02/23/2021 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

                                                                                                                                
                 SB 53-PERM FUND; ADVISORY VOTE                                                                             
                                                                                                                              
4:06:30 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR   SHOWER  reconvened   the   meeting   and  announced   the                                                               
consideration of  SENATE BILL NO. 53  "An Act relating to  use of                                                               
income of  the Alaska permanent  fund; relating to the  amount of                                                               
the  permanent  fund dividend;  relating  to  the duties  of  the                                                               
commissioner  of revenue;  relating to  an advisory  vote on  the                                                               
permanent fund; providing for an  effective date by repealing the                                                               
effective date of sec. 8, ch.  16, SLA 2018; and providing for an                                                               
effective date."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
He explained that this legislation  from the Governor was tied to                                                               
SJR 6.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:06:58 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER opened public testimony on SB 53,                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:07:08 PM                                                                                                                    
MATTHEW MAIXNER,  representing self, Juneau, Alaska,  stated that                                                               
he favors  SB 53 to help  establish an advisory committee  and he                                                               
believes that  people need to  educate themselves about  what the                                                               
PFD does. He  opined that it would be  beneficial for legislators                                                               
to help in the education process during town hall meetings.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:09:06 PM                                                                                                                    
CRIS  EICHENLAUB, representing  self, Wasilla,  Alaska, testified                                                               
on SB  53 to state  support for an advisory  vote on the  PFD. He                                                               
opined  that  the  claims that  constituents  would  rather  have                                                               
services than  their dividend were  untrue and the  advisory vote                                                               
would  prove that.  He further  opined that  the people  who make                                                               
those claims have numbered days.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:10:16 PM                                                                                                                    
TERRIE   HARRIS,  representing   self,   Anchor  Point,   Alaska,                                                               
testified on SB  53 to state support for an  advisory vote on the                                                               
PFD  that  has  language  about   the  traditional  formula.  She                                                               
emphasized that  a court  should not  be able  to say  the people                                                               
would not  get their PFD  and legislators  should have no  say in                                                               
whether the  people get their PFD.  "I want it taken  out of your                                                               
hands because the  people no longer trust you  to represent." She                                                               
maintained  that   legislators  are   not  hired  to   make  hard                                                               
decisions; they  are hired to  represent their  constituents. The                                                               
remaining testimony was off topic.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:12:10 PM                                                                                                                    
BERT  HOUGHTALING, representing  self, Big  Lake, Alaska,  stated                                                               
that SB  53 is another version  of stealing the PFD.  It combines                                                               
the Earnings  Reserve Account  (ERA) with  the corpus  and allows                                                               
legislators  to authorize  a  PFD at  their  discretion. He  said                                                               
nothing protects  Alaskans from legislators stealing  the PFD for                                                               
the  state  and  capital  budget.   He  suggested  the  committee                                                               
"trashcan" SB  53. He posited that  SJR 1 was the  only bill that                                                               
actually  enshrines the  PFD under  the  traditional formula  and                                                               
also allows a percent of market value (POMV) draw from the ERA.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
He concluded  that SJR  6 and  SB 53  do not  protect traditional                                                               
formula for the  permanent fund dividend and he  was a resounding                                                               
"No" on both.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:14:50 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER closed  public testimony on SB 53.  He restated that                                                               
written   testimony  could   be   sent   to  ssta@akleg.gov   and                                                               
subsequently  reminded the  public  that they  would  be able  to                                                               
comment  further   and  offer  suggestions  when   the  Judiciary                                                               
Committee heard the bill.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Finding no further questions or comments, he solicited a motion.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:15:14 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HOLLAND moved to report  [SB 53], work order 32-LS1693\A,                                                               
from  committee  [with  individual recommendations  and  attached                                                               
fiscal note(s)].                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER found  no objection and SB 53 was  reported from the                                                               
Senate State Affairs Standing Committee.