05/08/2019 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

                 SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE                                                                                       
                        May 8, 2019                                                                                             
                         9:32 a.m.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:32:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair von Imhof called the Senate Finance Committee                                                                          
meeting to order at 9:32 a.m.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Natasha von Imhof, Co-Chair                                                                                             
Senator Bert Stedman, Co-Chair                                                                                                  
Senator Click Bishop                                                                                                            
Senator Lyman Hoffman                                                                                                           
Senator Peter Micciche                                                                                                          
Senator Donny Olson                                                                                                             
Senator Mike Shower                                                                                                             
Senator Bill Wielechowski                                                                                                       
Senator David Wilson                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
None                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
ALSO PRESENT                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Senator Mia Costello; Shareen Crosby, Staff, Senator                                                                            
Natasha von Imhof.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SB 19     APPROP: CAPITAL BUDGET; SUPPLEMENTAL                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
          CSSSSB 19(FIN) was REPORTED out of committee with                                                                     
          a "do pass" recommendation.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATE BILL NO. 19                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act   making  appropriations,   including  capital                                                                    
     appropriations,       supplemental      appropriations,                                                                    
     reappropriations,  and   other  appropriations;  making                                                                    
     appropriations to  capitalize funds; and  providing for                                                                    
     an effective date."                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:32:43 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair   von  Imhof   relayed  that   the  committee   had                                                                    
considered  the bill  on March  12, 2019  and had  adopted a                                                                    
committee  substitute  (CS)  on  May  3rd.  There  had  been                                                                    
amendments  submitted. There  was a  second proposed  CS for                                                                    
the consideration of the committee.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:33:36 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SHAREEN CROSBY, STAFF, SENATOR  NATASHA VON IMHOF, discussed                                                                    
the changes  to the  bill. She  discussed an  Explanation of                                                                    
Changes document (copy on file):                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Reinstates  traditional  split  of  Recreational  Trail                                                                    
     Program  funds  between  the   Division  of  Parks  and                                                                    
     Outdoor    Recreation     and    volunteer    community                                                                    
     organization trail groups. No fiscal change.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Gives $2  million receipt  authority to  the Department                                                                    
     of  Natural Resources  for  Spruce  Beetle Kill  Hazard                                                                    
     Mitigation.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Changes  the  scope to  include  a  land trade  in  the                                                                    
     Gulkana area. No fiscal change.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Changes  language in  how  capital reappropriations  to                                                                    
     the Office of  the Governor may be  spent. The language                                                                    
     is  more  akin   to  that  of  what  we   use  for  the                                                                    
     legislature's capital  reappropriations. Up  to $50,000                                                                    
     may be used in FY 20 for redistricting.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Crosby listed  the sections  of the  bill in  which the                                                                    
changes  were  in  effect. She  agreed  to  send  additional                                                                    
information  regarding  census  funds and  redistricting  if                                                                    
members were interested.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:37:07 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson  looked at  page 28  and the  proposed $50,000                                                                    
for  redistricting.  He asked  how  the  amount compared  to                                                                    
years   past  when   reappropriations  were   done  in   the                                                                    
governor's budget.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Crosby agreed  to give Senator Olson  the information at                                                                    
a later time.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Senator Shower addressed the proposed  $2 million in receipt                                                                    
authority for  the Spruce Beetle Kill  Hazard Mitigation. He                                                                    
thought that it  was imported to have a  discussion with the                                                                    
Department  of  Natural  Resources  (DNR)  the  creation  of                                                                    
natural  firebreaks through  residents  harvesting wood.  He                                                                    
discussed  the expense  of hiring  a contractor  to complete                                                                    
the work.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  von Imhof  thought that  the $2  million could  go                                                                    
farther if the public was  invited to harvest the dead wood.                                                                    
She  agreed  that   creating  firebreaks  through  utilizing                                                                    
volunteer labor was a good idea.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair   Stedman  MOVED   to   ADOPT  proposed   committee                                                                    
substitute for  SSSB 19,  Work Draft  31-GS1904\E (Caouette,                                                                    
5/7/19). There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:39:59 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:40:38 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  von  Imhof  noted  that  there  were  no  proposed                                                                    
amendments to the bill.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman  MOVED to  report  CSSSSB  19(FIN) out  of                                                                    
Committee  with individual  recommendations. There  being NO                                                                    
OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CSSSSB  19(FIN) was  REPORTED out  of committee  with a  "do                                                                    
pass" recommendation.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Bishop thanked  Co-Chair von  Imhof and  her staff,                                                                    
who spent many hours working through issues.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair von Imhof thanked Ms. Crosby for her work.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson thanked  Ms. Crosby  for  her methodical  and                                                                    
thorough treatment of the bill.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair von  Imhof informed that the  committee would stand                                                                    
in recess until the afternoon.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:42:55 AM                                                                                                                    
RECESSED                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
10:21:25 AM                                                                                                                   
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
10:21:34 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The meeting was adjourned at 10:21 a.m.