03/27/1993 08:00 AM House STA

  SB 49:  YEAR-END CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS                                    
                                                                               
  Number 020                                                                   
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN VEZEY announced he would hold the confirmation                      
  hearing on Colonel Sigurd E. Murphy when Col. Murphy checked                 
  into the teleconference network.  He then read the title to                  
  SB 49 and called for a sponsor statement on it.                              
                                                                               
  Number 051                                                                   
                                                                               
  TIM SULLIVAN, LEGISLATIVE AIDE TO SENATOR TIM KELLY, PRIME                   
  SPONSOR OF SB 49, explained how SB 49 makes several changes                  
  in the current campaign reporting law, most notably closing                  
  the two day gap between the seven day pre-election reporting                 
  period and the 24 hour reports.  Senate Bill 49 also changes                 
  the deadline for year-end reports from December 31 of a                      
  campaign year to February 15 of the following year.  He                      
  noted this would allow candidates, parties, and political                    
  action committees to use December bank statements in their                   
  reports.  He also stated this could cut down on the number                   
  of fines issued by the Alaska Public Offices Commission.                     
                                                                               
  Number 098                                                                   
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE FRAN ULMER noted SB 49 had already passed the                 
  Senate.                                                                      
                                                                               
  Number 106                                                                   
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN VEZEY noted Col. Murphy had joined the                              
  teleconference net and suspended debate on SB 49.  He then                   
  called on Col. Murphy to give any statement he wished to                     
  make.                                                                        
                                                                               
  Number 123                                                                   
                                                                               
  COLONEL SIGURD E. MURPHY, NOMINEE FOR ASSISTANT ADJUTANT                     
  GENERAL, ALASKA NATIONAL GUARD testified by teleconference                   
  from Anchorage, and told the committee his participation in                  
  the Guard was an extension of the work he had previously                     
  done.  He noted his work with the needy in founding the                      
  Brother Francis Shelter in Anchorage, and said the Guard's                   
  mission of protecting the property and lives of Alaskans led                 
  him to the service.  He stated his Guard duty had led him to                 
  almost every village and small town in the state, and he                     
  would like to continue his work in ending alcohol and drug                   
  use among Native youth as part of the Assistant Adjutant                     
  General's office.                                                            
                                                                               
  Number 201                                                                   
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN VEZEY thanked Col. Murphy for his comments and                      
  solicited questions from the committee.  Seeing none, he                     
  called a five minute at ease to allow General Mitch Aboud to                 
  call into the teleconference net.  He also noted the late                    
  arrival of Representative Bettye Davis.                                      
                                                                               
  Number 259                                                                   
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN VEZEY called the committee back to order at 8:19                    
  a.m., explaining that the teleconference operator told him                   
  General Aboud was having trouble making a connection.                        
  Chairman Vezey then elected to return to testimony on SB 49.                 
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN VEZEY asked why the Campaign Disclosure Act had not                 
  been amended in more than ten years.                                         
                                                                               
  Number 267                                                                   
                                                                               
  BROOKE MILES OF THE ALASKA PUBLIC OFFICES COMMISSION (APOC),                 
  stated many legislators did not want to open the entire                      
  statute up to amend such a small area, but the amendment was                 
  needed.                                                                      
                                                                               
  Number 279                                                                   
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN VEZEY asked what the motivation for such a narrowly                 
  drawn bill as SB 49 would be.                                                
                                                                               
  Number 283                                                                   
                                                                               
  MS. MILES stated SB 49 is a non-controversial "housekeeping"                 
  bill that would not fall under the label of campaign finance                 
  reform.  She stated the intent of SB 49 was simply to close                  
  the two day window previously stated by the bill's sponsor,                  
  Senator Kelly, and the other provision setting February 15                   
  as the year end reporting day would eliminate several                        
  needless actions by the APOC.  She also stated the APOC                      
  would be charged with mailing out delinquency forms to                       
  groups who had not filed their reports in time.                              
                                                                               
  Number 308                                                                   
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN VEZEY asked if mailing those delinquency reports                    
  would not have a fiscal impact on the APOC.                                  
                                                                               
  Number 320                                                                   
                                                                               
  MS. MILES stated it would cost staff time and money to send                  
  the reports, but that figure would be mitigated by the                       
  amount of time not spent on arbitrating fines that had been                  
  appealed under the old system.                                               
                                                                               
  Number 328                                                                   
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN VEZEY didn't know why a simple misdemeanor fine                     
  wasn't applied to such violations.  He stated it might be in                 
  the legislature's interest to also tie campaign finance                      
  violations to the dollar amounts in violation as opposed to                  
  the time period, as is done now.                                             
                                                                               
  Number 360                                                                   
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE ULMER perceived the chairman was concerned                    
  with SB 49, and suggested a subcommittee might be formed to                  
  look at SB 49 in more detail.                                                
                                                                               
  Number 367                                                                   
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN VEZEY felt the statute being modified by SB 49, AS                  
  15.13, is in need of repair.  He stated SB 49 should be                      
  considered a major bill, and asked committee members to take                 
  a long look at it before it was scheduled again.  He then                    
  deferred action on SB 49.