03/13/2017 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION

          SB 66-ST. COUNCIL ON THE ARTS: PUBLIC CORP.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:10:10 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HUGHES announced that the  final order of business would be                                                               
SB 66. It  is the second hearing  on the bill and  she would look                                                               
to the will of the committee to move the bill.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
As sponsor,  she noted  they are  not bringing  a new  CS forward                                                               
today  due  to  its  lacking  transitional  language,  but  would                                                               
provide  the proposed  changes to  the Senate  Finance Committee.                                                               
She commented that  when considering the makeup  of other states'                                                               
arts boards,  many of which  have 9  members instead of  11, they                                                               
propose  to  change Alaska's  Board  of  Trustees  from 11  to  9                                                               
members  for   cost  savings  purposes.  The   proposed  CS  also                                                               
recommends the  council appoint  regional ambassadors  and delete                                                               
the reference to  the federal code, which is  unnecessary for the                                                               
bill or  for the council to  function. The CS would  also require                                                               
the  council to  report  how  it can  reduce  state  funds by  50                                                               
percent  over a  five-year  period and  report  it next  January.                                                               
There  was  also an  omission  of  transitional language  in  the                                                               
proposed CS related to the length of Board of Trustee service.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:13:07 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GIESSEL asked why we are doing this.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BEN BROWN,  Chair, Alaska  State Council  on the  Arts, presented                                                               
information on  SB 66.  He explained  that since  Senator Giessel                                                               
was not  present for the first  hearing of the bill,  he would be                                                               
glad to  address her  question. The Alaska  State Council  on the                                                               
Arts has  decided to be a  part of the budget  solution and going                                                               
to  a quasi-private  status will  make for  a more  effective and                                                               
efficient player  in state government. The  bill restructures the                                                               
council  to still  be  eligible for  federal  matching funds  and                                                               
makes  it  easier  to  seek  out,  receive,  and  expend  private                                                               
foundation  monies. He  spoke of  their  very good  relationships                                                               
with the Rasmussen and Margaret  A. Cargill Foundations and their                                                               
intent to seek other partners out.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:14:21 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  HUGHES  asked  Mr.  Brown   to  respond  to  the  proposed                                                               
recommendations.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR.  BROWN replied  that  the  council is  ok  with reducing  the                                                               
number  to  nine, rather  than  eleven  trustees. The  transition                                                               
language was problematic, but is  going to be fixed. Removing the                                                               
reference  to  federal legislation  is  not  a problem.  Creating                                                               
ambassadorships is a good idea.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
He  addressed the  proposal for  the  council to  report back  on                                                               
their  five-year plan  and shared  the  council's willingness  to                                                               
look for earned income opportunities.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:16:26 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HUGHES  asked whether the  council houses the  loan library                                                               
of art for public offices.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. BROWN said  yes. They are the repository and  managers of the                                                               
Alaska Contemporary  Art Bank. They  currently do not  charge for                                                               
that service, but might look at monetarizing those assets.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HUGHES brought that idea  up in a finance subcommittee. She                                                               
appreciated the  council's willingness  to look  at that  kind of                                                               
opportunity.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. BROWN commented on the winner of Poetry Out Loud.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:18:00 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GIESSEL moved to report  SB 66, version 30-LS0435\D, from                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations  and attached  fiscal                                                               
notes.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
There being no objection, SB  66 passed from the Senate Education                                                               
Standing Committee.