Legislature(2011 - 2012)SENATE FINANCE 532

04/11/2011 03:00 PM Senate FINANCE


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03:18:12 PM Start
03:18:19 PM SB46
03:40:45 PM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
-- Meeting Postponed from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. --
+= SB 46 BUDGET: CAPITAL TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled
                 SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE                                                                                       
                      April 11, 2011                                                                                            
                         3:18 p.m.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:18:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman called the Senate Finance Committee                                                                            
meeting to order at 3:18 p.m.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Lyman Hoffman, Co-Chair                                                                                                 
Senator Bert Stedman, Co-Chair                                                                                                  
Senator Lesil McGuire, Vice-Chair                                                                                               
Senator Johnny Ellis                                                                                                            
Senator Dennis Egan                                                                                                             
Senator Donny Olson                                                                                                             
Senator Joe Thomas                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
None                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
ALSO PRESENT                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Miles Baker, Staff, Senator Stedman.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SB 46     BUDGETS: CAPITAL                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
          SB 46 was HEARD and HELD in Committee for further                                                                     
          consideration.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATE BILL NO. 46                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act  making and amending  appropriations, including                                                                    
     capital   appropriations   and  other   appropriations;                                                                    
     making   appropriations   to  capitalize   funds;   and                                                                    
     providing for an effective date."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:18:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman  proposed committee substitute,  work draft                                                                    
#27-GS1740/I, Kane,  4/11/11. Co-Chair Stedman  OBJECTED for                                                                    
purpose of discussion.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:19:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MILES   BAKER,  STAFF,   SENATOR  STEDMAN,   explained  that                                                                    
committee members  were presented  with a packet  of reports                                                                    
in addition to the Committee Substitute (CS) version I.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Baker   stated  that  Section   1  includes   the  FY12                                                                    
governor's   proposed   capital   budget   and   legislative                                                                    
additions. Section 4 includes a  $100 million section of the                                                                    
FY  12   capital  budget  with  a   fuel  trigger  mechanism                                                                    
attached. Section  7 includes  the energy  package component                                                                    
of  the FY  12 capital  budget,  which totals  approximately                                                                    
$470 million.  Section 10 addresses cruise  head tax related                                                                    
projects.  Section 13  of the  bill includes  K-12 education                                                                    
infrastructure  investment  portion  equaling  approximately                                                                    
$400 million. The  total of the CS is  $2.875 billion, $1.65                                                                    
billion  as  unrestricted  general  funds,  $46  million  as                                                                    
designated  general funds  and  $96 million  of other  state                                                                    
funds and $1.8 billion of federal funds.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:23:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Baker  revisited  Page  3,   Line  24  and  the  intent                                                                    
language, which  is repeated in  other sections of  the bill                                                                    
including those addressing  grants to municipalities, grants                                                                    
to   named   recipients,   or   grants   to   unincorporated                                                                    
communities.  The topic  was discussed  with  the Office  of                                                                    
Management  and Budget  (OMB)  as a  way  to simplify  those                                                                    
small dollar value  grants. The language states  that "it is                                                                    
the  intent  of  the  legislature  that  the  Department  of                                                                    
Commerce,   Community  and   Economic  Development   (DCCED)                                                                    
eliminate  the  requirement   for  narrative  and  financial                                                                    
quarterly reporting for any grant  of $50 thousand or less."                                                                    
The department  must receive  signed certification  from the                                                                    
grant recipient to comply with  all other terms of the grant                                                                    
agreement.  The  full grant  amount  will  be used  for  the                                                                    
intended  purpose  and the  department  must  make a  single                                                                    
upfront payment for any grant of $50 thousand or less.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:25:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Baker pointed  out  Page  15, Line  23  and the  intent                                                                    
language addressing  the $20  million appropriation  for the                                                                    
Port of Anchorage expansion project.  He continued with Page                                                                    
29,  Line  22  and  the   Section  for  the  public  library                                                                    
construction  program.  The  grants  total  $16,967,000  for                                                                    
public library programs.  He mentioned another appropriation                                                                    
for deferred  maintenance for the Fairbanks  library that is                                                                    
not part  of the grant  program and  does not appear  on the                                                                    
mentioned section.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Baker discussed  Page  47, Line  19,  which includes  a                                                                    
section  for  deferred  maintenance for  statewide  hatchery                                                                    
facilities   totaling  $11,250,000.   He   noted  that   the                                                                    
committee began  the initiative  for the  statewide hatchery                                                                    
facilities last  year. He  continued with  Page 64,  Line 28                                                                    
addressing the $34.7 million for  the tax revenue management                                                                    
system.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:27:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Baker pointed  out the structure of the  bill where Page                                                                    
147,   Line  11,   Section  39(a)   illustrates  contingency                                                                    
language. The  first contingency  section refers  to Section                                                                    
7,  which includes  the  legislature's comprehensive  energy                                                                    
package. The  contingency states that all  appropriations in                                                                    
the  section  are  considered  a   single  package.  If  any                                                                    
appropriation in the section does  not become law, then none                                                                    
of the  appropriations in the  section become law.  He added                                                                    
that Page 100 exhibits the  language stating that "it is the                                                                    
intent of the legislature  that the following appropriations                                                                    
and  projects are  needed to  carry out  the state's  energy                                                                    
policy  described in  AS 44.99.115,"  which was  passed last                                                                    
year.  "As   the  energy  policy  states,   the  legislature                                                                    
recognizes the  immense diversity of the  state's geography,                                                                    
cultures,  and   resource  availability  and  the   need  to                                                                    
identify  and  assist  with development  of  the  most  cost                                                                    
effective  long term  sources of  energy for  each community                                                                    
statewide,  therefore  the   legislature  intends  that  the                                                                    
package of appropriations and projects  listed below are all                                                                    
necessary to  achieve a statewide balance  in addressing the                                                                    
state's diverse energy needs."                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:30:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Baker  pointed  out the  second  contingency  shown  in                                                                    
Section  39(b),   which  addresses  all   appropriations  in                                                                    
Section  4  resulting  in $100  million  of  the  governor's                                                                    
original  capital request.  The projects  are contingent  on                                                                    
the FY12 year  to date average price of  ANS crude exceeding                                                                    
$150 per barrel as of October 1, 2011.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Baker  mentioned Section  13,  Page  119 and  the  K-12                                                                    
education portion of  the CS. The intent  of the legislature                                                                    
is  that  the  appropriations  are considered  as  a  single                                                                    
comprehensive   K-12  education   infrastructure  investment                                                                    
program for  FY 2012.  The section  shows grants  for school                                                                    
construction around  the state  including the  Department of                                                                    
Education  and Early  Development  (DEED) major  maintenance                                                                    
grant fund.  The governor  originally requested  $20 million                                                                    
for major school maintenance and  the CS funds an additional                                                                    
$255  million  of major  maintenance  for  a total  of  $275                                                                    
million.  The   section  includes  Page  131   under  school                                                                    
construction grant  funds, an addition  of two  grant funds.                                                                    
The CS adds $48 million for two additional schools.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:33:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Baker noted  Line 17,  Section 17  and the  $60 million                                                                    
appropriation to  the Alaska Gasline Inducement  Act (AGIA).                                                                    
The appropriation  is $100 million less  than the governor's                                                                    
request.  The funds  provide enough  to  take the  estimated                                                                    
reimbursements  for  AGIA  through  the end  of  the  FY  11                                                                    
calendar  year. He  mentioned Line  20 and  $2.4 million  of                                                                    
general funds and  $2.4 million of Denali  Federal Funds for                                                                    
the  emerging energy  technology fund.  Line 26,  Section 18                                                                    
documents  $2.5  million  for the  alternative  conservation                                                                    
revolving loan fund,  which was a portion  of last session's                                                                    
SB 220.  He highlighted  Line 28 and  the $30.6  million for                                                                    
the  renewable  energy  fund. The  Alaska  Energy  Authority                                                                    
(AEA)  had  a   total  of  $36  million   in  ranked  grants                                                                    
available, so this bill funds  the full amount. The projects                                                                    
are  allocated out  in  the energy  package  portion of  the                                                                    
bill, Section 7. The appropriation  is less than $36 million                                                                    
because $6 million was already available in the AEA fund.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:36:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Baker discussed  page 136, Section 21  including a grant                                                                    
for $486 thousand  to the Department of  Labor and Workforce                                                                    
Development  (DLWD)  for work  in  the  film and  television                                                                    
industry. Section 23  begins the legislative reappropriation                                                                    
of previous legislative grants.  He concluded with Page 146,                                                                    
Section  37 including  the language  for the  lapsing FY  11                                                                    
legislative  appropriations. He  pointed out  subsection (a)                                                                    
and  the scope  change  for the  $750  thousand Bristol  Bay                                                                    
drainage study.  The scope has  been broadened  and extended                                                                    
until FY  14. Subsection  (b) appropriates $900  thousand of                                                                    
lapsing  legislative  operating  to Legislative  Budget  and                                                                    
Audit  (LB&A)  for FY  12  operating  costs. Subsection  (c)                                                                    
includes $450 thousand  to add to funding for  a large scale                                                                    
mining study  from last year.  The final  two appropriations                                                                    
of $2.23  million as  estimated lapsing  balance as  of June                                                                    
30, 2011 appropriates $10 million  to legislative council to                                                                    
begin scoping and  planning a system wide  redesign of BASIS                                                                    
and a  document management  system to  integrate legislative                                                                    
finance  appropriation reporting  into the  bill status  and                                                                    
reporting system.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:38:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman  stated  that the  $2.9  billion  proposed                                                                    
capital  budget was  similar to  that  of last  year in  the                                                                    
amount requested.  He mentioned  the transfer of  $5 million                                                                    
allocated  for savings.  He commented  that the  proceedings                                                                    
allow for  the savings of $2  for every $1 spent  in capital                                                                    
appropriations. The substantial  savings will benefit future                                                                    
generations.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman WITHDREW  his  OBJECTION.  There being  NO                                                                    
OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:40:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Ellis expressed  appreciation  for the  committee's                                                                    
commitment to  the full major  maintenance for  schools. The                                                                    
list included  rural and  urban projects.   He thought  it a                                                                    
historic achievement  to fund the  entire list in  one year.                                                                    
He  also applauded  the historic  commitment  to the  energy                                                                    
projects.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SB  46  was   HEARD  and  HELD  in   Committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The meeting was adjourned at 3:41 PM.                                                                                           

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
2011 04 11 Rep 1 SCS SB46 HD Summary.pdf SFIN 4/11/2011 3:00:00 PM
SB 46
CSSB 46 Version I 041111.pdf SFIN 4/11/2011 3:00:00 PM
SB 46
2011 04 11 Rep 2 SCS SB46 Agency Summary.pdf SFIN 4/11/2011 3:00:00 PM
SB 46
2011 04 11 Rep 3 SCS SB46 Statewide Totals.pdf SFIN 4/11/2011 3:00:00 PM
SB 46