Legislature(2015 - 2016)SENATE FINANCE 532

04/11/2016 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= SB 101 STATE PARKS FEES & SALES OF MERCHANDISE TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSSB 101(FIN) Out of Committee
+= SB 200 MANDATORY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN SCHOOLS TELECONFERENCED
Scheduled but Not Heard
+= SB 201 PHARMA BD & EMPLOYEES;DRUG DIST/MANUFAC TELECONFERENCED
Moved SB 201 Out of Committee
+= SJR 12 CONST. AM: ELECTED ATTORNEY GENERAL TELECONFERENCED
Moved SJR 12 Out of Committee
+= SB 196 POWER COST EQ FUND: RESERVE ACCT;DIVIDEND TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSSB 196(FIN) Out of Committee
+= SB 210 COMM. REV. SHARING;PROP. TAX EXEMPTIONS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 12                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Proposing amendments to the Constitution of the State                                                                      
     of Alaska relating to the office of attorney general.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:42:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Micciche discussed FN  1, (OMB component 0) which                                                                    
had  no department  appropriation  or allocation  and was  a                                                                    
zero fiscal note.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Micciche  discussed FN 2 (OMB  component 21), for                                                                    
the Office  of the Governor,  with an appropriation  for the                                                                    
Division of  Elections. He  specified that FN  2 was  a zero                                                                    
fiscal note from  FY 17 through FY 22. The  note assumed the                                                                    
election would  be an  addition to  the regular  election on                                                                    
the governor's cycle.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon asked  for explanation  as to  why there                                                                    
was an OMB component number of  zero, and a fiscal note from                                                                    
the Legislative Affairs Agency.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
JESSICA  GEARY, FINANCE  MANAGER,  LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS  (via                                                                    
teleconference), relayed  that she was asked  by the sponsor                                                                    
of  the  legislation  to  prepare a  fiscal  note.  She  had                                                                    
prepared  a  zero fiscal  note  because  the bill  had  zero                                                                    
fiscal impact on the agency.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BILL  STOLTZ,  SPONSOR,   discussed  the  bill.  He                                                                    
specified  that  the  bill  was  based  on  the  premise  of                                                                    
providing  a "people's  lawyer,"  and that  43 other  states                                                                    
elected  the attorney  general. He  stated that  the primary                                                                    
motivation was  not to adhere  to the practices of  the rest                                                                    
of  the  country,  but  rather to  provide  for  a  people's                                                                    
lawyer. He  wanted to put  the matter before voters  so they                                                                    
could make the final decision.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson  referred  to the  formation  of  the  Alaska                                                                    
Constitution and  pondered the discussion of  the framers on                                                                    
the topic of an elected  attorney general. He recounted that                                                                    
there had  been strong proponents  of not having  an elected                                                                    
attorney  general,  and  the   framers  had  considered  the                                                                    
Missouri  Plan. He  mentioned  the  Judiciary Committee  and                                                                    
Ralph Rivers  [former territorial  legislator and  member of                                                                    
the   constitutional   convention];    and   wondered   what                                                                    
disagreement  the sponsor  had with  the original  rationale                                                                    
and arguments of the Judiciary Committee.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Senator Stoltz  agreed that  the constitutional  framers had                                                                    
been  the prevailing  voice  on the  matter  of choosing  an                                                                    
attorney  general. He  recalled  that  former Governor  Bill                                                                    
Egan, the chairman of the  constitutional convention, had an                                                                    
opposing view  but had  been in  the minority.  He continued                                                                    
that the Missouri Plan applied  to the selection of judicial                                                                    
officers.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:46:34 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson  thought  the Missouri  Plan  had  considered                                                                    
matters  in the  Judiciary Committee,  which had  decided to                                                                    
have  the prevailing  vote and  have  an appointed  attorney                                                                    
general.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator Stoltz  thought that  there had  been a  decision to                                                                    
have  a  governor's appointment  of  the  judiciary, with  a                                                                    
voter  retention  plan.  The judiciary  committee  had  also                                                                    
dealt with  the attorney  general, and appointment  had been                                                                    
the majority view in the years of 1955 and 1956.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator Hoffman asked  if the sponsor had  any concerns that                                                                    
there would be  a qualified individual outside  of the major                                                                    
population centers. He thought  everyone was well aware that                                                                    
it  would   be  difficult   for  people  outside   of  major                                                                    
metropolitan areas to get elected statewide.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Stoltz  mentioned former Governor Bill  Egan, former                                                                    
Governor Jay  Hammond, as  well as  Governor Bill  Walker as                                                                    
examples  of major  elected  officials  from smaller  cities                                                                    
within the state.  He thought the system had  worked well in                                                                    
spite of the geography of the state.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson  discussed historical  gubernatorial elections                                                                    
in  which  unique  circumstances   had  contributed  to  the                                                                    
victory. He remembered  that there had been a  split vote in                                                                    
1974, and Jay Hammond had won.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Senator Stoltz  recalled that Governor Hammond,  when he won                                                                    
the  election in  1874, had  beat every  former Governor  of                                                                    
Alaska both through the primary and general election.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Micciche MOVED to report  SJR 12 out of Committee                                                                    
with individual recommendations  and the accompanying fiscal                                                                    
notes.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SJR   12   was   REPORTED   out  of   committee   with   "no                                                                    
recommendation"  and with  two  previously published  fiscal                                                                    
notes: FN1 (LEG), and FN2 (GOV).                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:50:06 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:52:38 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon noted  that  SB 200  [scheduled but  not                                                                    
heard],  pertaining   to  mandatory  physical   activity  in                                                                    
schools, would  be addressed in  the afternoon  meeting. She                                                                    
detailed  that  the committee  was  waiting  for a  CS,  and                                                                    
wanted  to share  it  with  the sponsor  prior  to the  bill                                                                    
hearing.  She  recalled  discussion from  the  previous  day                                                                    
regarding an exception  if there was inclement  weather or a                                                                    
safety issue.  The CS would  address the exception,  and the                                                                    
committee  was  waiting  for  the   sponsor  to  review  the                                                                    
language to see if it was acceptable.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
SB 200 Public Testimony Nees.pdf SFIN 4/11/2016 9:00:00 AM
SB 200
SB 200 NEA Alaska Letter.pdf SFIN 4/11/2016 9:00:00 AM
SB 200
SB 210 Community Revenue Sharing Estimates.pdf SFIN 4/11/2016 9:00:00 AM
SB 210
SB 201 Responses to questions during SB 201 hearing SFIN 4.pdf SFIN 4/11/2016 9:00:00 AM
SB 201
SB 210 with $38.2 million vs Status Quo with $60 million.pdf SFIN 4/11/2016 9:00:00 AM
SB 210