ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  LEGISLATIVE BUDGET AND AUDIT COMMITTEE  February 26, 2016 8:31 a.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Mike Hawker, Chair Representative Sam Kito MEMBERS ABSENT  Senator Anna MacKinnon, Vice Chair Senator Lyman Hoffman Senator Cathy Giessel Senator Bert Stedman Senator Click Bishop Senator Pete Kelly (alternate) Representative Kurt Olson Representative Lance Pruitt Representative Steve Thompson Representative Mark Neuman (alternate) COMMITTEE CALENDAR  PUBLIC COMMENT ON PERFORMANCE REVIEWS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT~ THE ALASKA COMMISSION ON POST- SECONDARY EDUCATION~ AND THE ALASKA STUDENT LOAN CORPORATION PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION  No previous action to record WITNESS REGISTER JESSE JENKINS Morningside Research Austin, Texas POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the public comment hearing. JENNIFER WALL Public Works LLC San Francisco, California POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the public comment hearing. ACTION NARRATIVE 8:31:54 AM CHAIR MIKE HAWKER called the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee meeting to order at 8:31 a.m. Representative Hawker was present at the call to order. Representative Kito arrived as the meeting was in progress. CHAIR HAWKER explained that, as the purpose of this hearing was to gather information for the contractors, and, as it was being held during a legislative day, legislators were not expected to compromise their other committee schedules. ^Public Comment on Performance Reviews of the Department of Education and Early Development, the Alaska Commission on Post- Secondary Education, and the Alaska Student Loan Corporation Public Comment on Performance Reviews of the Department of  Education and Early Development, the Alaska Commission on Post- Secondary Education, and the Alaska Student Loan Corporation  8:33:01 AM CHAIR HAWKER announced that the only order of business would be public comments specifically conducted for the Legislative Audit Division to review agency activities, identify problems or concerns, and assist the contractors conducting the Performance Reviews of the Department of Education and Early Development, the Alaska Commission on Post-Secondary Education, and the Alaska Student Loan Corporation as mandated by House Bill 30, and required under AS 44.66.040(a)(2). He reiterated that the purpose of the meeting was to gather public feedback on the operations, functions, and interactions of the Department of Education and Early Development, the Alaska Commission on Post- Secondary Education, and the Alaska Student Loan Corporation. He emphasized that this was an informational hearing, not a budget hearing, and that written testimony would also be accepted. 8:35:11 AM JESSE JENKINS, Morningside Research, explained that Morningside Research was performing the review of the Alaska Commission on Post-Secondary Education and the Alaska Student Loan Corporation. He reported that they had been "on-site in Juneau once," and that they had conducted interviews with many of the staff. Currently, they were preparing a bench mark for comparison with other states and other loan competitors nationally. He relayed that they would return to Juneau for follow-up. In response to Chair Hawker, he stated that the preliminary draft would be completed by June, with the report due to the Alaska State Legislature by September. 8:36:44 AM JENNIFER WALL, Public Works LLC, explained Public Works role as the prime contractor for the performance review of the Department of Education and Early Development, the Alaska Commission on Post-Secondary Education, and the Alaska Student Loan Corporation. She relayed that Morningside was the sub- contractor for the Alaska Commission on Post-Secondary Education and the Alaska Student Loan Corporation aspect of the project. She reported that Public Works had "people on site throughout the state in Alaska interviewing key people within the Department of Education and Early Development, from directors to staff, as well as people throughout the state at school districts and at campus levels." She noted that they were still in the research phase but would soon begin preparation of the preliminary finding. 8:37:44 AM CHAIR HAWKER identified that the two groups had been very active in contacting and working directly with the department and commissions under review, and he reiterated that this hearing was not the sum total, but simply the opportunity for the public to testify and contribute to the process. 8:38:25 AM CHAIR HAWKER opened public testimony. He noted that there was no one in the public who currently wanted to testify, and reminded that this was the second opportunity for public testimony. 8:39:47 AM The committee took an at-ease from 8:39 a.m. to 8:54 a.m. 8:54:10 AM CHAIR HAWKER brought the committee back to order. 8:54:36 AM REPRESENTATIVE KITO stated that he did not have any testimony to offer at this time. [Public testimony was closed] 8:54:52 AM ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee meeting was adjourned at 8:54 a.m.