02/02/2012 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 53                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act reestablishing the Alaska Commission on the                                                                        
     Status of Women; and relating to the purpose and                                                                           
     powers of the Alaska Human Relations Commission."                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:10:59 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Hoffman  MOVED  to  ADOPT  the  proposed  committee                                                                   
substitute  for  SB  53,  Work   Draft  27-LS0107\M  (Martin,                                                                   
1/31/12) as a working document.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman OBJECTED for the purpose of discussion.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
DARWIN PETERSON,  STAFF, SENATOR BERT STEDMAN,  discussed two                                                                   
changes in  the work draft.  Language had been  inserted into                                                                   
lines  12 and  13 that  specifically designated  that one  of                                                                   
the commission's public  members not only had to  be a single                                                                   
mother,  but also  must be  the head  of a  household with  a                                                                   
child in  it. He noted  that the language  had been  added to                                                                   
address  concerns  raised  by  Senator  McGuire.  The  second                                                                   
change on page  2, lines 27 through 31 was added  in response                                                                   
to a concern  raised by Co-Chair Hoffman that  the commission                                                                   
could  become "urban  centric";  language  had been  inserted                                                                   
into these lines  that required the meetings to be  held on a                                                                   
rotating  basis  across the  state  and that  no  consecutive                                                                   
meetings could be held in the same region of the state.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:12:41 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman  WITHDREW  his OBJECTION.  There  being  NO                                                                   
FURTHER OBJECTION, Work Draft 27-LS0107\M was ADOPTED.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Senator Davis  explained that  the bill recreated  the Alaska                                                                   
Commission on  the Status of Women  and that it  would enable                                                                   
the state  to monitor  women's successes  in order  to gather                                                                   
important information.  She offered  that the changes  in the                                                                   
committee substitute made the legislation better.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman  discussed a fiscal note from  the Office of                                                                   
the Governor in  the amount of $515,400 in  general funds for                                                                   
travel per diem and staff positions.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:14:21 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Hoffman  MOVED  to   report  CSSB  53(FIN)  out  of                                                                   
committee   with    individual   recommendations    and   the                                                                   
accompanying fiscal  note. There  being NO OBJECTION,  it was                                                                   
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CSSB 53(FIN) was  REPORTED out of committee with  a "do pass"                                                                   
recommendation and  a new fiscal impact note  from the Office                                                                   
of the Governor.