Legislature(2009 - 2010)
04/14/2009 02:45 PM House FIN
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HCR16 | |
| SB75 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE
April 14, 2009
2:45 p.m.
2:45:51 PM
CALL TO ORDER
Co-Chair Stoltze called the House Finance Committee meeting
to order at 2:45 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Mike Hawker, Co-Chair
Representative Bill Stoltze, Co-Chair
Representative Bill Thomas, Jr., Vice-Chair
Representative Allan Austerman
Representative Anna Fairclough
Representative Les Gara
Representative Reggie Joule
Representative Mike Kelly
Representative Woodie Salmon
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Harry Crawford
Representative Richard Foster
ALSO PRESENT
Speaker John Harris, Sponsor
PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE
Julie Saupe, President, Anchorage Convention & Visitor's
Bureau, Anchorage; Melissa Freeman, Student, Pacific High
School, Sitka; Ryan Hill, Teacher, Pacific High School,
Sitka; Joseph Martinez, Student, Pacific High School, Sitka;
Angel Dotomain, President, Alaska Native Health Board
SUMMARY
HCR 16 Requesting the Governor to proclaim September 7,
2009, as Senator Daniel Inouye Day.
HCR 16 was REPORTED out of Committee with a "do
pass" recommendation.
CSSB 75(FIN)
"An Act making and amending appropriations,
including capital appropriations, supplemental
appropriations, and appropriations to capitalize
funds; and providing for an effective date."
CSSB 75 (FIN) was heard and HELD in Committee for
further consideration.
2:49:00 PM
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 16
Requesting the Governor to proclaim September 7, 2009,
as Senator Daniel Inouye Day.
SPEAKER JOHN HARRIS, SPONSOR, presented the proclamation
recognizing Senator Daniel Inouye. He read from a statement
made by Senator Ted Stevens:
When you honor Senator Daniel Inouye, you honor a true
friend of Alaska. Dan is a close friend I worked
closely with for forty years. We were two new Senators
serving tow new off-shore states. Senator Inouye is a
distinguished American who earned his Congressional
Medal of Honor the hard way! It is my privilege to
call him my brother - we continue to be close friends.
Speaker Harris shared a statement from Senator Lisa
Murkowski:
Thank you for introducing legislation recognizing
Senator Daniel Inouye for his dedication and friendship
to Alaska. It is an honor he has earned many times
over. Senator Inouye has long been our ally and great
friend in the U.S. Senate. I deeply appreciate his
commitment to our state and our common causes. We
share many. Alaska and Hawaii share a genuine bond
having entered the union together as distant
territories separated from the contiguous United
States. Senator Ted Stevens and Senator Inouye were
both involved in the fight for statehood in their
perspective territories. Senator Inouye has continued
his commitment to Hawaii and Alaska and the nation ever
since. He's been an outspoken advocate for the
military and a great defender of the rights of Alaska
Natives and Native Hawaiians. He's also supported us
in our struggle to open the coastal plain of the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge and helped educate the nation
on the importance of maintaining a strong military
presence in Alaska. It is fitting that the state
should honor Senator Inouye on his birthday. He will
turn 85 this September 7. I wish him many more. We
are blessed to have such an honorable friend stand with
us in Congress. He truly has earned the honor of being
called Alaska's third senator.
Speaker Harris informed the Committee that a statement from
Senator Begich was forthcoming. He requested the
Committee's support for the resolution.
2:51:59 PM
Co-Chair Stoltze commented that the resolution was in the
Finance Committee in order to expedite the legislation. He
noted that the resolution has no fiscal notes. He thanked
Speaker Harris for bringing forth the resolution.
2:53:09 PM
Representative Joule shared a personal story about his first
encounter with Senator Inouye in 1988. He noted that the
Senator has been a good friend to the Alaska Native
community.
2:54:37 PM
Vice-Chair Thomas MOVED to report HCR 16 out of Committee
with individual recommendations. There being NO OBJECTION,
it was so ordered.
HCR 16 was REPORTED out of Committee with a "do pass"
recommendation.
AT-EASE: 2:54:55 PM
RECONVENED: 2:58:45 PM
CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 75(FIN)
"An Act making and amending appropriations, including
capital appropriations, supplemental appropriations,
and appropriations to capitalize funds; and providing
for an effective date."
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
JULIE SAUPE, PRESIDENT, ANCHORAGE CONVENTION & VISITOR'S
BUREAU, ANCHORAGE, via teleconference, testified in favor of
using the cruise ship funds for improvements to the Egan
Convention Center in Anchorage. She stressed the importance
of the Egan Center to cruise line passengers.
3:02:10 PM
MELISSA FREEMAN, STUDENT, PACIFIC HIGH SCHOOL, SITKA, via
teleconference, testified in favor of major maintenance
grants for funding school repairs. She described the
repairs needed at her school.
3:04:10 PM
RYAN HILL, TEACHER, PACIFIC HIGH SCHOOL, SITKA, via
teleconference, agreed with the previous speaker's
testimony. He spoke of the reconstruction project needed
for Pacific High School which would be funded by SB 75. He
described the make up and curriculum of the school. He
detailed specific needs, such as new doors and repairs to a
leaky ceiling.
3:07:40 PM
JOSEPH MARTINEZ, STUDENT, PACIFIC HIGH SCHOOL, SITKA, via
teleconference, described the deteriorating condition of the
school building. He spoke in favor of funding school
maintenance projects.
Mr. Hill read letters from Pacific High School students.
The first one was from Chris Paul; the second was from
Justin Ipock. Both stated support for funds for school
maintenance.
Co-Chair Stoltze thought the allocation would remain in the
budget.
3:11:54 PM
ANGEL DOTOMAIN, PRESIDENT, ALASKA NATIVE HEALTH BOARD, via
teleconference, described the focus of the Board. She spoke
of the $25 million reduction to the Village Safe Water
projects, a 33 percent cut. She spoke of the need for the
57 high priority projects and the importance of receiving a
federal match. She shared health-related statistics in
villages with limited safe water. She requested that the
Committee restore the Village Safe Water general funds to
half of the federal amount authorized in the governor's
amended budget or approximately $26.2 million.
3:16:28 PM
Co-Chair Stoltze closed public testimony.
SB 75 was heard and HELD in Committee for further
consideration.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 3:17 PM.
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