04/12/2007 05:00 PM Senate FINANCE

                                                                                                                                
     SENATE BILL NO. 61                                                                                                         
     "An  Act   making  appropriations  for   qualified  regional                                                               
     seafood  development  associations,  for  investigation  and                                                               
     litigation  relating  to  the public  employees'  retirement                                                               
     system  and  the  teachers' retirement  system,  and  for  a                                                               
     special advisory  election; and  providing for  an effective                                                               
     date."                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
This was  the third hearing for  this bill in the  Senate Finance                                                               
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman   moved  to  adopt  Senate   Finance  committee                                                               
substitute, Version  25-GS1063\M, Kane, dated April  10, 2007, as                                                               
the working document.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
There being  no objection, the  Version "M"  committee substitute                                                               
was ADOPTED as the working document.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
5:13:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Amendment   #1:   This   amendment  deletes   the   language   of                                                               
subparagraph (g)  of Section 1,  Chapter 3, FSSLA 2005,  page 67,                                                               
lines 17  through 19  amended by  Section 6 on  page 4,  lines 22                                                               
through  27 of  the  bill and  inserts new  language  to read  as                                                               
follows.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
          (g) The unexpended and unobligated balance of the                                                                     
     appropriation made  by sec. 1,  ch. 3, FSSLA 2005,  page 67,                                                               
     lines 17 - 19 (Chitina,  personal use dip net fishery access                                                               
     area  - $700,000)  is reappropriated  to  the Department  of                                                               
     Transportation  and Public  Facilities  for Chitina  fishery                                                               
     access and facility improvements.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman moved for adoption  and objected for purposes of                                                               
explanation.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Hoffman  stated  that  this amendment  was  offered  at                                                               
request  of   the  Governor   Sarah  Palin   Administration.  The                                                               
amendment  would   "remove  the  conditional  language   that  is                                                               
attached  to the  original appropriation".  He explained  that "A                                                               
name change,  as proposed in SB  61 will not remove  the language                                                               
and will prevent  the department from being able  to complete the                                                               
replacement of the O'Brien Creek Bridge  and add a boat ramp this                                                               
year."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
5:15:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman removed his objection.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson   asked  whether  the  action   proposed  by  this                                                               
amendment was considered significant.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman reminded the Committee  that this issue had been                                                               
discussed  during   the  previous  hearing  on   this  bill.  The                                                               
amendment would simply "clarify the language."                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
There being no further objection, Amendment #1 was ADOPTED.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
5:16:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Amendment #2: This amendment inserts  a new section into the bill                                                               
as follows.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Department of  Education and Early  Development. The  sum of                                                               
     $740,271  is  appropriated  from  the general  fund  to  the                                                               
     school construction  grant fund  (AS 14.11.005)  for payment                                                               
     by the  Department of Education  and Early Development  as a                                                               
     grant under AS 14.11.015 to  the Chugach School District for                                                               
     Chenega Bay School roof replacement.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman moved for adoption  and objected to explain that                                                               
this amendment would provide State  general funds for the Chenega                                                               
Bay School roof replacement.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman removed his objection.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
There being no further objection, Amendment #2 was ADOPTED.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
5:16:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Amendment  #3:  This  amendment inserts  a  new  subsection  into                                                               
Section 5 as follows.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
          (c) The sum of $6,500,000 is appropriated from the                                                                    
     general  fund  to  the  Department   of  Health  and  Social                                                               
     Services  for the  Fairbanks virology  laboratory completion                                                               
     from the following amounts:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     General fund                            $3,500,000                                                                         
     Interest earnings on                                                                                                       
       certificates of participation         $3,000,000                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman  offered a motion  for adoption and  objected to                                                               
provide an explanation. This  amendment would provide significant                                                               
cost savings to  the State by allowing the project  to proceed on                                                               
schedule.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman removed his objection.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
There being no further objection, Amendment #3 was ADOPTED.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
AT EASE 5:18:20 PM / 5:18:35 PM                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman  offered a motion  to authorize the  Division of                                                               
Legal and  Research Services  to review  the amendments  and make                                                               
conforming and technical changes as necessary.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
There being no objection, the motion PASSED.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
5:19:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman  offered a  motion to report  CS SB  61, Version                                                               
25-GS1063\M,   as  amended,   from   Committee  with   individual                                                               
recommendations.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
There  being  no  objection,  CS SB  61(FIN)  was  REPORTED  from                                                               
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
AT EASE 5:19:51 PM / 6:03:49 PM