Legislature(2015 - 2016)Anch LIO BUILDING
05/22/2015 11:00 AM House FINANCE
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB2001 | |
| Public Testimony: Statewide | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB2001 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE
SECOND SPECIAL SESSION
May 22, 2015
11:08 a.m.
[NOTE: Meeting took place in Anchorage, Alaska at the
Legislative Information Office]
11:08:59 AM
CALL TO ORDER
Co-Chair Neuman called the House Finance Committee meeting
to order at 11:08 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Mark Neuman, Co-Chair
Representative Steve Thompson, Co-Chair
Representative Dan Saddler, Vice-Chair
Representative Bryce Edgmon
Representative Les Gara
Representative Lynn Gattis
Representative David Guttenberg
Representative Scott Kawasaki
Representative Cathy Munoz
Representative Lance Pruitt
Representative Tammie Wilson
ALSO PRESENT
Mary Schallert, Self, Anchorage; Pat Higgins, Member,
Anchorage School Board, Anchorage; Alise Galvin, Great
Alaska Schools, Anchorage; Ahnie Loncle, Facing Foster Care
in Alaska, Anchorage; Andrea Gonzales, Facing Foster Care
in Alaska, Anchorage; Mr. Gary Lose, Self, Anchorage; Robin
Ahgupuk, Self, Anchorage; Amanda Metivier, Executive
Director, Facing Foster Care in Alaska, Anchorage; Don
Moore, Self, Anchorage; Rachel Bedsworth, Facing Foster
Care in Alaska, Anchorage; Katherine Hicks, Self,
Anchorage; Cheryl Lovegreen, Self, Anchorage; Carolyn
Ramsey, Citizens For Responsible Development, Anchorage;
Vince Beltrani, AK AFL-CIO, Anchorage; Butch Moore, Self,
Anchorage; Andy Holleman, Anchorage Education Association,
Anchorage; Tom Lakosh, Self, Anchorage; Deena Mitchell,
Self, Anchorage; Jeremy Price, Americans for Prosperity
Alaska, Anchorage; Phillip Walters, Self, Eagle River;
David Boyle, Self, Anchorage; Charles McKee, Self,
Anchorage; Michael Chambers, United for Liberty, Anchorage;
Aaron Springer, Self, Anchorage; Sarah Hetemi, Self,
Anchorage; Krista Von Bergen, Self, Anchorage; Laura
Bonner, Self, Anchorage; Representative Sam Kito III;
Representative Lora Reinbold; Representative Andy
Josephson; Representative Shelley Hughes; Representative
Paul Seaton; Representative Dan Ortiz.
PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE
David Brighton, President, Kenai Peninsula Education
Association, Kenai; Bill Warren, Self, Nikiski; Lon
Garrison, President, Sitka School Board, Sitka; Tara
Schmidt, Self, Homer; Steve Gibson, Self, Homer; Judy
Andree, League of Women Voters, Juneau; Mark Miller,
Superintendent, Juneau School District, Juneau; George
Pierce, Self, Kasilof; Tanya McPherson, Self, Anchorage;
Andi Story, Alaska Association of School Boards, Juneau;
Todd Poage, Superintendent, Tok; Frank Gold, Self,
Fairbanks; Charlene Arneson, President, Chugiak School
District, Whittier; Donna Beran, Self, Homer; Robert
Coghill, Juneau; David Johnson, Self, Prudhoe Bay; John
Anderson, Self, Valdez; Tim Cheydleur, Self, Fairbanks;
Colleen Redman, Self, Fairbanks; Don Gray, Self, Fairbanks;
Dan Johnson, Interior Region Emergency Medical Services
(EMS) Council, Inc., Fairbanks; Richard Fineberg, Self,
Fairbanks; Michelle Church, Self, Palmer; Bruce Bridwell,
Self, Fairbanks; David Neese, Self, Anchorage; Norm Wooten,
Association of Alaska School Boards, Juneau; Janie Taylor,
Self, Anchorage; Celia Rozen, Self, Anchorage; Ross
Mullins, Self, Cordova; Antonia Sparrow, Self, Anchorage;
Scott Macmanus, Assistant Superintendent, Gateway School
District, Tok; Kevin Shipley, Kake School District; JR
Myers, Alaska Constitution Party, Soldatna; Francis
Bennett, Self, Anchorage; Martha Moore, Self, Juneau; Tom
Chard, Alaska Behavioral Health Association, Juneau;
Penelope Oswalt, Self, Cordova; George Brown, Self, Juneau;
Chad Fishel, Self, Juneau; Karen Greenberg, Self,
Anchorage; Carl Benson, Self, Fairbanks; Rosalie Rein,
Self, Fairbanks; Fred Sturman, Self, Soldotna; Drew
McElvain, Self, Wasilla; Barbara Marsh, Self, Anchorage;
Sue Hull, Association of Alaska School Boards, Fairbanks;
Alex Wertheimer, Self, Juneau; Bob Crumley, Superintendent,
Chugach School District, Chugach; Sarah Kehoe, Self,
Talkeetna; Susan Hansen, Self, Fairbanks; Marybeth
Holleman, Self, Anchorage; Sylvia Ettefagh, Self, Wrangell;
Joseph Dingman, Alaska Mental Health Board, Barrow; Tim
Walters, President of the Mat-Su Education Association,
Mat-Su;
SUMMARY
HB 2001 APPROP: OPERATING BUDGET/LOANS/FUNDS
HB 2001 was HEARD and HELD in committee for
further consideration.
HOUSE BILL NO. 2001
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
loan program expenses of state government and for
certain programs and capitalizing funds; repealing
appropriations; 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."
11:09:33 AM
AT EASE
11:15:50 AM
RECONVENED
Co-Chair Neuman noted Representative Kito was in the room.
^PUBLIC TESTIMONY: STATEWIDE
11:16:19 AM
[Secretary's note: The sign-in sheet for the first nine
testifiers is missing.]
MARY SCHALLERT, SELF, ANCHORAGE, spoke in support of
funding for education, Medicaid expansion, and Erin's law.
She spoke of her education and teaching experience and
conveyed that she was a mother of two. She discussed the
importance of funding schools and believed more funding was
provided to the jail system over the public school system.
She opined that prevention was more important and less
costly than fixing problems in the future. She reiterated
her support of funding education, expanding Medicaid, and
supporting Erin's law. She thanked the committee for its
time.
11:18:28 AM
Co-Chair Neuman encouraged written testimony and provided
the committee fax number: (907) 269-0229. Alternatively,
written testimony could be submitted via email to either of
the co-chair offices.
11:19:04 AM
PAT HIGGINS, MEMBER, ANCHORAGE SCHOOL BOARD, ANCHORAGE,
testified in support of funds for education. He stressed
that the district's ability to recruit teachers throughout
the state was being negatively impacted. Other areas and
districts in the Lower 48 were currently recruiting
positions. He stressed that the district was trying to hire
special education teachers and other highly qualified
individuals. He spoke about school district funding
expectations. The changing numbers made it challenging for
schools to plan. He emphasized that the district had no
idea what funding it would receive. There were many things
on the table that needed to be addressed, but without
knowing funding levels the district was in limbo. He
thanked the committee for hearing his testimony.
11:21:35 AM
ALISE GALVIN, GREAT ALASKA SCHOOLS, ANCHORAGE, testified in
support of quality education for all children. She spoke to
the importance of adequate, predictable funding for
education. She addressed legislators who were in favor of
making large cuts to education. She stressed that there
were currently funds to pay for what the state valued. She
relayed that two-thirds of Alaskans supported the public
education component of what the state provided. She agreed
that there was room for improvement in the public education
system, but it was difficult to engage improvement when so
much energy was focused on just getting funds to move
forward. She urged members to support public education.
Co-Chair Neuman referred to the two minute time limit.
11:24:48 AM
AHNIE LONCLE, FACING FOSTER CARE IN ALASKA, ANCHORAGE,
testified in support of funds for additional social
workers. She shared her personal story about being in
foster care as a child. She spoke to the factors that
enabled her to succeed. She had five different social
workers who had cared for her. She reported that the
average case load for each social worker in Alaska was 20
children, above the established maximum of 12. She asked
the committee to fund social workers.
11:27:29 AM
ANDREA GONZALES, FACING FOSTER CARE IN ALASKA, ANCHORAGE,
spoke in support of funding for social workers. She shared
her personal story. She stressed that it was imperative for
the state to have additional social workers. Social workers
were one of the keys to ensuring that foster children grew
up to become contributing members of society. Hiring more
social workers would help to alleviate burn-out and high
turnover rates. She shared that funding for additional
social workers would allow for more time and support for
families in need. She thanked the committee.
Co-Chair Neuman welcomed Representative Josephson and
Representative Reinbold to the meeting.
11:30:30 AM
MR. GARY LOSE, SELF, ANCHORAGE, spoke in support of foster
care. He relayed his personal story in the foster care
system. He stressed that without social workers he would
not be where he was at present. He stressed that social
workers provided quality care but were burdened. He urged
the committee to provide funding for foster care. He
expressed his thanks to the committee for hearing his
testimony.
11:31:38 AM
ROBIN AHGUPUK, SELF, ANCHORAGE, spoke in support of foster
care funding. He shared his personal story about social
workers who had helped him. He noted that social workers
were over-worked. He supported additional funding for
social workers to help youths.
11:33:06 AM
AMANDA METIVIER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FACING FOSTER CARE IN
ALASKA, ANCHORAGE, testified in support of foster care and
social workers. She provided information about a recent UAA
study showing that one in every 100 children in Alaska were
currently in foster care. She stated that the number of
children coming into the state system was only expected to
increase. She noted that the current case load
recommendation was 12 cases per social worker. She spoke of
a social worker friend who currently had 30 cases. She
urged funding be provided for additional social workers.
The length of stay for children in the system should only
be 12 to 24 months. Alaska was spending more to keep
children in the system. She requested the committee provide
additional funding for additional case workers.
11:35:30 AM
DON MOORE, SELF, ANCHORAGE, expressed her appreciation for
all of the work the legislature was doing to cut the
budget. She thanked the committee members and asked them to
keep cutting the budget.
11:35:53 AM
DAVID BRIGHTON, PRESIDENT, KENAI PENINSULA EDUCATION
ASSOCIATION, KENAI (via teleconference), testified in
support of education funds. He encouraged the committee to
find a solution to funding education. He supported Medicaid
expansion and believed expansion could be done before
reform and noted that many of the concerns with the billing
system had been solved. He relayed that the local school
district had passed a budget based on the original cuts.
Additional cuts made by the Senate would mean cutting
teachers. He stressed that education was constitutionally
mandated and implored the committee to fund education.
11:38:36 AM
BILL WARREN, SELF, NIKISKI (via teleconference), spoke in
support of an income tax and a Permanent Fund Dividend
(PFD) surtax. He emphasized that oil taxes needed to be
addressed. He stressed that the legislature did not respect
the governor who knew a lot about gas. He stressed that the
legislature refused to support Medicaid expansion. He
stated that reform was possible and that Alaskans were not
just special interest people. He spoke to the importance of
education. He concluded by stating that the legislature
needed to get its act together.
11:41:22 AM
LON GARRISON, PRESIDENT, SITKA SCHOOL BOARD, SITKA (via
teleconference), testified in support of education. He
spoke to the constitutional requirement for the legislature
to fund public education and stressed that a lack of funds
was causing uncertainty for the public school system and
the districts. The City of Sitka was working to do its part
for sustainable education funding. He stressed the
importance of fully funding the Base Student Allocation
(BSA). He stated that it was time for the game of politics
to be set aside for the good of the state. He spoke to the
recent high school graduation in Sitka. He referred to the
need to succeed when there was a will to. He pressed the
committee to fund education.
Co-Chair Neuman asked those interested in testifying to
keep their testimonies to two minutes.
11:44:31 AM
TARA SCHMIDT, SELF, HOMER (via teleconference), encouraged
the committee to add funds for the Office of Children's
Services, Pre-K, Parents as Teachers and to expand
Medicaid. She shared a personal story related to a friend
who had been raped in college. She encouraged funds for
sexual assault and domestic violence prevention and
encouraged the passage of Erin's law. She was a Green Dot
instructor and taught prevention. She stated that to
exclude Erin's law was to take a pro-sexual assault stance.
She stressed that Alaskans needed to take a stance that
domestic violence and sexual assault were no longer
acceptable.
11:46:49 AM
STEVE GIBSON, SELF, HOMER (via teleconference), spoke in
support of the prior testimony. He testified in support of
Medicaid expansion and believed the legislature's reasons
for not addressing expansion were phony. He added that the
Medicaid system was not in ill repair. He asked the
committee to fully fund education. He was discouraged by
the House's lack of responsiveness to public input. He
concluded by thanking the committee for the opportunity to
testify.
11:49:21 AM
JUDY ANDREE, LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, JUNEAU (via
teleconference), thanked the group of legislators that
wrote a letter supporting the Permanent Fund. She added
that the league applauded House Speaker Chenault and
Minority Leader Tuck for their continuing work on a budget
compromise. She stressed that the state had a democracy and
could not be ruled by the majority. She encouraged the
legislature to make public education a top priority. She
quoted Thomas Jefferson, "If a nation expects to be
ignorant and free in a state of civilization it expects
what never was and never shall be." She asked the
legislature to support Medicaid expansion that was
supported by the majority of Alaskans. The league also
supported transparency and compromise. The league asked
that the legislature fully fund the public education system
which was the underlying support of democracy. She relayed
that the league also supported the safe children's act and
asked the committee to support Erin's law.
Co-Chair Neuman recognized Representative Hughes in the
room.
11:52:41 AM
MARK MILLER, SUPERINTENDENT, JUNEAU SCHOOL DISTRICT, JUNEAU
(via teleconference), testified in support of funding for
public education. He stressed that the district's plate was
full. The district was doing all that it could educate
students and continue to watch out for kids' safety and
well-being. However, he pointed out that the district could
not do more and more with less and less funding. He asked
the legislature to be careful about cutting. He thanked the
committee for its time.
11:54:02 AM
GEORGE PIERCE, SELF, KASILOF (via teleconference), shamed
the legislature for fighting with the governor. He spoke
against the removal of the film tax credit that brought
money to the private sector. He stressed that the
legislature needed to consider reducing credits to the oil
industry. He asked the legislature not give into big oil.
He did not want to see the Permanent Fund raided and
supported funding for education and healthcare.
11:55:55 AM
TANYA MCPHERSON, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference),
spoke against taking $5 billion from the Permanent Fund.
She suggested reducing tax credits for the oil companies
and was against the funding of the Susitna-Watana
Hydroelectric Project. She spoke in favor of funding for
education. She advised moving the Anchorage Legislative
Information Office (LIO) into the Atwood building and
opposed the Bragaw Extension Project. She stressed that
children were the future of Alaska and concluded that
funding should go towards more social workers and public
education.
Co-Chair Neuman recognized Representative Seaton in the
room.
11:57:23 AM
ANDI STORY, ALASKA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS, JUNEAU
(via teleconference), testified in support of education.
She encouraged full funding of the BSA. She urged the
legislature to pass a fully funded budget which was
critical to funding the upcoming school year. She asked the
committee to approve a fully funded budget providing for
certainty and an investment in the children of Alaska. She
thanked the committee.
11:59:38 AM
TODD POAGE, SUPERINTENDENT, TOK (via teleconference),
testified in support of education funding. The legislature
had made a commitment to education the prior year and had
rescinded its offer. Districts needed a fully funded budget
in order to make plans. He suggested that instead of only
cutting the budget, he favored revenue solutions to balance
the budget. He stressed that public education funding
should be adjusted gradually over a three-year period.
Districts did their best to use funds as efficiently as
possible and to make sure they went directly to students.
He thanked the committee for its consideration.
12:02:09 PM
FRANK GOLD, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), stressed
that cutting the budget was no longer an option. He stated
that it was time to eliminate some programs entirely. He
believed it was time to realize that it was not possible to
fund everything. He stressed that no one would come home
unscathed by the session. He stated that there would be a
price to pay for all legislators. He believed it was
unfortunate for people to have to travel for medical care,
education, and other. He reiterated that the state could
not afford to provide all the programs it was delivering.
He asked the legislature to set its focus on forward
funding. He thanked the committee.
12:05:00 PM
CHARLENE ARNESON, PRESIDENT, CHUGIAK SCHOOL DISTRICT,
WHITTIER (via teleconference), testified in support of
education funding. She concurred with Lon Garrison and Andi
Story. She stressed that the best thing that had happened
to education had resulted from a task force lead by
Representative Mike Hawker. She stressed that funding for
education had not even kept up with the cost of living. She
observed that education funding had been held hostage over
the years as a bargaining chip at the end of session.
12:08:36 PM
DONNA BERAN, SELF, HOMER (via teleconference), testified in
support of funds for Parents as Teachers and other related
programs. She stressed how helpful the programs were to
children and to creating productive members of society. She
encouraged the legislature to fully fund education, expand
Medicaid, and fund prevention programs. She thanked the
committee for the opportunity to testify.
12:11:00 PM
JOSEPH DINGMAN, ALASKA MENTAL HEALTH BOARD, BARROW (via
teleconference), Spoke in favor of Medicaid expansion. He
mentioned the executive authority to move forward with
expansion without the need to pass legislation to do so. He
expressed his appreciation for the committee's hard work.
12:11:50 PM
ROBERT COGHILL, JUNEAU (via teleconference), Board Chair,
Alcohol and Drug Abuse spoke in favor of Medicaid
expansion. He realized there were problems with the Xerox
billing system for Medicaid and that it was under repair.
Maryland had similar problems but went ahead and expanded
Medicaid. He felt that the governor's budget, HB 2001, was
an acceptable compromise. He thanked the committee for its
service.
12:13:07 PM
DAVID JOHNSON, SELF, PRUDHOE BAY (via teleconference),
urged the committee to reach a compromise on the budget. He
spoke in favor of Medicaid expansion and Erin's Law but
opposed using the permanent fund earnings reserve. He
thanked the committee.
12:14:11 PM
JOHN ANDERSON, SELF, VALDEZ (via teleconference), spoke in
support of public radio expressing his appreciation of its
restored funding. He thanked committee members for their
time and hard work on the budget.
12:16:21 PM
TIM CHEYDLEUR, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), spoke
in favor of fully funding the BSA for education and
encouraged Medicaid expansion. He supported capping the PFD
and opposed drawing from the permanent fund earnings
reserve. He suggested using the Constitutional Budget
Reserve (CBR) to fill the state's fiscal gap. He believed
in a state income tax, a sales tax, and an increase in the
motor fuel tax. A plan was imperative. He thanked the
committee for the opportunity to testify.
12:17:55 PM
COLLEEN REDMAN, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), spoke
in favor of fully funding education and health and social
services. She relayed her experience working for the
Territory of Alaska as one of three social workers covering
the territory from Barrow to Bethel. She also reported
working in the schools realizing the importance of
education and favored funding for early childhood
education. She also supported Medicaid expansion.
12:20:34 PM
DON GRAY, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), strongly
supported K-12 education. He mentioned his children and
grandchildren that attended public school. He opined that
monies taken from the university system's budget should be
restored and the state should opt for expanding Medicaid.
He discouraged moving the permanent fund earnings reserve
into the corpus but encouraged reducing oil tax credits. He
thanked the committee for its time.
12:23:11 PM
DAN JOHNSON, INTERIOR REGION EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
(EMS) COUNCIL, INC., FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
discussed the ramifications of a 53 percent cut to regional
EMS programs. He relayed that the funding supported seven
regional EMS programs across the state. He provided program
details and a list of service benefits. He elaborated on
the impact of the proposed cuts to the program. He asked
the committee to further consider the effect of reduced
funding for the regional EMS program.
12:25:23 PM
RICHARD FINEBERG, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
indicated that he had seven process focus items necessary
for improving understanding petroleum quantification which
would enable the formulation and execution of long-term
government service policies. He detailed the seven items
which could be found on his website and in written
testimony.
12:28:02 PM
MICHELLE CHURCH, SELF, PALMER (via teleconference),
believed that the budget described a very narrow vision by
the majority caucus. She believed that collecting revenue
from the most vulnerable residents while ignoring potential
growth from industries such as health care and agriculture
was mean-spirited. She opposed Medicaid expansion. She
believed that the expansion of Medicaid would increase the
state's ability to collect the costs of programs at the
expense of ill Alaskans. She expressed concern that the
state's ability to negotiate a gas pipeline would be
limited with the transfer of monies out of the in-state
natural gas pipeline fund as noted in Section 6 of the
bill. She opined the education budget was woefully
underfunded. She spoke in favor of Erin's Law and against a
raid on the Permanent Fund. She encourage the legislature
to negotiate and compromise.
12:30:32 PM
RACHEL BEDSWORTH, FACING FOSTER CARE IN ALASKA, ANCHORAGE,
spoke in support of funding additional social workers and
conveyed her experience in the foster care system. She
reported that she had 46 placements and six social workers
in her years of care. She relayed that her current social
worker was overloaded with cases and was unable to properly
assist her with the support she needed to transition into
adulthood. She urged the committee to provide funding for
additional social workers so that kids like her could
successfully transition into adulthood.
12:32:28 PM
KATHERINE HICKS, SELF, ANCHORAGE, appreciated the efforts
of the legislature to reduce spending. She voiced concerns
about providing additional funding for education when
results were down. She wanted to see additional cuts to the
budget. She felt that it was time for the legislature to
make some tough decisions. She thanked the committee.
12:33:58 PM
CHERYL LOVEGREEN, SELF, ANCHORAGE, spoke in support of
education, Erin's Law, and Medicaid expansion. She
suggested cutting various projects including the Susitna-
Watana Hydroelectric Project, the Bragaw Extension Project,
and the Knik Arm Crossing Project. She also suggested
looking more closely at oil tax credits. She encouraged the
legislature to come to a compromise in order to use the CBR
to fund the budget. She did not support raiding the
Permanent Fund. She applauded certain legislators for
starting a discussion about creating additional revenues.
She thanked the committee for the opportunity to testify.
12:36:19 PM
CAROLYN RAMSEY, CITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT,
ANCHORAGE, discouraged funding the Bragaw Extension
Project. She reported that 9 community councils across
Anchorage had passed resolutions against the project. She
cited some statistics from various reports. She concluded
that residents did not want the road, need the road, nor
could Alaska afford the road. She thanked the committee.
12:38:23 PM
VINCE BELTRANI, AK AFL-CIO, ANCHORAGE, spoke in favor of
the legislature honoring the labor contracts that were
already agreed upon. He urged the committee to honor the
state's commitment to its employees. He thanked the
committee for the work it had done and hoped that the
legislature could come to a resolution quickly.
Co-Chair Neuman relayed his appreciation for all state
workers. He did not want to see pink slips going out to
anyone.
12:41:13 PM
BRUCE BRIDWELL, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), spoke
in support of fully funding education. He did not believe
the state could make enough cuts to solve its financial
problems. He opined that the legislature needed to focus on
generating additional revenue including income taxes from
people and corporations. He supported using the CBR to
cover shortfalls but did not want the state to dip into its
permanent fund earnings reserve. He thanked legislators for
their service and appreciated their attempt at finding a
compromise. He thought it was time to listen to the
governor and the minority.
12:43:09 PM
Co-Chair Neuman recognized Representative Dan Ortiz in the
audience.
DAVID NEESE, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), referred
to a survey conducted by Great Alaska Schools. He relayed
that he had served on the House Education Task Force and
one of the recommendations was to not increase funding for
education. The reason for the recommendation was due to not
having any control of how the funding was spent. He
provided budget information for the Chugiak School
District. He pointed out that the salary and benefit
package for the district exceeded the contribution of the
state. He believed the state funding went to teacher
salaries rather than into the classroom. He felt that the
legislature had provided enough money to education.
NORM WOOTEN, ASSOCIATION OF ALASKA SCHOOL BOARDS, JUNEAU
(via teleconference), spoke in favor of fully funding
education in order to allow for stability in the school
districts. He also requested that the legislature fully
fund the BSA. He thanked legislators for their support.
BUTCH MOORE, SELF, ANCHORAGE, spoke against cuts made to
the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.
He conveyed the importance of the agency and the gravity of
the number of assault and sexual molestation cases in the
state. There were 783 cases of sexual assault and
molestation in the first 3 months of the current year. He
offered that there were not enough social workers and
investigators to deal with the case volume. He cited a
statistic that for every dollar the state spent on
education it saved three. He thanked the committee.
12:50:43 PM
JANIE TAYLOR, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), spoke
against raiding the Permanent Fund to fund the budget. She
supported Medicaid expansion and Erin's Law in its original
form. She supported fully funding education and urged
legislators to work together to come up with a budget
compromise. She asked the committee to listen to the will
of the people and thanked members for the opportunity to
testify.
12:52:50 PM
CELIA ROZEN, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), spoke in
support of fully funding education. She urged the
legislature to reach a budget compromise. She furthered
that funding education was a constitutional responsibility.
She wanted to see the CBR used to balance the budget. She
asked that Erin's Law (HB 44) be restored to the version
prior to the amendments made on May 21, 2015. She thanked
the committee for hearing her testimony.
12:54:52 PM
ROSS MULLINS, SELF, CORDOVA (via teleconference), expressed
his concern with the inability of the legislature to
compromise. He also expressed his concerns with the changes
introduced by Senator Dunleavy in the Erin's Law bill. He
believed the issue of sexual and child abuse was critica1l
to address. He strongly supported Medicaid expansion and
closed by thanking the committee for its time.
12:57:37 PM
ANTONIA SPARROW, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference),
urged support for funding education and expanding Medicaid.
She disagreed with the process of negotiations used this
year at the legislature. She expressed concerns with the
legislature not honoring labor contracts and reneging on
funding for education. She felt that it was critical to
honor the process in place and was discouraged with the
example legislators were setting for young people that
might be interested in a future in public service. She
encouraged the legislature to work in a civil way. In
addition, she thought the important work was to find new
revenues. She supported a cap on the PFD and would
entertain other funding options such as an income tax and
an increased fuel tax. She thanked the committee for
listening to her testimony.
1:01:26 PM
SCOTT MACMANUS, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT, GATEWAY SCHOOL
DISTRICT, TOK (via teleconference), spoke in favor of
investing in human capital by funding education. He
provided some personal information. He reported the current
impacts of the budget and suggested focusing on the state's
key mission by getting the most out of current state
revenues. He encouraged legislators to come to a compromise
to address the state's problems. He thanked the committee.
1:03:39 PM
KEVIN SHIPLEY, KAKE SCHOOL DISTRICT (via teleconference),
relayed the actions the school district was taking with the
proposed cuts. He relayed that the district's planning was
based on what the legislature posed as a worst-case
scenario in April 2015. However, the budget that was
finally passed imposed an additional cut of 4 percent to
the BSA, an unexpected reduction. He felt that the
legislature did not communicate with school districts about
the additional cuts and did not allow for public comments
and input. He thought that problems could be solved by
teamwork, leadership, and vision. He was disheartened by
the conduct of the legislative body in handling the current
challenges that Alaska was facing. He requested the
reversal of the 4 percent reduction to the BSA. He
supported Erin's Law with the caveat that the state paid
for the costs to develop and provide curriculum. He thanked
the committee.
1:05:35 PM
JR MYERS, ALASKA CONSTITUTION PARTY, SOLDATNA (via
teleconference), urged looking at the scope of government
and developing a sustainable budget. He did not want to
burden future generations with debt. He suggested a review
of government spending rather than new revenue sources. He
appreciated the committee's time.
1:07:00 PM
ANDY HOLLEMAN, ANCHORAGE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, ANCHORAGE,
asked for predictability. He relayed the difficulties of
recruitment for Alaska's public schools. He asked the
committee to reconsider funding the BSA at 100 percent
rather than only funding a percentage of what was promised.
He thanked the committee members for the work they did and
wished them the best of luck.
1:09:11 PM
LAURA BONNER, SELF, ANCHORAGE, spoke in favor of funding
education. She felt that it was important to provide the
proper foundation for the future workforce, entrepreneurs,
and leaders of Alaska. She relayed the many benefits in
investing in education. She opined that education needed to
be high on the legislative priority list. She favored
Medicaid expansion and oil tax reform and spoke against
raiding the PFD. She thanked committee members.
1:11:39 PM
TOM LAKOSH, SELF, ANCHORAGE, Spoke in opposition of the
Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric Project and the Knik Arm
Crossing Project. He understood that Alaskan citizens
wanted to protect the CBR and PFD. He ascribed to finding
new revenue sources and making necessary cuts. He favored
expanding Medicaid not only because of the additional
funding it would bring to the state but also because of the
creation of new jobs. He believed renewable energy was the
best option for the state. He thanked committee members for
their time.
1:13:57 PM
DEENA MITCHELL, SELF, ANCHORAGE, stated that revenues were
down dramatically, which was the reason the state had
reserves. She alleged that cutting the budget without a
strategy did not make sense. She relayed some of the
consequences of the proposed cuts. She thought the job of
the legislature was to prioritize funding. She favored
supporting Medicaid expansion and the funding of education
and foster care services. She commented that the state
needed predictable and stable funding for education. She
thanked the committee for its time.
Co-Chair Neuman provided an email for submitting written
testimony: lhscfin@akleg.gov
1:16:25 PM
FRANCIS BENNETT, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference),
agreed with the Senate's version of the budget and thanked
the committee for its work.
1:17:08 PM
MARTHA MOORE, SELF, JUNEAU (via teleconference), spoke in
favor of Medicaid expansion. She felt that it was good for
the health of Alaskans, would bring money into the state,
and create jobs. She did not feel the payment system's
problems could quickly be resolved and should not prevent
the state from moving forward with expansion. She suggested
that services that were currently paid with state dollars
could be paid with federal money. She believed expansion
and reform should be done concurrently. She thanked the
committee for the opportunity to testify.
1:18:52 PM
TOM CHARD, ALASKA BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION, JUNEAU
(via teleconference), relayed information about the
association. He reported that the association strongly
supported Medicaid expansion. He urged the committee to
fund ongoing community behavioral health services in the FY
16 operating budget. He urged the legislature to pass an
operating budget as soon as possible to reduce uncertainty
and to ensure continuity of services. He thanked the
committee for its time.
1:20:31 PM
PENELOPE OSWALT, SELF, CORDOVA (via teleconference),
expressed her concern about the delay in funding a budget.
She hoped the legislature could work together for the good
of all citizens of Alaska. She discouraged the use of the
Permanent Fund to balance the budget. She suggested a state
school tax to assist in funding education. She encouraged
Medicaid expansion and favored funding for the Alaska
Marine Highway system. She opined that funding for
education from Pre-K to university levels must be restored.
She supported Erin's Law in its original form and urged
members to fund child protection including foster care. She
opposed oil company tax credits and the Bragaw Extension
Project. She also suggested moving the Anchorage LIO to a
less expensive facility.
1:23:51 PM
GEORGE BROWN, SELF, JUNEAU (via teleconference),
highlighted the benefits of Alaska's constitution which was
based on listening and working together to solve problems.
He encouraged legislators to protect the environment and
ensure the future of Alaska's children. He thanked
legislators for their work in public service.
1:25:21 PM
CHAD FISHEL, SELF, JUNEAU (via teleconference), pointed out
that the legislature was attempting to cut its way out of
the budget shortfall. He expressed concern with the state
paying out more in oil tax credits than it was receiving in
oil revenues. He felt that the state's partnerships with
the oil companies were unequal. He supported funding
education and other services provided by the State of
Alaska. Lastly, he expressed his disappointment that the
legislature called a special session in Anchorage.
1:27:58 PM
KAREN GREENBERG, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference),
spoke in favor of funding education and passing Erin's Law
as written. She was most concerned about the expansion of
Medicaid. She expounded that the state needed to provide
for the citizens of the state that need health care. She
discussed the benefits of Medicaid expansion and did not
understand the delay in expansion. She emphasized being
baffled. She opposed some of the mega projects and was
critical of the choice to remain in the current LIO
building in Anchorage. She also opposed oil company tax
credits. She implored that the majority try a new approach
to governing. She closed by saying, "Thank you."
1:30:52 PM
TIM WALTERS, PRESIDENT OF THE MAT-SU EDUCATION ASSOCIATION,
MAT-SU (via teleconference), asked the legislature to honor
the commitment it made in the previous year in HB 278
[Short Title: Education] to fund public education. He
relayed that HB 278 provided three years of stable funding
for school districts after years of being flat funded. The
Mat-Su School District had the highest class sizes in the
state for many years translating to less individual help
for struggling students. He relayed additional challenges
due to cuts to public education. He appealed to members of
the committee to fully fund education.
1:32:51 PM
CARL BENSON, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
expressed his disappointment in the legislature. He opined
that the oil tax structure was broken. He spoke in favor of
Medicaid Expansion and in opposition of tapping the
permanent fund earnings reserve. He supported negotiations
between the majority and minority. He avowed that he would
not pay an income tax if it was going to help oil companies
with tax credits. He urged the legislature to change the
oil tax revenue laws immediately to end the give-a-way. He
thanked the committee.
1:35:05 PM
ROSALIE REIN, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
reported she was an employee of Office of Children Services
(OCS) but was representing herself in her testimony. She
reported the office was chronically understaffed. Although
there were unfilled vacancies, the reality was that the
workload was extremely high making it difficult to fill the
positions. The workload prevented social workers from
strengthening the families that entered the state system.
She reported that about 50 percent of the children that OCS
took into custody ended up available for adoption due to
not having the workforce to help reunify families. She
reported that 40 percent of foster youths were homeless at
some time in their lives and 27 percent of the children OCS
worked with ended up incarcerated. She relayed additional
statistics.
1:37:48 PM
FRED STURMAN, SELF, SOLDOTNA (via teleconference), urged
the committee to make further cuts and discouraged
additional monies being placed in the budget. He wanted the
committee to make additional decreases to the budget and
suggested closing Department of Motor Vehicles. He
discouraged expanding Medicaid and recommended closing
state government for a few months. He wanted the
legislature to avoid taking money from the working class in
the form of income and sales taxes. He thanked the
committee for its time.
1:39:20 PM
JEREMY PRICE, AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY ALASKA, ANCHORAGE,
spoke in support of the cuts made in the budget. He opined
that the longer the legislature went without making cuts
the more revenues the state would have to generate in the
future. He encouraged committee members to stick to their
guns. He thanked committee members and applauded their
efforts.
1:41:04 PM
PHILLIP WALTERS, SELF, EAGLE RIVER, spoke out against the
legislature attempting to work around the minority rather
than working together to finalize a budget. He did not
understand why funding was being removed from education and
used for projects such as the Knik Arm Crossing Project,
the Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric Project, and the Bragaw
Extension Project. He opined that the projects were not
currently necessary and that funding education was a
priority. He discouraged using the Permanent Fund to
balance the budget. Instead, he suggested using funds from
the CBR. He reiterated for legislators to cooperate with
each other, fund education, and give Alaska the future it
deserved. In closing he thanked the committee.
1:42:41 PM
DAVID BOYLE, SELF, ANCHORAGE, spoke in opposition of
spending additional monies on education. He relayed that
Alaska spent approximately $22 thousand per student. He
felt that money was not the problem, it was the education
process. He emphasized the need for education reform. He
mentioned the Anchorage School District having an excess
balance of $25 million in general fund dollars. He referred
to a graph and further discussed the Anchorage School
District's finances. He asked the legislature to focus on
teacher quality and improved education. He thanked the
committee for hearing his testimony.
1:45:37 PM
CHARLES MCKEE, SELF, ANCHORAGE, suggested that Alaska's
troubles began in 1933 with the implementation of the
Federal Reserve, the Internal Revenue Service, and the
Social Security system. He continued to provide some
historical background about the federal government and the
State of Alaska. He thanked the committee.
1:47:50 PM
DREW MCELVAIN, SELF, WASILLA (via teleconference),
expressed his displeasure in the direction of the
legislative sessions and a lack of compromise. He spoke in
support of education funds that had been promised the prior
year. He suggested using money from the CBR to balance the
budget. He also felt the legislature needed to honor the
state union contracts that were in place and encouraged the
legislature to expand Medicaid. He hoped the legislature
would come to a compromise to use funds from the CBR. He
closed by thanking committee members.
1:51:00 PM
BARBARA MARSH, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference),
testified against using money from the permanent fund
earnings reserve to fund the budget. She was opposed to the
Bragaw Extension Project and the Susitna-Watana
Hydroelectric Project. She favored moving the Anchorage LIO
to the Atwood building and supported funding for the Office
of Children's Services, Medicaid expansion, and Medicaid
reform. Additionally, she supported Erin's law; she
believed the information was critical for students. She
encouraged members to work together in a bi-partisan way
and expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to
testify.
1:52:24 PM
SUE HULL, ASSOCIATION OF ALASKA SCHOOL BOARDS, FAIRBANKS
(via teleconference), encouraged the legislature to do
whatever it needed to get to a budget resolution. She urged
funding for the BSA and public education. She asked the
committee to consider holding firm regarding fully funding
the BSA in order to allow for planning. She understood that
the decisions were difficult, but she asked the committee
to do the right thing for kids. She thanked the committee
for its time.
1:54:10 PM
ALEX WERTHEIMER, SELF, JUNEAU (via teleconference),
testified in support of Medicaid expansion. Additionally,
he asked the legislature to fulfill its commitment to
education that it made the prior year. He asked the
legislature to begin to consider other revenue sources
outside of oil. He stressed that the oil taxes needed to be
revisited. He also suggested considering the Percent of
Value (POV) pay out for the Permanent Fund down the road
with a set percentage for dividends and a set percentage
for the state operating and capital budgets. He asked the
committee to reinstate the state school tax that would
provide a revenue stream directed towards education. He
thanked committee members for the opportunity to comment.
1:55:36 PM
BOB CRUMLEY, SUPERINTENDENT, CHUGACH SCHOOL DISTRICT,
CHUGACH (via teleconference), testified in support of
public education. He stressed that public education was the
backbone of democracy. He encouraged full funding for
education; uncertainty around funds caused challenges in
school district planning. He suggested that without
certainty, fully funding education, and without passing a
fully funded budget the legislature was putting Alaska's
future at risk in the long-term. He stated that in the
short-term a range of services were being jeopardized. He
thanked members of the legislature who supported education.
1:57:18 PM
SARAH KEHOE, SELF, TALKEETNA (via teleconference), spoke in
strong support of Medicaid expansion and reform.
Additionally, she was in favor of Erin's law as originally
written. She supported increased funding for the Office of
Children's Services, foster care services, behavioral
health, and substance abuse treatment programs. She
supported fully funding education, including Pre-K and
vocational education. She was in favor of using funds from
the CBR and money allocated for the Susitna-Watana
Hydroelectric Project as well as reducing tax credits. She
asked the legislature to pass the budget as quickly as
possible to allow school districts to plan. She thanked the
committee for its work.
1:59:31 PM
SUSAN HANSEN, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), spoke
in opposition to cuts to the Interpreter Referral Line. She
believed the program had been eliminated. She stressed that
outsourcing the service was not feasible. She emphasized
the need for qualified interpreters. She encouraged the
legislature to work in a bipartisan way and thanked the
committee for allowing her to testify.
2:01:20 PM
MARYBETH HOLLEMAN, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference),
testified in support of a bipartisan budget. She implored
the committee to look at oil company tax credits stressing
their need to be cut. She pointed her comments to Senator
Kevin Meyer, her legislator, who she felt was not
representing her. She eluded that as an employee of one of
the oil companies, Senator Meyer had a potential conflict
of interest and should not vote on any oil issues. In
closing she said, "Thank you."
2:02:27 PM
SYLVIA ETTEFAGH, SELF, WRANGELL (via teleconference),
testified against cuts to the Alaska Marine Highway System
(AMHS). Cutting the ferry system had a severe revenue
impact on reliant communities. She hoped that legislators
would look clearly at everything when making cuts.
2:04:04 PM
MICHAEL CHAMBERS, UNITED FOR LIBERTY, ANCHORAGE, testified
against Medicaid expansion. He pointed to a study that
indicated Alaska's share of Medicaid would be approximately
$3 billion. He stressed that legislators had to make
difficult decisions including redefining the state's
government services. He added that education was already
substantially funded. He thanked the committee.
2:05:52 PM
AARON SPRINGER, SELF, ANCHORAGE, testified against Medicaid
expansion because of the investment that it required and
the state's current fiscal condition. He thanked committee
members.
2:06:52 PM
SARAH HETEMI, SELF, ANCHORAGE, testified that the majority
of Alaskans supported reducing the budget. She believed
more state funding was not an option at present. She
furthered that Alaska needed to live within its means. She
advocated for fiscal restraint and a reduction in
government spending. She thanked the committee.
2:07:57 PM
KRISTA VON BERGEN, SELF, ANCHORAGE, spoke in favor of cuts.
She stressed that it was critical to maintain savings and
stressed that it was not the appropriate time to deplete
the state's savings. She did not believe it was the time to
increase the pay of government employees or accept Medicaid
expansion. She stood with the majority of Alaskans by
asking the legislature to produce a significantly reduced
budget prior to a discussion of raising taxes. She thanked
committee members for their work.
2:09:06 PM
Co-Chair Neuman ended public testimony for the day. He
noted that 82 people testified during the meeting. He
suggested that others were welcome to submit written
testimony.
HB 2001 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
He announced that the next House Floor Session would be
held the following day at 1:00 p.m.
ADJOURNMENT
2:09:38 PM
The meeting was adjourned at 2:09 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 2001 Public Testimony Pkt 1.pdf |
HFIN 5/22/2015 11:00:00 AM |
HB2001 |
| HB 2001 5-22 HFC Emailed Public Testimony.pdf |
HFIN 5/22/2015 11:00:00 AM |
HB2001 |