02/14/2008 08:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS

HCR 12-AMEND UNIFORM RULES: ABSTAIN FROM VOTING                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
[Contains mention of HCR 16, HCR 18,  HCR 19, HB 309, SCR 12, and                                                               
SB 203.]                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:11:45 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN announced  that the first order of  business was HOUSE                                                               
CONCURRENT  RESOLUTION  NO. 12,  Proposing  an  amendment to  the                                                               
Uniform  Rules  of  the  Alaska  State  Legislature  relating  to                                                               
abstention from voting.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:13:05 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MIKE PAWLOWSKI,  Staff, Representative Kevin Meyer,  reviewed HCR
 on  behalf of  Representative Meyer, prime  sponsor.   He said                                                               
the  proposed legislation  would  "govern  the procedure  through                                                               
which  a  member can  abstain  from  a  vote."   He  modeled  the                                                               
procedure after  the one followed  by the Anchorage  Assembly, in                                                               
which  the majority  votes on  whether or  not a  member who  has                                                               
declared a  conflict should  be allowed  to abstain  from voting.                                                               
He  said the  legislation attempts  to create  a balance  between                                                               
protecting  a legislator  who  has a  conflict  of interest  with                                                               
upholding  the rights  of that  legislator's  constituents to  be                                                               
represented.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:14:26 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ROSES  noted that  there are other  similar pieces                                                               
of legislation  and that the chair  had mentioned to him  that he                                                               
may form  a subcommittee  to consolidate  the various  bills into                                                               
one.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:16:51 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN  confirmed that there  are six pieces  of legislation,                                                               
including  HCR  12.    He  appointed  Representatives  Gruenberg,                                                               
Roses, and Johnson to the subcommittee.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ROSES  said although he  would be happy  to serve,                                                               
he would like to give the chance to Representative Johansen.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR   LYNN    replaced   Representative   Roses'    name   with                                                               
Representative Johansen's.   He assigned  Representative Johansen                                                               
as  chair and  Representative Johnson  as vice  chair.   He asked                                                               
that the subcommittee work expeditiously.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:19:29 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN specified that he  wished the subcommittee to consider                                                               
HCR 12 alongside:   HCR 16, HCR  18, HCR 19, HB 309,  SCR 12, and                                                               
SB 203.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  COGHILL suggested  that all  the sponsors  of the                                                               
aforementioned bills be contacted.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:20:31 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRUENBERG said  he  spoke with  Tamara Cook,  the                                                               
director of  Legislative Legal Services,  about these  issues and                                                               
would like her included in the discussion.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:21:07 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN announced that HCR 12 was heard and held.