HB 412-LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL & LB&A MEMBERSHIP 8:52:36 AM CHAIR LYNN announced that the last order of business was HOUSE BILL NO. 412, "An Act relating to the membership of the Alaska Legislative Council and the membership of the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee." 8:52:44 AM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG introduced HB 412 as prime sponsor, on behalf of every member of the House Minority. He said the bill was introduced once before on behalf of every member of the House Minority in the Twenty-Third Alaska State Legislature. He stated that with one exception, HB 412 completes a concept that began back in approximately 1987 or 1988, in the Fifteenth Alaska State Legislature, when a member of the House Minority approached Representative Gruenberg, then the House Majority leader, asking for proportional representation on standing committees. At that time, he noted, "we were not in a coalition," and the members of the Democratic majority agreed to the concept of proportional representation on the standing committees and amended the Uniform Rules accordingly. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG said that for whatever reason, the membership of the Alaska Legislative Council and the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee was not made proportional at the same time. He noted that those two committees were created by statute and do not require a two-thirds vote, but rather follow a majority vote. He said the only committee that has not been included in HB 412 was the Joint Armed Services Committee, because "we just didn't feel that that was necessary." 8:55:22 AM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG said there are six sections to the bill which provide proportional representation on the Alaska Legislative Council and the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee. He said both the majority leader and the minority whip support the legislation, although neither one was able to attend today's meeting. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG, in response to a question from Chair Lynn, described the present make-up of the two committees and how the bill would change them. He said he would have the numbers written down for the chair by the next hearing of the bill. 8:57:10 AM CHAIR LYNN announced that HB 412 was heard and held.