02/13/2023 06:00 PM House WAYS & MEANS

         HB 45-PFD CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL FUND AND PF                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
6:01:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARPENTER announced  that the only order  of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE BILL  NO. 45,  "An Act  relating to  contributions from                                                               
permanent fund dividends to the general and permanent funds."                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARPENTER  noted that no  amendments were received,  and he                                                               
would  entertain questions  from  the committee  and hear  public                                                               
testimony.  In  response to a question  from Representative Gray,                                                               
he  said  answers   posed  to  previous  questions   are  on  the                                                               
legislature's Bill Action & Status Inquiry System (BASIS).                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
6:02:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARPENTER opened public testimony on HB 45.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
6:03:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RANDY GRIFFIN, representing self, testified  in support of HB 45.                                                               
He  shared that  he has  been "sending  back" his  permanent fund                                                               
dividend (PFD) check to the state  since 2015, and his reason has                                                               
been the  state's deficit resulting  from the crash in  the price                                                               
of oil.   He said he thinks the $25  increments proposed under HB
 are  a good idea;  each recipient can  choose how much  of the                                                               
PFD he/she/they would like to keep.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
6:06:07 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BERT HOUGHTALING, representing  self, stated that he  is "kind of                                                               
for HB 45"  but thinks the proposed legislation "does  not go far                                                               
enough."   He recommended  the repeal of  Senate Bill  21 [passed                                                               
during the  Thirtieth Alaska State  Legislature] and  remarked on                                                               
the number of Alaskans living without enough money.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
6:09:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOEL SIGMAN,  representing self, talked about  lacking money, the                                                               
different  perspective of  rich people,  and a  lack of  trust of                                                               
legislators.   Regarding  HB  45, he  opined  that the  committee                                                               
should "drop it."                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
6:12:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MICHAEL  GARHART, representing  self,  testified  he opposes  the                                                               
government taking any PFD money  from Alaskans.  He explained the                                                               
reason  is that  his brother  has  tracked money  related to  the                                                               
permanent fund and has related to  him that it is not all getting                                                               
deposited.  He  opined the state needs to return  to the original                                                               
50/50 PFD plan as in statute.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
6:15:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KRISTIN MCBRIDE, representing self,  emphasized her support of "a                                                               
full PFD" and remarked on the adverse effects of inflation.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
6:16:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JANEL DOCKENDORF,  representing self, stated her  support of "the                                                               
full PFD"  and echoed the  concerns of previous  testifiers about                                                               
inflation and money stolen by legislators.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
6:18:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BARBARA TYNDALL,  representing self,  testified in support  of HB
, because it would satisfy the  concerns of those who think the                                                               
government needs  the people's money  and, thus, could  choose to                                                               
make  the donation  of their  PFD.   She added  her understanding                                                               
that about 10 people did that  last year; the rest, she surmised,                                                               
want their  PFD.   She asked the  legislature to  have compassion                                                               
for the people in Alaska who are struggling.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
6:19:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DONALD THOMPSON,  representing self,  testified in support  of HB
,  because although  he wants  to keep  his PFD,  he thinks  it                                                               
should be an option for people to  check off how much, if any, in                                                               
various increments, they would like to return.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
6:21:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ED  MARTIN, representing  self, commented  that currently  anyone                                                               
who  wishes can  give  back  his/her/their PFD  can  do  so.   He                                                               
pointed to  the fiscal note and  observed that it would  cost the                                                               
state well over  $100,000 to administer the provisions  of HB 45.                                                               
Further,  he called  it insanity  to  charge people  to give  the                                                               
money  back.   He  emphasized the  state needs  to  pay the  full                                                               
dividend amount.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
6:24:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KATHLEEN SHOOP,  representing self, testified that  she needs her                                                               
PFD, and asked the legislature to  give the people their money to                                                               
keep the economy going, because it is currently failing.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
6:26:17 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARPENTER,  after ascertaining that  there was no  one else                                                               
who wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 45.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
6:26:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TILTON asked about  an opportunity for Alaskans to                                                               
choose to  return their  PFD checks to  the state's  general fund                                                               
(GF) or to the earnings reserve account (ERA).                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
6:27:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MIKE PRAX,  Alaska  State  Legislature, as  prime                                                               
sponsor  of HB  45, responded  that that  option wouldn't  be his                                                               
choice for  HB 45, but  would be  something for the  committee to                                                               
decide.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TILTON noted  the fiscal note seems  high for this                                                               
program,  and she  questioned whether  "those additional  buttons                                                               
add more cost."   She further questioned whether  this work could                                                               
be done  at the  same time  as other maintenance  is done  on the                                                               
fund, in order to save on cost.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
6:29:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
GENEVIEVE  WOJUSIK, Director,  Permanent Fund  Dividend Division,                                                               
Department  of  Revenue,  responded  to  Representative  Tilton's                                                               
query by stating that she does  not think the directives under HB
 could  be included under  general maintenance.  She  said this                                                               
would be  a programming and  coding change, as well  as requiring                                                               
security verification.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
6:30:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX, regarding future cost, said the [the                                                                       
legislature] would have to determine the success of the program                                                                 
and revisit it in a year or two.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
6:32:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARPENTER extended deadline for amendments to 2/17/23.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
[HB 45 was held over.]