Legislature(2001 - 2002)

02/12/2001 03:07 PM House FIN

Audio Topic
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
                  HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE                                                                                       
                     FEBRUARY 12, 2001                                                                                          
                          3:07 PM                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
TAPE HFC 01 - 25, Side 1                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Mulder called the House Finance Committee meeting                                                                      
to order at 3:07 PM.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Eldon Mulder, Co-Chair                                                                                           
Representative Bill Williams, Co-Chair                                                                                          
Representative Con Bunde, Vice-Chair                                                                                            
Representative John Davies                                                                                                      
Representative Carl Moses                                                                                                       
Representative Richard Foster                                                                                                   
Representative John Harris                                                                                                      
Representative Bill Hudson                                                                                                      
Representative Ken Lancaster                                                                                                    
Representative Jim Whitaker                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Eric Croft                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
ALSO PRESENT                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Annalee  McConnell,   Director,  Office  of   Management  and                                                                   
Budget, Office  of the Governor; House Speaker  Brian Porter;                                                                   
Joan Brown,  Chief Budget Analyst,  Office of  Management and                                                                   
Budget, Office of the Governor.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
HB 103    An Act making appropriations for the operating and                                                                    
          loan  program  expenses  of state  government,  for                                                                   
          certain programs,  and to capitalize  funds; making                                                                   
          appropriations   under   art.   IX,   sec.   17(c),                                                                   
          Constitution  of  the  State  of Alaska,  from  the                                                                   
          constitutional  budget reserve fund;  and providing                                                                   
          for an effective date.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
          HB 103 was HEARD and HELD in Committee.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
HB 104    An Act making appropriations for the operating and                                                                    
          capital   expenses   of  the   state's   integrated                                                                   
          comprehensive mental  health program; and providing                                                                   
          for an effective date.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
          HB 104 was HEARD and HELD in Committee.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     HB 116    An Act making supplemental appropriations and                                                                    
               making and amending other appropriations; and                                                                    
               providing for an effective date.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
               HB 116 was HEARD and HELD in Committee.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     HB 117    An    Act    making    supplemental    and    other                                                              
               appropriations; and providing for an effective                                                                   
               date.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
               HB 117 was HEARD and HELD in Committee.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     HOUSE BILL NO. 103                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
          An Act making appropriations  for the operating and loan                                                              
          program  expenses  of   state  government,  for  certain                                                              
          programs,    and    to    capitalize    funds;    making                                                              
          appropriations  under art. IX, sec.  17(c), Constitution                                                              
          of the  State of Alaska, from the  constitutional budget                                                              
          reserve fund; and providing for an effective date.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     HOUSE BILL NO. 104                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
          An  Act  making  appropriations  for the  operating  and                                                              
          capital    expenses    of   the    state's    integrated                                                              
          comprehensive  mental health program; and  providing for                                                              
          an effective date.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Co-Chair Mulder advised that the Subcommittee's should be                                                                  
     closing out their budgets during the upcoming week.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     HOUSE BILL NO. 116                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
          An  Act making  supplemental  appropriations and  making                                                              
          and amending other appropriations;  and providing for an                                                              
          effective date.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     HOUSE BILL NO. 117                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
          An  Act making  supplemental  and other  appropriations;                                                              
          and providing for an effective date.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     ANNALEE  MCCONNELL,   DIRECTOR,  OFFICE  OF   MANAGEMENT  AND                                                              
     BUDGET, OFFICE  OF THE GOVERNOR, testified  on the Governor's                                                              
     fast  track supplemental  budget proposal.   She  listed each                                                              
     component.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     GF = General Funds                                                                                                         
     FF = Federal Funds                                                                                                         
     OF = Other Funds                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
*    Department of Administration  - Pioneer Homes $195.0 GF                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
*    Alaska Court System - Trial Courts            $150.0 FF                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
*    Department of Fish and Game - Sport Fish      $898.7 FF                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
*    Office of the Governor - Elections            $252.2 GF                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
*    Office of the Governor - Governmental Coordination                                                                       
                                                   $14.3 GF                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
*    Department of Health and Social Services - Energy                                                                        
          Assistance grants                        $3.351 FF                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
*    Department of Health and Social Services -                                                                               
          Medicaid                                 $8.970 FF                                                                    
               and                                 $6.030 OF                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
*    Department of Law - Government Affairs        $240 GF                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
*    Department of Military & Veterans Affairs -                                                                              
          Commissioner's Office                    $500 GF                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
*    Department of Natural Resources  - Gasline    $1.960 GF                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
*    Department of Revenue - Tax Division          $1.276 GF                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
*    Department of Revenue - Admin Support         $31.5 GF                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
*    State Debt/Debt Retirement                    $102.2 OF                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
*    State Debt/Debt Service Obligations           $639.8 GF                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
*    Department of Transportation & Public Facilities -                                                                       
          Capital/Fairbanks Airport                $905.0 OF                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
*    Department of Transportation & Public Facilities -                                                                       
          Capital/Fairbanks Airport                $1065.0 OF                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
*    Department of Transportation & Public Facilities -                                                                       
          Capital/Delong Airport                   $281.9 FF                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
*    Department of Transportation & Public Facilities -                                                                       
          Northern Region Facilities/Deadhorse     $53.6 FF                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
*    Department of Transportation & Public Facilities -                                                                       
          Capital/Copper River Highway             $400.0 GF                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Foster asked about the Department of Military                                                                    
& Veterans Affairs request.  He questioned why a "general"                                                                      
would need to administer that program.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Ms. McConnell  explained  that the funding  would be  a grant                                                              
     going directly  to the Special  Olympics.  The  Department of                                                              
     Military  & Veterans  Affairs has  been working  closely with                                                              
     the  Special  Olympics,  as  there  is  significant  security                                                              
     associated with that event.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Co-Chair Mulder added that  the members of the teams would be                                                              
     housed on the military base post.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Representative  Hudson requested  further explanation  of the                                                              
     Department  of  Transportation  &  Public  Facilities  Copper                                                              
  River Highway $400 thousand general fund dollar request.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     JOAN BROWN,  CHIEF BUDGET  ANALYST, OFFICE OF  MANAGEMENT AND                                                              
     BUDGET,  OFFICE  OF THE  GOVERNOR,  responded  that when  the                                                              
     Hickel  Administration did  work in that  area, there  were a                                                              
     number  of agreements that  the State  was required  to make.                                                              
     This request  is the  last piece of  that agreement  with the                                                              
     Copper River Highway work done under the Consent Agreement.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Representative  Foster  referenced   the  Deadhorse  combined                                                              
     facilities and if they would be reactivated.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Ms. Brown commented that  there was a combined facility built                                                              
     with some Airplane Improvement  Program funds in exchange for                                                              
     participating  in  the construction  of  the  facility.   She                                                              
     added  that  the  Federal  Aviation  Agency  (FAA)  would  be                                                              
     contributing funds for the  maintenance and utility costs for                                                              
     a portion of the facility which they occupy.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Co-Chair Mulder  noted that there would  be further testimony                                                              
     regarding  the fast  track supplemental  request at  a latter                                                              
     meeting.   He  mentioned  a  "red flag"  with  the amount  of                                                              
     requested  funding for  the gas  pipeline moving  through the                                                              
     Department of Natural Resources.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Ms. McConnell  agreed that appeared to be a  "big number" and                                                              
     offered to provide further  information regarding the amount.                                                              
     She commented  that the  Department has  spent a lot  of time                                                              
     and  work in  determining what  they could  do now  making it                                                              
     more productive in moving the project forward.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Co-Chair  Mulder asked  if the requested  positions  would be                                                              
     part  or full  time.   Ms. McConnell  acknowledged that  most                                                              
     would be full time project  positions, however, the positions                                                              
     would  not  be  expected   as  an  on-going  activity.    The                                                              
     preparation  work  needed to  receive  the applications  will                                                              
     require  a  lot of  State  work.    She elaborated  that  the                                                              
     current activities  are focusing on the field  season and on-                                                              
     going projects.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Representative Hudson  inquired if there was  any correlation                                                              
     between  the fast  track $2  million dollar  request  and the                                                              
incremental  department requests  that  have been  submitted.                                                                   
He  requested  a breakdown  from  the Department  of  Natural                                                                   
Resources.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Ms. McConnell  agreed to  provide the  breakdown.   She noted                                                                   
that  there was  information from  each department  regarding                                                                   
their  projects.   She added  that  along with  the gas  line                                                                   
project increase,  the Department is proposing  increases for                                                                   
items  that are  distinguished  and  different  from the  gas                                                                   
line.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Mulder  noted that HB  117 would be back  before the                                                                   
Committee later during the week.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
HB 117 was HELD in Committee for further consideration.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The meeting was adjourned at 3:50 P.M.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                

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