04/13/1993 03:00 PM House L&C

  Number 449                                                                   
                                                                               
  HB 279 EXTEND ALASKA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION                             
                                                                               
  DON SCHROER, ALASKA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION (APUC),                      
  stated that the APUC is due to end on June 30, 1993, at                      
  which time they would go into a wind down year.  He said HB
 would extend the commission for four years.                              
                                                                               
  MR. SCHROER stated that there is a Senate bill that would                    
  only extend the commission for one year, but it was his                      
  feeling that it would save costs and resources to extend                     
  four years and forego another legislative audit within a                     
  year.                                                                        
                                                                               
  REP. MULDER asked if he had understood that the reason there                 
  was a proposal to sunset every year was that the commission                  
  was taken off of the state payroll and funded through                        
  program receipts, which would mean that the legislature lost                 
  fiscal oversight.                                                            
                                                                               
  REP. MULDER asked Mr. Schroer how he thought the commission                  
  had worked under this new funding scenario.                                  
                                                                               
  MR. SCHROER answered that the budget APUC requested this                     
  year was slightly less than the one requested last year, and                 
  added that the commission was still part of the overall                      
  budget process and can't arbitrarily spend money or raise                    
  salaries.                                                                    
                                                                               
  Number 525                                                                   
                                                                               
  DAVE HUTCHINS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALASKA RURAL ELECTRIC                     
  COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION, testified that they are in support                  
  of extending the APUC.  Mr. Hutchins noted, however, that                    
  since the legislative budget and audit report came in late,                  
  the commission should only be extended for one year to give                  
  the legislature a chance to take a look at the report and                    
  its recommendations.                                                         
                                                                               
  Number 572                                                                   
                                                                               
  BOB LOHR, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, APUC, testified that not only                  
  is the APUC accountable to the legislature, but they are                     
  also accountable to the customers of the utilities.                          
                                                                               
  Number 595                                                                   
                                                                               
  REP. MACKIE moved am 1 to shorten the sunset date from 4                     
  years to one year.                                                           
                                                                               
  TAPE 93-37, SIDE B                                                           
  Number 001                                                                   
                                                                               
  REP. PORTER objected.                                                        
                                                                               
  A roll call vote was taken with Rep. Porter voting against                   
  the amendment; Reps. Mulder, Williams, Green, Mackie, Sitton                 
  and Hudson voting for it.                                                    
                                                                               
  Amendment 1 passed.                                                          
                                                                               
  Number 037                                                                   
                                                                               
  REP. MULDER moved HB 279 and amended with individual                         
  recommendations and fiscal note.                                             
                                                                               
  No objections were heard; it was so ordered.