Legislature(2001 - 2002)
02/28/2002 03:40 PM Senate STA
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ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
February 28, 2002
3:40 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Gene Therriault, Chair
Senator Randy Phillips, Vice Chair
Senator Ben Stevens
Senator Bettye Davis
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Rick Halford
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 26
Relating to Avalanche Awareness Month.
MOVED SCR 26 OUT OF COMMITTEE
SENATE BILL NO. 297
"An Act moving employees of the Alaska mental health trust land
unit of the Department of Natural Resources from the partially
exempt service to the exempt service."
MOVED SB 297 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
SCR 26 - No previous action to record.
SB 297 - No previous action to record.
WITNESS REGISTER
Jerry Burnett
Staff to Senator Lyda Green
Alaska State Capitol, Room 125
Juneau, AK 99801-1182
POSITION STATEMENT: Introduced SCR 26
Tim Lampkin
Staff to Senator Gary Wilken
Alaska State Capitol, Room 514
Juneau, AK 99801-1182
POSITION STATEMENT: Introduced SB 297
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 02-12, SIDE A
CHAIRMAN GENE THERRIAULT called the Senate State Affairs
Committee meeting to order at 3:40 p.m. Present were Senators
Davis, Stevens, Phillips and Chairman Therriault.
The first order of business was SCR 26.
SCR 26-AVALANCHE AWARENESS MONTH
JERRY BURNETT, Staff to Senator Lyda Green, testified that SCR 26
proclaims November 2002 as avalanche awareness month. Each year
Alaskans lose their lives as a result of avalanches and 1999 was
one of the worst when 14 people died. Avalanches are difficult to
predict and prevent so education on their dangers as well as the
conditions under which they are likely to occur can save lives.
The proclamation will raise public awareness of the hazards
associated with avalanches and the opportunities to participate
in avalanche safety training at the beginning of the winter
recreation season. Hopefully, the increased knowledge will result
in lives being saved.
The need for the proclamation was brought to light by the
Backcountry Awareness Response Team (BAART), which is an
organization formed by family members of avalanche victims who
are dedicated to preventing future avalanche deaths. The team is
comprised of trained volunteers who provide search and rescue
services following slides and who educate the public on avalanche
safety.
There was no further testimony.
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT clarified this only applies to the year 2002;
it is not permanent.
He noted the zero fiscal note. There was no committee substitute
and no amendments were proposed.
He asked for the will of the committee.
SENATOR PHILLIPS made a motion to move SCR 26 and attached fiscal
note from committee with individual recommendations.
There being no objection, SCR 26 moved from committee.
SB 297-MENTAL HEALTH TRUST LAND UNIT EMPLOYEES
TIM LAMPKIN, Staff to Senator Gary Wilken, read the following
sponsor statement into the record:
Senate Bill 297 was introduced at the request of
the Mental Health Trust Authority. It places
employees of the Mental Health Trust Authority
lands unit into exempt service.
The Mental Health Trust Land Unit is located in
the Department of Natural Resources. Its sole
purpose is to manage Alaska Mental Health Trust
land on behalf of the Alaska Mental Health Trust
Authority. Its operating costs are funded
entirely by income generated from the cash and
land assets of the Trust, not by general funds.
The unit maintains a core operating staff of
nine. This legislation will provide the MHTA with
the means of retaining trained staff that are
being solicited by, and relocating to, other
agencies offering better compensation packages
not afforded by the current "partially exempt"
status of MHTA lands unit employees.
Additionally, it will align the unit with the
management framework of the trust authority
staff, which was converted to fully exempt status
for similar reasons last year.
Please support this legislation and thereby allow
the AMHTA to more efficiently manage their
personnel structure, to reward performance, and
establish a long-term fix for their efforts to
recruit, train, and retain key staff.
MR. LAMPKIN asked that representatives from the MHTA to
answer questions via teleconference but they were not
online.
There was no further testimony.
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT said he had spoken with Jeff Jesse
from the MHTA earlier in the week.
He noted the zero fiscal note. There was no prepared
committee substitute and no amendments were offered.
He asked for the will of the committee.
SENATOR PHILLIPS made a motion to move SB 297 and
attached fiscal note from committee with individual
recommendations.
There being no objection, SB 297 moved from committee.
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