SENATE COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS February 8, 1994 9:08 a.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Senator Randy Phillips, Chairman Senator Robin Taylor, Vice Chairman Senator Loren Leman Senator Al Adams Senator Fred Zharoff MEMBERS ABSENT All Members Present OTHERS PRESENT Senator Tim Kelly Senator Steve Rieger COMMITTEE CALENDAR SENATE BILL NO. 2 "An Act requiring pay equity for certain public employees and requiring the compensation of certain public employees based on the value of work performed." SENATE BILL NO. 255 "An Act establishing a comprehensive policy relating to human resource development in the state." SENATE BILL NO. 203 "An Act requiring unified municipalities to provide police protection and law enforcement services; and providing for an effective date." PREVIOUS SENATE COMMITTEE ACTION SB 2 - See Community & Regional Affairs minutes dated 11/3/93, 1/11/94, 1/18/94, 1/20/94, 1/27/94, 2/1/94, 2/3/94. SB 255 - See Community & Regional Affairs minutes dated 1/25/94, 2/1/94, 2/3/94. SB 203 - See Community & Regional Affairs minutes dated 11/3/93, 1/13/94, 1/20/94, 1/25/94, 2/1/94, 2/3/94. WITNESS REGISTER Colonel John Murphy, Director Division of Alaska State Troopers Department of Public Safety 5700 E. Tudor Road Anchorage, AK 99507-1225 POSITION STATEMENT: Offered information on SB 203 ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 94-11, SIDE A Number 001 The Senate Community & Regional Affairs Committee was called to order by Chairman Randy Phillips at 9:08 a.m. Number 025 SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS brought SB 2 (PAY EQUITY BASED ON VALUE OF WORK) before the committee. SENATOR ADAMS moved that CSSB 2(CRA) (work draft A-LS0163\E) be adopted. SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS noted it was the committee substitute recommended by the Department of Administration. Hearing no objection, the motion carried. SENATOR ADAMS moved that CSSB 2(CRA) be passed out of committee with individual recommendations. Hearing no objection, it was so ordered. Number 090 SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS brought SB 255 (STATE POLICY ON HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMT) before the committee, noting there was a proposed committee substitute which incorporates Senator Adams' request to include the Department of Fish and Game, as well as a new zero fiscal note. Number 096 SENATOR LEMAN moved that CSSB 255(CRA) (work draft 8-LS1424\U) be adopted. Hearing no objection, the motion carried. SENATOR LEMAN stated that he wasn't sure that the language in subsection (e) on page 2 conveyed a change that he had suggested at a previous meeting. His point was that the social service programs of the state shall be structured instead of just providing an avenue for people; to send them on down that road, and to encourage them to get off of welfare and get into the productive work role. SENATOR LEMAN moved the following amendment to subsection (e) on page 2 of CSSB 255(CRA): "(e) Social service programs of the state shall encourage people who are unemployed to make the transition from welfare to employment and self-sufficiency. Public officials responsible for these programs shall coordinate the public assistance, social services, and human resource development services available to a client." SENATOR ADAMS objected to the amendment. The roll was taken with the following result: Senators Taylor, Leman and Phillips voted "Yea" and Senator Adams voted "Nay." The Chairman stated the amendment was adopted. Number 156 SENATOR TAYLOR moved that CSSB 255(CRA), as amended, be passed out of committee with individual recommendations. SENATOR ADAMS objected, stating that his objection was not to the legislation, but because a new fiscal note had just been received and it was the chairman's policy that a bill would not move out of committee on the same day a fiscal note is received. SENATOR PHILLIPS pointed out that it was a zero fiscal note, otherwise he would hold the bill to take a look at it. The roll was taken with the following result: Senators Leman, Taylor and Phillips voted "Yea" and Senator Adams voted "Nay." The Chairman stated the motion carried. Number 175 SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS brought SB 203 (MUNICIPAL POLICE SERVICES) before the committee as the final order of business. He suggested having a discussion on information gathered by the committee over the few weeks on the legislation and having everybodys' thoughts on one version or the other. Number 188 SENATOR ADAMS asked if Senator Kelly and Senator Rieger have come up with a unified proposal. SENATOR KELLY responded that they have not. He said it is a question of whether the Hillside is going to pay for Anchorage police protection, or whether they are going to try to pay a lesser amount for State Troopers. Senator Kelly commented that he does not believe that Senator Rieger's proposal will be accepted in the House and that Commissioner Burton has said that Governor Hickel will veto the bill if it reaches his desk. Rather than pursuing his initial concept that he introduced, Senator Kelly has proposed a committee substitute that takes the Task Force recommendation which provides that it be decided on the local level in areawide communities only. He pointed out that this concept was supported on the floor of the House the previous week. He urged that the committee adopt the recommendations of the Task Force, the State Troopers and the mayor of Anchorage. Number 215 SENATOR RIEGER directed attention to a new proposed committee substitute (work draft 8-LS0626\Q) which he has been working on with the Department of Public Safety to come up with a draft that is acceptable to them. It incorporates the amendments which were suggested by the department such as the deletion of Section 3 and some minor wording changes in Sections 1 and 2. Senator Rieger said he believes this is a local government problem. Unification in Anchorage would not have happened without the Charter Commission's review and realization that some City of Anchorage services would not be imposed on the other areas to be unified. Areas that were not mandatorily consolidated included road service, fire service, police service, etc. Since that time, the Municipality of Anchorage has proceeded to grossly mismanage their local labor relations, and now they are trying to shove those problems onto other areas that are not subject to those problems. He said it is hard for him to even imagine that they could think of trying to force something like that on areas which have not voted it in. Senator Rieger said the new committee substitute incorporates changes which benefit the remainder of the state by relieving the state government of a burden which they are now absorbing. He said it is a productive solution, and if this version is unacceptable to the sponsor, he would offer to introduce this bill himself in order to reach a solution. Number 310 COLONEL JOHN MURPHY, Alaska State Troopers, Department of Public Safety, stated Commissioner Burton and Deputy Commissioner Swackhammer were both out of town, however, he was available for questions from the committee. Colonel Murphy briefly explained how the department came up with their cost estimate for service to the Hillside, and he noted that the department has substantially reduced these services in the past couple of years. Colonel Murphy said Senator Rieger's proposal gives the department the ability to charge for actual services, and it would be acceptable if that is the way the committee chooses to go. Number 320 SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS asked Colonel Murphy if the department supports Senator Rieger's proposed committee substitute. COLONEL MURPHY answered that he believes it is the Department of Public Safety's position that they would rather have municipal police services up on the Hillside. However, if it is decided by the Legislature that the State Troopers should do it, the department would support this bill. Number 338 SENATOR KELLY asked if the committee substitute under discussion would call for a contract between the service areas and the Department of Public Safety. SENATOR TAYLOR answered that in his reading of the language in the bill, there is no contractual requirement - there is just a mandate by the Legislature to provide those services. SENATOR KELLY said he had just received Senator Riegers' new committee substitute and he feels it is important to talk to the Commissioner of Public Safety and the Mayor of Anchorage. However, he has no objection to the committee moving this version out and onto the next committee of referral, pending investigation of this new approach. Number 360 SENATOR TAYLOR moved that CSSB 203(CRA) (work draft 8-LS0626\Q) be adopted. Hearing no objection, it was so ordered. Number 368 SENATOR TAYLOR moved that CSSB 203(CRA) (work draft 8-LS0626/Q) be passed out of committee with individual recommendations. Hearing no objection, it was so ordered. There being no further business to come before the committee, the meeting was adjourned at 9:32 a.m.