Legislature(2015 - 2016)BUTROVICH 205
03/02/2016 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB100 | |
| SB125 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 125 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 100 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SB 125-LEGISLATIVE MEMBERS OF AGDC BOARD
4:33:34 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL announced consideration of SB 125.
SENATOR MIA COSTELLO, sponsor of SB 125, said the legislature
has a depth of knowledge regarding the gasline, and SB 125 is
offered in a spirit of cooperation and making the gasline
process better for all Alaskans. The bill adds two non-voting
ex-officio members to the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation
(AGDC). She said there are more members on her son's soccer team
than there are on the AGDC board. Adding members will improve
communication and the process, she stated.
4:35:49 PM
WESTON EILER, staff to Senator Costello, Alaska State
Legislature, said that the first two sections of SB 125 add two
nonvoting legislative members to serve two-year terms (on the
AGDC), one from the House and one from the Senate, and sections
3 through 6 are conforming amendments. The AGDC now has five
public members and two commissioners of state departments
appointed by the governor. He said SB 125 is intended to
strengthen and diversify the board for upcoming complex policy
issues and large funding decisions, which require transparent
and clear decision-making. Having legislators on the board gives
all parties a seat at the table, and legislators understand that
a long view is needed for budgeting decisions. The legislators
will be an asset, he opined, providing perspective and
continuity. Legislators serve on over 12 state boards and
commissions, he added, including the Knik Arm Bridge and Toll
Authority and the Alaska Aerospace Corporation. They will better
understand AGDC if they are on the board, which is helpful
because any contract over the span of two years needs to come
back to the Legislature, he stated.
SENATOR STOLTZE said he served on two boards as an ex-officio
and always participated in executive sessions.
SENATOR COSTELLO said she intends for the two legislators to
attend all meetings.
MR. EILER noted that legislative council said the bill language
allows members to participate in executive sessions.
4:41:03 PM
SENATOR STOLTZE said the bill relies on good faith, and "every
hand outreached hasn't always been shaken, hence this bill is
before us." He said the change will allow a better flow of
information. Most board members are not legislators, and when he
was an ex-officio, he helped provide the legislative
perspective, especially when asking candid questions in
executive sessions. The board will still make its own decisions,
he stated, but it will be with better informed consent.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said AGDC started out with people who had
pipeline experience, and now it is shifting more to being
political, and that is not the direction it should go.
SENATOR COSTELLO appreciated his sentiment, "but who better to
have sitting there in the room than people that were around when
the statutes and the laws were written and crafted for the
project?" The benefit of having expertise is invaluable, and
legislators are elected by their neighbors and are political
people, but they "wear different hats." She said the precedent
is set with other boards, and she offers the bill in a spirit of
teamwork.
SENATOR STOLTZE said he was reminded of a movie from the 1980s
where people were shocked that there was a whorehouse in Texas,
"but there are politics on this board." His good friend, John
Burns, had "tire tracks on his back" from a truck driven by a
"trimmed out politician," and he probably saw that his job was
more political than he expected.
CHAIR GIESSEL opened public testimony, and, finding none, she
closed it.
4:45:06 PM
SENATOR COGHILL asked if the bill needs to be explicit in
allowing legislative board members to attend executive sessions.
MILES BAKER, Vice President, Internal Affairs, AGDC, Juneau,
answered that the board has not discussed it, but he assumes
legislative members would participate in executive sessions.
SENATOR COGHILL asked if there are any barriers.
MR. BAKER said he is not aware of any, but he will get back to
the committee with an answer.
SENATOR COGHILL said he expects there will be barriers, and it
needs to be put into law.
CHAIR GIESEL said that she thinks Senator Coghill is correct.
SENATOR STOLTZE said he understands Mr. Baker's situation,
because "when you're walking on eggs you don't hop." He asked
for a document to clear up the issue.
4:47:33 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if the board gets per diem and if
travel is involved.
MR. BAKER answered that public members of the AGDC board receive
a $400 honorarium for each day they do board business, which is
typically one meeting per month preceded by a day of committee
work. He estimated a total of two to four days of honorariums
each month, but the two commissioners are not entitled to them.
The board usually meets in Anchorage, but it has met in
Fairbanks and Palmer, and AGDC pays for hotels and travel.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said SB 125 has no fiscal note and asked if
legislative members would use their office accounts.
MR. BAKER assumed that the legislators would operate similar to
the commissioners, and travel and per diem would be subject to
the legislative budget rules and not come from the AGDC budget.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if the legislative members will sign
confidentiality agreements.
MR. BAKER answered that for most of what the board is involved
in there have not been many requests [for agreements].
Legislators are already entitled to most of the confidential
information that would require the board to sign such an
agreement, but whether their normal oath of office would apply
or whether the legislative members would need to sign the
agreements could be answered by legal counsel.
4:51:24 PM
SENATOR STOLTZE asked what activities or information might the
board want to exclude legislators from, "since you used the term
'most'."
MR. BAKER explained that he meant that not everything the board
deals with needs confidentiality agreements.
4:52:30 PM
CHAIR GIESEL closed public testimony.
SENATOR MICCICHE offered conceptual amendment 1 stating that,
other than voting, legislative board members shall participate
in all processes of the board, including executive sessions, and
they shall not receive an honorarium.
SENATOR COGHILL objected for discussion.
SENATOR STOLTZE suggested "no compensation" instead of "no
honorarium." This is not an issue on most boards, but "I think
there's been other factors that even cause this legislation
being brought forward."
SENATOR MICCICHE suggested adding travel or per diem after
"honorarium."
SENATOR COGHILL said it is not clear if legislators could use
their legislative accounts.
SENATOR STOLTZE said he served on the Alaska Seafood Marketing
Council and the Knik Arm Bridge Toll Authority, and there has
never been a question that the legislative branch "picked up
these; it was certainly a courtesy to us ... and it was a
benefit to have us on the board as a nonvoting member." He said
legislators cannot be voting members because of the dual office
[statute]. That the committee is even dealing with this bill
dictates why the language has to be so specific, he opined.
SENATOR MICCICHE said conceptual amendment 1 is: other than
voting, legislative members of the board shall participate in
all processes of the board, including executive sessions.
4:57:52 PM
At ease.
4:58:17 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE continued with his conceptual amendment:
[legislative members will not] be compensated by AGDC for an
honorarium, travel, or per diem for their participation on the
AGDC board.
CHAIR GIESEL noted the need to renumber the bill. Finding no
further objections, conceptual amendment 1 was adopted.
4:59:28 PM
SENATOR COSTELLO moved to report SB 125, version 29-LS1250\E, as
amended, from committee with individual recommendations and
attached fiscal note(s).
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI objected and said he respects the sponsors
in putting SB 125 forward, but the legislature has numerous
opportunities to participate with the AGDC, including regular
briefings and testimony. He stated that Alaska needs less
politics [in the AGDC], and the bill adds a new layer. He
removed his objection, but he said he will not support the bill.
CHAIR GIESSEL heard no further objections, and CSSB 125(RES)
moved out of committee.