Legislature(2025 - 2026)SENATE FINANCE 532
03/31/2025 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Consideration of Governor's Appointees: State Assessment Review Board – Sam Laffey | |
| SB57 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | SB 57 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE
March 31, 2025
9:02 a.m.
9:02:56 AM
CALL TO ORDER
Co-Chair Stedman called the Senate Finance Committee
meeting to order at 9:02 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Lyman Hoffman, Co-Chair
Senator Donny Olson, Co-Chair
Senator Bert Stedman, Co-Chair
Senator Mike Cronk
Senator James Kaufman
Senator Jesse Kiehl
Senator Kelly Merrick
MEMBERS ABSENT
None
ALSO PRESENT
Senator Cathy Giessel; David Scott, Staff, Senator Bert
Stedman.
PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE
Samuel Laffey, Appointee, State Assessment Review Board,
Anchorage.
SUMMARY
SB 57 APPROP: CAPITAL/SUPPLEMENTAL/FUNDS
SB 57 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
CONSIDERATION OF GOVERNOR'S APPOINTEES: STATE ASSESSMENT
REVIEW BOARD SAM LAFFEY
Co-Chair Stedman discussed the agenda. He noted that
Senator Cathy Giessel was present. He noted that the
committee had two items on the agenda, including
consideration of the governors appointee to the State
Assessment Review Board. After consideration of the
appointee, the committee would take up SB 57, the capital
budget. He would look to the committee to consider adoption
of a committee substitute (CS).
^CONSIDERATION OF GOVERNOR'S APPOINTEES: STATE ASSESSMENT
REVIEW BOARD SAM LAFFEY
9:03:49 AM
Co-Chair Stedman asked the appointee to introduce himself
and provide his background, as well as his understanding of
the position and why he wanted the job. He thanked the
appointee for his willingness to serve the state.
9:04:22 AM
SAMUEL LAFFEY, APPOINTEE, STATE ASSESSMENT REVIEW BOARD,
ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), introduced himself and
discussed his background. He lived in Anchorage and was a
lawyer by training and trade. He had a law degree and
Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the
University of Wyoming. He had practiced law for almost five
years and currently worked for the state in the Office of
Public Advocacy. He was interested in serving on the State
Assessment Review Board due to his passion for oil and gas
work and his financial background. He thought he would be
an asset to the board, its members, and work for the best
interests of the citizens of the state. He felt honored to
be considered.
Mr. Laffey continued to discuss his background and
thoughts. He assessed the function of the board, which
considered initial appeals from the oil and gas tax and
pipeline tax appeals after an assessment and evaluation had
been determined by the Department of Revenue (DOR). He
thought the board was generally considered a finder of
fact, which generally significant review of the financial
record, the posing of questions, and coming up with a
factual basis for a decision. He thought the decisions
could ultimately be considered by the Alaska Superior Court
and then potentially the Alaska Supreme Court.
9:07:32 AM
Senator Kiehl thanked Mr. Laffey for his public service and
willingness to volunteer. He asked him to discuss his
background in assessing real estate values, whether through
construction or appeals.
Mr. Laffey relayed that he had taken a couple of property
law classes while in law school and had some laymens
experience from looking at hundreds of houses including
commercial properties around the country in the course of
his life. He was fairly familiar with statutes pertaining
to the process for assessments and property taxes in the
state, but it had not been his focus while residing and
working in the state.
Senator Kiehl referenced legal aspects, which he thought
had substantial value. He asked if Mr. Laffey could
reference specifics related to pipelines, production
facilities, and equipment.
Mr. Laffey thought some members were aware that over the
previous two decades there had been a number of Alaska
Supreme Court decisions related to the valuation of
property pipelines and various other legal aspects. He
mentioned timing of appeals and final decisions granted by
the court with monetary terms. He felt his training as a
lawyer made him uniquely prepared (especially given the
current composition of the board) to review and cite case
law and come to his own independent judgement about the
meaning. He did not think there were currently any other
lawyers on the board and thought he would be in a position
to offer his two cents about a particular case and how it
should be applied.
9:11:38 AM
AT EASE
9:12:25 AM
RECONVENED
Co-Chair Stedman OPENED public testimony.
9:13:06 AM
Co-Chair Stedman CLOSED public testimony.
Senator Merrick MOVED to FORWARD the appointment of Sam
Laffey for consideration in accordance with AS 39.05.080.
She relayed that this did not reflect an intent by any
member of the Senate Finance Committee to vote for or
against the confirmation of the individuals during any
further sessions. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so
ordered.
SENATE BILL NO. 57
"An Act making appropriations, including capital
appropriations and other appropriations; making
reappropriations; making appropriations to capitalize
funds; and providing for an effective date."
9:13:55 AM
Senator Kiehl MOVED to ADOPT proposed committee substitute
for SB 57, Work Draft 34-GS1460\I (Walsh, 3/27/25).
Co-Chair Stedman OBJECTED for discussion.
9:14:54 AM
DAVID SCOTT, STAFF, SENATOR BERT STEDMAN, addressed the
committee substitute, which was a pared-down, bare-bones,
match-only capital budget. He explained that all
Unrestricted General Funds (UGF) that were not matching
funds had been removed. He elaborated that in the simplest
terms, matching funds were state dollars that leveraged
federal dollars. He mentioned examples such as the
Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), the
Airport Improvement Program (AIP), and rural ferry funds
for the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.
He mentioned village safe water and rural sanitation needs,
for which the state received federal funds. He continued
that the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic
Development (DCCED) received the Development Block Grant,
which he thought was one of the states largest matches at
a ratio of ten federal dollars to one state dollar.
Mr. Scott mentioned the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA),
which received funding for bulk fuel upgrades for rural
power upgrades and grid resilience. He noted that the
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) received federal
funds for weatherization and housing projects. He used the
example of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
(DMVA), which received federal dollars for maintenance of
armories and modernization of assets around the state. The
CS contained $173 million in state UGF matching funds. The
funding leveraged $2.355 billion of federal funds and other
funds for a total $2.793 billion. He explained that the CS
was a starting point for the committee, and there would be
updated versions forthcoming.
9:17:56 AM
Co-Chair Stedman understood that all the projects were
submitted in the governors original budget proposal.
Mr. Scott relayed that all projects that were removed were
in the governors original submitted budget, and there were
zero legislative additions.
Co-Chair Stedman asked if all the issues in the CS were
submitted by the governor.
Mr. Scott answered "yes."
Co-Chair Stedman affirmed that there were no legislative
additions in the CS.
Co-Chair Stedman relayed that there would be another CS
forthcoming in several days.
Co-Chair Stedman WITHDREW his objection. There being NO
OBJECTION, it was so ordered. The CS for SB 57 was ADOPTED.
Co-Chair Stedman discussed the agenda for the following
day.
SB 57 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
ADJOURNMENT
9:19:50 AM
The meeting was adjourned at 9:19 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| 033125 Sam Laffey Assessment Review Resume_Redacted.pdf |
SFIN 3/31/2025 9:00:00 AM |
Confirmations 2025 |
| SB 57 GovAmdT to SCS1 Non-Mental Health StatewideTotals 3-28-25.pdf |
SFIN 3/31/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 57 |
| SB 57 GovAmdT to SCS1 Non-Mental Health ProjectDetailByAgency 3-28-25.pdf |
SFIN 3/31/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 57 |
| SB 57 work draft version I.pdf |
SFIN 3/31/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 57 |