Legislature(2005 - 2006)BUTROVICH 205
04/06/2006 08:30 AM Senate JUDICIARY
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB318 | |
| HB400 | |
| HB272 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 272 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| = | HB 318 | ||
| = | HB 400 | ||
HB 272-CARD ROOMS & OPERATIONS
9:52:18 AM
CHAIR RALPH SEEKINS announced CSHB 272(FIN) AM to be up for
consideration.
MICHAEL O'HARE, Staff to Representative Pete Kott, advised the
committee of a committee substitute (CS) identified as 24-
LS0916\L. The changes are as follows:
Page 2, line 8 allows for a maximum fee or rake a licensed owner
may collect from players to be up to $4.00 per game.
Page 2, line 13 adds that a municipality may regulate the hours
of operation and other matters relating to card rooms within the
municipality.
Page 2, starting at line 28 after "department" adds that the
licensed owner shall obtain a signed self determined pre-set
loss limit from the player before selling tokens or chips.
Page 8, line 23 says an owner's license may not be transferred,
sold, or purchased. It is a non-transferable license.
Page 9, line 9 allows for licenses to be issued for card room
operations in a municipality that has a municipal police
department if the municipality has adopted the ordinance,
ratified by at least 60 percent of the municipal voters voting
to authorize card rooms and card games in that municipality. If
the population of the municipality is less than 50,000, only one
owner's license may be issued in that municipality. If the
population of the municipality is 50,000 or more, the total
number of owner's licenses issued may not exceed the total
population divided by 50,000.
Page 11, line 7 subsection (b) is added as a factor to consider
in granting an owner's license, the department shall make an
application for an owner's license available for public
inspection and copying, and shall invite the public comment on
an application and consider all comments received in determining
whether to grant the owner's license.
Page 11, line 11 adds subsection (c) in order to give local
input to the department in order to determine who would get a
license in the case of more than one entity vying for a permit.
9:56:23 AM
SENATOR CHARLIE HUGGINS moved version L as the working document
before the committee. Hearing no objections, the motion carried.
MR. O'HARE submitted answers to questions that the committee had
in the previous bill hearing. He added the document titled
Question to the Sponsor of HB 272 Posed by the Senate Judiciary
Committee Dated 03/29/2006 to the committee packet.
10:01:25 AM
CHAIR SEEKINS called for public testimony.
EDWARD JAMES, Anchorage, testified in favor of the bill.
DAN STICKLE, Economist for the Department of Revenue (DOR),
offered to answer questions regarding the fiscal note.
ROBERT HALL, Vice President of the Houston Chamber of Commerce,
testified in favor of the bill. He thanked the sponsor for
adding the changes that the city suggested.
10:09:03 AM
MR. HALL recognized the hesitancy of the committee to passing
the bill and suggested that they put the question on the ballot
and allow the public to vote on it.
LINK FANNON, City Councilman, Houston, Alaska, testified in
support of the bill. He thanked the sponsor for adding the
suggested changes to the bill, such as local control and the
super-majority vote. He advised the committee that the City of
Houston was taking an economic approach to the bill. Card
playing is happening currently and a lot of money is going out
of the country, he said. The State of Alaska needs to enforce
consumer protection and allow citizens to play in their home
state in a safe environment.
10:12:02 AM
RUTH BLANCHARD, City Council Member of Houston, Alaska testified
in favor of the bill. The bill provides for a safe and
responsible way for people to enjoy playing poker, she asserted.
ROSEMARY BURNETT, Deputy Mayor of Houston, testified in support
of the bill.
10:15:09 AM
MELISSA PARKER, representing the Alaska Poker Association,
testified in support of the bill. She said her organization has
been approached by several organizations, such as churches and
the police, who asked them to help organize poker tournaments.
She said HB 272 would help people stay in Alaska to play poker
and that the money would stay in state.
SENATOR GENE THERRIAULT asked Ms. Parker whether she had any
reason to believe that people wouldn't still go out of the
state, play online, or play in back rooms. He took issue with
the claim that the bill would keep money in the state.
MS. PARKER said it wouldn't prevent Internet gaming but that
Alaskan's would stay in state to play in the tournaments, rather
than going out of state to play.
SENATOR HUGGINS asked Ms. Parker a reasonable parameter of loss-
limits.
MS. PARKER said that would be self-imposed and so it would be an
individual decision.
10:19:34 AM
CHAIR SEEKINS asked Ms. Parker her thoughts of whether the card
rooms would morph into rooms full of gaming, including bingo and
pull-tabs.
MS. PARKER said it would be up to the municipality but it could
be likely.
CHAIR SEEKINS asked her impression of the cost of opening a card
room.
MS. PARKER said someone would have to be wealthy to open up a
card room.
10:22:16 AM
CHAIR SEEKINS closed public testimony and asked for discussion
among committee members. He asked for the will of the committee.
CHAIR SEEKINS recognized that there was no will of the committee
and he held the bill in committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|