Legislature(1995 - 1996)
02/14/1995 01:30 PM Senate L&C
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
SENATE LABOR AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE
February 14, 1995
1:30 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Tim Kelly, Chairman
Senator John Torgerson, Vice Chairman
Senator Mike Miller
Senator Judy Salo
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Jim Duncan
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 78
"An Act related to the authority of certain beverage dispensary
licensees to stock alcoholic beverages in guest rooms and
prohibiting certain room rentals for the purpose of providing
alcoholic beverages to a person under 21 years of age."
SENATE BILL NO. 45
"An Act relating to settlement and payment of claims for minimum
wage and overtime compensation claims and to liquidated damages and
attorney fees for minimum wage and overtime compensation claims."
Confirmation Hearings:
Tom Cashen, Commissioner Designee, Department of Labor
Willie Hensley, Commissioner Designee, Department of Commerce and
Economic Development
Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers, Land Surveyors:
Pease, Mearig
Athletic Commission: Asplund
Board of Barbers and Hairdressers: Flint
Board of Chiropractic Examiners: Conners-Allen, Phillips
Board of Clinical Social Work Examiners: Henkelman, Patrick-Riley
Board of Dental Examiners: Selle, Singleton
Board of Dispensing Opticians: Hedges-Gajdos, Doerr
Alaska Labor Relations Agency: Doyle, Elliott, Mahurin, Smart
Board of Marine Pilots: Berto
Board of Marital and Family Therapy: Christensen
Board of Certified Direct-Entry Midwives: Flint
Board of Nursing: Dean
Board of Examiners in Optometry: Christiansen, Porter
State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board: Tisler
Board of Psychologist and Psychological Associate Examiners:
Lynch, Kappes
Board of Certified Real Estate Appraisers: Shideler, Crosson
Alaska Public Utilities Commission: Cook
Alaska Workers' Compensation Board: Stout, Koivisto, Wilson, Smith,
Stemp, Lewis, Vollendorf
PREVIOUS ACTION
SB 45 - See Labor and Commerce minutes dated 2/2/95 and 2/9/95
SB 78 - No previous action
WITNESS REGISTER
Senator Bert Sharp
Alaska State Capitol
Juneau, Alaska 99801-1182
POSITION STATEMENT: Prime sponsor of SB 78
Willie Hensley
Commissioner-designee
Department of Commerce and Economic Development
P.O. Box 110800
Juneau, Alaska 99811-0800
POSITION STATEMENT: Available to answer questions
Tom Cashen
Commissioner-designee
Department of Labor
P.O. Box 21149
Juneau, Alaska 99802-1149
POSITION STATEMENT: Available to answer questions
Dennis Lavey
President
Alaska Hotel-Motel Association
321 E. 5th
Anchorage, AK 99501
POSITION STATEMENT: Supports SB 78
Bill Dugdale
Westmark Hotel
720 W. 5th
Anchorage, AK 99501
POSITION STATEMENT: Supports SB 78
Mitch Gravo
Alaska Hotel and Motel Association
170 Botanical Circle
Anchorage, AK 99515
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions on SB 78
ACTION NARRATIVE
Tape 95-5, Side A
CHAIRMAN TIM KELLY called the Labor and Commerce Committee to order
at 1:45 p.m. Senators Torgerson, Kelly, and Salo were present.
The first order of business was confirmation hearings.
SENATOR KELLY announced Mr. Hensley was present and, at the
direction of the chair, would not be presenting a formal opening
statement but would be available to answer questions. There were
no questions for Mr. Hensley. SENATOR KELLY thanked Mr. Hensley
for attending.
SENATOR KELLY asked committee members if there were any questions
for Tom Cashen, Commissioner designee of the Department of Labor.
There being no questions for Mr. Cashen, the committee thanked him
for attending.
SENATOR KELLY informed committee members there was a list of the
other nominees in front of them. He announced that Tim Cook,
nominee for the Alaska Public Utilities Commission (APUC) was on-
line via teleconference and prepared to answer questions. SENATOR
KELLY asked the committee to stand at ease at 1:50 p.m.
At 1:54 p.m., SENATOR KELLY called the meeting back to order and
referred to the list of nominees given to committee members by
Senate President Pearce. He read the list of names as follows:
Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers, Land
Surveyors: Maryann Pease and Lance Mearig;
Athletic Commission: Kenneth Asplund;
Board of Barbers and Hairdressers: Julie Flint;
Board of Chiropractic Examiners: Patricia Conners,
Virginia Phillips;
Board of Clinical Social Work Examiners: James Henkelman,
Colleen Patrick-Riley;
Board of Dental Examiners: Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin Selle,
James Singleton;
Board of Dispensing Opticians: Tricia Gadjos, Pamela
Doerr;
Alaska Labor Relations Agency: Robert Doyle, James
Elliot, Karen Mahurin, Bill Smart;
Board of Marine Pilots: Robert Berto;
Board of Marital Family Therapy: Maureen Christensen;
Board of Certified Direct Entry Midwives: Sidney Flint;
Board of Nursing: Louise Dean;
Board of Examiners in Optometry: Randall Christiansen,
Marilyn Porter;
State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board:
Bonnie Tisler;
Board of Psychologists: Timmy Lynch, Bruno Kappes;
Board of Certified Real Estate Appraisers: Richard
Shideler, Susan Crosson;
Alaska Public Utilities Commission: Tim Cook;
Alaska Workers' Compensation Board: Richard Stout,
Clifford Koivisto, Paula Wilson, Darryl Smith, Mark
Stemp, Russell Lewis, and Patricia Vollendorf.
SENATOR KELLY stated nominees' resumes were in front of committee
members. He asked if there were any questions of nominees.
SENATOR SALO recommended that the Committee not submit the names of
the people who have not been recommended by the Governor. She
asked the Committee to recommend only the names submitted by the
Governor, rather than playing this "charade game." SENATOR KELLY
stated the individuals were recommended by a Governor, and that the
state government did not begin when Tony Knowles took office, nor
will it end when he leaves. SENATOR SALO asked where the
transmittal letter from the other Governor was. SENATOR KELLY
explained the letters are on file with the Secretary of the Senate.
SENATOR SALO asked who the letters are from. SENATOR KELLY replied
they are from the Secretary of the Senate. The names have been
duly submitted to the Labor and Commerce Committee for confirmation
purposes.
SENATOR MILLER moved that the Labor and Commerce Committee submit
the names of nominees with individual recommendations to the Senate
Secretary. SENATOR SALO objected. SENATORS MILLER, TORGERSON, and
KELLY voted in favor, SENATOR SALO was opposed. SENATOR KELLY
stated the names do move forward.
SL&C - 2/14/95
SB 78 ALCOHOL SALES IN HOTEL ROOMS
SENATOR BERT SHARP, prime sponsor of SB 78, gave the following
testimony. Currently the Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) Board is
not permitted to allow alcoholic beverages to be stocked inside
hotel or motel rooms. SB 78 seeks to authorize the ABC Board to
allow beverage dispensary license holders the right to allow self-
serve liquors inside hotel or motel rooms. Alcoholic beverages
would be stocked in lockable refrigerators and placed in the rooms.
Once the hotel or motel staff has determined a registering guest to
be at least 21 years of age, a key to the lock unit can be issued,
along with the room key. SB 78 was introduced at the request of
the Alaska Hotel and Motel Association and the Alaska Cabaret Hotel
Restaurant and Retailers Association. The 17th Alaska Legislature
passed an identical bill (SB 183) which was vetoed by the Governor.
He added the committee packet contains a zero fiscal note from the
ABC Board, and several letters urging support. He noted the ABC
Board maintains a neutral position on the legislation.
SENATOR KELLY asked if SB 78 is identical to the version of SB 183
which was vetoed by the Governor. SENATOR SHARP replied it is, to
the best of his knowledge. There were no further questions of the
sponsor.
Number 170
DENNIS LAVEY, President of the Alaska Hotel-Motel Association,
testified in support of SB 78. He said refreshment centers, or
mini-bars, are a way of life in the industry today. Customers are
accustomed to these practices in 39 states and several states offer
this practice as a local option. Most foreign countries also allow
the use of mini-bars. People often prefer to stay inside of their
hotel rooms in an unfamiliar city and to use room service. Seventy
percent of the sales from the mini-bars are nonalcohol, however the
sale of alcohol has a higher profit margin.
BILL DUGDALE, General Manager of the Westmark Anchorage Hotel and
Vice President of the Alaska Hotel-Motel Association, endorsed SB
78. He felt the bill would allow hotels and motels to provide a
service expected by the travelling public.
SENATOR KELLY asked Mitch Gravo if a business would already have to
have a liquor license to participate in this practice. He replied
affirmatively.
SENATOR TORGERSON moved SB 78 out of committee with individual
recommendations. SENATOR SALO objected. SENATORS MILLER,
TORGERSON and KELLY voted in favor of the motion, SENATOR SALO
voted against.
SJUD - 2/14/95
SB 45 DAMAGES & ATTY FEES FOR UNPAID WAGES
SENATOR KELLY brought up SB 45 before the committee and noted the
bill needs further legal work. He stated he does not support the
bill in its existing form and felt the legislation would better be
served by a Judiciary Committee review. SENATOR MILLER moved SB
45 out of committee with individual recommendations. There being
no objections, the motion passed.
SENATOR KELLY adjourned the meeting at 2:05 p.m.
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