04/20/2011 01:30 PM House FINANCE

                  HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE                                                                                       
                      April 20, 2011                                                                                            
                         2:11 p.m.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:11:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Thomas called the House Finance Committee meeting                                                                      
to order at 2:11 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                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Pete Ecklund, Staff, Co-Chair Bill Thomas.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SB 76     SUPPLEMENTAL/CAPITAL/OTHER APPROPRIATIONS                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
          CSSB 76(FIN) was HEARD and HELD in Committee for                                                                      
          further consideration.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 76(FIN)                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act making supplemental appropriations, capital                                                                        
     appropriations, and other appropriations; amending                                                                         
     appropriations; making appropriations to capitalize                                                                        
     funds; and providing for an effective date."                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:12:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Thomas explained the plan for the legislation.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
PETE ECKLUND,  STAFF, CO-CHAIR  BILL THOMAS,  described CSSB
(FIN) as a "nuts and  bolts" proposal that was streamlined                                                                    
from  the governor's  request. He  detailed that  the totals                                                                    
were $53,783,000 undesignated  general funds (UGF), negative                                                                    
$9,278,000  designated  general   funds,  $19,389,000  other                                                                    
funds,  and  $71,151,999  federal  funds,  for  a  total  of                                                                    
$135,460,000.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Ecklund explained that many  of the supplemental capital                                                                    
items requested by  the governor had been  removed and would                                                                    
be addressed  in a  capital bill. All  of the  general funds                                                                    
items in the  bill were requested by  the administration. He                                                                    
referred  to negative  supplemental items  in the  bill that                                                                    
were unique; he noted  that the Legislative Finance Division                                                                    
had worked with the  administration to identify fiscal notes                                                                    
passed by the legislature the  previous year and signed into                                                                    
law  by the  governor. The  items were  related to  programs                                                                    
authorized  by  the  fiscal  notes   that  were  either  not                                                                    
implemented  or had  unfilled  positions.  The fiscal  notes                                                                    
were reviewed; the  supplemental items recommended repealing                                                                    
some of the authorization to  expend the funds, resulting in                                                                    
about $1.4 billion in negative supplemental items.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
2:15:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Ecklund  pointed  to  a  detailed  spreadsheet  in  the                                                                    
packets ("Senate  Slow Track Supplemental, April  19, 2011,"                                                                    
copy on file) that explained the items.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Ecklund  summarized that the  bill was  streamlined from                                                                    
the governor's request.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze asked  if the font used  in the spreadsheet                                                                    
could  possibly  be smaller.  Mr.  Ecklund  replied that  he                                                                    
would have to check with Legislative Finance.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Representative Joule  asked whether the bill  were the fast-                                                                    
track supplemental. Mr. Ecklund  responded that the bill was                                                                    
the "slightly faster than any other supplemental" track.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative Gara asked how much  less the CS was than the                                                                    
governor's  request was  for the  supplemental. Mr.  Ecklund                                                                    
referred to  the spreadsheet and  summarized that  the total                                                                    
funds requested  by governor was $156,726,000  and the total                                                                    
in the bill  was $135,460,000, resulting in  a difference of                                                                    
roughly $21.5 million less.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Thomas  noted that the  committee would have  a day                                                                    
to study the supplemental.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Guttenberg pointed  to the  yellow and  pink                                                                    
highlighted items in spreadsheet  and asked the significance                                                                    
of  the  colors. Mr.  Ecklund  responded  that the  pink  or                                                                    
salmon  color   indicated  a  change  from   the  governor's                                                                    
request; yellow indicated a governor's amended request.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Thomas  noted that the House  Finance Committee was                                                                    
purchasing a color printer so  that the committee could have                                                                    
color copies in the future to aid its work.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
2:18:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Thomas noted  that there  would be  opportunity to                                                                    
ask questions in a future meeting.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Thomas OPENED public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
2:18:34 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:19:24 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CSSB 76(FIN)  was HEARD  and HELD  in Committee  for further                                                                    
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
2:19:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The meeting was adjourned at 2:19 PM.