03/16/2022 01:30 PM Senate JUDICIARY

               SB 161-POLITICAL PARTY DEFINITION                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:42:13 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR   HOLLAND  reconvened   the  meeting   and  announced   the                                                               
consideration  of SENATE  BILL NO.  161 "An  Act relating  to the                                                               
definition of  'political party'; and providing  for an effective                                                               
date."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
[SB 161  was previously  heard on  3/14/22, and  public testimony                                                               
was opened and closed.]                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HOLLAND asked if there were amendments.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:42:53 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MYERS moved to adopt Conceptual Amendment 1.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     After each  decennial federal  census, the  Division of                                                                    
     Elections  shall by  regulation adjust  this number  by                                                                    
     the  percentage  the  state's  population  has  changed                                                                    
     since  the 2020  decennial federal  census, rounded  to                                                                    
     the nearest 500.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HOLLAND objected for discussion purposes.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:43:05 PM                                                                                                                    
At ease                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:43:20 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HOLLAND reconvened the meeting  and asked Senator Meyers to                                                               
read the conceptual amendment.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:43:26 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MYERS  said following the  word "state" on page  1, [line                                                               
6] insert:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     After each  decennial federal  census, the  Division of                                                                    
     Elections  shall by  regulation adjust  this number  by                                                                    
     the  percentage  the  state's  population  has  changed                                                                    
      since the 2020 decennial federal census, rounded to                                                                       
     the nearest 500.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:43:49 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MYERS  explained that it  had been nearly 40  years since                                                               
the legislature  updated this statute. He  expressed concern that                                                               
it  might be  another  40  years before  it  would be  considered                                                               
again. He stated  the intent was to keep the  statute updated. He                                                               
said he  agreed with  the sponsor's goal,  which would  lower the                                                               
barrier to becoming a political  party and remove the complicated                                                               
formula from statute.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:44:51 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HOLLAND asked the sponsor to comment.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BILL  WIELECHOWSKI,  Alaska State  Legislature,  Juneau,                                                               
Alaska,  sponsor of  SB 161,  stated that  he did  not object  to                                                               
Conceptual  Amendment 1.  He asked  for  clarification that  this                                                               
would not apply  to the 2020 census. He stated  his preference to                                                               
retain  5,000  as the  threshold  figure  and  adjust it  to  the                                                               
nearest 500 rather  than to put in .68 percent,  which was in the                                                               
Legislative Legal draft amendment A.1  [not offered]. He said the                                                               
intent was  to keep it  simple so  parties could view  a specific                                                               
figure in statute.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:46:02 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HUGHES  said she liked  tying it to the  5,000 population                                                               
figure.  She recalled  the  bill sponsor  indicated  it would  be                                                               
"rounded  to the  nearest 500."  She  asked if  this referred  to                                                               
rounding the  population or the  registered party members  to the                                                               
nearest 500.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MYERS  envisioned that the  required party  members would                                                               
be rounded to the nearest  500, which is how Conceptual Amendment                                                               
1 is  written. He suggested  that if  [a political party  with at                                                               
least] 5,000 registered  voters in the state changed  in the next                                                               
census  to  5,427, it  would  be  rounded  up  5,500, but  if  it                                                               
increased  to 5,700  in the  next election,  the figure  would be                                                               
rounded down to 5,500.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:47:18 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HUGHES said  she thought it was important  for the record                                                               
to reflect his intent.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:47:32 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  HOLLAND  stated  that  he   would  probably  maintain  his                                                               
objection  because he  preferred the  "bright line"  of an  exact                                                               
number. He was uncomfortable relating  this to the 2030 decennial                                                               
federal census  and he was  unsure of the specific  language once                                                               
Legislative Legal made any conforming and technical changes.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:48:06 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HOLLAND maintained his objection.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:48:22 PM                                                                                                                    
A roll  call vote  was taken. Senators  Hughes, Myers,  and Kiehl                                                               
voted in  favor of  Conceptual Amendment  1, and  Senator Holland                                                               
voted against  it. Therefore, Conceptual Amendment  1 was adopted                                                               
on a 3:1 vote.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  HOLLAND stated  that with  3  yeas and  1 nay,  Conceptual                                                               
Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:48:56 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HUGHES wondered  if the Division of  Elections would post                                                               
the  figure after  the 2030  census or  if people  would need  to                                                               
calculate it themselves.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WIELECHOWSKI responded  that he  strongly suspects  that                                                               
the Division of Elections would post those figures online.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HOLLAND  asked the sponsor if  he had final comments  on SB
.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:49:47 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  WIELECHOWSKI stated  that he  does not  have any  strong                                                               
views  on the  amendments  to  the bill.  However,  he would  not                                                               
object to removing the amendment  language on the Senate floor if                                                               
it didn't come out the way the committee intended.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:50:06 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HUGHES moved to report  the committee substitute (CS) for                                                               
SB 161, work  order 32-LS1361\A, as amended,  from committee with                                                               
individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s).                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HOLLAND found no objection,  and CSSB 161(JUD) was reported                                                               
from the Senate Judiciary Standing Committee.