Legislature(1993 - 1994)

05/09/1994 09:45 PM House FIN

Audio Topic
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
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                     HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE                                   
                           May 9, 1994                                         
                            9:45 p.m.                                          
                                                                               
  TAPE HFC 94-167, Side 2, #000 - end.                                         
                                                                               
  CALL TO ORDER                                                                
                                                                               
  Co-Chair Larson called the House  Finance Committee to order                 
  at 9:45 p.m.                                                                 
                                                                               
  PRESENT                                                                      
                                                                               
  Co-Chair Larson             Representative Navarre                           
  Co-Chair MacLean            Representative Martin                            
  Representative Brown        Representative Parnell                           
  Representative Foster       Representative Therriault                        
  Representative Grussendorf                                                   
  Representative Hoffman                                                       
                                                                               
  Representative Hanley not present for the meeting.                           
                                                                               
  ALSO PRESENT                                                                 
                                                                               
  Representative Jerry Mackie; Roxanne Stewart, Staff, Senator                 
  Duncan;  Tom  Maher,  Staff,  Representative  MacLean;  Kate                 
  Tesar, Lobbyist, Ketchikan Gateway Borough.                                  
                                                                               
  SUMMARY INFORMATION                                                          
                                                                               
  SB 70     "An Act establishing a loan guarantee and interest                 
            rate subsidy program for assistive technology."                    
                                                                               
            HCS CSSB 70  (FIN) was  reported out of  Committee                 
            with a "do pass" recommendation  and with a fiscal                 
            impact note  by the Department of Education, dated                 
            2/23/94.                                                           
                                                                               
  SB 363    "An Act making  appropriations for capital project                 
            matching grant funds and for capital projects; and                 
            providing for an effective date."                                  
                                                                               
            HCS CSSB 363  (FIN) was reported out  of Committee                 
            with a "do pass" recommendation.                                   
  SENATE BILL NO. 70                                                           
                                                                               
       "An Act establishing a loan guarantee and interest rate                 
       subsidy program for assistive technology."                              
                                                                               
  ROXANNE STEWART,  STAFF,  SENATOR JIM  DUNCAN suggested  the                 
  following language  be deleted  from the  legislation:   "if                 
                                                                               
                                1                                              
                                                                               
                                                                               
  there  is  less  than  $200,000   thousand  dollars  in  the                 
  assistive  technology  loan guarantee  fund  or" on  page 3,                 
  lines 2 and 3.  She explained that the language might  delay                 
  the  effective  date of  the loan  program  for a  couple of                 
  years,  since  the annual  federal  funds available  for the                 
  program is only $100.0 thousand.                                             
                                                                               
  Representative Brown MOVED to delete "if there is  less than                 
  $200,000  thousand dollars in  the assistive technology loan                 
  guarantee fund or" on page 3, lines 2 and 3.  There being NO                 
  OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                
                                                                               
  Ms. Stewart observed that the  Department of Education asked                 
  that the an immediate effective date be added.                               
                                                                               
  Representative Navarre MOVED  to ADOPT  a new  section 4  to                 
  provide for  an immediate effective  date.   There being  NO                 
  OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                
                                                                               
  Representative Navarre MOVED to report HCS CSSB 70 (FIN) out                 
  of Committee with  individual recommendations  and with  the                 
  accompanying fiscal note.  There being NO OBJECTION, it  was                 
  so ordered.                                                                  
  SENATE BILL NO. 363                                                          
                                                                               
       "An  Act  making  appropriations  for  capital  project                 
       matching  grant  funds and  for  capital  projects; and                 
       providing for an effective date."                                       
                                                                               
  Co-Chair MacLean observed that CSSB 363 (FIN) am was amended                 
  with the concurrence of  the House majority.  She  explained                 
  that  $1.0  million  dollars  was  added for  the  Ketchikan                 
  Shipyard on page  26, line 13,  and $253.0 thousand  dollars                 
  was  added for the Alaska Small  Business Assistance on page                 
  9, line 35.   She noted changes  made to the front  section.                 
  Qualifying  language  requiring  a  match  for the  Chilkoot                 
  cruise ship dock was  added in section 8.   Section 9  would                 
  allow funding for  communities which  were late in  applying                 
  for their capital matching grant account.                                    
                                                                               
  Representative  Navarre provided  members  with AMENDMENT  1                 
  (copy  on  file).   He  explained that  the  amendment would                 
  provide  $3.0 million dollars  in federal  authorization for                 
  the Kenai, Forest Drive/Redoubt Drive drainage improvements,                 
  reconstruction  and  resurfacing.    He  clarified  that the                 
  amendment would not commit state funding.                                    
                                                                               
  Representative Brown  referred to  page  27, line  17.   She                 
  questioned  funding for  the  King  Cove  water  development                 
  project.   She maintained  that the  project is  designed to                 
  enhance  economic  development.   She  noted  that  domestic                 
                                                                               
                                2                                              
                                                                               
                                                                               
  community  use  is a  small  portion  of the  project.   She                 
  expressed concern that the least  costly alternative was not                 
  considered.                                                                  
                                                                               
  Representative Brown  questioned funding for the  North Pole                 
  water project.  She observed that the project was not highly                 
  ranked by the Department of Environmental Conservation.                      
                                                                               
  Representative  Therriault spoke in  support of  funding for                 
  the North Pole water project.                                                
                                                                               
  TOM MAHER,  STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE MACLEAN  discussed funding                 
  for the Ketchikan  ship yard, in  response to a question  by                 
  Representative Hoffman.  He noted  that $1.0 million dollars                 
  would  be  transferred  for  the  project  from  the  Vessel                 
  Replacement Fund.                                                            
                                                                               
  Representative Navarre questioned  funding for the Ketchikan                 
  shipyard.                                                                    
                                                                               
  KATE  TESAR, LOBBYIST,  KETCHIKAN GATEWAY  BOROUGH testified                 
  that  the  $1.0  million  dollars  will  be  used  to   fund                 
  environmental cleanup.                                                       
                                                                               
  Representative Navarre MOVED  to ADOPT  AMENDMENT 1.   There                 
  being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                       
                                                                               
  Representative Brown provided members with AMENDMENT 2 (copy                 
  on  file).   She  explained  that  amendment 2  would  allow                 
  funding  for Criminal Justice  Data Base  Development, $75.0                 
  thousand  dollars  for  the Department  of  Law,  and $150.0                 
  thousand dollars  for the  Department of  Corrections.   The                 
  funding source would  be through the Department  of Fish and                 
  Game,  Assert/Protect  State's  Right   to  Manage  Alaska's                 
  Resources Under ANILCA component.                                            
                                                                               
  Co-Chair MacLean OBJECTED to the amendment.                                  
                                                                               
  A roll call vote was taken on the MOTION.                                    
                                                                               
  IN FAVOR: Grussendorf, Therriault, Brown                                     
  OPPOSED:  Hoffman,   Navarre,   Foster,   Martin,   Parnell,                 
                 MacLean, Larson                                               
                                                                               
  Representative Hanley was not present for the vote.                          
                                                                               
  The MOTION FAILED (3-7).                                                     
                                                                               
  Representative  Martin  provided  members  with AMENDMENT  3                 
  (copy  on file).    He explained  that  the amendment  would                 
  delete funding for the Chilkoot  cruise ship dock in section                 
  8.  The  amendment would fund  $1.0 million dollars for  the                 
                                                                               
                                3                                              
                                                                               
                                                                               
  Atwood  Chair  in the  school  of Journalism,  University of                 
  Alaska.  There would be a  $500.0 thousand dollar match from                 
  the Robert Atwood Foundation.                                                
                                                                               
  Co-Chair MacLean  spoke in opposition to the amendment.  She                 
  explained  that the  Haines  dock was  placed  in the  front                 
  section due to the match requirement.                                        
                                                                               
  Representative Brown MOVED  to DIVIDE  the question.   There                 
  being  NO  OBJECTION,  the  deletion  was divided  from  the                 
  insertion.                                                                   
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE  JERRY MACKIE spoke in opposition to deletion                 
  of section 8, Chilkoot cruise ship  dock.  He explained that                 
  the governor submitted the Chilkoot  cruise ship dock as his                 
  top economic development project.                                            
                                                                               
  A roll call vote was  taken on the MOTION to delete  section                 
  8.                                                                           
                                                                               
  IN FAVOR:                                                                    
  OPPOSED:  Brown,  Grussendorf,  Hoffman,   Navarre,  Foster,                 
                 Martin, Therriault, MacLean, Larson                           
                                                                               
  Representatives Hanley and Parnell were  not present for the                 
  vote.                                                                        
                                                                               
  The MOTION FAILED (0-9).                                                     
                                                                               
  A roll call vote was taken on the MOTION to add $1.0 million                 
  dollars for the $1.0 million dollars for the Atwood Chair in                 
  the   school   of   Journalism,   University   of    Alaska.                 
  Representatives Brown  and Martin  spoke in  support of  the                 
  addition.                                                                    
                                                                               
  IN FAVOR: Martin, Navarre, Therriault, Brown                                 
  OPPOSED:  Hoffman, Foster, Grussendorf, Larson, MacLean                      
                                                                               
  Representatives Hanley and Parnell were  not present for the                 
  vote.                                                                        
                                                                               
  The MOTION FAILED (4-5).                                                     
                                                                               
  Co-Chair  MacLean provided members  with intent language for                 
  Department of  Transportation's FY 95  capital appropriation                 
  (copy  on file).   She  explained that  the  intent language                 
  would cover all regions and state:  "It is the intent of the                 
  Legislation  that emergency  projects  eligible for  funding                 
  under   this   allocation   include   projects  to   correct                 
  deficiencies  caused by  spring  breakup  or  other  weather                 
  conditions which make normal travel by the public impossible                 
  or very onerous."                                                            
                                                                               
                                4                                              
                                                                               
                                                                               
  Co-Chair MacLean MOVED to ADOPT  the Intent Language.  There                 
  being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                       
                                                                               
  Co-Chair Larson MOVED  to report HCS  CSSB 363 (FIN) out  of                 
  Committee with individual  recommendations.  There  being NO                 
  OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                
                                                                               
  HCS  CSSB 363 (FIN) was reported out of Committee with a "do                 
  pass" recommendation.                                                        
  ADJOURNMENT                                                                  
                                                                               
  The meeting adjourned at 10:50 p.m.                                          
                                                                               
                                                                               
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