Legislature(2019 - 2020)SENATE FINANCE 532
02/12/2020 05:00 PM Senate LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
FEBRUARY 12, 2020
5:00 PM
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Gary Stevens, Chair
Representative Louise Stutes, Vice Chair
Senator Tom Begich
Senator John Coghill
Senator Cathy Giessel
Senator Lyman Hoffman
Senator Bert Stedman
Senator Natasha von Imhof
Representative Bryce Edgmon
Representative Neal Foster
Representative DeLena Johnson
Representative Jennifer Johnston
Representative Chuck Kopp
Representative Steve Thompson
MEMBERS ABSENT
OTHER MEMBERS PRESENT
AGENDA
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
RATIFICATION OF CHARITY EVENTS
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
CONTRACT APPROVALS
SPEAKER REGISTER
Jessica Geary, Executive Director, Legislative Affairs Agency
JC Kestel, Procurement Officer, Legislative Affairs Agency
5:00:18 PM
I. CALL TO ORDER
CHAIR STEVENS called the Legislative Council meeting to order
at 5:00pm in the State Capitols Senate Finance Committee
Room. Present at the call were: Senators Begich, Coghill,
Giessel, Hoffman, Stedman, Stevens, von Imhof; Representatives
Edgmon, Foster, Johnson, Johnston, Kopp, Thompson, Stutes.
14 members present.
II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A. December 18, 2019
5:01:30 PM
VICE-CHAIR STUTES moved and asked unanimous consent that
Legislative Council approve the minutes dated December 18,
2019, as presented.
CHAIR STEVENS asked if there were corrections or additions to
those minutes. Seeing none, the minutes were approved.
III. RATIFICATION OF CHARITY EVENTS
A. 2020 Girl Scouts of Alaska Annual Auction
B. 28th Fahrenkamp-Kelly Classic Charity Putting Tournament
C. 57th Annual Legislative Skits
D. 5th Annual Juneau's Got Talent
E. Juneau Co-op Preschool Winter Feast
F. Juneau Animal Rescue 7th Annual Silent Auction
G. 2020 Kenai River Sportfishing Association Events
5:01:49 PM
VICE-CHAIR STUTES moved and asked unanimous consent that
Legislative Council ratify the Chairs sanctioning of the
following charitable events per AS 24.60.080 (a)(2)(B): 2020
Girl Scouts of Alaska Annual Auction; 28th Fahrenkamp-Kelly
Classic Charity Putting Tournament; 57th Annual Legislative
Skits; 5th Annual Juneau's Got Talent; Juneau Co-op Preschool
Winter Feast; Juneau Animal Rescue 7th Annual Silent Auction;
2020 Kenai River Sportfishing Association Events.
CHAIR STEVENS objected for purpose of discussion. He has
sanctioned these events and verified they are 501(c)(3)
organizations. He asked if there was any discussion. Seeing
none, he removed his objection and stated that the events have
been ratified.
IV. COMMITTEE BUSINESS
A. FY19 Legislature Audit
CHAIR STEVENS noted this is not an action item, there will be
no vote, but Council has an opportunity to hear from the
Executive Director and ask questions.
JESSICA GEARY, Executive Director, Legislative Affairs Agency,
explained that by statute the Legislature has an annual
independent audit of its financials. The auditor was Elgee
Rehfeld who won that contract through a competitive RFP
(Request for Proposals) process. It was a clean audit with no
exceptions, which is ideal. She said she was happy to answer
any questions.
CHAIR STEVENS asked if there were questions; there were none.
B. FY21 Legislature Budget
CHAIR STEVENS asked for a motion.
5:04:12 PM
VICE-CHAIR STUTES moved that Legislative Council per AS
24.20.130 approve the FY21 Legislative Council Proposed budget
and transmit it to the House and Senate Finance Committees for
their review and action.
CHAIR STEVENS objected for purpose of discussion and asked Ms.
Geary to please explain the budget and address any questions.
JESSICA GEARY, Executive Director, Legislative Affairs Agency,
said that before members is the Legislative Council FY21
proposed budget and budget narrative. She said there were no
substantive changes since being delivered to your offices last
week.
Ms. Geary explained that in preparing the budget, she met with
the Presiding Officers, Rules Chairs, and the Finance Co-
Chairs or their staff to discuss the budget. There are no
changes from last year. Within the budget request are two
RDUs, which are appropriations, and there is another RDU
within the Legislature that is the Legislative Budget & Audit
Committee whose budget was already passed directly to the
Finance Committees. Once they have this budget, they will have
the entire Legislative budget and be able to get to work.
The entire budget is listed in the Overview Tab in the front
of the budget that was distributed. We made some structural
changes last year which made it easier to do business this
year, but unfortunately had to keep those pages in the budget
book, so you will see there are still pages for the House and
Senate Per Diem Allocations, both ninety day and thirty day,
and there is also Information and Teleconference. Those must
remain in this year but will be removed next year. Again,
there are no increments in our request. Our FY20 Management
Plan equals FY21 Governors Figures which equals our FY21
request. There is a small surplus in State Facilities Rent
which will be offered up to the Finance Committees as a
reduction. She said she was happy to answer any questions.
CHAIR STEVENS asked if there were questions. Seeing none,
Speaker Edgmon has intent language.
SPEAKER EDGMON said when he met with Ms. Geary, she
communicated that LAA was billed approximately $12,000 by OMB
for services rendered. Subsequently, there was a verbal
commitment from OMB that this billing practice would not
continue. It seemed appropriate that this might be worthy of
having a discussion on the record to give LAA assurance from
Legislative Council that they are not responsible for paying
the $12,000. He said he is prepared to offer an amendment to
that effect.
CHAIR STEVENS said there is a motion before the Council and
asked Speaker Edgmon for his amendment.
SPEAKER EDGMON moved that Legislative Council direct LAA to
withhold payment for the FY20 invoiced amount of $12,112 for
OMB budget analyst time billed by the Governor's Office and
exclude the billing from the Legislature's FY21 request.
CHAIR STEVENS said there is an amendment to the main motion
and asked if there was discussion.
SENATOR STEDMAN said his concern is that the Governor was
starting to muck around in our budget. We normally stay in our
own back yard. He said he supports this, but his other concern
is we have substantial budgetary time in Legislative Finance
dealing with the difference between the OMB system and our
system and if we are going to play the billing game, we could
probably find a bill bigger than $12,000 to send to him.
SENATOR COGHILL asked if this had done before, has the
Legislature been billed previously.
JESSICA GEARY responded this is the first time we have ever
been billed for OMB analyst time. In fact, OMB does not
analyze our budget, we analyze it and submit numbers to them
which they, in the past, put in their system without
manipulating them.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP said he sat on the Courts budget
subcommittee and they too bristled at the bill from OMB to
analyze their budget and had a similar view as expressed by
Senators Coghill and Stedman.
CHAIR STEVENS asked if there were further comments on this
amendment. Seeing none, he requested a roll call vote.
5:10:15 PM
A roll call vote was taken on the amendment.
YEAS: Senators Begich, Coghill, Giessel, Hoffman, Stedman,
Stevens, von Imhof; Representatives Edgmon, Foster, Johnson,
Johnston, Kopp, Thompson, Stutes.
NAYS: None
The motion passed 14-0.
CHAIR STEVENS said before the Council is an amended main
motion. He asked if there was further discussion on the main
motion to approve the Legislative budget. He removed his
objection and asked for a roll call vote.
5:11:19 PM
A roll call vote was taken on the budget.
YEAS: Senators Begich, Coghill, Giessel, Hoffman, Stedman,
Stevens, von Imhof; Representatives Edgmon, Foster, Johnson,
Johnston, Kopp, Thompson, Stutes.
NAYS: None
The motion passed 14-0.
V. CONTRACT APPROVALS
A. Ketchikan Office Space Lease Renewal
5:11:58 PM
VICE-CHAIR STUTES moved that Legislative Council approve
renewal No. 4 of the lease for Ketchikan Office Space in the
amount of $48,272.32.
CHAIR STEVENS objected for purpose of discussion and asked JC
Kestel to provide a brief explanation and address any
questions.
JC KESTEL, Procurement Officer, Legislative Affairs Agency,
explained the original lease agreement between the Legislative
Affairs Agency and Ketchikan Gateway Borough for office space
in Ketchikan was for a five-year term that began March 1, 2012
and terminated February 28, 2017. There were five lease
renewals available under the original lease agreement, each
for a one-year period. We have exercised three of the renewal
options.
Renewal No. 3 of the lease expires on February 29, 2020. The
Legislative Affairs Agency would like approval to proceed with
Renewal No. 4 for the period March 1, 2020, through February
28, 2021. If Legislative Council approves Renewal No. 4, this
will leave one more renewal of the lease available. This lease
renewal exceeds $35,000 in one fiscal year; therefore,
Legislative Council's approval is required.
CHAIR STEVENS asked if there were any questions.
SENATOR STEDMAN said in defense of the proposed lease, he
would like to remind the Committee how successful it has been
over the years since we relocated the Legislative Information
Office (LIO) from the tourist area downtown, out approximately
one mile to a Borough building which contains Borough offices,
US Senate offices, and a few other offices, so it is a one-
stop-shop with ample parking. It has been very convenient for
the public and we have noticed a substantial increase in
public visitation. He encouraged members to support this
renewal. It has served us very well. Both he and the
Representative have offices there, along with the LIO staff.
CHAIR STEVENS asked if there were further discussion or
comments.
He removed his objection and asked for a roll call vote.
5:14:59 PM
A roll call vote was taken.
YEAS: Senators Begich, Coghill, Giessel, Hoffman, Stedman,
Stevens, von Imhof; Representatives Edgmon, Foster, Johnson,
Johnston, Kopp, Thompson, Stutes.
NAYS: None
The motion passed 14-0.
VI. ADJOURN
CHAIR STEVENS said if there is nothing further to come before
the Council, we are adjourned.
5:15:44 PM
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| 2.12.20 Leg. Council Meeting Packet.pdf |
JLEC 2/12/2020 5:00:00 PM |
Leg. Council Meeting Packet |