05/10/2023 06:00 PM House WAYS & MEANS

            HJR 7-CONST AM: PERMANENT FUND DIVIDEND                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
6:38:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARPENTER announced that the  final order of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE JOINT  RESOLUTION NO.  7, Proposing  amendments to  the                                                               
Constitution  of  the State  of  Alaska  requiring payment  of  a                                                               
dividend to eligible state residents.   [Amendment 1 to HJR 7 was                                                               
adopted during the committee meeting on 4/24/23.]                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
6:38:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 6:38 p.m. to 6:42 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
6:42:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARPENTER asked for questions  or comments before reporting                                                               
HJR 7 out of committee.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
6:43:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MCKAY requested a summary of HJR 7, as amended.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARPENTER  answered that HJR  7 would require the  state to                                                               
pay the PFD through a  formula established in statute rather than                                                               
by the annual appropriations process.   He said the amendments in                                                               
the proposed  resolution address constitutional issues  raised by                                                               
the Alaska Supreme Court in  Wielechowski v. State, 403 P.3d 1141                                                             
(2017).   He explained that  this case allows the  legislature to                                                               
appropriate  the  PFD  rather  than  pay  the  dividends  out  by                                                               
formula.  He  explained that the proposed  resolution would allow                                                               
the  legislature to  dedicate funds  to the  PFD program  without                                                               
having to make appropriations every year.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
6:44:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE moved  to report HJR 7, as  amended, out of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.    There  being no  objection,  CSHJR  7(W&M)  was                                                               
reported out of the House Special Committee on Ways and Means.