Legislature(2017 - 2018)CAPITOL 106
02/26/2018 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB212 | |
| HB233 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 212 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 233 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
February 26, 2018
8:02 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Harriet Drummond, Chair
Representative Justin Parish, Vice Chair
Representative Ivy Spohnholz
Representative Jennifer Johnston
Representative David Talerico
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Chuck Kopp
Representative Lora Reinbold (alternate)
Representative Geran Tarr (alternate)
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 212
"An Act relating to funding for school construction and major
maintenance; and relating to the regional educational attendance
area and small municipal school district fund."
- MOVED HB 212 OUT OF COMMITTEE
HOUSE BILL NO. 233
"An Act relating to the insurance tax education credit, the
income tax education credit, the oil or gas producer education
credit, the property tax education credit, the mining business
education credit, the fisheries business education credit, and
the fisheries resource landing tax education credit; providing
for an effective date by repealing the effective dates of secs.
3, 5, 7, 10, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 28, 30, 32, 35, 37, 39, 42,
44, 46, 49, 51, 53, and 55, ch. 92, SLA 2010, sec. 14, ch. 7,
FSSLA 2011, secs. 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, and 25, ch. 74, SLA 2012,
sec. 49, ch. 14, SLA 2014, secs. 37, 40, 43, and 46, ch. 15, SLA
2014, and secs. 26 and 31, ch. 61, SLA 2014; providing for an
effective date by amending the effective date of secs. 1, 2, and
21, ch. 61, SLA 2014; and providing for an effective date."
- MOVED HB 233 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 212
SHORT TITLE: REAA & SMALL MUNI SCHOOL DISTRICT FUND
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) FOSTER
04/05/17 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
04/05/17 (H) EDC, FIN
02/09/18 (H) BILL REPRINTED 2/9/18
02/21/18 (H) EDC AT 8:30 AM CAPITOL 106
02/21/18 (H) Heard & Held
02/21/18 (H) MINUTE(EDC)
02/26/18 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106
BILL: HB 233
SHORT TITLE: EDUCATION TAX CREDITS; SUNSET; REPEALS
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) TUCK
04/15/17 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
04/15/17 (H) EDC, FIN
02/16/18 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106
02/16/18 (H) Heard & Held
02/16/18 (H) MINUTE(EDC)
02/26/18 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106
WITNESS REGISTER
MARK VINK
Bering Straits School District
Unalakleet, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: During the hearing of HB 212, testified in
support of the legislation.
TOMMY SHERIDAN, Director of Government Affairs
Silver Bay Seafoods
Cordova, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: During the hearing of HB 233, testified in
support of the legislation.
MEGAN RIEBE, Executive Director
University of Alaska Foundation
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: During the hearing of HB 233, testified in
favor of the legislation.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:02:21 AM
CHAIR HARRIET DRUMMOND called the House Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 8:02 a.m. Representatives
Drummond, Parish, Johnston, and Talerico were present at the
call to order. Representative Spohnholz arrived as the meeting
was in progress.
HB 212-REAA & SMALL MUNI SCHOOL DISTRICT FUND
8:03:08 AM
CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that the first order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 212, "An Act relating to funding for school
construction and major maintenance; relating to the regional
educational attendance area and small municipal school district
fund; and providing for an effective date."
8:03:27 AM
MARK VINK, Bering Straits School District, advised that the
Bering Straits School District supports HB 212 because with the
limited available state dollars currently, "you would be able to
work out a portion of a school instead of the whole thing." For
example, in the Bering Straits School District, one of its
latest projects (indisc.) where it was able to work out a
portion of that school to improve it rather than replacing the
whole school. Hopefully, he said, the dollars can be made
available for further (indisc.) to help all students that are
eligible for this funding.
CHAIR DRUMMOND, after ascertaining no one wished to testify,
close public testimony on HB 212.
8:05:14 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH moved to report HB 212, labeled 30-
LS0741\D, out of committee with individual recommendations and
the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, HB 212
moved from the House Education Standing Committee.
8:05:38 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 8:05 a.m. to 8:07 a.m.
HB 233-EDUCATION TAX CREDITS; SUNSET; REPEALS
8:07:04 AM
CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that the final order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 233, "An Act relating to the insurance tax
education credit, the income tax education credit, the oil or
gas producer education credit, the property tax education
credit, the mining business education credit, the fisheries
business education credit, and the fisheries resource landing
tax education credit; providing for an effective date by
repealing the effective dates of secs. 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, 16, 18,
21, 23, 25, 28, 30, 32, 35, 37, 39, 42, 44, 46, 49, 51, 53, and
55, ch. 92, SLA 2010, sec. 14, ch. 7, FSSLA 2011, secs. 15, 17,
19, 21, 23, and 25, ch. 74, SLA 2012, sec. 49, ch. 14, SLA 2014,
secs. 37, 40, 43, and 46, ch. 15, SLA 2014, and secs. 26 and 31,
ch. 61, SLA 2014; providing for an effective date by amending
the effective date of secs. 1, 2, and 21, ch. 61, SLA 2014; and
providing for an effective date."
CHAIR DRUMMOND opened public testimony on HB 233.
8:07:24 AM
TOMMY SHERIDAN, Director of Government Affairs, Silver Bay
Seafoods, advised that Silver Bay Seafoods strongly supports HB
233, and explained that Silver Bay Seafoods began in 2007 as a
single salmon processing facility in Sitka and has since grown
into one of the largest seafood companies in the state. The
company currently operates in Sitka, Craig, Valdez, Naknek, and
Metlakatla, and it is dependent on a large and diverse workforce
the likes of which can and do receive its training through the
University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) Career Education. He
remarked that with regard to the seafood processing industry in
particular, funding is made possible through the education tax
credits which have resulted in several notable and relevant
training opportunities for Alaskan youth. The recent and
significant example includes: the At-Sea Processors Association
and Goldbelt, Inc. funding the UAS fisheries technology program
during the 2017-2018 academic years. As part of these
activities, the At-Sea Processors Association and Goldbelt, Inc.
funded over 50 Alaskan high school students to take university
level fisheries (indisc.) from Kodiak to Juneau and Sitka to
Unalaska, Galena, and Petersburg. This funding offered the
opportunity for 22 students to take an iPad based introduction
to oceanography course for the University of Alaska general
education credits. He related that he personally benefited from
similar financial assistance several years ago as a student of
the fisheries technology program. He advised that with
financial assistance from Icicle Seafoods, he received an
undergraduate certificate in fisheries technology before moving
on to complete several graduate level programs at the Oregon
State University. These studies included a graduate certificate
in fishery management, a Master of Science, Fisheries, and
Wildlife Administration, with a graduate minor in rural studies.
He related that the extension of the education tax credit
program through HB 233 will continue to promote private
investors in Alaska's higher education which is essential to
ensuring that Alaskans have the skills necessary to sustain and
grow Alaska's commercial fishing industry.
8:10:17 AM
MEGAN RIEBE, Executive Director, University of Alaska
Foundation, advised that over the years, the education tax
credit has provided a wealth of private resources that flow to
the university from the private industry. She related that Mr.
Sheridan's testimony "summed it up very well," as this is
private funding going into building Alaska's workforce for the
future and promoting economic growth and prosperity.
Particularly, she advised, there has been great support from the
fisheries and mining industries that is critical to both the
companies that provide that support and to the university. The
University of Alaska Foundation donors prefer to plan their
donations well in advance, and the foundation often receives
three to five year pledges for major gifts for these workforce
development programs, and for teaching and research as well.
She urged the committee to pass this legislation in order for
donors to plan for their future private giving to the University
of Alaska.
CHAIR DRUMMOND, after ascertaining no one wished to testify,
closed public testimony on HB 233.
8:12:15 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TALERICO commented that this is an extension of
the program to 2025, (indisc.) this will extend the program.
CHAIR DRUMMOND answered that Representative Talerico was
correct, it extends the program to 1/1/2025.
8:12:54 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ commented that she had the opportunity
to work for the University of Alaska for approximately eight
years and she was able to first-hand educate the community about
the education tax credit and the opportunities for the private
sector to invest in the university. She related that it is a
strategic type of tax credit in that it incentivizes investment
into the university's workforce development programs. The
mining, oil and gas, and fisheries industries have provided huge
investments when utilizing the education tax credit and
investing in the University of Alaska, which generates trained
Alaskans. She described the tax credit program as an important
program with a great return on investment for many years. The
program was expanded in previous iterations to allow for
additional types of education programs to qualify, including K-
12 schools, which is positive particularly in light of the
state's budget shortfalls. She stated that she strongly
supports this legislation.
8:14:35 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH moved to report HB 233 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
notes. There being no objection, HB 233 moved from the House
Education Standing Committee.
8:14:54 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 8:14 a.m. to 8:16 a.m.
8:17:00 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Education Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 8:17 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 212 - Support CEE handout.pdf |
HEDC 2/26/2018 8:00:00 AM |
HB 212 |
| HB 212 - Support Coalation for Education Equity, Legislative Priorities.pdf |
HEDC 2/26/2018 8:00:00 AM |
HB 212 |
| HB 233 Support 2018 02 14 UA Foundation ETC.pdf |
HEDC 2/26/2018 8:00:00 AM |
HB 233 |
| HB 233 Support Letter 2018 02 14 UA ETC.pdf |
HEDC 2/26/2018 8:00:00 AM |
HB 233 |