Legislature(2001 - 2002)
02/14/2002 03:40 PM Senate STA
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ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
February 14, 2002
3:40 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Gene Therriault, Chair
Senator Randy Phillips, Vice Chair
Senator Ben Stevens
Senator Bettye Davis
Senator Rick Halford
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 236
"An Act making supplemental and other appropriations for homeland
security; and providing for an effective date."
MOVED SB 236 OUT OF COMMITTEE
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 22
Relating to declaring March 2002 as Sobriety Awareness Month.
MOVED OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
SB 236 - See State Affairs minutes dated 1/31/02 and 2/12/02.
SCR 22 - See State Affairs minutes dated 2/7/02.
WITNESS REGISTER
Senator Jerry Ward
Alaska State Capitol Room 423
Juneau, AK 99801-1182
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of SCR 22
David Katzeek
Alaska Native Brotherhood
6590 Glacier Highway
Juneau, AK 99801
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SCR 22
Shaan Katzeek
6590 Glacier Highway
Juneau, AK 99801
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SCR 22
Pamela Watts
Advisory Board on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
Juneau, AK 99801
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SCR 22
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 02-8, 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. Senator Halford
arrived at 3:55 p.m.
The first order of business was SCR 22.
SCR 22-SOBRIETY AWARENESS MONTH: MARCH 2002
SENATOR WARD, prime sponsor, explained that several years ago a
small group of people decided they were going to become role
models who did not abuse either alcohol or drugs. Sobriety month
is discussed in all the schools in Alaska in the month of March
and is advertised during the Iditarod as well as other venues
through out the state. People are encouraged to speak about
sobriety as an alternative lifestyle that is worthwhile to
promote.
In committee member's packets there was a letter from Frank Dahl,
President of Cabaret Hotel Restaurant and Retailers Association
(CHARR) that encouraged support for SCR 22. A copy of his letter
is enclosed in the bill file.
Everyone he's ever met has been touched in some way by drug and
alcohol abuse. This doesn't mean individuals must give up alcohol
altogether to lend their support; this resolution is simply
honoring those who honor sobriety. "By making March Sobriety
Month, we are enabling thousands of people in Alaska to become
warriors for sobriety."
DAVID KATZEEK testified in both English and Tlingit in support of
SCR 22.
My grandfather told me a man who became sober and
lived a sober life was a very wise individual and
could learn a lot. Sobriety is more than being
able to not drink; it is looking at all the types
of things that are happening to us as a people.
Sobriety could mean we are becoming aware of a
problem in the State of Alaska that results in
approximately 96 percent of those re-offenders
that go back to jail have been involved with
alcohol, resulting in a high cost to the State of
Alaska and to its citizens. The cost is even
greater than the money that is spent. Who hears
the cry of a little child where alcohol is
reigning? Who sees the broken heart of a teenager
who is having a difficult time in school because
of the emotional, painful and difficult kinds of
things he heard the night before he goes to
school.
This is called sobering up. Not just by the
individual who is using alcohol, but society in
general, in regarding the kinds of things that
face us as a people. This is a major problem.
This resolution isn't to tell everyone to quit
drinking and everybody should abstain. It is a
notice to the people in the State of Alaska that
the state recognizes and realizes that there is a
problem. We are going to take time to look at
this particular issue and stand with the people
in the State of Alaska regarding this. To me this
is sobering up when the Legislature and the
government begins to see the kinds of problems
we're facing. Not just the drunk, not just the
alcohol abuser or not just the alcoholic, but
society in general. I appreciate this time and I
like speaking in my language because this is
where I come from and I'm proud of my people. But
my grandfather would have said may it be as if
you heard, not from me, David Katzeek, but from
the elders of the Tlingit nation saying this is
really really important and we need your help.
This may seem like a small resolution, but it is
a very big one in my personal opinion. It's like
a pebble being dropped in a pond where the rings
will reach out all over.
He then asked that his son be allowed to testify.
SHAAN KATZEEK introduced himself and explained his American
Government class requires each student to select and follow a
bill. He selected SCR 22 to follow and didn't realize his father
was going to be speaking on behalf of the same bill.
He thinks it's a good thing to do because it lets everyone know
they can take that step of being sober during the month of March
and then they can tell others what they did.
PAMELA WATTS, executive director of the Advisory Board on
Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, expressed her appreciation to Senator
Ward for sponsoring the resolution as he does every year.
She said this is a foundation piece for the strategies that are
contained in the state plan for alcohol and drug abuse services.
The number of communities around the state that have begun to
take responsibility for the negative consequences of alcohol and
drug abuse in their areas encourages them.
The benefits of taking responsibility for the negative
consequences of alcohol include improvement in the quality of
life for individuals, families and communities. When communities
take responsibility, there is a reduction in the recidivism rate
in the criminal justice system. The reduced burden on government
by not having to exhaust its resources to pay for the pervasive
problems caused by alcohol and drug abuse is another issue. Not
only is there the high economic cost to be paid to keep an
individual incarcerated but also the un-quantified cost of
separating parents from their children.
A recent McDowell report conservatively estimates that the
economic cost of alcohol abuse comes to about $453,000 million
per year. She urged committee members to seriously consider the
pieces of legislation that will come before them this session
that address alcohol related problems.
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT noted there was no prepared CS, no proposed
amendments. The bill had a zero fiscal note.
He asked for the will of the committee.
SENATOR PHILLIPS made a motion to move SCR 22 and zero fiscal
note from committee with individual recommendations.
There being no objection, SCR 22 moved from committee.
SB 236-HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT drew member's attention to the spreadsheet
with color-coded categories. They asked Legislative Finance to go
through the appropriation bill and separate the expenses. First
items that are supplemental to the 2002 budget were separated
then further broken into operating and capital expenses. Next,
items that were clearly 2003 operating budget items were
separated and finally 2003 capital requests were separated.
He said his frustration with trying to deal with the bill is that
it isn't really an appropriations bill it's a finance bill and
probably should have been sent to the Finance Committee as part
of a budget package. It's difficult to deal with because the
Governor has just submitted his 2002 supplemental requests so
anything they would consider supplemental for 2002 has to be
balanced with the Governor's other supplemental requests.
Additionally, anything they do in 2002 that impacts the operating
budget must be considered in the 2003 operating budget. If this
isn't done, there won't be funds to continue that program or
activity in fiscal year 2003.
According to the spreadsheet, the total supplemental general fund
operating total is $7.6 million. To annualize that amount, it
would take $26.6 million in FY03 and there simply aren't the
funds available to build that into the budget.
He recommended forwarding the bill and the spreadsheets to the
Finance Committee accompanied by a letter explaining the
segmentation process. That committee must decide whether there is
room for any of this in the FY02 supplemental budget then whether
they want to build any of it into the FY03 budget.
He said he was open to discussion on other ways to handle this.
SENATOR PHILLIPS thought standing committees should give general
guidance to the Finance Committee so they can develop the
numbers. He recommended asking the various departments to
categorize and prioritize their requests. He said he feels that
communications should be at the top of the list
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked whether communication should be at the
top or should it be prioritized according to what is affordable.
SENATOR PHILLIPS said he wouldn't attach a dollar amount; rather
he would ask the departments to categorize according to
importance in dealing with any natural or man made disaster. This
list should then be sent to the Finance Committee.
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT remarked that, in finance, the numbers drive
policy. How much can you afford? This committee doesn't know what
the constraints are on the numbers.
He said he has no problem with asking the various departments to
prioritize their requests, but he doesn't know whether that would
make much difference in finance's deliberations.
SENATOR STEVENS expressed the thought that the items that are
mandated by federal policy should be given top priority. At the
same time, they should find out whether federal funds are
available to pay for those mandates. If they aren't available,
then he doesn't understand why they would need to be in the
supplemental budget for FY02.
SENATOR DAVIS point out that as the reports were handed out, the
overall theme was that there were some priorities that had been
set, but she didn't know whether there were dollar amounts
attached or not. There are also federal funds that have been
designated for the state and that amount has been set. Perhaps
they could figure what the state match would be when coupled with
the federal funds.
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT reiterated he had no objection to asking the
departments to prioritize. Because there are clearly some items
on the spreadsheet where money has already been spent, those had
better be at the top of the list. If they don't get those
dollars, they have a huge hole in their FY02 budget. Perhaps that
will cull out some of the "fluff" federal dollars because if they
don't believe the federal dollars are going to be there, they
won't put those items very high on their list.
SENATOR HALFORD agreed with Senator Stevens. The federal dollars
in hand have to be considered as do the federal mandates. That
information will lead any action.
SENATOR STEVENS added he questioned how many times some of the
requests have been made prior to being incorporated into the
appropriation request.
SENATOR DAVIS didn't think the departments would prioritize their
requests and even if they did, someone would still have to sort
out the various lists. She agreed with Chairman Therriault that
they should forward the bill to finance.
SENATOR HALFORD made a motion to send the Chairman's
recommendation to the Finance Committee.
SENATOR DAVIS seconded the motion.
There being no objection, the bill was forwarded to the Finance
Committee accompanied by the spreadsheets and a letter from the
Chairman.
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT adjourned the meeting at 4:15 p.m.
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