Legislature(2021 - 2022)ADAMS 519
05/06/2022 09:00 AM House FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB358 | |
| HB226 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 283 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 358 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 226 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE
May 6, 2022
9:33 a.m.
9:33:28 AM
CALL TO ORDER
Co-Chair Merrick called the House Finance Committee meeting
to order at 9:33 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Neal Foster, Co-Chair
Representative Kelly Merrick, Co-Chair
Representative Dan Ortiz, Vice-Chair (via teleconference)
Representative Ben Carpenter (via teleconference)
Representative Bryce Edgmon
Representative DeLena Johnson
Representative Andy Josephson
Representative Bart LeBon
Representative Sara Rasmussen (via teleconference)
Representative Steve Thompson (via teleconference)
Representative Adam Wool
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Adam Wool
ALSO PRESENT
Nancy Meade, General Counsel, Alaska Court System; Elise
Sorum-Birk, Staff to Representative Andy Josephson.
PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE
Shelly Willhoite, Chief Budget Analyst, Office of
Management and Budget, Office of the Governor
SUMMARY
HB 226 PAY INCREASES FOR STATE ATTORNEYS
CSHB 226(FIN) was REPORTED out of committee with
three "do pass" recommendations and three "no
recommendation" recommendations and with one new
fiscal impact note from the Office of the
Governor/Various.
HB 283 APPROP: CAP; REAPPROP; SUPP
HB 283 was SCHEDULED but not HEARD.
HB 358 RENEWABLE ENERGY GRANT FUND
HB 358 was REPORTED out of committee with four
"do pass" recommendations and two "no
recommendation" recommendations and with one
previously published fiscal impact note: FN1
(CED).
Co-Chair Merrick reviewed the meeting agenda.
HOUSE BILL NO. 358
"An Act relating to the renewable energy grant fund
and recommendation program; and providing for an
effective date."
9:33:56 AM
Co-Chair Merrick relayed that the bill had been previously
heard and no amendments had been received.
9:34:34 AM
AT EASE
9:35:26 AM
RECONVENED
Co-Chair Foster MOVED to REPORT HB 358 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
note.
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.
HB 358 was REPORTED out of committee with four "do pass"
recommendations and two "no recommendation" recommendations
and with one previously published fiscal impact note: FN1
(CED).
9:35:53 AM
AT EASE
9:38:50 AM
RECONVENED
HOUSE BILL NO. 226
"An Act relating to the compensation of certain public
officials, officers, and employees not covered by
collective bargaining agreements; increasing the
salaries of certain attorneys employed by the state;
and providing for an effective date."
9:38:54 AM
Co-Chair Merrick noted amendments had been considered at
the bill's last hearing that resulted in significant
changes to the fiscal impact. She relayed that the
committee had received an updated fiscal note. She asked if
the bill sponsor had any opening remarks.
Representative Josephson informed the committee that he had
a substantive motion to make at the appropriate time.
9:39:22 AM
AT EASE
9:40:02 AM
RECONVENED
Co-Chair Merrick relayed that after the previous bill
hearing Nancy Meade with the Court System asked to make
some clarifying comments on the record.
NANCY MEADE, GENERAL COUNSEL, ALASKA COURT SYSTEM,
appreciated the opportunity to correct a misstatement from
the previous hearing on the bill. She detailed that Vice-
Chair Ortiz had offered Amendment 3 that provided a salary
increase for members of the judicial branch other than
justices and judges. She elaborated that in response to a
question she had indicated that justices and judges needed
to be included under other statutes. She explained that it
was true sometimes, but it was not necessarily the case
when uncodified law provided a salary increase to the
judicial branch. She stated it was unclear to her whether
justices and judges could be included in the pay raise
provided by the amendment. She hoped the committee would
retain the clause "other than justices and judges" in
Amendment 3. The action would provide a pay raise to
judicial branch employees with the exception of judges and
justices. She clarified she was speaking about the
uncodified provision. She explained it was still the case
that if all noncovered employees in the state received a
salary increase, the judges and justices would also receive
the increase. She stated with respect to Amendment 3 it
would be more appropriate to exclude judges and justices
from the salary increase.
9:42:08 AM
Representative Josephson MOVED to RESCIND action on the
prior adoption of Amendment 3 as amended [note: see
separate minutes dated 5/3/22 2:20 p.m. for detail].
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.
Representative Josephson MOVED to ADOPT Amendment 3 version
2, which would return to the original Amendment 3 with no
modifications.
There being NO OBJECTION, the original Amendment 3 was
ADOPTED.
Ms. Mead noted that the conceptual amendment to Amendment 3
had been discussed during Amendments 4 and 5. She detailed
that Amendments 4 and 5 adjusted the provision that was
referred to in Amendment 3 (the salary increase for
attorneys). She elaborated that Amendments 4 and 5 had been
taken up together in some ways and provided the attorneys
with a 15 percent pay increase in the statutory portion of
the bill [note: Amendment 4 was not adopted. Amendment 5
providing a 15 percent pay increase for attorneys was
adopted. See separate minutes dated 5/3/22 2:20 p.m. for
detail]. She explained that the conceptual amendment to
Amendment 3 was not applicable to the judiciary. She
clarified that the judiciaries would receive a 10 percent
pay increase as written under the original bill. She
advised that the wording of Amendment 3 and the committee
substitute should retain the language "other than justices
and judges" as Representative Josephson had indicated. She
clarified some additional rewording would be necessary to
not refer to the section with the 15 percent increase to
ensure the judiciary would receive the 10 percent salary
increase.
9:44:21 AM
Representative Josephson believed Ms. Mead was indicating
conforming changes needed to be made with respect to other
amendments.
Ms. Mead clarified that when Amendment 4 had failed to pass
a conceptual Amendment 5 had been adopted that implemented
a 15 percent pay raise for attorneys. Simultaneously, there
was a conceptual amendment to Amendment 3 specifying it
[the 15 percent] would not apply to the raise provided in
Amendment 3. She believed Amendment 3 could no longer be
drafted to refer to the provision amended to read "15
percent." She thought Legislative Legal Services had likely
followed the conceptual amendments and could make the
necessary conforming changes.
Representative Josephson asked for verification that
Amendment 5 would conform to the changes just made by the
adoption of the original Amendment 3.
Ms. Mead replied that she did not understand the question.
Co-Chair Merrick asked to hear from Representative
Josephson's staff.
9:45:55 AM
ELISE SORUM-BIRK, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE ANDY JOSEPHSON,
believed Ms. Mead was referencing the need to make a motion
to give Legislative Legal Services the ability to make
conforming changes to the bill to reflect changes in
previously adopted amendments.
Ms. Mead agreed. She wanted to ensure Amendment 3 no longer
referred to an amendment with a different percentage than
the one the committee intended for judicial employees to
receive.
Co-Chair Merrick stated that the motion [to report the bill
from committee] would authorize Legislative Legal Services
to make conforming changes.
Ms. Meade thanked the committee for the opportunity to make
clarifying remarks.
9:47:13 AM
Co-Chair Merrick asked for a review of the fiscal note.
SHELLY WILLHOITE, CHIEF BUDGET ANALYST, OFFICE OF
MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET, OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR (via
teleconference), reviewed the changes in the fiscal note
from the prior version. She explained that the new fiscal
note included $17,248,500 for FY 23. The outyear costs were
$18.9 million for FY 24 through FY 28.
9:48:36 AM
Representative Josephson highlighted that the partially
exempt and exempt state employees had not received an
increase since 2015 to 2016. Consequently, there was
evidence employees were leaving employment faster. He
referenced inflation and noted the need to show employees
appreciation and respect. He stated that the bill helped do
so.
Co-Chair Foster MOVED to REPORT CSHB 226(FIN) out of
committee with individual recommendations with the ability
for Legislative Legal Services to make conforming changes
and the accompanying fiscal note.
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.
CSHB 226(FIN) was REPORTED out of committee with three "do
pass" recommendations and three "no recommendation"
recommendations and with one new fiscal impact note from
the Office of the Governor/Various.
9:50:02 AM
RECESSED
10:07:40 AM
RECONVENED
ADJOURNMENT
10:07:49 AM
The meeting was adjourned at 10:07 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 283 Public Testimony Rec'd by 050522.pdf |
HFIN 5/6/2022 9:00:00 AM |
HB 283 |