01/19/1995 01:40 PM House FIN

                                                                               
                     HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE                                   
                        JANUARY 19, 1995                                       
                            1:40 P.M.                                          
                                                                               
  TAPE HFC 95 -1, Side 1 , #000 - #581.                                        
                                                                               
  CALL TO ORDER                                                                
                                                                               
  Co-Chair Mark  Hanley  called the  House  Finance  Committee                 
  meeting to order at 1:40 P.M.                                                
                                                                               
  PRESENT                                                                      
                                                                               
  Co-Chair Hanley               Representative Kohring                         
  Co-Chair Foster               Representative Martin                          
  Representative Mulder         Representative Navarre                         
  Representative Brown          Representative Parnell                         
  Representative Grussendorf    Representative Therriault                      
  Representative Kelly                                                         
                                                                               
  ALSO PRESENT                                                                 
                                                                               
  Representative   John   Davies;   Mike   Greany,   Director,                 
  Legislative Finance Division; Louanne  Christian, Secretary,                 
  House Finance Committee;  Michelle Toohey, Committee  Staff,                 
  House Finance Committee.                                                     
                                                                               
  SUMMARY                                                                      
                                                                               
                     Committee Introductions                                   
                     ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING                                    
                                                                               
  Co-Chair Hanley introduced the members  of the House Finance                 
  Committee and explained  the proposed committee  process and                 
  schedule.                                                                    
                                                                               
  Co-Chair  Hanley  added  that  the  Finance Committee  would                 
  operate under the same rules  of procedure as established in                 
  past years.   A quorum will  consist of six votes  for final                 
  action  on  legislation;  five  votes  will be  required  on                 
  passage  of  amendments.   In  order  to  schedule  bills in                 
  Committee, a written  request should  be submitted from  the                 
  sponsor.  [Attachment #1].  That request should consist of a                 
  sponsor statement;  sectional  analysis of  the bill's  most                 
  current version; current  fiscal notes; current departmental                 
  position papers and pertinent background material.                           
                                                                               
  The  five  day  rule  and the  legislative  ethics  rule was                 
  discussed   as   pertaining   to   the   Committee   hearing                 
  requirements   for   that   legislation  previously   heard.                 
  [Attachment  #2].    The Ethics  Committee  has  submitted a                 
  proposed  "Open Meetings  Principles  for  the Alaska  State                 
                                                                               
                                1                                              
                                                                               
                                                                               
  Legislature" to both the House and Senate for consideration.                 
  For  bills previously heard,  the "Open  Meeting Guidelines"                 
  states  that  a  twenty-four  hour  supplemental  notice  be                 
  required.                                                                    
                                                                               
  Representative  Brown  questioned  how the  Thursday  notice                 
  requirement would apply to the  subcommittee schedules.  Co-                 
  Chair  Hanley  referenced  Attachment #2  which  implies the                 
  problem of legislation previously heard in the House Finance                 
  Committee, placed into subcommittee and then returned to the                 
  full Finance Committee.   He  recommended these problems  be                 
  handled in the "Meeting Guidelines" which are to be adopted.                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
  Co-Chair  Hanley continued,  budget  subcommittees would  be                 
  chaired by the House Finance  Committee majority members and                 
  that  each  subcommittee  would   consist  of  two  minority                 
  members.  He added, the department subcommittee appointments                 
  would  be  finalized within  the  next week.   Additionally,                 
  subcommittees formed  to address  legislation  would not  be                 
  chaired by the legislator proposing that legislation.                        
                                                                               
  LOUANNE CHRISTIAN, STAFF, HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE, explained                 
  the role of the House  Finance Committee Secretaries and the                 
  Clerk/Page position.                                                         
                                                                               
  Co-Chair  Hanley advised  Committee members that  the "short                 
  forms"  would  be  available  in  the  middle  of  February.                 
  Representative Brown asked if the  summary books, citing the                 
  difference  between  the  Hickell/Knowles budget,  would  be                 
  available before that  time.   Co-Chair Hanley replied  that                 
  summary  books  as  provided  by  each department  would  be                 
  available soon.                                                              
                                                                               
  MIKE   GREANY,   DIRECTOR,  LEGISLATIVE   FINANCE  DIVISION,                 
  explained that the Legislative Finance Division currently is                 
  working on those  portions of the  budget most likely to  be                 
  unchanged.   The Division  will provide  an analysis  of the                 
  formula programs and the front section of the budget.                        
                                                                               
  Co-Chair  Hanley   stated  that   the  departmental   budget                 
  overviews   would   provide   the   Committee   members   an                 
  introduction to each commissioner and  an explanation of the                 
  anticipated high points of their proposed budgets.                           
                                                                               
  Discussion followed amongst Committee  members regarding the                 
  twenty-four hour  notice and the  impact that would  have on                 
  the  committee  substitutes   availability  to  the  public.                 
  Members    discussed    long    range    budget    planning.                 
  Representative  Brown  requested that  information regarding                 
  the  long  range planning  be worked  on  in the  full House                 
  Finance Committee.   Co-Chair Hanley agreed noting  it would                 
                                                                               
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  be a priority of the Chair.                                                  
                                                                               
  ADJOURNMENT                                                                  
                                                                               
  The meeting adjourned at 2:15 P.M.