Legislature(2023 - 2024)SENATE FINANCE 532
02/21/2024 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB186 || SB187 || SB188 | |
| Public Testimony: Juneau, Sitka, Cordova, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Wrangell, Prince William Sound, Kodiak, and Offnets | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | SB 186 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 187 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 188 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE
February 21, 2024
9:14 a.m.
9:14:58 AM
CALL TO ORDER
Co-Chair Stedman called the Senate Finance Committee
meeting to order at 9:14 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Lyman Hoffman, Co-Chair
Senator Donny Olson, Co-Chair
Senator Bert Stedman, Co-Chair
Senator Click Bishop
Senator Jesse Kiehl
Senator Kelly Merrick
Senator David Wilson
MEMBERS ABSENT
None
ALSO PRESENT
Pat Branson, Mayor, City of Kodiak; Delilah Walsh, City
Manager, City of Ketchikan; Rodney Dial, Mayor, Ketchikan
Gateway Borough; Scott Arndt, Mayor, Kodiak Island Borough;
Lauree Morton, Deputy Director, Alaska Network on Domestic
Violence and Sexual Assault; Brenda Stanfill, Director,
Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault;
Beth Weldon, President, Alaska Municipal League; Lon
Garrison, Executive Director, Alaska Association of School
Boards; Joan O'Keefe, Executive Director, Southwest Alaska
Independent Living; Blue Shibler, Executive Director,
Alaska Association for the Education of Young Children;
Nikki Love, Coordinator, Partnership for Family and
Children; Nikki Bowers, Owner, Discovery Preschool; Eleanor
Lynch, Self, Juneau; Paul Kelly, Self, Juneau; Terry
Haines, Self, City of Kodiak.
PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE
Mason Villarma, Interim Borough Manager, City of Wrangell,
Wrangell; Tina Russell, Director, Advocates for Victims of
Violence, Valdez; Marianne Mills, President, Alaska
Geriatric Exchange Network, Juneau; Erin Walker-Tolles,
Member, Alaska Children's Alliance, Juneau; Peter Hoepfner,
President of Board of Directors, Cordova Family Resources,
Cordova; Chris Reitan, Superintendent, Craig City School
District, Craig; Lisa DeLaet, Crisis Now Community
Director, Ketchikan Wellness Coalition, Ketchikan; Melissa
O'Bryan, Ketchikan Indian Community Housing Authority,
Ketchikan; Jennifer Bryner, Nurse, Petersburg Medical
Center, Petersburg; Natalie Wojcik, Executive Director,
Sitkans Against Family Violence, Sitka; Rod Morrison,
Superintendent, Southeast Island School District, Thorne
Bay, Prince of Wales; Patricia Gilbert, Mayor, City of
Wrangell; Kimberly Dolph, Kodiak Women's Crisis and
Resource Center, Kodiak; Penny Lample, Shelter Coordinator,
Kodiak Women's Resource Crisis Center, Kodiak; Rebecca
Shields, Kodiak Women's Resource Crisis Center, Kodiak;
Julie Vevnar, Self, Juneau.
SUMMARY
SB 186 APPROP: OPERATING BUDGET; CAP; SUPP; AM
SB 186 was HEARD and HELD in committee for
further consideration.
SB 187 APPROP: CAP; REAPPROP
SB 187 was HEARD and HELD in committee for
further consideration.
SB 188 APPROP: MENTAL HEALTH BUDGET
SB 188 was HEARD and HELD in committee for
further consideration.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY: JUNEAU, SITKA, CORDOVA, KETCHIKAN,
PETERSBURG, WRANGELL, PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, KODIAK, AND
OFFNETS
SENATE BILL NO. 186
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
loan program expenses of state government and for
certain programs; capitalizing funds; amending
appropriations; making capital appropriations; making
supplemental appropriations; making reappropriations;
making appropriations under art. IX, sec. 17(c),
Constitution of the State of Alaska, from the
constitutional budget reserve fund; and providing for
an effective date."
SENATE BILL NO. 187
"An Act making appropriations, including capital
appropriations and other appropriations; making
reappropriations; making appropriations to capitalize
funds; and providing for an effective date."
SENATE BILL NO. 188
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
capital expenses of the state's integrated
comprehensive mental health program; and providing for
an effective date."
9:15:10 AM
^PUBLIC TESTIMONY: JUNEAU, SITKA, CORDOVA, KETCHIKAN,
PETERSBURG, WRANGELL, PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, KODIAK, AND
OFFNETS
9:17:11 AM
MASON VILLARMA, INTERIM BOROUGH MANAGER, CITY OF WRANGELL,
WRANGELL (via teleconference), testified in support of the
$5 million supplemental appropriation for the Wrangell Dam
Safety Upgrade Project. He remarked that his community had
experienced a landslide, which underscored Wrangell's most
critical public safety concerns, specifically the condition
of its aging dams.
9:19:40 AM
TINA RUSSELL, DIRECTOR, ADVOCATES FOR VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE,
VALDEZ (via teleconference), spoke in support of the
increase to the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual
Assault (CDVSA) budget in the Department of Public Safety
(DPS). She stated that the Advocates for Victims of
Violence was the only organization in Valdez to provide
support for victims and families affected by domestic
violence and sexual assault. She stressed the need for
funding within the budget to provide critical services.
9:22:16 AM
PAT BRANSON, MAYOR, CITY OF KODIAK, spoke in support of the
funding for the replacement of St. Herman Harbor in Kodiak.
She remarked that Kodiak was the largest fishing port in
the state, so the marine infrastructure was a critical
element to the community and state.
9:25:14 AM
DELILAH WALSH, CITY MANAGER, CITY OF KETCHIKAN, spoke in
support of reinstating $1.5 million for Crisis Now grants,
and $500,000 for crisis services grants. She stressed that
the funding was necessary for services such as health
programs to meet the needs of the community.
9:27:31 AM
RODNEY DIAL, MAYOR, KETCHIKAN GATEWAY BOROUGH, remarked
that those living in the unorganized areas rely solely on
the funding from the federal government, and noted that the
unorganized areas were "held harmless" by the state. He
felt that the organized areas needed to be inflation-
proofed like the unorganized areas.
9:29:44 AM
SCOTT ARNDT, MAYOR, KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH, echoed the
testimony from the others from Kodiak. He also echoed the
comments from Mayor Dial. He spoke in support of closing
the income tax loophole from Hillcorp. He testified in
support of funding for internet for schools, an increase to
the Base Student Allocation, (BSA).
9:31:23 AM
AT EASE
9:31:38 AM
RECONVENED
Co-Chair Stedman handed the gavel to Senator Kiehl.
9:31:47 AM
LAUREE MORTON, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, ALASKA NETWORK ON DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT, spoke in support of funding
for services for victims of sexual assault and domestic
violence. She stressed that providing life-saving services
for victims was necessary to protect citizens of the state.
9:34:21 AM
BRENDA STANFILL, DIRECTOR, ALASKA NETWORK ON DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT, echoed the comments from Ms.
Morton.
9:37:34 AM
BETH WELDON, PRESIDENT, ALASKA MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, spoke in
support of the $30 million recapitalization of the
community assistance fund. She also testified in support of
funding for school construction and major maintenance. She
spoke in support of funding for harbor matching grants. She
testified in support of funding for matching grants for
infrastructure grants from the federal government.
9:40:30 AM
LON GARRISON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALASKA ASSOCIATION OF
SCHOOL BOARDS, spoke in support of education funding. He
stated that additional funding would support retention and
recruitment of teachers, administrators, staff, student
wellness, and safety. He spoke in support of an increase to
the BSA of not less than $1413.
9:42:23 AM
JOAN O'KEEFE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SOUTHWEST ALASKA
INDEPENDENT LIVING, spoke in support of funding for senior
benefits, and the recommendations from the Alaska Mental
Health Trust. She spoke in support of matching grants for
transit funding.
9:44:54 AM
BLUE SHIBLER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALASKA ASSOCIATION FOR
THE EDUCATION OF YOUNG CHILDREN, testified in support of
funding for funding for childcare and the education for
young children.
9:46:25 AM
NIKKI LOVE, COORDINATOR, PARTNERSHIP FOR FAMILY AND
CHILDREN, echoed the comments from Ms. Shibler.
9:47:27 AM
NIKKI BOWERS, OWNER, DISCOVERY PRESCHOOL, spoke in support
of funding for childcare.
Senator Merrick wondered how many children were serviced by
Discovery Preschool.
Ms. Bowers replied that there were forty one families.
9:49:02 AM
ELEANOR LYNCH, SELF, JUNEAU, spoke in support of funding
for increase to wildlife firefighter pay.
9:51:17 AM
PAUL KELLY, SELF, JUNEAU, spoke in support of an increase
of the BSA by $1413.
9:53:11 AM
MARIANNE MILLS, PRESIDENT, ALASKA GERIATRIC EXCHANGE
NETWORK, JUNEAU (via teleconference), testified in support
of funding for senior services that support seniors to
remain in their homes.
9:57:00 AM
ERIN WALKER-TOLLES, MEMBER, ALASKA CHILDREN'S ALLIANCE,
JUNEAU (via teleconference), spoke in support of funding
for programs supporting victims of childhood sexual abuse.
9:59:59 AM
PETER HOEPFNER, PRESIDENT OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS, CORDOVA
FAMILY RESOURCES, CORDOVA (via teleconference), spoke in
support of funding for Cordova Family Resources.
10:03:20 AM
TERRY HAINES, SELF, CITY OF KODIAK, echoed the comments
from Mayor Branson.
10:05:24 AM
Senator Bishop validated the comments from Mr. Haines.
10:05:45 AM
AT EASE
10:06:11 AM
RECONVENED
Senator Kiehl handed the gavel to Co-Chair Stedman.
10:06:28 AM
CHRIS REITAN, SUPERINTENDENT, CRAIG CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT,
CRAIG (via teleconference), testified in support of an
increase to the BSA.
10:08:33 AM
LISA DELAET, CRISIS NOW COMMUNITY DIRECTOR, KETCHIKAN
WELLNESS COALITION, KETCHIKAN (via teleconference), spoke
in support of increased funding for crisis services
programs.
10:11:35 AM
MELISSA O'BRYAN, KETCHIKAN INDIAN COMMUNITY HOUSING
AUTHORITY, KETCHIKAN (via teleconference), spoke in support
of funding for the homeless assistance programs and other
housing programs.
10:13:33 AM
JENNIFER BRYNER, NURSE, PETERSBURG MEDICAL CENTER,
PETERSBURG (via teleconference), testified in support of
funding for a replacement hospital building.
10:15:51 AM
NATALIE WOJCIK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SITKANS AGAINST FAMILY
VIOLENCE, SITKA (via teleconference), spoke in support of
funding for an increase to the budget for the CDVSA.
10:17:47 AM
ROD MORRISON, SUPERINTENDENT, SOUTHEAST ISLAND SCHOOL
DISTRICT, THORNE BAY, PRINCE OF WALES (via teleconference),
spoke in support of funding for an increase to the BSA.
10:20:21 AM
PATRICIA GILBERT, MAYOR, CITY OF WRANGELL (via
teleconference), testified in support of $5 million
supplemental appropriation for the Wrangell Dam Safety
Upgrade Project. He remarked that his community had
experienced a landslide, which underscored Wrangell's most
critical public safety concerns, specifically the condition
of its aging dams.
10:22:35 AM
KIMBERLY DOLPH, KODIAK WOMEN'S CRISIS AND RESOURCE CENTER,
KODIAK (via teleconference), spoke in support of increased
funding for the CDVSA.
10:23:57 AM
PENNY LAMPLE, SHELTER COORDINATOR, KODIAK WOMEN'S RESOURCE
CRISIS CENTER, KODIAK (via teleconference), testified in
support of funding for the CDVSA grants.
10:25:13 AM
REBECCA SHIELDS, KODIAK WOMEN'S RESOURCE CRISIS CENTER,
KODIAK (via teleconference), spoke in support of increased
funding for CDVSA grants.
10:27:52 AM
JULIE VEVNAR, SELF, JUNEAU (via teleconference), spoke in
support of funding for education.
SB 186 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
SB 187 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
SB 188 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
ADJOURNMENT
10:29:23 AM
The meeting was adjourned at 10:29 a.m.
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