Legislature(1993 - 1994)

03/08/1994 01:00 PM House ETH

Audio Topic
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
txt
                                                                               
           THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE ETHICS                          
                       March 8 and 9, 1994                                     
                     State Capitol Building                                    
                           Juneau, AK                                          
                                                                               
                     Adopted April 14, 1994                                    
                                                                               
                                                                               
  MEMBERS PRESENT                                                              
                                                                               
  Joseph Donahue, Chair                                                        
  Ed Granger                                                                   
  Margie MacNeille                                                             
  Shirley McCoy                                                                
  Edith Vorderstrasse                                                          
  Senator Jay Kerttula                                                         
  Representative Brian Porter                                                  
                                                                               
  MEMBERS ABSENT                                                               
                                                                               
  Representative Jerry Mackie (Absent March 8 & 9)                             
  Senator Drue Pearce (Absent March 8)                                         
                                                                               
                                                                               
                          MARCH 8, 1994                                        
                                                                               
  CALL TO ORDER                                                                
                                                                               
  The meeting was called to order on March 8th at 1:12 p.m. by                 
  Chairman  Donahue in  the Beltz  Room of  the State  Capitol                 
  Building, Juneau.                                                            
                                                                               
  APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF JANUARY 24 AND 25, 1994:                              
                                                                               
  Margie MacNeille  moved that the  minutes of the  January 24                 
  and 25, 1994 meeting be adopted.  Motion was adopted without                 
  objection.                                                                   
                                                                               
       Minutes Approved.                                                       
                                                                               
  ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA                                                       
                                                                               
  No objections to the agenda as presented.                                    
                                                                               
       Agenda Adopted                                                          
                                                                               
  PUBLIC COMMENT                                                               
                                                                               
  No public comment.                                                           
                                                                               
  REPORT FROM THE CHAIR                                                        
                                                                               
       a. Reference Notebooks:   Reference notebooks have been                 
  compiled for committee use.  The following will be available                 
  at all meetings: Ethics Code Issues, Past Advisory Opinions,                 
  Legal   Advice,  Open   Meetings,   Committee  Actions   and                 
  Decisions.                                                                   
                                                                               
       b. APOC  Letter:   The chairman  referenced the  letter                 
  sent to APOC on February 2, 1994 requesting the commission's                 
  definition  of the  terms "accepting or  receiving" campaign                 
  contributions.                                                               
                                                                               
       c. Legislative Council Letter:  The Chairman referenced                 
  the letter sent to  Legislative Council on February 3,  1994                 
  encouraging them to  develop guidelines concerning allowable                 
  activities while in travel status.                                           
                                                                               
       d.  Staff Report:    Available in  committee notebooks.                 
  The  Chairman  requested  the members  review  the  informal                 
  advice.   Member  MacNeille  requested  that  the  committee                 
  address how many days constitute  a housesitting arrangement                 
  that requires disclosure.                                                    
                                                                               
       e.  RFP for Legal  Services:  The  Chairman appointed a                 
  subcommittee to review the responses to  the RFP, once it is                 
  issued.                                                                      
                                                                               
       Legal  Service  Sub-Committee:     Shirley  McCoy,   Ed                 
  Granger,                                                                     
       Margie MacNeille                                                        
                                                                               
       f. Publication of Committee Decisions:  The Chairman                    
  announced  that, unless  there is  objection, the  committee                 
  decisions  and  orders  will  be  published  separately  and                 
  annually.  No objections.                                                    
                                                                               
  COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE: EXECUTIVE SESSION                                    
                                                                               
  At 1:40 p.m.,  Margie MacNeille moved that the  committee of                 
  the  whole  go into  executive  session for  the  purpose of                 
  discussing matters,  which by law,  are required to  be kept                 
  confidential.  Motion adopted without objection.                             
                                                                               
  COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE: OPEN SESSION                                         
                                                                               
  The committee of  the whole  reconvened in  open session  at                 
  3:22 p.m.                                                                    
                                                                               
       ADVISORY OPINION 94-06:   Susan Barnett, a  legislative                 
  employee, requested a  formal advisory opinion on  the issue                 
  of soliciting funds for charitable organizations  and waived                 
  the confidentiality requirement.  Terry Cramer presented the                 
  draft  advisory  opinion.    Shirley  McCoy moved  to  adopt                 
  Advisory Opinion 94-06, with minor changes.  The opinion was                 
  adopted without objection.                                                   
                                                                               
       Adopted                                                                 
                                                                               
       COMMITTEE  PROCEDURES:    The  committee  reviewed  the                 
  October 4, 1993  draft with  Hearing Procedures of  November                 
  1993  attached.    The committee  reviewed  and  amended the                 
  draft.  Margie MacNeille moved to adopt the Select Committee                 
  on  Legislative  Ethics   Procedures,  as   amended.     The                 
  Procedures were adopted without objection.                                   
                                                                               
       Adopted as amended                                                      
                                                                               
  HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE:  EXECUTIVE SESSION                                       
                                                                               
  At 4:59 p.m. Ed Granger moved that the House Subcommittee go                 
  into executive session for the  purposes of discussion which                 
  could prejudice the reputation or  character of a person and                 
  for discussing matters,  which by  law, are  required to  be                 
  kept confidential.  Motion adopted without objection.                        
                                                                               
  COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE: OPEN SESSION                                         
                                                                               
  At  5:45  p.m.   the  Chairman  announced  that   the  House                 
  Subcommittee  meeting was adjourned  and the  full committee                 
  would recess until 11:30 a.m. March 9, 1994.                                 
                          MARCH 9, 1994                                        
                                                                               
  COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE: OPEN SESSION                                         
                                                                               
  The  Chairman  called the  meeting  to  order  at 1:44  p.m.                 
  Representative Mackie was  absent for  the March 9  meeting.                 
  Representative  Porter attended the  meeting after the House                 
  Judiciary Committee adjourned.  Senator Kerttula was present                 
  to establish a  quorum and was  absent for the remainder  of                 
  the meeting.   Margie MacNeille  was on teleconference  from                 
  the Anchorage LIO.                                                           
                                                                               
       OPEN MEETINGS  GUIDELINES:  The committee discussed the                 
  March  5,  1994  memo from  the  Subcommittee  Chair, Margie                 
  MacNeille, and  the March  3, 1994  document containing  the                 
  draft guidelines and comments from  legislators on the draft                 
  guidelines.   Senator Pearce  moved that the  current set of                 
  draft guidelines should  be the subject of  public hearings.                 
  Senator Pearce amended the  motion by adding that the  draft                 
  be presented by the Open Meetings Subcommittee to the public                 
  within a month, with the  legislator's comments included and                 
  highlighted.  Copies  are to  be made available  to all  the                 
  LIOs.                                                                        
       Motion  to  present  subcommittee  draft  of  the  Open                 
  Meetings                                                                     
       guidelines to the public was adopted.                                   
                                                                               
       STANDARDS OF CONDUCT HANDBOOK:  The  committee reviewed                 
  the draft revision of the January 1993, Standards of Conduct                 
  Handbook,  including  the disclosure  forms  and recommended                 
  changes.   Pages 9, 11, 17 and 18 were identified as needing                 
  additional  discussion.   The  committee  will continue  the                 
  revision of the handbook at the next meeting.                                
                                                                               
       Revision of Handbook continued to next meeting.                         
                                                                               
       BENEFITS AND  LOANS LIST:  By statute, the committee is                 
  required to adopt a list of  state benefit and loan programs                 
  that do not meet certain criteria.  The committee reviewed a                 
  revised  list   for  publication.     Representative  Porter                 
  requested  that  the  Division of  Banking  be  contacted to                 
  clarify  why  "Approval  of  Articles  of Incorporation"  is                 
  included  on  the list.    Without objection,  the committee                 
  agreed to continue the matter until the information from the                 
  Division of Banking is available.                                            
                                                                               
       Approval of Benefit and Loan List continued to next                     
       meeting.                                                                
                                                                               
  COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE:       EXECUTIVE SESSION                              
  SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE:          EXECUTIVE SESSION                              
                                                                               
  At 5:20 p.m., Shirley McCoy moved  that the committee of the                 
  whole  go  into   executive  session  for  the   purpose  of                 
  discussing matters,  which by law,  are required to  be kept                 
  confidential   and  following   that   meeting  the   Senate                 
  Subcommittee meet in executive session for the same purpose.                 
  Motion adopted without objection.                                            
                                                                               
  NEXT MEETING:  The committee  tentatively scheduled the next                 
  meeting for Thursday, April 14 and Friday, April 15, 1994.                   
                                                                               
  ADJOURNMENT:  The meeting was adjourned at 5:59 p.m.                         

Document Name Date/Time Subjects