Legislature(1997 - 1998)

04/25/1997 10:12 AM Senate FIN

Audio Topic
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
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                             MINUTES                                           
                    SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE                                   
                          25 April 1997                                        
                           10:12 a.m.                                          
                                                                               
  TAPES                                                                        
                                                                               
  SFC-97, #129, Side 1 (000 - 584)                                             
                                                                               
                                                                               
  CALL TO ORDER                                                                
                                                                               
  Senator Bert  Sharp, Co-chairman,  convened  the meeting  at                 
  approximately 10:12 a.m.                                                     
                                                                               
                                                                               
  PRESENT                                                                      
                                                                               
  In  addition  to   Co-chairman  Sharp,  Senators   Phillips,                 
  Torgerson, Parnell and  Adams were present when  the meeting                 
  convened.    Senators  Donley  and  Pearce  arrived  shortly                 
  thereafter.                                                                  
                                                                               
  ALSO  ATTENDING:    Senator  Robin  Taylor;  Mike  McMullen,                 
  Director,    Division    of    Personnel,   Department    of                 
  Administration;  Brenda  Markey,  Support Services  Manager,                 
  Marine  Highway  System,  Department of  Transportation  and                 
  Public Facilities; Dan  Spencer, Budget  Analyst, Office  of                 
  Management and Budget; Mike Tibbles, staff to Representative                 
  Gene  Therriault;  aides  to  committee  members  and  other                 
  legislators.                                                                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
  SUMMARY INFORMATION                                                          
                                                                               
                                                                               
       SENATE BILL NO. 179                                                     
                                                                               
       "An Act authorizing the  Department of Corrections, for                 
  the  benefit of the state, to enter into an agreement to use                 
  space     within    a    correctional   facility    in   the                 
  Matanuska-Susitna   Borough  that  is   built,  owned,   and                 
  operated by a private    contractor, and  setting conditions                 
  on the operation of the  correctional  facility affected  by                 
  the use agreement; and   authorizing   the   Department   of                 
  Corrections, for the benefit of    the state, to  enter into                 
  an agreement with the City of Seward    to use  space within                 
  a correctional facility that is built,  owned,  and operated                 
  by a private contractor, and setting    conditions   on  the                 
  operation of the correctional facility  affected by  the use                 
  agreement."                                                                  
                                                                               
                                                                               
  Co-chair   Sharp  assigned   SB  179   to   a  subcommittee.                 
  Subcommittee  members  appointed  were   Senator  Torgerson,                 
  chair; Senator Parnell; Senator Adams.                                       
                                                                               
                                                                               
       CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 34(TRA)                                          
                                                                               
       "An Act giving notice of and approving a lease-purchase                 
       agreement with the  City of Soldotna for  a maintenance                 
  facility  of  the Department  of  Transportation and  Public                 
  Facilities."                                                                 
                                                                               
  Co-chair  Sharp  introduced  SB  34.      Senator  Torgerson                 
  explained the difference to the new CS (TRA).  He moved CSSB
  34  (TRA), O-LS0263\K,  4/24/97,  Bannister) for  discussion                 
  purposes.  Senator Adams objected.  Senator Torgerson gave a                 
  brief explanation  of the  bill in  the working draft  form.                 
  Senator  Adams  removed his  objection.   Senator  Torgerson                 
  moved  CSSB  34 (FIN)  with  individual  recommendations and                 
  accompanying  fiscal notes  and  without  objection  it  was                 
  reported out.                                                                
                                                                               
                                                                               
       CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 21(STA)                                          
                                                                               
       "An  Act  relating  to  ferries  and  ferry  terminals,                 
  establishing   the  Alaska  Marine  Highway  Authority,  and                 
  relating to    maintenance  of  state  marine  vessels;  and                 
  providing for an    effective date."                                         
                                                                               
  Senator  Torgerson  moved CSSB  21 (),  O-LS0184\H, 4/24/97,                 
  Utermohle for  discussion purposes.  Senator Adams objected.                 
  Senator  Torgerson discussed the  bill specifically  page 2,                 
  line 16; page 4, line 10, line  30; page 5, line 6.  He said                 
  pages 4 and 5 would put someone at the table for negotiating                 
  purposes.   He continued  with page  21, line  31; page  22,                 
  lines 1 - 17.  Senator Adams  asked if pages 21 and 22 would                 
  change  the  bargaining  unit  from old  to  new.    Senator                 
  Torgerson indicated it would not.  He explained the power as                 
  vested with the Commissioner was the same as before.                         
                                                                               
  Mike McMullen, Director,  Division of Personnel,  Department                 
  of Administration  was invited  to join  the committee.   He                 
  explained  pages  21  and  22 of  the  bill.    He said  the                 
  bargaining units would stay in place as they exist or change                 
  in working with  PERA.  Co-chair  Sharp referred to page  4,                 
  line 1  and Senator Torgerson  indicated this was  trying to                 
  conform what the sponsor wanted.                                             
                                                                               
  Senator Robin Taylor was invited to  join the committee.  He                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
  had no objection  to Co-chair Sharp's proposed  amendment on                 
  page 14, line  26, deleting "...vessel of  the Alaska Marine                 
  Highway Authority...".  Senator Torgerson moved amendment #1                 
  and without objection it was adopted.  Co-chair Sharp  moved                 
  amendment #2,  page 14.   Senator  Adams  objected and  said                 
  ships could be made  beautiful by art.  By  a vote of 6 -  1                 
  (Adams) amendment #2 was adopted.                                            
                                                                               
  Senator  Phillips asked if  the Department of Transportation                 
  had any  comments on  the amendments.   Co-chair Sharp  also                 
  asked  for  any  comments by  the  department  regarding the                 
  fiscal  note.    Brenda Markey,  Support  Services  Manager,                 
  Alaska  Marine  Highway,  Department  of Transportation  and                 
  Public Facilities  was invited to  join the committee.   She                 
  indicated that the  amendments would  not change the  fiscal                 
  notes in any way.                                                            
                                                                               
  Senator  Torgerson   moved  CSSB  21(FIN)   with  individual                 
  recommendations  and  accompanying  fiscal  notes.   Senator                 
  Adams objected stating that section  31 was missing from the                 
  fiscal note  analysis.  By a vote  of 6 - 1  (Adams) CSSB 21                 
  (FIN) was reported out to include a new fiscal note from the                 
  Department of Transportation.                                                
                                                                               
                                                                               
       HOUSE BILL NO. 103                                                      
                                                                               
       "An Act repealing certain state  funds and accounts and                 
  boards,   limitations, and programs  related to those  funds                 
  and accounts;  and providing for an effective date."                         
                                                                               
  Senator Adams requested that in order to expedite the matter                 
  HB 106,  107 and 108  be rolled into  HB 103.   Dan Spencer,                 
  Budget Analyst, Office of Management  and Budget was invited                 
  to join the committee.  He said that rolling HB 106, 107 and                 
  108 into HB 103  would cause a title problem.  Senator Adams                 
  said he only requested this in order to expedite the matter.                 
  It was decided after a short discussion among Senate Finance                 
  Committee members to move each bill individually.                            
                                                                               
  Senator Pearce moved CSHB  103 and without objection  it was                 
  reported out.                                                                
                                                                               
                                                                               
       HOUSE BILL NO. 106                                                      
                                                                               
       "An  Act relating to  the municipal  assistance program                 
  and the   organization grant program;  and providing for  an                 
  effective      date."                                                        
                                                                               
                                                                               
  Senator Parnell moved  HB 106 and  without objection it  was                 
  reported out.                                                                
                                                                               
                                                                               
       HOUSE BILL NO. 107                                                      
                                                                               
       "An Act relating to water quality enhancement and water                 
       supply, wastewater, and solid waste systems grants; and                 
       providing for an effective date."                                       
                                                                               
  Senator Parnell moved  HB 107 and  without objection it  was                 
  reported out.                                                                
                                                                               
                                                                               
       HOUSE BILL NO. 108                                                      
                                                                               
       "An  Act  relating  to  the crime  victim  compensation                 
  program; and   providing for an effective date."                             
                                                                               
  Senator Donley  objected to  moving HB  108 because  he felt                 
  grants for victims'  assistance should  be added.   He  said                 
  there was  no  funding  in  general for  victims.    Senator                 
  Parnell concurred with Senator Donley.                                       
                                                                               
  Co-chair   Sharp  asked   Senator   Donley  to   co-ordinate                 
  investigating this matter.  HB 108 was held in committee.                    
                                                                               
                                                                               
  ADJOURNMENT                                                                  
                                                                               
  Co-chair  Sharp  adjourned  the  meeting  until  8:00  a.m.,                 
  Monday, 28 April 1997.                                                       

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