2007-01-25                     House Journal                      Page 0108
HB 109                                                                                                                        
HOUSE BILL NO. 109 by the House Rules Committee by request of                                                                   
the Governor, entitled:                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the requirement for candidates, groups,                                                                
     legislators, public officials, and other persons to submit reports                                                         
     electronically to the Alaska Public Offices Commission; relating                                                           
     to disclosures by legislators, public members of the Select                                                                
     Committee on Legislative Ethics, legislative directors, public                                                             
     officials, and certain candidates for public office concerning                                                             
     services performed for compensation and concerning certain                                                                 
     income, gifts, and other financial matters; requiring legislators,                                                         
     public members of the Select Committee on Legislative Ethics,                                                              
     legislative directors, public officials, and municipal officers to                                                         
     make certain financial disclosures when they leave office; relating                                                        
     to insignificant ownership interest in a business and to gifts from                                                        
     lobbyists for purposes of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act;                                                          
     relating to certain restrictions on employment after leaving state                                                         
     service for purposes of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act;                                                            
     and providing for an effective date."                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                

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was read the first time and referred to the State Affairs and Judiciary                                                         
Committees.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
The following fiscal note(s) apply:                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1.  Zero, Dept. of Administration                                                                                               
2.  Zero, Dept. of Law                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
The Governor's transmittal letter dated January 24, 2007, follows:                                                              
                                                                                                                                
"Dear Speaker Harris:                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Under the authority of art. III, sec. 18, of the Alaska Constitution, I am                                                      
transmitting a bill relating to reports to the Alaska Public Offices                                                            
Commission and relating to the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act.                                                              
                                                                                                                                
This bill would (1) generally require candidates, groups, legislators,                                                          
public officials, and others to submit required reports electronically to                                                       
the Alaska Public Offices Commission; (2) require legislators and                                                               
other public officials to make financial disclosures when they leave                                                            
office; (3) require candidates, legislators, and other public officials to                                                      
disclose information about services performed for compensation and                                                              
about certain income, gifts, and other financial matters; (4) establish a                                                       
presumption that an interest of less than $5,000 in a business is an                                                            
"insignificant" interest for purposes of the Alaska Executive Branch                                                            
Ethics Act; (5) establish a presumption that gifts from a lobbyist to a                                                         
public officer and the public officer's immediate family members are                                                            
prohibited under the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act, unless the                                                             
lobbyist is an immediate family member of the gift recipient; and (6)                                                           
tighten certain restrictions on employment after leaving state service                                                          
for purposes of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
The public's confidence in its government and governmental officials                                                            
is essential.  This bill would foster the openness in government that I                                                         
have advocated as one means to increase that confidence.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
In preparing this bill, I have taken into consideration the advice and                                                          
counsel of numerous individual Alaskans.  The issues addressed by the                                                           
provisions within this bill have largely been publicly discussed, and                                                           
may even be addressed in other bills currently pending in the                                                                   

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Legislature.  For example, provisions to establish a presumption                                                                
regarding "insignificant" interests were addressed in legislation last                                                          
year that passed the Senate and moved all the way to the House Rules                                                            
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
I urge your prompt and favorable action on this measure.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
                                Sincerely,                                                                                     
                                /s/                                                                                             
                               Sarah Palin                                                                                     
                                Governor"