Legislature(2017 - 2018)SENATE FINANCE 532
06/09/2017 11:30 AM Senate CONFERENCE COMMITTEES ON HB 57 AND HB 59
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| Audio | Topic |
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| Start | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 57 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 59 | TELECONFERENCED | |
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 57(FIN) am(brf sup maj fld)(efd fld)
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
loan program expenses of state government and for
certain programs; capitalizing funds; repealing
appropriations; and making supplemental appropriations
and reappropriations."
SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 57(FIN) am S
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
loan program expenses of state government and for
certain programs; capitalizing funds; repealing
appropriations; making supplemental appropriations and
reappropriations; making appropriations under art. IX,
sec. 17(c), Constitution of the State of Alaska, from
the constitutional budget reserve fund; and providing
for an effective date."
and
CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 59(FIN)
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
capital expenses of the state's integrated
comprehensive mental health program; and providing for
an effective date."
SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 59(FIN)
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
capital expenses of the state's integrated
comprehensive mental health program; and providing for
an effective date."
11:34:42 AM
Co-Chair Seaton invited David Teal, Director of the
Legislative Finance Division to join legislators at the
table. He reported that the conference committee would be
addressing open items in HB 57 and HB 59 based on the
motion sheets distributed to members earlier in the day,
dated June 9th, on the Department of Military and Veterans
Affairs, the Department of Public Safety, the Department of
Revenue, the Executive Branch-wide Appropriations, and
Judiciary.
Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT the following in the
Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs budget:
Item 1 House
Item 2 House
Item 3 House
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.
Co-Chair Seaton indicated that the action closed the
conference-able items in the Department of Military and
Veterans Affairs budget.
Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT the following in the
Department of Public Safety's budget:
Item 1 Senate
Item 2 Senate
Item 3 Line 1 House plus $6,000 for a revised total
of $1,525,100
Item 3 Line 2 House minus $6,000 for a revised
total of minus $1,525,100
Item 4 House
Item 5 Senate
Item 6 Senate minus $31,100 for a revised total of
$93,300. This funds the position at 75% in
recognition that the position would not be
filled on July 1.
Item 7 Senate
Senator Olson OBJECTED to Item 7.
Item 8 OPEN
Item 9 Senate
Item 10 House
Item 11 House
Item 12 House
Item 13 Senate
Senator Olson OBJECTED to Item 13.
Item 14 Senate
Item 15 OPEN
Item 16 OPEN
Item 17 OPEN
Item 18 Senate
Representative Pruitt OBJECTED to Item 18.
Item 19 Senate and modify the first line of the
language by adding "and the Legislative
Finance Division" after the words "Finance
Committees"
Representative Pruitt OBJECTED to Item 19.
Item 20 Senate
Item 21 Senate
Item 22 Senate
Co-Chair Seaton indicated that the action closed
conference-able items 1,2,3,4,5,6,9,10,11,12,14,20,21,22 in
the Department of Public Safety.
Co-Chair Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT Item 7.
Senator Olson spoke to his objection. He relayed that Item
7 transferred $200 thousand from the Village Public Safety
Officer (VPSO) Program to the Alaska State Troopers. He
realized there were vacancies within the VPSO program and
within the Alaska State Troopers. In looking at the funding
for both over the previous 10 years, it had been a hard
fought process to get adequate funding for the troopers. He
opined that with the amount of domestic violence, the
increased rate of crime, and the opioid epidemic in rural
Alaska the state was going in the wrong direction. He
mentioned a series on Quinagak in the Bethel area about
people on the front lines of the epidemic. He thought the
rural communities needed as much support as possible.
Senator Olson MAINTAINED his OBJECTION.
11:40:54 AM
Co-Chair Foster asked if the position funded in the Alaska
State Troopers would be supporting the VPSO program.
11:41:18 AM
AT EASE
11:42:41 AM
RECONVENED
A roll call vote was taken on the motion.
IN FAVOR: MacKinnon, Foster, Pruitt, Hoffmann, Seaton
OPPOSED: Olson
The MOTION to ADOPT Item 7 PASSED (House: 3/0 - Senate:
2/1).
Co-Chair Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT Item 13.
Senator Olson OBJECTED. He explained that his argument was
the same for the current amendment as it was for the
previous amendment. He thought it essentially took money
away from the VPSO program to support the trooper
detachment. He thought the legislature was doing the same
thing by undercutting the people on the front lines in
order to have the troopers present.
Co-Chair Foster clarified that it was a difficult item for
him because it impacted his areas. He wondered about the
number of positions that were unfilled within the VPSO
program. The amendment would move funding for 4 positions.
He asked how many there were in unfilled VPSO positions.
DAVID TEAL, DIRECTOR, LEGISLATIVE FINANCE DIVISION, thought
the number was close to 20 for the previous 2 years. He
thought the department would have the figure.
Senator Olson asked how many vacancies there were within
the Alaska State Troopers.
Mr. Teal did not know the answer.
A roll call vote was taken on the motion.
IN FAVOR: Pruitt, Foster, MacKinnon, Seaton, Hoffman
OPPOSED: Olson
The MOTION to ADOPT Item 13 PASSED (House: 3/0 - Senate:
2/1).
11:46:27 AM
Co-Chair Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT Item 18.
Representative Pruitt OBJECTED.
Representative Pruitt spoke to his objection. He indicated
that the appropriation being discussed was an inter-agency
receipt, which could be done without the approval or
authority of the legislature. He explained that it had been
agreed by the House that it did not like the idea of arming
tax division personnel who would be able to fulfill duties
similar to personnel from the Department of Public Safety.
While he understood the inter-agency receipt could be
carried out without the appropriation, he thought it was
better to send the signal that the legislature did not
intend to arm tax personnel. He favored the House
recommendation of disallowing the inter-agency receipt from
taking place.
Representative Pruitt MAINTAINED his OBJECTION.
11:47:48 AM
AT EASE
11:50:59 AM
RECONVENED
Co-Chair MacKinnon indicated that after discussions with
the department she had been notified that the
administration would not be deploying armed tax collectors
in the state. She asked that the Item be set aside to allow
some time to confirm the information.
Co-Chair Hoffman WITHDREW his MOTION to ADOPT Item 18.
Co-Chair Seaton indicated Item 18 would remain open.
Co-Chair Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT Item 19 with modified
language (See language above).
Representative Pruitt spoke to his objection. His caucus
was concerned with allowing the Department of Public Safety
to come up with a plan for staffing levels. It was
suggested that the Legislative Budget and Audit Division
make the determination. He also suggested there was an
entity that had recently given an executive look at the
Anchorage Police Department. He had been given a copy by
Representative Kopp who thought the entity had done an
effective job in recommending what they should and should
not do. He thought some solutions could be suggested that
most people could agree on. He suggested that if a
department audited itself, there would be an expectation
for a request for increased funding in the future. He
thought having a more neutral party would be solid.
Representative Pruitt WITHDREW his OBJECTION.
11:53:56 AM
AT EASE
11:54:47 AM
RECONVENED
Co-Chair Seaton relayed that the objection to Item 19 had
been removed.
Co-Chair Hoffman commented that crime was on the rise in
urban and rural Alaska. The House did not have intent
language to try to address the issue. He believed the
intent language being discussed was adequate. He commented,
"If additional studies need to be taken, so be it." He
thought the Senate's intent language recognized the problem
in Alaska and the need to address adequate funding levels
for Alaska State Troopers and VPSO's.
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.
Co-Chair Seaton indicated that the action closed the
conference-able items 7, 13, and 19 in the Department of
Public Safety, leaving items 8, 15, 16, 17, and 18 OPEN.
11:56:30 AM
Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT the following in the
Department of Revenue's budget:
Item 1 House minus $61,500 for a revised total of
$184,500. This funds the positions at 75% in
recognition that the positions would not be
filled on July 1.
Item 2 House
Item 3 House for all lines
Item 4 Senate
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.
Co-Chair Seaton indicated that the action closed the
conference-able items in the Department of Revenue's
budget.
11:57:17 AM
Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT the following in Executive
Branch-wide Appropriations:
Item 1 House for all lines
Representative Pruitt OBJECTED.
Representative Pruitt explained that there would be an
increase to the budget of $1.8 million. He understood the
discussion that the legislature would not be passing a bill
that lowered the appropriation. He thought there were other
areas the legislature had chosen not to fully fund what was
indicated in statute. He highlighted that the appropriation
clearly articulated that there was not a pay freeze in
place in Alaska while the state was in desperate times. He
argued that by accepting the item, the state was not
freezing pay. It might be that the legislature and/or the
administration had recognized they had to do things
differently. However, the adoption of the item essentially
sent a message that everything was "A-Okay."
Representative Pruitt REMOVED his OBJECTION.
Co-Chair Hoffman relayed that the item had been under a
significant amount of debate. He opined that the adoption
of the item was not an acknowledgement that the legislature
was avoiding addressing the state's fiscal problems having
not taking up the legislation [SB 31/HB 71 - Title: NO ST.
EMPLOYEE PAY INCREASE FOR 2 YRS Legislation introduced by
the governor in January 2017]. He surmised there were two
questions to be answered. First, did the state have two
classes of employees? If so, should the state treat them
differently? The legislature was faced with the dilemma of
whether to freeze the pay of unclassified employees, who
were under the preview of the legislature, without being
able to freeze the pay of union employees. He argued that
even though the state had a major financial problem,
treating unclassified employees differently because they
were not in a union did not bode well at the current time
in Alaska's history.
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Item 1 was
ADOPTED.
Co-Chair Seaton indicated that the action closed the
conference-able items in Executive Branch-wide
Appropriations.
12:00:09 PM
Senator Hoffman MOVED to ADOPT the following in the
Judiciary's budget:
Item 1 House
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.
Co-Chair Seaton indicated that the action closed the
conference-able items in Judiciary's budget.
Co-Chair Seaton conveyed that once the next meeting date,
time, and subject matter were determined, the meeting would
be noticed on BASIS.
HB 57 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
HB 59 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
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