03/14/2007 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB37 | |
| Confirmation Hearings | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 37 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
March 14, 2007
1:33 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Bettye Davis, Chair
Senator Joe Thomas, Vice Chair
Senator John Cowdery
Senator Kim Elton
Senator Fred Dyson
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 37
"An Act making an appropriation for a bioscience facility at the
University of Alaska Fairbanks; and providing for an effective
date."
MOVED SB 37 OUT OF COMMITTEE
Confirmation Hearings
Professional Teaching Practices Commission
Eddy Jeans
Board of Education and Early Development
Pat Shier
Board of Dental Examiners
Newell Walther
Board of Nursing
Joanne Smith
Board of Dental Examiners
Arne Pihl
Board of Social Work Examiners
Paulette Scheurch
Board of Marital and Family Therapy
Larry Severson
Professional Teaching Practices Commission
Jeffrey Hebard
Professional Teaching Practices Commission
Michael Husa
Board of Pharmacy
Dirk White
State Medical Board
Jean Tsigonis
CONFIRMATIONS ADVANCED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SB 37
SHORT TITLE: APPROP: BIOSCIENCE FACILITY UAF
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) WILKEN
01/16/07 (S) PREFILE RELEASED 1/5/07
01/16/07 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/16/07 (S) HES, FIN
03/14/07 (S) HES AT 1:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
WITNESS REGISTER
Senator Gary Wilken
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of SB 37
Mark Hamilton, President
University of Alaska
Anchorage, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 37
Buck Sharpton, Vice-chancellor of Research
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 37
Eddy Jeans, nominee
Professional Teaching Practices Commission
Juneau, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Available for questions
Pat Shier, nominee
Board of Education and Early Development
Juneau, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Available for questions
Newell Walther, nominee
Board of Dental Examiners
Wasilla, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Available for questions
Joanne Smith, nominee
Board of Nursing
Wasilla, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Available for questions
Arne Pihl, nominee
Board of Dental Examiners
Ketchikan, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Available for questions
Paulette Scheurch, nominee
Board of Social Work Examiners
Anchorage, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Available for questions
Larry Severson, nominee
Board of Marital and Family Therapy
Anchorage, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Available for questions
Jeffrey Hebard, nominee
Professional Teaching Practices Commission
Fairbanks, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Available for questions
Michael Husa, nominee
Professional Teaching Practices Commission
Bethel, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Available for questions
Dirk White, nominee
Board of Pharmacy
Sitka, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Available for questions
Jean Tsigonis, nominee
State Medical Board
Fairbanks, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Available for questions
ACTION NARRATIVE
CHAIR BETTYE DAVIS called the Senate Health, Education and
Social Services Standing Committee meeting to order at 1:33:43
PM. Present at the call to order were Senators Elton, Dyson,
Cowdery, Thomas, and Chair Davis.
SB 37-APPROP: BIOSCIENCE FACILITY UAF
CHAIR BETTYE DAVIS announced SB 37 to be up for consideration.
SENATOR WILKEN, sponsor of SB 37, explained that the bill
appropriates $105 million from the general fund to the
University of Alaska (UA) to design, construct, and equip a
bioscience facility (BIOS) on the UA Fairbanks (UAF) campus.
This is the only new construction project for the UA this year,
and the 110,000 square foot building will house research
laboratories, classroom, space, and teaching labs, consolidating
current facilities. Each year the UA generates over $130 million
in outside funds to support research activities; construction of
BIOS will provide much-needed space for research expansion.
1:37:49 PM
MARK HAMILTON, president of the UA system, said that it takes a
long time to move a concept to reality, and the BIOS idea was
first introduced in 2002 through a general order bond. The UA
board of regents has termed BIOS the most important construction
project currently underway.
1:39:55 PM
BUCK SHARPTON, Vice-chancellor of Research for the UAF, said
that the building is so essential because research activities
have grown by 75 percent since 2000; the UAF has an
international reputation in certain fields built around
research, and BIOS will allow the UA to consolidate its
activities. He then listed services that the UA provides to
Alaska, including an Alaska Native Health Center, and explained
how the school's laboratories are currently out of date and must
be modernized. The new building will also allow for expansion of
engineering and agricultural programs.
1:43:52 PM
SENATOR THOMAS asked for clarification on the construction costs
of the BIOS facility.
MR. HAMILTON said that there's a difference between construction
and final costs.
MR. SHARPTON said that there are several components to the
construction, including extensions and outfitting of the
laboratories.
SENATOR COWDERY asked if the project can be bonded.
MR. SHARPTON said that it's possible, but it would mean
continuing delays and resulting rises in construction costs. He
commented that the construction of the gas pipeline will mean a
limited future ability for building elsewhere in the state, and
that using a bonding capacity in the years ahead could cause
significant issues. At the very least, some phases should be
done with non-bonded funding.
SENATOR COWDERY asked if design work has been done, and what the
shelf life is for the plans.
MR. SHARPTON replied that some planning has been done, and
should be usable for several years at least.
SENATOR COWDERY asked how much has been spent on BIOS to date.
MR. HAMILTON replied that the UA has spent $22 million already
on planning and preparation. The construction hasn't yet been
funded.
MR. SHARPTON added that $1 million in non-state funds has been
put into planning.
SENATOR ELTON asked why the facility would be located in
Fairbanks and not Anchorage, where many applicable programs are
based.
MR. HAMILTON replied that equal excellence is needed in
supporting sciences as well as in major fields, so that even
programs very involved in medicine can't necessarily support a
research facility.
MR. SHARPTON said that health services are based heavily on
research, and that Anchorage and Juneau campuses are more
attuned to application rather than research, like in Fairbanks.
1:53:26 PM
SENATOR THOMAS asked which building will be replaced by BIOS.
MR. SHARPTON replied that the Arctic Health building will be
replaced.
1:54:49 PM
SENATOR THOMAS made a motion to move SB 37 from committee with
individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). There
being no objection, the motion carried.
^CONFIRMATION HEARINGS
CHAIR DAVIS announced that the committee would be considering
the nominations of members to various state boards. She asked
Mr. Eddy Jeans to comment on his nomination to the Professional
Teaching Practices Commission.
1:57:36 PM
EDDY JEANS, Director of School Finance for the Department of
Education and Early Development (DEED), said that the
commissioner of the Department of Health and Social Services
(DHSS) requested his presence on the board. He said he has high
ethics and will serve well on the board.
SENATOR COWDERY asked if Mr. Jeans' parents ever lived in
Anchorage.
MR. JEANS replied that they did not.
2:00:25 PM
PAT SHIER, nominee to the Board of Education and Early
Development, said that he is honored and humbled by the
nomination and that the governor wants him to contribute his
experience in vocational and alternative education models to the
board's efforts.
CHAIR DAVIS asked for his occupation.
MR. SHIER said that he serves as Chief of Tax and Program
Integrity at the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
SENATOR ELTON said that he appreciates Mr. Shier's focus on
workforce development.
2:02:25 PM
NEWELL WALTHER, nominee to the Board of Dental Examiners, said
that he's been practicing for the last 12 years in Alaska,
including rural Alaska and Wasilla.
CHAIR DAVIS thanked him for his willingness to serve on the
board.
SENATOR THOMAS asked why Mr. Walther moved away from Bethel.
MR. WALTHER said that his wife wanted an adventure in rural
Alaska.
SENATOR ELTON welcomed the doctor to Juneau.
CHAIR DAVIS said that the committee would recommend his name for
confirmation.
2:05:35 PM
JOANNE SMITH, nominee to the Board of Nursing, said that she's
honored to be nominated, and related her work history in Alaska.
ARNE PIHL, nominee to the Board of Dental Examiners, said that
he is a dentist in Ketchikan and that the nomination will be a
reappointment for him.
SENATOR COWDERY asked how much time Mr. Pihl spends working for
the board.
MR. PIHL replied that it depends in the situation, and that the
board rotates its duties. He also serves as the state
representative for the National Dental Examiners Group;
generally work for the board involves about 12 days of travel
per year.
SENATOR THOMAS asked if there are any particular issues that Mr.
Pihl is concerned with.
MR. PIHL said that the main question at hand is the
qualifications of the dental aides that Native communities are
using; the board found them to be in violation of regulations
but the attorney general disagreed. There are some frustrations
with the hearing officers, but in general improvements are being
made.
2:10:58 PM
PAULETTE SCHEURCH, nominee to the Board of Social Work
Examiners, related her work history in Alaska, and said that she
hopes to make a contribution to the board.
2:12:43 PM
LARRY SEVERSON, nominee to the Board of Marital and Family
Therapy, said that he's honored to be nominated for the board,
and he related his work history in Alaska. He added that he
focuses on patient abuse issues.
2:14:30 PM
SENATOR DYSON commented that Dr. Severson has worked extensively
with victims of child abuse in the state, and he has significant
stature in the mental health community in the state.
2:15:44 PM
JEFFREY HEBARD, nominee to the Professional Teaching Practices
Commission, related his work history in Alaska, and said that he
would be honored to serve the state for a second term.
CHAIR DAVIS asked what he would like to see happen during his
second term.
MR. HEBARD said that his initial term only lasted one year, but
that he is impressed with the operation of the commission and is
looking forward to working with them.
2:18:16 PM
MICHAEL HUSA, nominee to the Professional Teaching Practices
Commission, said that he's honored to be recommended for the
commission.
CHAIR DAVIS asked if this will be his first term.
MR. HUSA replied that it will be.
CHAIR DAVIS said that the committee would be forwarding his name
for confirmation.
2:19:25 PM
DIRK WHITE, nominee to the Board of Pharmacy, said that he's
honored to serve the state of Alaska and related his work
history.
CHAIR DAVIS commented that Mr. White seems quite busy, and
thanked him for his willingness to serve on the board.
2:21:31 PM
JEAN TSIGONIS, nominee to the State Medical Board, related her
work history in Alaska and said that this would be her first
term with the board.
SENATOR THOMAS asked if there are any issues Ms. Tsigonis plans
to address before the board.
MS. TSIGONIS said that retaining the current physician workforce
would be her main goal.
2:23:44 PM
SENATOR DYSON said that Dr. Jeffrey Gonnason, nominee to the
Board of Examiners in Optometry and Senator Dyson's personal
optometrist, is concerned about ethics within the profession and
will be a great addition to the board.
SENATOR COWDERY said that Dr. Gonnason is his personal
optometrist as well, and he's pleased to see his appointment.
CHAIR DAVIS commented that Dr. Gonnason lives in her district
and will thus certainly be a good addition to the board. She
related a personal story about how he has worked with her
family.
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Davis adjourned the meeting at 2:25:38 PM.
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