Legislature(2015 - 2016)BILL RAY CENTER 230
05/12/2016 03:00 PM House CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ON HB256 AND HB257
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| = | HB 256 | ||
| = | HB 257 | ||
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 256(FIN)
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
loan program expenses of state government and for
certain programs; capitalizing funds; amending
appropriations; repealing appropriations; making
supplemental appropriations; and providing for an
effective date."
SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 256(FIN)
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
loan program expenses of state government and for
certain programs; capitalizing funds; amending
appropriations; repealing appropriations; making
supplemental appropriations; and providing for an
effective date."
and
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 257(FIN)
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
capital expenses of the state's integrated
comprehensive mental health program; making
supplemental appropriations; and providing for an
effective date."
SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 257(FIN)
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
capital expenses of the state's integrated
comprehensive mental health program; and providing for
an effective date."
3:40:08 PM
Chair Kelly communicated that the conference committee
would be meeting on HB 256 and HB 257 open items. He noted
that Limited Powers of Free Conference had been granted by
both the Senate and the House. He stated that there would
be two departments with open items to be taken up based on
the motion sheets distributed to members earlier in the day
and dated May 12, 2016.
LEGISLATURE
Vice-Chair Neuman MOVED to ADOPT the Chair's recommendation
on the following items for the Legislature budget:
Item 1 House
Item 2 Senate
Item 3 Senate
Item 4 Senate minus $3,155 million and transfer
$1.499 million from the Legislature State Facilities
Rent allocation to new "Legislature State Facilities
Rent - Other than Anchorage 716 W. 4th Ave allocation"
and transfer $844.9 from Legislature State Facilities
Rent allocation to a new appropriation and allocation
titled "Legislature State Facilities Rent - Anchorage
716 W. 4th Ave." Due to the budget deficit the
Legislature will be exercising termination of the
lease via the non appropriation clause for the 716 W.
4th Avenue lease. $4,032,000 was requested in the
January 19, 2016 Legislative Council FY 17 Proposed
Budget in the Legislature State Facilities Rent
component. We are making it very clear by this
separate appropriation distinguishing between lease
expenses at 716 W. 4th Avenue and a separate
allocation within another appropriation for all other
statewide legislative lease expenses. The $844,900
under the State Facilities Rent Anchorage 716 W. 4th
is for 3 months' rent for the 90 day notice to
terminate due to non appropriation.
Item 5 House
Item 6 Senate
Item 7 Senate
Item 8 Senate
Representative Gara agreed to the legislative budget
reductions and moving out of the Anchorage office building.
Representative Gara OBJECTED to Item 4. He queried an
explanation of Item 4. He surmised that the legislature was
terminating its lease on the office in Anchorage, so
therefore not paying the annual rent. The Senate
appropriation was reduced by $3.15 million. He surmised
that the action would "roll over" approximately $1.5
million for an account that would be used to pay for a new
office space.
3:43:42 PM
JAMES ARMSTRONG, STAFF, SENATOR PETE KELLY explained that
the $1.5 million would be added to the existing fund that
was used for all of the legislative offices throughout the
state, and would cover the final nine months of the
facility decided by Legislative Council.
Representative Gara encouraged Legislative Council to
approve a modest office space in east downtown Anchorage or
Fairview, rather than the Wells Fargo building. He WITHDREW
the OBJECTION.
Senator MacKinnon explained that the proposed lease space
was approximately 50 cents per square foot, which was a
significant cost savings to the legislature and the state.
Mr. Armstrong clarified that the language was examined
carefully by Legislative Legal and the Legislative Finance
Division (LFD) director [David Teal], and that they
recommended the adoption of Item 4.
There being NO further OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The
action closed all conferencable items in the budget for the
Legislature.
3:45:42 PM
AT EASE
3:45:59 PM
RECONVENED
3:46:01 PM
LANGUAGE
Vice-Chair Neuman MOVED to ADOPT the Chair's recommendation
on the following items for the Language motion sheet:
Item 4 Senate
Representative Gara OBJECTED. He requested that the
committee hold the item. He announced that, by statute, it
was decided to allocate a certain amount of cruise ship
fund proceeds up to the first seven ports of call. He felt
that, without the intent language passed by the House, the
funding could not be statutorily met. He did not support
the decision to withdraw the funds from the first seven
ports of call. He felt that without the intent language,
the first seven ports of call could not receive the funds
they had traditionally received in prior years.
Senator MacKinnon remarked that there had been concern
about the collection and distribution of the head tax. She
shared that there was a current bill that could address
some of the concerns. She stressed that the system was
broken, so the legislature could not continue to distribute
funds under a broken system.
Representative Gara MAINTAINED his OBJECTION.
A roll call vote was taken on the motion.
IN FAVOR: Kelly, Neuman, MacKinnon, Thompson
OPPOSED: Gara
The MOTION PASSED (4/1).
There being NO further OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The
action closed all conferencable items for the Language
motion sheet.
Chair Kelly relayed that the next meeting would be held on
Friday, May 13th at 3:00 p.m.
Representative Gara queried the amount of money that would
not go to the first seven ports of call. Mr. Armstrong
replied that it was approximately $15 million.
HB 256 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
HB 257 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
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