03/09/2010 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

        HB 336-ELECTRIC & TELEPHONE COOPERATIVES' VOTING                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:52:37 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MUNOZ announced  that the final order  of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE BILL  NO. 336,  "An Act  relating to  electronic voting                                                               
procedures   for  electric   and   telephone  cooperatives;   and                                                               
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
[Before the committee is CSHB 336(STA).]                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:52:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
NANCY  MANLY,  Staff,  Representative   Bob  Lynn,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  speaking  on  behalf  of the  House  State  Affairs                                                               
Standing  Committee,  sponsor,  paraphrased  from  the  following                                                               
written sponsor statement [original punctuation provided]:                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     House  Bill  336  puts  in   statute  the  ability  for                                                                    
     telephone or electric cooperatives  to allow members to                                                                    
     vote  by electronic  transmission as  specified by  the                                                                    
     coop's by-laws.   The bill  was filed at the  urging of                                                                    
     coops around the state.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Currently, coop members may only  vote in person or via                                                                    
     the postal service.  This  method, however, is outdated                                                                    
     and  could  be  having  a  negative  impact  on  member                                                                    
     participation   in   elections  and   other   important                                                                    
     matters.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     By  allowing telephone  and  electric  coops to  permit                                                                    
     voting via electronic transmission  approved in its by-                                                                    
     laws,  the  Legislature will  make  it  so common  21st                                                                    
     century practices  may be  applied to  important public                                                                    
     involvement matters.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Coops in  every corner of  Alaska will be  enthused the                                                                    
     Legislature has  had the foresight to  pass legislation                                                                    
     important to  the public process.   This bill  does not                                                                    
     make  electronic  transmission  voting  mandatory,  and                                                                    
     cooperatives  choose whether  they want  to partake  or                                                                    
     not.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Already,   however,  Matanuska   Telephone  Association                                                                    
     (MTA) members have voted to  adopt a new bylaw allowing                                                                    
     electronic  transmission voting.   All  MTA, and  other                                                                    
     coops, need  is for the Legislature  amends the statute                                                                    
     to allow these coops to do so.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Please help me in facilitating  the quick passage of HB
.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:54:02 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PHIL   STEYER,  Director,   Government   Relations  &   Corporate                                                               
Communications,  Chugach   Electric  Association,   informed  the                                                               
committee that  Chugach Electric Association is  supportive of HB
.   He  noted that  the committee  packet includes  letters of                                                               
support  from  a  number  of other  electric  cooperatives.    He                                                               
highlighted  that the  legislation  is discretionary.   He  noted                                                               
that  the  Chugach Electric  Association  or  any other  electric                                                               
cooperative  shouldn't engage  in electronic  voting unless  they                                                               
can do so in a secure manner.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:55:06 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER inquired  as to who would  carry the burden                                                               
of the cost of the software and that the system is secure.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. STEYER  answered that  currently the cost  would be  borne by                                                               
the  cooperative  not   the  state.    In   further  response  to                                                               
Representative   Keller,   Mr.    Steyer   confirmed   that   the                                                               
aforementioned means that  the liability would also  lay with the                                                               
cooperative.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:55:41 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HARRIS asked  if  Alaska Electric  Light &  Power                                                               
(AEL&P) supports HB 336.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. STEYER clarified that AEL&P is a for-profit business.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HERRON, in response to Representative Harris, related                                                                  
that the entities providing electricity in his area are                                                                         
privately held entities.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:56:09 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HERRON moved to report HB 336 out of committee with                                                                    
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.                                                                   
There being no objection, it was so ordered.