SB 103-ELECTION CAMPAIGNS AND LEGISLATIVE ETHICS Number 1677 CHAIR KOTT announced that the next order of business would be CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 103(FIN), "An Act relating to election campaigns and legislative ethics." CHAIR KOTT noted that there are two prepared amendments. Amendment 1 [22-LS0148\S.2, Kurtz, 4/24/01] reads as follows: Page 5, lines 19-20: Delete "except that a candidate elected to the  senate whose term is two years may transfer" Insert "except that a senator serving a two-year  term may transfer not more than" Amendment 2 read as follows: Page 7, lines 1-21 Delete all material. Number 1732 JOE BALASH, Staff to Senate State Affairs Committee, Alaska State Legislature, explained that Amendment 1 would make a change to the language that was inserted at the previous House Rules Standing Committee hearing regarding the truncation of Senate members. The concern was that the language described a Senator who was elected to a two-year term, but those members whose terms will be truncated were elected to four-year terms. Therefore, this is word-smithing to clarify that the language refers to those that have to run in two years rather than four. MR. BALASH related his understanding that Amendment 2 would delete all of Section 8. The language in Section 8 has been in and out of the bill at various stages. Discussions with the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) have expressed how problematic this section is in regard to its interpretation. Therefore, he expressed the desire to stay with the current APOC regulations and interpretations regarding newsletters and communications. CHAIR KOTT surmised that deletion of Section 8 means that existing statutory language is retained. Number 1845 REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE moved that the committee adopt Amendment 1. There being no objection, Amendment 1 was adopted. REPRESENTATIVE KOHRING moved that the committee adopt Amendment 2. There being no objection, Amendment 2 was adopted. REPRESENTATIVE KOHRING moved that the committee rescind its action in adopting Amendment 2. There being no objection, the committee rescinded its action in adopting Amendment 2. REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE moved that the committee rescind its action in adopting Amendment 1. There being no objection, the committee rescinded its action in adopting Amendment 1. CHAIR KOTT pointed out that the committee has to rescind its action in reporting HCS CSSB 103(RLS), version 22-LS0148\Z, out of committee on April 19, 2001. Therefore, the committee must bring the bill back before the committee first. Number 1919 REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE moved that the committee rescind its action in reporting HCS CSSB 103(RLS), version 22-LS0148\Z, out of committee on April 19, 2001. There being no objection, version Z was before the House Rules Standing Committee. Number 1930 REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE moved that the committee adopt Amendment 1. There being no objection, Amendment 1 was adopted. REPRESENTATIVE KOHRING moved that the committee adopt Amendment 2. REPRESENTATIVE BERKOWITZ objected. He pointed out that what is being done [with Amendment 2] is authorizing these truncated Senators to take $20,000 as opposed to Representatives that can only take $10,000 for every year in term. REPRESENTATIVE BERKOWITZ withdrew his objection to Amendment 2. Therefore, Amendment 2 was adopted. Number 1983 REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE moved to report HCS CSSB 103(RLS), version 22-LS0148\Z, as amended out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, HCS CSSB 103(2dRLS) was reported from the House Rules Standing Committee.