07/11/2008 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

HB4002-RESOURCE REBATE PROGRAM FOR RESIDENTS                                                                                  
HB4003-APPROP: ENERGY RELIEF/REBATE/FUEL TAX                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:04:03 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX  reviewed the committee's  schedule for  the next                                                               
couple of  weeks, which  includes meetings on  July 15,  July 17,                                                               
July 22, and July 23.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:06:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FAIRCLOUGH related  that the schedule is  being laid out                                                               
so  that  members  can  continue to  participate  in  the  Alaska                                                               
Gasline Inducement  Act (AGIA) proceedings.   She  then expressed                                                               
concern  that  there  is  a constitutional  issue  with  HB  4002                                                               
regarding the length  of time addressed outside  of the permanent                                                               
fund application  dates.  The Department  of Law will need  to be                                                               
prepared to answer  questions in defense of  the constitution and                                                               
those requirements.   She noted that other  courts typically have                                                               
a  lower  threshold  for  days  that  are  allowable.    Co-Chair                                                               
Fairclough then  expressed concern with  regard to the  corpus of                                                               
the permanent  fund and how to  defend the public interest.   She                                                               
related the  need for the Alaska  Attorney General to be  able to                                                               
defend  the  proposed one-time  rebate  of  the resource  without                                                               
jeopardizing the  corpus of  the fund  or weakening  the argument                                                               
used at the federal level.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:09:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE NEUMAN related  a discussion he had  with a senior                                                               
citizen  in his  district who  was concerned  with regard  to how                                                               
this  proposed  rebate  will  impact  those  who  receive  senior                                                               
benefits and welfare  benefits as it will  increase their overall                                                               
income.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:10:33 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX  related her expectation that  the administration                                                               
would've  considered  the  aforementioned   and  be  prepared  to                                                               
address it during it's presentation to the committee.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
[HB 4002 and HB 4003 were held over.]