Legislature(2011 - 2012)HOUSE FINANCE 519

04/11/2012 01:30 PM House FINANCE


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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
-- Recessed to a Call of the Chair --
+= SB 140 CATHINONE BATH SALTS TELECONFERENCED
Moved Out of Committee
+= SB 23 FILM PRODUCTION TAX CREDIT/AUDITS TELECONFERENCED
Scheduled But Not Heard
+ SB 119 ATHLETIC TRAINERS TELECONFERENCED
<Pending Referral>
+ SCR 24 COMMISSION ON 100TH ANNIV. OF LEGISLATURE TELECONFERENCED
<Pending Referral>
+ SB 160 BUDGET: CAPITAL TELECONFERENCED
<Pending Referral>
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
                  HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE                                                                                       
                      April 11, 2012                                                                                            
                         2:23 p.m.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:23:21 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze called the House Finance Committee meeting                                                                     
to order at 2:23 p.m.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Bill Stoltze, Co-Chair                                                                                           
Representative Bill Thomas Jr., Co-Chair                                                                                        
Representative Anna Fairclough, Vice-Chair                                                                                      
Representative Mia Costello                                                                                                     
Representative Mike Doogan                                                                                                      
Representative Bryce Edgmon                                                                                                     
Representative Les Gara                                                                                                         
Representative David Guttenberg                                                                                                 
Representative Reggie Joule                                                                                                     
Representative Mark Neuman                                                                                                      
Representative Tammie Wilson                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
None                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
ALSO PRESENT                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kevin Meyer, Sponsor.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CSSB 23(FIN)                                                                                                                    
          FILM PRODUCTION TAX CREDIT/AUDITS                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
         CSSB 23(FIN) was SCHEDULED but not HEARD.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SCR 24    COMMISSION ON 100TH ANNIV. OF LEGISLATURE                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
          SCR 24 was SCHEDULED but not HEARD.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CSSB 119 (L&C)                                                                                                                  
          ATHLETIC TRAINERS                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
          CSSB 119(L&C) was SCHEDULED but not HEARD.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CSSB 160(FIN)                                                                                                                   
          BUDGET: CAPITAL                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
          CSSB 160(FIN) was SCHEDULED but not HEARD.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CSSB 140(JUD)                                                                                                                   
          CATHINONE BATH SALTS                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
          CSSB 140(JUD)  was REPORTED out of  committee with                                                                    
          a  "do  pass"  recommendation and  with  new  zero                                                                    
          fiscal notes  from the Department  of Corrections,                                                                    
          Department   of  Public   Safety,  Department   of                                                                    
          Administration   and  previously   published  zero                                                                    
          fiscal note: FN1 (LAW).                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:23:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 140(JUD)                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act classifying certain  substances as schedule IIA                                                                    
     controlled substances and  providing penalties relating                                                                    
     to  those substances;  and providing  for an  effective                                                                    
     date."                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR KEVIN MEYER, SPONSOR,  briefly expressed his reasons                                                                    
for  introducing  the  bill.  He  noted  that  the  City  of                                                                    
Anchorage came to him regarding  the dangers of "bath salts"                                                                    
and  requested help  from the  legislature.  He pointed  out                                                                    
that the drug was a statewide problem.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze wondered what  penalties were prescribed in                                                                    
the  legislation.  Senator  Meyer responded  that  assigning                                                                    
penalties  was difficult.  He noted  that the  substance was                                                                    
legal  for some  time and  that someone  possessing a  small                                                                    
amount  may not  know  that  it was  illegal.  He felt  that                                                                    
making a severe penalty for  possessing a small quantity for                                                                    
a  first  time offense  was  not  justified. He  believed  a                                                                    
felony was warranted for large quantity offenses.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze commented on  the "made-up" trendy designer                                                                    
drugs. He  remarked that some  "people found ways  to poison                                                                    
kids for a profit." He believed  the premise of the bill was                                                                    
to stop the synthetic drug trade.                                                                                               
Representative  Doogan   had  questioned  earlier   how  the                                                                    
penalties were handled. He decided  it was better to support                                                                    
the bill, and not look for a perfect bill.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Vice-chair  Fairclough   emphasized  that  the   drugs  were                                                                    
dangerous. She  cited a document  in the bill  packet "Life-                                                                    
threatening  Necrotizing  Fasciitis   Due  to  'Bath  Salts'                                                                    
Injection"(copy on  file). The  article contained  photos of                                                                    
tissue damage in  an arm resulting from  injecting the drug,                                                                    
which  ultimately lead  to amputation.  She related  that no                                                                    
portion of the  drug was safe and hoped that  the news about                                                                    
the  harmful effects  of the  drug was  disseminated to  the                                                                    
general public.  She stressed that  everyone needed  to know                                                                    
the drug was dangerous and life-threatening.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Gara pointed  out  that  press coverage  was                                                                    
important to  get the  message out.  He suggested  issuing a                                                                    
press release. He believed the  seller was the most culpable                                                                    
player  and  hoped  that  the  district  attorney  would  be                                                                    
lenient if young people were caught with the drug.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stoltze  concurred  with Representative  Gara.  He                                                                    
thanked Senator Meyer  for the bill. He  recognized the bill                                                                    
was  just  one battle  in  the  war  on designer  drugs  and                                                                    
welcomed future legislation.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Meyer agreed that people  were getting very creative                                                                    
in making and  selling synthetic drugs. He  noted that "bath                                                                    
salts" were  synthetic cocaine. Unfortunately word  gets out                                                                    
to young  people that the drug  was fun. He agreed  the bill                                                                    
will not be the last as new drugs were created.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:32:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-chair  Fairclough announced  that the  committee zeroed                                                                    
out three  of the previously published  indeterminate fiscal                                                                    
notes from the Department  of Corrections (FN 3), Department                                                                    
of Public  Safety (FN 2),  and Department  of Administration                                                                    
(FN  4).  She noted  the  previously  published zero  fiscal                                                                    
notes from the Department of Law, (FN 1).                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Vice-chair Fairclough  MOVED to report CSSB  140(JUD) out of                                                                    
committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal note(s).                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CSSB  140(JUD) was  REPORTED  out of  committee  with a  "do                                                                    
pass"  recommendation and  with new  zero fiscal  notes from                                                                    
the Department of Corrections, the Department of Public                                                                         
Safety, and Department of Administration, and previously                                                                        
published zero fiscal note: FN1 (LAW).                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 23(FIN)                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act  relating to  transferable film  production tax                                                                    
     credits  and film  production tax  credit certificates;                                                                    
     requiring the  legislative audit division to  audit the                                                                    
     Alaska   film   production   incentive   program;   and                                                                    
     providing  for  an  effective   date  by  amending  the                                                                    
     effective dates of secs. 3 and 4, ch. 63, SLA 2008."                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     CSSB 23(FIN) was SCHEDULED but not HEARD.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 24                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Establishing   the   Alaska   Legislative   Celebration                                                                    
     Commission to organize events  to commemorate the 100th                                                                    
     anniversary of  the first convening of  the legislative                                                                    
     branch of government in Alaska.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     SCR 24 was SCHEDULED but not HEARD.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 119(L&C)                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to athletic trainers."                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     CSSB 119(L&C) was SCHEDULED but not HEARD.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 160(FIN)                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act  making and amending  appropriations, including                                                                    
     capital  appropriations,  supplemental  appropriations,                                                                    
     and  other  appropriations;  making  appropriations  to                                                                    
     capitalize  funds;  and   providing  for  an  effective                                                                    
     date."                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     CSSB 160(FIN) was SCHEDULED but not HEARD.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:34:51 PM                                                                                                                    
RECESSED                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
6:32:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The meeting was adjourned at 6:32 PM.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
SB23 Letters.pdf HFIN 4/11/2012 1:30:00 PM
SB 23
Sb 23 Letters of Support 3-30-2012.PDF HFIN 4/11/2012 1:30:00 PM
SB 23