02/14/2008 08:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS

HB 293-LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS TO BE IN ANCHORAGE                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:21:42 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN  announced that the  last order of business  was HOUSE                                                               
BILL NO. 293,  "An Act relating to the location  of the convening                                                               
of the legislature in session  and to the relocation of functions                                                               
of state government; and providing for an effective date."                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:22:15 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MIKE PAWLOWSKI,  Staff, Representative Kevin Meyer,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature,  highlighted   aspects  of  HB  293   on  behalf  of                                                               
Representative Meyer,  prime sponsor.   He stated that  "the real                                                               
meat and  substance of the  bill" is in  Section 3, where  HB 293                                                               
proposes that the legislature "shall  convene in the Municipality                                                           
of Anchorage at  a location designated by  the Alaska Legislative                                                       
Council".   He noted that all  references to the capital  need to                                                           
be "changed  appropriately."  He  directed attention to  page 11,                                                               
Section 17,  which proposes that  the effective date of  the bill                                                               
be January 1,  2010.  Section 16, he noted,  proposes a repeal of                                                               
AS 44.06.050-060, which  he said is the language  of the Fiscally                                                               
Responsible  Alaskans Needing  Knowledge  (FRANK) Initiative  [of                                                               
1994].  Mr.  Pawlowski said the repeal of  the initiative assumes                                                               
that over  the next two  years "there  will be a  thorough public                                                               
process  with the  legislature" as  it works  through Legislative                                                               
Council and open  committee meetings to decide where  to work and                                                               
in which  facilities.   Mr. Pawlowski  remarked that  Sections 10                                                               
and 11,  regarding AS 24.50.010  and AS  24.50.040, respectively,                                                               
relate  to the  legislature's ability  to host  students and  the                                                               
requirement of each legislative guest to write an essay.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:25:09 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  LYNN said  there  is  a handout  in  the committee  packet                                                               
showing the results of a poll related to the bill.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:25:31 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DOLL said  she finds it interesting  that with the                                                               
current  interest   shown  by  the  public   in  transparency  of                                                               
government, the proposed  bill is being introduced  with a repeal                                                               
of the FRANK  Initiative of 1994, AS 44.06,  which guarantees the                                                               
public's right to  know the cost related to a  capital move.  She                                                               
remarked that  at the  last hearing  on HB  293, there  were many                                                               
people who  testified in opposition  to the  bill.  She  said she                                                               
also finds  it interesting that  no one called in  from Anchorage                                                               
to support  the bill.   She  characterized HB 293  as a  bad bill                                                               
that  is being  introduced  during a  shortened, 90-day  session,                                                               
when everyone  is working on  more important issues.   She stated                                                               
her opposition to HB 293.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:27:54 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRUENBERG said  he does  not think  the committee                                                               
needs to  amend statutes  to be able  to convene  the legislature                                                               
outside of Juneau for a special session.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:29:01 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ROSES moved  to report  HB 293  out of  committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DOLL objected.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
A roll  call vote was  taken.  Representatives  Coghill, Johnson,                                                               
Roses,  and  Lynn  voted  in  favor  of  moving  HB  293  out  of                                                               
committee.  Representatives Gruenberg  and Doll voted against it.                                                               
Therefore, HB  293 was  reported out of  the House  State Affairs                                                               
Standing Committee by a vote of 4-2.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 8:29:52 AM to 8:31:38 AM.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:31:41 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN read the recommendation of each member.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:32:11 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
[Following was  discussion of the  provision in HB 293  to repeal                                                               
the FRANK Initiative.]