02/06/2012 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 136                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act providing a tax  credit for employing an Alaska                                                                    
     veteran that may  be taken against a  liability for the                                                                    
     tax  on  corporation  income;   and  providing  for  an                                                                    
     effective date."                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:05:49 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman  discussed housekeeping, and the  intent of                                                                    
the committee.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BILL WIELECHOWSKI, explained  SB 136. He referred to                                                                    
the Sponsor  Statement (copy on  file). He stated  that some                                                                    
of Alaska's veterans  were some of the  most highly trained,                                                                    
highly educated, and highly skilled  workers in Alaska. When                                                                    
businesses hire  veterans, they  are getting  proven leaders                                                                    
with solid  work ethics who  can solve  problems efficiently                                                                    
while  staying  focused  and  contributing  to  an  improved                                                                    
bottom  line.  He  remarked   that  despite  many  employers                                                                    
acknowledging  the  advantages  of hiring  someone  who  had                                                                    
served  in Armed  Forces, veterans  continued to  see higher                                                                    
than average  unemployment rates  nationwide. In  June 2011,                                                                    
according  to the  U.  S. Bureau  of  Labor Statistics,  one                                                                    
million U. S. veterans were  unemployed and the jobless rate                                                                    
for  post-9/11 veterans  was 13.3  percent. The  picture was                                                                    
even worse for  young, male veterans between the  ages of 18                                                                    
and  24,  who saw  an  unemployment  rate of  21.9  percent.                                                                    
Senate  Bill  136  would assist  Alaska's  veterans  to  get                                                                    
civilian  jobs  when  they leave  the  service  and  provide                                                                    
direct benefits to Alaska  businesses. The legislation would                                                                    
provide a  $2,000 credit  for each  veteran hired  who would                                                                    
work  at least  1,560  hours within  a  12-month period,  or                                                                    
approximately  30 hours  a  week. The  tax  credit could  be                                                                    
applied in the first year  after 12 months of employment and                                                                    
any credits not  used could be used in a  later tax year. He                                                                    
stressed that  struggling Alaskan  businesses could  get the                                                                    
tax  help   they  need,  while  Alaska's   veterans  had  an                                                                    
increased chance of finding employment.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Wielechowski  stated  that  the  number  one  issue                                                                    
veterans faced was integrating back  into the job force once                                                                    
they returned from combat.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:07:55 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair   Stedman  requested   an  explanation   of  credit                                                                    
availability,  and wondered  who qualified  for the  credit.                                                                    
Senator   Wielechowski  stated   that  the   bill  currently                                                                    
included all  veterans, but would  be willing to  narrow the                                                                    
availability.  He  stated  that there  were  some  different                                                                    
veteran  tax credits  from different  parts of  the country.                                                                    
There  was currently  a  federal tax  credit  of $2,400  for                                                                    
veterans who had been unemployed  for four weeks or more. He                                                                    
stated  that other  states had  tax  credits for  unemployed                                                                    
veterans  who had  a period  of unemployment  for a  certain                                                                    
amount of  time, or for  veterans who had returned  from the                                                                    
Gulf War or later.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman wondered  if the tax credit  would enable a                                                                    
company  to "rob"  an existing  veteran employee  from their                                                                    
current  employer.  Senator  Wielechowski replied  that  the                                                                    
current legislation stated  that if you hire  a new veteran,                                                                    
and they  are employed  for 1,560  hours for  12 consecutive                                                                    
months, then  you would be  eligible for the tax  credit. He                                                                    
noted that there was a good  incentive to tailor the bill to                                                                    
newly separated veterans.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
In  response to  a question  from Co-Chair  Stedman, Senator                                                                    
Wielechowski stated that the current  federal tax credit was                                                                    
appropriate. He  also pointed out  that the focus  should be                                                                    
on  veterans that  had been  unemployed for  more than  four                                                                    
weeks.  He  furthered that  there  was  a real  unemployment                                                                    
problem for  veterans who  were returning  from the  wars in                                                                    
Iraq and Afghanistan.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Thomas pointed  out the  possible issues  regarding                                                                    
seasonal employment, and wondered  if that was considered in                                                                    
the drafting of the  bill. Senator Wielechowski replied that                                                                    
seasonal employment  was not considered in  the first draft,                                                                    
but suggested a credit of $100 for seasonal employment.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:12:46 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson  wondered  how   many  other  states  offered                                                                    
similar tax  credits and  how those  credits compared  to SB
.  KENDRA  KLOSTER,  STAFF,  SENATOR  BILL  WIELECHOWSKI,                                                                    
referred  to the  Legislative Research  Report on  State and                                                                    
Federal Tax  Credits for Business  that Hire  Veterans (copy                                                                    
on file).  She remarked that Vermont,  California, Illinois,                                                                    
and  West Virginia  had similar  tax  credits. She  stressed                                                                    
that many  states had different  sideboards, and  noted that                                                                    
California  had a  requirement that  the  veteran have  left                                                                    
military service within 48 months.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson  wondered how successful the  programs were in                                                                    
other   states.  Ms.   Kloster   agreed   to  provide   that                                                                    
information.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman noted  the one  previously published  zero                                                                    
fiscal  note from  the Department  of Revenue,  Taxation and                                                                    
Treasury Division.  He felt that  the fiscal note  should be                                                                    
indeterminate, rather than zero.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CALISTA  ANDERSON,  PRESIDENT,  VETERANS  HELPING  VETERANS,                                                                    
ANCHORAGE (via  teleconference), testified in support  of SB
. She felt that the  bill would benefit veterans, and get                                                                    
them to  work. She pointed  out that many veterans  were out                                                                    
of  work,  and  currently  struggled  to  get  and  maintain                                                                    
employment.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:16:39 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:17:05 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Anderson  continued with her testimony.  She stated that                                                                    
many  veterans  face  difficult times.  She  referred  to  a                                                                    
letter of support (copy on file).                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman requested a brief  synopsis of how the bill                                                                    
would  treat  the  wounded  veterans.  Senator  Wielechowski                                                                    
replied that SB 136 would  provide a $2,000 for any veteran-                                                                    
wounded or not wounded.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SB  136  was  HEARD  and   HELD  in  committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.