; page 2, line                                                               
6; and page 2, line 7.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:00:56 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KAWASAKI moved Conceptual Amendment 1.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
                CONCEPTUAL AMENDMENT 1 TO SB 66                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 7:                                                                                                            
          Delete "designee"                                                                                                     
          Insert "alternate"                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 9:                                                                                                            
          Delete "designee"                                                                                                     
          Insert "alternate"                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 6                                                                                                             
          Delete "designee"                                                                                                     
         Insert "alternate"                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2 line 7                                                                                                              
          Delete "designee"                                                                                                     
          Insert "alternate"                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER objected for discussion purposes.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
He  asked if  there were  questions  or comments  and there  were                                                               
none.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:01:39 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR   SHOWER  removed   his  objection.   Finding  no   further                                                               
objection, Conceptual Amendment 1 to SB 66 passed.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:02:06 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER opened  public testimony on SB 66;  finding none, he                                                               
closed public testimony.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BEGICH thanked the committee for improving the bill.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER solicited the will of the committee.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:02:55 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR REINBOLD moved  to report SB 66,  work order 32-LS0410\A,                                                               
with   individual  recommendations,   attached  fiscal   note(s),                                                               
conceptual amendment,  and accompanying documents  from committee                                                               
and  give  Legislative  Legal permission  to  make  technical  or                                                               
conforming changes as necessary.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:03:25 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KAWASAKI  objected to  point out that  version B  was the                                                               
working document. He then withdrew his objection.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER asked Senator Reinbold to restate the motion.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:03:58 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  REINBOLD  moved  SB 66,  work  order  32-LS0410\B,  with                                                               
individual   recommendations,   attached  fiscal   note(s),   the                                                               
conceptual  amendment  and   accompanying  documents  from  State                                                               
Affairs  and authorize  Legislative  Legal Services  to make  any                                                               
necessary technical or conforming changes.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER  found no  objection and  CSSB 66(STA)  was reported                                                               
from the Senate State Affairs Standing Committee.