HOUSE BILL NO. 77                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the number of superior court                                                                           
     judges in the third judicial district; and providing                                                                       
     for an effective date."                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:08:53 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Wilson  shared  that  public  testimony  had  been                                                                    
opened  and  closed  earlier  in the  week.  She  asked  the                                                                    
department to address the fiscal note.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
NANCY   MEADE,  GENERAL   COUNSEL,   ALASKA  COURT   SYSTEM,                                                                    
addressed  the  fiscal  note totaling  $62,000.  The  amount                                                                    
reflected the  difference in salary  and benefits  between a                                                                    
superior  court  judge  and  a  district  court  judge.  The                                                                    
difference was about $35,500  per position, totaling $71,000                                                                    
for  two positions.  The calculation  netted back  the money                                                                    
the Court System would save  in travel by taking the average                                                                    
over the  last few years,  estimated at $9,000, for  a total                                                                    
fiscal note of $62,000.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Johnston MOVED  to REPORT HB 77  out of committee                                                                    
with individual recommendations  and the accompanying fiscal                                                                    
note.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
There  being  NO  OBJECTION,  HB  77  was  REPORTED  out  of                                                                    
committee  with  a "do  pass"  recommendation  and with  one                                                                    
previously published fiscal impact note: FN1 (AJS).