03/11/2003 08:00 AM House STA

Alaska Public Offices Commission                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
[Contains discussion of HB 157]                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Number 2470                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
LARRY  WOOD, Appointee  to the  Alaska Public  Offices Commission                                                               
(APOC), told the  committee he was born in Alaska  in 1950; spent                                                               
some "growing-up  years" in Washington  State; and has  spent the                                                               
last 18  years in Alaska, in  Fairbanks and then in  Eagle River.                                                               
He is  married with  four children.   He is  an attorney  who has                                                               
been practicing  in Alaska for 28  years, the last 12  years with                                                               
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company,  currently as assistant general                                                               
counsel.  He  said he has previously served as  a general counsel                                                               
at the Alaska  Railroad Corporation and, prior to  that, as chief                                                               
assistant attorney general for the State of Alaska in Fairbanks.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR.  WOOD noted  the irony  of being  before the  committee while                                                               
pending legislation exists [HB 157,  which would eliminate APOC].                                                               
In  response  to  a  question  by  Representative  Berkowitz,  he                                                               
clarified that  his name  might be  familiar because  a different                                                               
Larry Wood, perhaps  from Palmer, ran for a House  seat this past                                                               
fall.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Number 2348                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG asked Mr. Wood  to describe his views on                                                               
the role of APOC and his role as a commissioner.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR.  WOOD  listed  four  central  functions  of  the  commission:                                                               
campaign financing,  lobbying registration, disclosure  of income                                                               
and interests of public officials  and candidates, and regulation                                                               
and enforcement of  complaints for the aforementioned  areas.  He                                                               
described the role of commissioners  as follows:  to help oversee                                                               
the work of the staff and  the director in enforcing and ensuring                                                               
that those laws  are fairly administered and, from  time to time,                                                               
to adjudicate complaints  that come before the body.   In further                                                               
response, he  said his philosophy  is that those things  are very                                                               
important.    The  agency  has its  roots  in  1974  legislation.                                                               
Across  the  country,  historically,  there  have  been  campaign                                                               
finance reform  bills and legislation  impacting all  the states.                                                               
He said he believes in the  firm administrating of those laws and                                                               
he  expects that  [Alaska] will  continue to  ensure that  [those                                                               
laws] are protected and honored.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BERKOWITZ  asked Mr. Wood  if he had  any thoughts                                                               
regarding the proposed elimination of APOC.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR.  WOOD responded  that obviously  oil production  and revenues                                                               
are declining.   He said he  is sympathetic to the  task faced by                                                               
the governor and  the current legislators to  attempt to identify                                                               
efficiencies  in  state  government.    Furthermore,  this  is  a                                                               
regulatory  and  quasi-judicial  agency.    He  noted  that  [the                                                               
commission] held  a teleconference yesterday and  is beginning to                                                               
assemble facts  and a history.   He mentioned a  brief discussion                                                               
of what [the  commission's] functions are and what  it's doing in                                                               
order to  assist the governor and  the legislature.  He  said, "I                                                               
think it's incumbent  now, in our agency, to ensure  you have all                                                               
the  facts  and  information  you'll   need  to  make  the  right                                                               
decisions."                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
[Although  no formal  motion was  made, the  nomination of  Larry                                                               
Wood,  appointee to  the Alaska  Public  Offices Commission,  was                                                               
treated  as  advanced  from  the  House  State  Affairs  Standing                                                               
Committee.]