05/05/2005 01:30 PM House FINANCE

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 12                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Relating to the Joint Rural Assessment Task Force.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Chenault MOVED  to ADOPT  work draft  #24-LS0964\I,                                                                   
Cook,  5/3/05,  as  the  version   of  the  bill  before  the                                                                   
Committee.      Representative  Croft OBJECTED  to  hear  the                                                                   
changes.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:50:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  BILL  THOMAS,  SPONSOR, explained  that  many                                                                   
communities in Alaska are going  into debt and/or terminating                                                                   
local  services  because  of  inadequate  State  and  federal                                                                   
funding.  With  lack of a sustainable economy  that generates                                                                   
revenue necessary  to fund local services,  those communities                                                                   
are hurting.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Thomas believed  the Legislature would benefit                                                                   
from a  clear picture  regarding the  current state  of these                                                                   
rural  communities.   The proposed  resolution  calls on  the                                                                   
Legislature  to  establish  a  Joint  Rural  Assessment  Task                                                                   
Force.  The Task Force would be  charged with assessing needs                                                                   
of  rural communities  and reporting  those  findings to  the                                                                   
Legislature by January 15, 2006.  Membership would include:                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
*    Six legislators                                                                                                            
*    One designee of the Alaskan Municipal League                                                                               
*    One designee of the First Alaskans Institute                                                                               
*    One public member                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Representative Thomas  anticipated that the Task  Force would                                                                   
draw  on  the  work  of  several   organizations  to  conduct                                                                   
assessments and  develop findings, including  recommendations                                                                   
made  by Governor  Murkowski's Rural  Energy Action  Council,                                                                   
the  Denali  Commission's  five-Year  strategic  plan  and  a                                                                   
community  needs assessment  report completed  by the  Alaska                                                                   
Municipal League.   The Task Force would conduct  hearings in                                                                   
three to five communities across Alaska.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:54:21 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Stoltze  supported the  idea  and  asked who  the                                                                   
"public  members" would  be.   Representative Thomas  replied                                                                   
non-legislative  members as  chosen by  the President  of the                                                                   
Senate or the Speaker of the House.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:54:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair   Stoltze   inquired  if   Representative   Thomas                                                                   
expected  to have  a  role in  the process.    Representative                                                                   
Thomas replied  that he would  help move  it and that  he had                                                                   
been  invited to  three of  the communities  already to  meet                                                                   
with those residents.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:55:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Thomas  pointed  out  that  one  meeting  was                                                                   
planned   for  the   Alaska  Federation   of  Natives   (AFN)                                                                   
Conference scheduled in Fairbanks.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Representative Joule inquired  about Legislative involvement.                                                                   
Representative  Thomas  mentioned  rather  than  attaching  a                                                                   
fiscal note,  there would be  private donations coming  in to                                                                   
reduce costs.   He  added that leadership  on both  sides are                                                                   
participating.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:57:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Hawker commented  on  the idea  of no  fiscal                                                                   
note.    Representative   Thomas  explained  that   the  bill                                                                   
originally had a note; the intent is to zero it out.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Representative Croft WITHDREW  his OBJECTION.  There being NO                                                                   
further OBJECTION, the work draft was adopted.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:58:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Hawker MOVED to  replace fiscal note #1 with a                                                                   
new  zero note.    There being  NO  OBJECTION,  the note  was                                                                   
zeroed   and  would   be  accommodated   from  the   existing                                                                   
legislative budget.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:58:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Kelly encouraged the  Task Force look  at the                                                                   
issues  for decreasing  federal funds,  unemployment and  the                                                                   
sustainability of  those communities.  Representative  Thomas                                                                   
said that was the intent.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:00:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Hawker MOVED to  REPORT CS HCR 12 (CRA) out of                                                                   
Committee  with  individual  recommendations   and  with  the                                                                   
accompanying fiscal  note.  There being NO  OBJECTION, it was                                                                   
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CS HCR  12 (FIN)  was reported  out of  Committee with  a "do                                                                   
pass"  recommendation  and  with  a  new  zero  note  by  the                                                                   
Legislative Affairs Agency.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
2:02:00 PM