04/06/2017 03:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

                  HB 158-APOC OFFICE LOCATIONS                                                                              
3:14:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  announced that  the next order  of business                                                               
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 158,  "An Act relating to the location of                                                               
offices  for  the  Alaska  Public   Offices  Commission  and  the                                                               
locations at which certain statements  and reports filed with the                                                               
commission are made available."                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:14:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  opened public testimony  on HB 158.   After                                                               
ascertaining  that there  was no  one who  wished to  testify, he                                                               
closed public testimony.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:15:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WOOL  expressed concern  that  under  HB 158,  no                                                               
Alaska  Public   Offices  Commission  (APOC)  offices   would  be                                                               
required except  a central office;  therefore, the  one remaining                                                               
satellite office  in Juneau  could be  closed.    He  opined that                                                               
there should be one representative  of APOC in the state capital,                                                               
because there  are many  people at  that location  needing APOC's                                                               
services.   He  added that  historically  there has  not been  an                                                               
office  in   every  Senate   district,  and   ultimately  opening                                                               
additional offices would be at the discretion of APOC.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  TUCK opined  that an  APOC office  in Juneau  was                                                               
maintained because most of the  lobbyists have offices in Juneau,                                                               
and  lobbyists  have many  more  reporting  requirements than  do                                                               
candidates and legislators.  He  asserted that the primary reason                                                               
for having  the only existing  satellite office be in  Juneau was                                                               
to serve the [lobbyist] industry.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KNOPP agreed  that it  is appropriate  to have  a                                                               
satellite office  in Juneau; the  proposed legislation  would not                                                               
change  APOC structure  but  would bring  statutes  in line  with                                                               
practice.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL offered that  the proposed legislation states                                                               
that   APOC  shall   establish  a   central  office;   therefore,                                                               
maintaining just one central office  would fulfill the "letter of                                                               
the law."  He mentioned that  the current statute called for more                                                               
than two offices, and APOC was not fulfilling that requirement.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KNOPP asked  for confirmation  that HB  158 would                                                               
not preclude  APOC from opening  offices and that doing  so would                                                               
be at its discretion.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:19:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   DAVID   EASTMAN,   Alaska   State   Legislature,                                                               
responded that there is nothing  to prevent APOC from opening any                                                               
number of  offices except lack  of funding.   He added that  in a                                                               
better fiscal  environment, it may  do that.  He  maintained that                                                               
there is  no requirement that  the central  office be in  a large                                                               
city; it could be in Juneau if that is the desire of APOC.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS  asked  whether  the  proposed  legislation                                                               
would  or would  not  have any  impact on  the  existence of  the                                                               
Juneau satellite office.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:20:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
HEATHER  HEBDON,   Executive  Director,  Alaska   Public  Offices                                                               
Commission (APOC),  relayed that  the proposed  legislation would                                                               
have very little impact on  APOC; it would bring current practice                                                               
in line  with statutory  requirements; and  it would  not require                                                               
APOC  to  close  any  offices,   but  would  leave  that  to  the                                                               
discretion  of APOC.   She  agreed that  absent budget  concerns,                                                               
APOC could have various offices.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  BIRCH  commended  the  sponsor  of  the  proposed                                                               
legislation  for introducing  it.   He  mentioned  the letter  of                                                               
support from former APOC Commissioner  Mark Fish, included in the                                                               
committee  packet,  stating  that  HB 158  would  bring  APOC  in                                                               
compliance with statute.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:21:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX  moved to  report HB  158 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.   There being no objection,  HB 158 was reported  from the                                                               
House State Affairs Standing Committee.