05/02/2024 03:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

            HB 397-ELIMINATE VACANT STATE POSITIONS                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:48:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHAW  announced that  the only order  of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL  NO. 397,  "An  Act  relating to  eliminating  vacant                                                               
positions in the  classified and partially exempt  service of the                                                               
state; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SHAW   explained  that  on   4/30/24  the   committee  had                                                               
considered  amendments  and  reported   [CSHB  397(STA)]  out  of                                                               
committee, and  today the committee  would rescind its  action on                                                               
one of the  amendments it had adopted and report  the bill out of                                                               
committee once again.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:48:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT moved to rescind  the committee's action in                                                               
reporting CSHB 397(STA) out of committee on 4/30/24.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:49:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK objected.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:49:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY requested an explanation.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:49:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 3:49 p.m. to 3:55 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:55:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BUDDY  WHITT, Staff,  Representative  Laddie  Shaw, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, explained the reason  for rescinding the committee's                                                               
action on  reporting CSHB  397(STA) out  of committee  on 4/30/24                                                               
was because  the committee had  adopted Amendment 4,  as amended,                                                               
which had triggered  a fiscal note, where once there  had been an                                                               
attached zero fiscal note.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:57:21 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY said, "I maintained my objection."                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:57:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
A roll call  vote was taken.   Representatives Wright, Carpenter,                                                               
C. Johnson,  Allard, and  Shaw voted  in favor  of the  motion to                                                               
rescind the committee's action in  reporting CSHB 397(STA) out of                                                               
committee on  4/30/24.  Representatives  Carrick and  Story voted                                                               
against it.  Therefore, the motion passed by a vote of 5-2.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:58:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT moved to rescind  the committee's action in                                                               
adopting   Amendment  4,   labeled  33LS-1551\A.4,   A.  Radford,                                                               
4/25/24, as amended, to HB 397, as amended.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK objected.   She expressed appreciation for                                                               
the committee's cooperative  work on HB 397 at  its prior hearing                                                               
but said there  is need for vetting the bill  more thoroughly and                                                               
potentially offer further  amendments on it.  She  opined that an                                                               
amendment  having generated  a fiscal  note should  not undo  the                                                               
work of the committee.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:59:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ALLARD   thanked  Representative   Carpenter  for                                                               
"bringing this forward."                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:00:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CARPENTER  said he  does  not  disagree with  the                                                               
statement from  Representative Carrick  but said he  must support                                                               
undoing [adoption of Amendment 4, as amended].                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:00:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK maintained her objection.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:00:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
A roll call  vote was taken.   Representatives Wright, Carpenter,                                                               
C. Johnson,  Allard, and  Shaw voted  in favor  of the  motion to                                                               
rescind  the  committee's action  in  [adopting  Amendment 4,  as                                                               
amended,  to HB  397,  as amended].    Representatives Story  and                                                               
Carrick voted against  it.  Therefore, the  adoption of Amendment                                                               
4, as amended, was rescinded by a vote of 5-2.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:01:17 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHAW  announced that  the motion to  adopt Amendment  4, as                                                               
amended, was  once again before  the committee, and he  stated an                                                               
objection.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:01:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease at 4:01 p.m.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:01:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHAW maintained his objection.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
A roll  call vote was  taken.  Representatives Carrick  and Story                                                               
voted  in favor  of  Amendment 4,  as  amended.   Representatives                                                               
Wright,  Carpenter, C.  Johnson, Allard,  and Shaw  voted against                                                               
it.  Therefore, Amendment 4, as  amended, failed to be adopted by                                                               
a vote of 2-5.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:02:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT moved to report  HB 397, as amended, out of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
zero fiscal notes.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK objected                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:03:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease at 4:03 p.m.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:03:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK  spoke to  her objection.   She reiterated                                                               
her prior statement that the bill needs more vetting.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:04:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease at 4:04 p.m.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:04:32 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
A  roll call  vote was  taken.   Representatives Allard,  Wright,                                                               
Carpenter, C. Johnson,  and Shaw voted in favor of  the motion to                                                               
report  HB 397,  as  amended, out  of  committee with  individual                                                               
recommendations   and  the   accompanying   zero  fiscal   notes.                                                               
Representatives Carrick  and Story voted against  it.  Therefore,                                                               
CSHB  397(STA)  was  reported  out of  the  House  State  Affairs                                                               
Standing Committee by a vote of 5-2.