04/01/2008 03:00 PM House HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES

HB 403 - APPROP: SCHOLARSHIP FUND                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:28:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WILSON announced that the  final order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 403,  "An Act  appropriating $100,000,000  to the                                                               
Alaska  achievers'   scholarship  fund;  and  providing   for  an                                                               
effective date."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:28:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHRISTIAN   GOU-LEONHARDT,   Staff    to   Representative   David                                                               
Guttenberg, Alaska State Legislature,  sponsor, explained that HB
 is  the funding mechanism  for legislation the  committee has                                                               
already passed out.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON  moved to  report HB  403 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER  objected.   He said  he will  recommend do                                                               
not  pass because,  in his  perspective, providing  a needs-based                                                               
program instead  of a merit-based  program is  not a wise  use of                                                               
educational funding.   It will  create an  entitlement situation,                                                               
he  predicted, and  suggested that  other criteria  be considered                                                               
for awarding these scholarships.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER then withdrew his objection.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WILSON, after ascertaining that there were no further                                                                     
objections, announced that HB 403 was reported from the House                                                                   
Health, Education and Social Services Standing Committee.