04/18/2009 08:30 AM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 36                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act prohibiting  initiatives that are substantially                                                                    
     similar to  those that failed  within the  previous two                                                                    
     years;  relating  to   financial  disclosure  reporting                                                                    
     dates for  persons, groups, and nongroup  entities that                                                                    
     expend  money  in  support  of   or  in  opposition  to                                                                    
     initiatives,   initiative   information  contained   in                                                                    
     election  pamphlets,  initiative petitions,  initiative                                                                    
     petition   circulators,   and   public   hearings   for                                                                    
     initiatives; and requiring a  standing committee of the                                                                    
     legislature  to  consider   initiatives  scheduled  for                                                                    
     appearance on the election ballot."                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:54:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KYLE JOHANSON,  SPONSOR, explained  that the                                                                    
presentation was to allow a  full vetting of the concepts in                                                                    
the bill, to be contemplated during the interim.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Johanson reviewed  sectional analysis  (Copy                                                                    
on  File). Section  1 refers  to disclosure  of money  going                                                                    
into the  initiative process.  If more  than $500  is spent,                                                                    
the  process of  disclosure begins,  which would  inform the                                                                    
public  who  is  contributing   to  the  changing  of  state                                                                    
statute. Sections  2 and three contain  conforming language.                                                                    
Section 4  removes initiative from  AS 15.13.110e  and moves                                                                    
it  into  Section  5.   Section  6  reexamines  contribution                                                                    
disclosure; how money is reported  to the public after it is                                                                    
put into the  system. Section 7 remains the  same. Section 8                                                                    
was included by the  Judiciary Committee. Section 9 requires                                                                    
that all  signature gatherers  have a  complete copy  of the                                                                    
initiative on  their person, at all  times, while collecting                                                                    
signatures. Section  10 discusses the  change in the  $1 per                                                                    
signature  payment  method  to  an  hourly  payment  method.                                                                    
Research  shows that  the hourly  method  allows for  honest                                                                    
signature collection and  the possibility for discressionary                                                                    
bonuses.  Section  11  discusses  the  requirement  for  two                                                                    
public  hearings, in  all four  judicial  districts, on  the                                                                    
initiative,  before the  Lieutenant Governor  announces that                                                                    
it will go to the ballot.  This would allow for intention to                                                                    
be understood before an election  takes place. He summarized                                                                    
that the  intention of the  bill was  to allow for  a better                                                                    
informed electorate.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
10:02:40 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Johanson  urged  members   to  look  at  the                                                                    
legislation in the interim. He  looked forward to discussion                                                                    
and debate of the bill in the 2010 session.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SS  HB  36 was  HEARD  and  HELD  in Committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
10:05:00 AM         AT EASE                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
10:19:45 AM         RECONVENED