04/24/2002 03:38 PM Senate RES

    CSHB 286(RES)am-FISHING PERMITS/ASSOCIATIONS/ASSESSMENTS                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  TORGERSON  announced  CSHB  286(RES)  am to  be  up  for                                                              
consideration. He  reminded members about their concern  that if a                                                              
tax is levied to  buy out the permits, it might  never go away. He                                                              
explained that Amendment 1 requires  organizations to tell members                                                              
when voting on whether or not to  tax or assess, when the tax will                                                              
stop and then have another vote.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR TAYLOR moved Amendment 1 as follows:                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
                                                      22-LS1099\T.1                                                             
                                                          Utermohle                                                             
                                                           10/31/02                                                             
                                                                                                                                
                      A M E N D M E N T  1                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
TO:  CSHB 286(   ), Draft Version "T"                                                                                           
Page 8, following line 2:                                                                                                       
     Insert a new subsection to read:                                                                                           
          "(e)  The provisions of AS 43.05 and AS 43.10 apply for                                                               
     the enforcement and collection of a salmon fishery                                                                         
     assessment levied under AS 43.76.220 - 43.76.280."                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON said this would also  require that the re-vote reach                                                              
the supermajority that originally voted.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN TORGERSON  said it  would reach the  people who  hold the                                                              
permits. He explained, "It does away  the cloud of one group could                                                              
buy out a bunch  of others and leave that tax on  there and have a                                                              
broader scope than what we wanted originally."                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENTOR ELTON asked Representative Scalzi what he thought.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
TAPE 02-22, SIDE B                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                              
REPRESENTATIVE SCALZI said he concurred with the amendment.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  TORGERSON  asked  Mary  McDowell,  Commercial  Fisheries                                                              
Entry Commission (CFEC),  if she supported this  amendment and she                                                              
indicated she did.  He announced that there were  no objections to                                                              
Amendment 1 and it was adopted.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS.  DORIS  CABANA, Homer  resident,  said  she opposed  SCS  CSHB
(RES). She thought it would cause a lot of problems.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN TORGERSON said  this is what the members  want and all it                                                              
does is create an ability to vote.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR. PAUL  SEATON said  he thought  this bill  may have  unintended                                                              
consequences because  in some areas  a majority of  permits aren't                                                              
being fished.  This will create a  situation where people  who are                                                              
not fishing could  vote this in. Meanwhile, those  who are fishing                                                              
will be taxed  and the money will be distributed  among the people                                                              
who aren't fishing so that they will continue to not fish.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS.  SUE  ASPELUND,  Cordova  Fishermen  United  (CFU),  said  CFU                                                              
supports SCS CSHB 286(RES).                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WILKEN moved  to pass  SCS CSHB  286(RES) from  committee                                                              
with individual  recommendations and  its zero fiscal  note. There                                                              
were no objections and it was so ordered.