Legislature(2005 - 2006)BELTZ 211
04/21/2005 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB214 | |
| HB127 | |
| HB178 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 127 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 214 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 178 | TELECONFERENCED | |
CSHB 127(FIN)am-PFD:PEACE CORPS/OLYMPIAN/SANCTIONS
CHAIR GENE THERRIAULT announced HB 127 to be up for
consideration.
3:50:06 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LESIL McGuire explained that HB 127 would restore
Peace Corps volunteers and Olympians to the list of allowable
absences for receipt of the Permanent Fund dividend. She
described the issue as a passion of hers.
Those two groups had allowable absences put into law in 1983 and
had them removed 16 years later. She said she introduced the
bill as a matter of policy because she wanted to hear why the
legislature decided to remove the exemptions and because she
believes that the work the groups do is of great value to Alaska
and to the country.
Although it's a different type of service, it's fair to compare
service in the Peace Corps with military service, she said. It's
work that promotes democracy in a non-wartime context.
Volunteers help people stabilize water and sewer systems and
build economies. They do the kinds of things that help to
prevent harmful dictatorships from coming into power.
These are Alaskan ambassadors who go out and broaden their
horizons and then return to the state in large numbers to enrich
the lives of all Alaskans.
The bill was amended on the House floor to include Olympians and
it received overwhelming bipartisan support. The reason for
including Olympic athletes is that it is a narrow definable
category of individuals. They are Alaskans who return to Alaska
and while they are away they serve as volunteers and ambassadors
of Alaska and the United States. When they return to the state
they bring back the value of their accomplishments.
3:57:13 PM
The second half of the bill proposes to add tools to the
Department of Revenue (DOR) tool belt in an effort to reduce
dividend fraud. If fraud is evidenced, DOR could impose an
immediate civil fine of up to $3,000 without the high cost of
going to court. An additional penalty would be the loss of
eligibility to receive the five subsequent dividends.
The proposed penalty would strengthen DOR's ability to
investigate fraud associated with the dividend as well as
recapture revenue for the Permanent Fund.
At most there have been 42 Peace Corps volunteers from Alaska at
any one time and just 8 Olympians. The proposed exemption
wouldn't have a large impact on the dividend yet the return to
Alaska would be great, she concluded.
3:59:33 PM
SENATOR THOMAS WAGONER commented the committee heard a similar
bill that related to U.S. Foreign Service workers.
CHAIR THERRIAULT informed him that SB 59 is Senator Dyson's
bill. It was heard and is held in committee.
REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE stated that the part that included
Foreign Service workers was stripped from HB 127 in House State
Affairs and not reinstituted on the House floor. The discussion
centered on the argument that entering the U.S. Foreign Service
is a career decision.
4:01:03 PM
CHAIR THERRIAULT said he continued to be troubled at how you
draw the line at Peace Corps volunteers because there is no
allowable absence for a myriad of other worthwhile volunteer and
exchange positions.
He could see the benefit to sending Alaskans to staff
congressional offices, but even though Peace Corps service is
beneficial to the individual he didn't see the direct benefit to
the state. It would be difficult to draw the line to include
them and exclude others, he said.
REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE opined Peace Corp volunteers undoubtedly
benefit Alaska on two fronts. First they are not unlike
congressional staffers who meet with and influence people from
all over the world. Peace Corps volunteers do the same thing on
arguably a broader level in terms of the scope of the world.
Second, when Peace Corps volunteers return home they bring the
value of that experience home. They return to Alaska and fill
much needed professional positions such as teaching and
medicine.
There is no way to justify including every single group in the
list of allowable absences, but these two deserve exemption.
First, you can't argue that there isn't a benefit to Alaska and
second, they were included originally.
SENATOR WAGONER asked Senator Huggins whether serving in the
Peace Corps didn't suffice for military service at one point.
SENATOR CHARILIE HUGGINS responded he wasn't sure.
SENATOR HUGGINS expressed the same reservations as Senator
Therriault. He suggested the window might already be too wide
and he would prefer to narrow it rather than opening it wider.
REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE responded she could understand his
philosophical background and she is a co-sponsor to a House bill
that would put money received during an allowable absence in
trust until the person returned to Alaska. Including these two
groups is a matter of parity, she said.
SENATOR HUGGINS said he takes comfort in knowing that anyone who
is presently in the Peace Corps knew the rules when they joined.
SENATOR KIM ELTON suggested this isn't so much a matter of
opening the window as it's correcting a mistake the legislature
made several years ago. Peace Corps volunteers were eligible and
for an inexplicable reason the eligibility was removed. This
restores a right and that's the primary reason he encourages
support for the bill.
The only way you'd qualify for the dividend is if you were an
Alaskan who volunteered. Also, Peace Corps volunteers make a
very small stipend and receiving the dividend may make a
difference in paying off a small debt or coming home for a visit
with family.
4:14:00 PM
CHAIR THERRIAULT reviewed several emails then discussed the
living allowance and $6,000 separation stipend each volunteer
receives. Some emails supported and some opposed the measure
showing that even the volunteers are split on the issue. He said
he'd like to know why some volunteers portray the allowance as
not enough to get by while others say it's intentionally
designed to allow you to live at a calculated level in the
society in which you are serving.
4:17:04 PM
SENATOR BETTYE DAVIS pointed out the Permanent Fund dividend
isn't based on how much you make or don't make. The $6,000
stipend shouldn't even be taken into consideration.
CHAIR THERRIAULT agreed the dividend is available to all
Alaskans who meet certain residency requirements. But just
because you haven't met those requirements for several years and
are excluded from receiving a dividend doesn't mean that you
have been deemed not to be an Alaska resident. It simply means
you didn't meet the residency requirements.
4:18:24 PM
CHAIR THERRIAULT opened public testimony.
PAM RANDLES, Haines resident, advised she sent a supporting
letter to the committee. She had been a Peace Corps volunteer
and has been a Peace Corps trainer for a number of years.
She made several points. The Peace Corps is part of the U.S.
government, which draws a line between Peace Corps volunteers
and missionaries from private organizations. Wages are based on
annual cost of living surveys that are sent to Congress. Wage
adjustments aren't made quickly so if there's a lot of inflation
in a country the volunteer's wage is unlikely to keep pace. When
volunteers say they were comfortable, they're probably telling
the truth and when some say they barely scraped by, they're
probably telling the truth as well.
The Peace Corps has three goals: technical assistance for people
in the host country; cultural exchange; bringing skills and
knowledge home. Volunteers bring skills home and serve various
Alaskan communities well. She asked the committee to honor that
service by restoring the dividend.
4:22:04 PM
RUSS WALKER, Anchorage, said he served in the Peace Corps in
Africa from 1999-2001. Peace Corps volunteers are very
responsive in clarifying where we stand in the world and where
Alaska is with respect to its natural resources. In addition
it's high-risk service and the volunteers are in harms way.
In closing he quoted a portion of President Bush's 2002 State of
the Union address to demonstrate his view regarding the
importance of the Peace Corps and its volunteers who represent
the United States and Alaska and bring back a great deal to
their home communities.
4:31:40 PM
BRIAN BRUBAKER, Anchorage, said his wife was a member of the
Peace Corps and he's had the pleasure of knowing a number of
volunteers. He said the volunteers return to Alaska and offer
service to their community and bring an understanding of other
cultures. Alaskans have a special spirit and are always ready to
help people in need. These volunteers are serving their country
and others in need. That deserves our respect and recognition,
he said.
4:33:35 PM
ELIZABETH CUADRA, Juneau, advised that her letter is in the bill
packet. She served in the Peace Corps after retirement working
with farmers as a horticultural extension agent in Nepal. Her
living allowance was $150 per month and she received an
adjustment allowance when she returned home.
The second year she was away she couldn't get her dividend
because the 1998 legislature struck Peace Corps service from the
list of allowable absences. This was a big mistake and she hopes
this legislature will remedy that.
You can draw a bright line distinguishing Peace Corps volunteers
and the military from people in CARE, Save the Children, or
church missionary groups, she asserted. The Peace Corps is a
part of the U.S. government and volunteers undergo risks that
are similar to the military.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks recognized the importance of
the Peace Corps and set up two masters international programs.
Peace Corps service is considered a learning experience to the
extent that it is made part of a masters program. Tuition is
deferred for two years and a certain amount of credit is
awarded.
She gave several examples of the outreach programs that
volunteers participated in to fulfill the third Peace Corps
goal, which is bringing skills and knowledge home. In one year
here in Juneau she and other volunteers visited 60 to 70 classes
to give lectures.
4:44:11 PM
CHAIR THERRIAULT said the concept of spreading democracy does
mean something. He described a Rotary program and offered the
opinion that other than the fact that the Peace Corps is a
government sponsored program it's difficult to differentiate and
evaluate the benefit that Alaskans do or don't get from the
different programs.
MS. CUADRA responded she'd like to see more programs like the
one he described. She'd also support a requirement for students
graduating from high school to spend one year in a developing
country. She suggested they would return home as better citizens
of their community and state just like Peace Corps volunteers
do.
CHAIR THERRIAULT said if the government required the service
there would be an allowable absence. That's not the case; the
program is voluntary just like other worthwhile programs. He
questioned how you could draw the line and include one and not
the other.
MS. CUADRA asked if serving in the National Guard, the Army
Reserve, or the military is voluntary.
CHAIR THERRIAULT replied it is voluntary, but he believes it's a
requirement of this country that we have those types of armed
forces and that's how he differentiates.
SENATOR HUGGINS thanked Ms. Cuadra for her service and
apologized for the fact that she lost her dividend after she
joined the Peace Corps. He then reiterated the view that he's
not inclined to open the window wider. Rules are rules and
volunteers know what they are when they sign up. We'd all be
better served if we recognize that rules are for all of us, he
said.
CHAIR THERRIAULT asked about the graduate program web site.
MS. CUADRA described how to navigate the Peace Corps web site to
learn about the graduate program offered by UAF.
CHAIR THERRIAULT said he'd like to look at that.
He asked Representative McGuire if historical lists of the
volunteers from Alaska are available. He'd like to review the
trend for volunteering and to learn more about the stipend. In
addition he was curious whether Senator Dyson's bill dealing
with U.S. Foreign Service agents' eligibility for the Permanent
Fund was initially part of this bill.
REPRESENTATIVE McGuire explained that Senator Dyson asked her to
include the U.S. Foreign Service and she did so.
CHAIR THERRIAULT said he would discuss the various options with
Senator Dyson before moving forward.
REPRESENTATIVE McGuire asked the committee to consider that
Peace Corps volunteers are different than other types of
volunteers. When Peace Corps volunteers sign up for service they
take an oath that isn't revocable regardless of changes in
circumstance, instability, and/or insurrection. Also, when the
President of the United States recognizes the Peace Corps as a
service to the country it raises it to a different level. The
structure of the program, the history and purpose of its
creation, and the mission that it has clearly makes the
difference.
CHAIR THERRIAULT remarked if the President were asked, he
probably wouldn't say that the omission of mentioning the other
programs would mean that they are a lesser service.
REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE answered, "I don't know that."
4:53:29 PM
CHAIR THERRIAULT set CSHB 127(FIN)am aside.
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