03/04/2014 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

            SB 141-NATIONAL GUARD ID & VEHICLE FEES                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
10:17:20 AM                                                                                                                   
CHAIR DYSON announced that the committee will take up SB 141.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI, bill sponsor, said  SB 141 is a very simple                                                               
bill. He said SB 141 will  provide for a vehicle registration fee                                                               
waiver for  National Guard members, approximately  $100 per year.                                                               
He  remarked that  National Guard  members get  paid a  pittance,                                                               
approximately  $212  for  the weekend  an  individual  works  per                                                               
month. He added that the two  weeks a National Guard member works                                                               
is also a small amount. He  revealed that the total annual amount                                                               
a National  Guard member  earns is  approximately $3000,  more if                                                               
deployed. He said providing a  vehicle tax exemption is something                                                               
other states have done for National Guard members.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
10:18:27 AM                                                                                                                   
MONICA SOUTHWORTH,  Staff for Senator Wielechowski,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, Juneau,  Alaska, said  she has  a lot  of background                                                               
information about the National Guard  and other benefits that the                                                               
State of Alaska provides compared to other states.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  GIESSEL  asked  how  many  other  states  waive  vehicle                                                               
registration fees for National Guard members.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS.  SOUTHWORTH  answered that  three  other  states waive  fees:                                                               
Tennessee, New Mexico, and Hawaii.  She added that Virginia gives                                                               
National  Guard   members  a  50   percent  discount   for  their                                                               
registration fee.  She noted that  Alaska offers  special license                                                               
plates  to National  Guard members  for an  additional $30,  most                                                               
states charge $5 to $25.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DYSON noted  that he  saw somewhere  in the  documentation                                                               
that there are 4,000 National Guard members in Alaska.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS. SOUTHWORTH answered correct.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON asked how many National Guard members are fulltime.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS.  SOUTHWORTH answered  that are  3,773  active National  Guard                                                               
members and 1,015 in the Reserves.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DYSON  asked  to  clarify that  the  active  members  work                                                               
fulltime with the National Guard.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MS. SOUTHWORTH answered yes.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON  added that  the 1,000  Reserve members  are "weekend                                                               
warriors."                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS. SOUTHWORTH answered yes.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
10:20:40 AM                                                                                                                   
SENATOR GIESSEL  asked to  clarify that  a National  Guard member                                                               
working fulltime makes a higher  wage than the "weekend warrior."                                                               
She asked what the wages were for National Guard members.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MS. SOUTHWORTH replied that the  starting entry level pay for the                                                               
lowest rank starts at $1,531.50 per month.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GIESSEL  asked if the  1,000 National Guard  members work                                                               
other jobs.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS.  SOUTHWORTH answered  yes. She  explained  that the  National                                                               
Guard  members  do  make  more  money in  their  other  jobs  and                                                               
financial  security  is  not  why   members  participate  in  the                                                               
Reserves.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
She said Alaska  offers a lot of benefits to  active and reserved                                                               
National Guard members: free  fishing licenses, hunting licenses,                                                               
educational benefits,  job training,  low cost  insurance, travel                                                               
benefits,  and   base  privileges.  The  Alaska   National  Guard                                                               
Enlistment Association has increased  benefits over the years for                                                               
members and to entice others to join.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
She shared  that she had  spoken with a National  Guard recruiter                                                               
who favors  the bill and  noted that  each small benefit  adds up                                                               
and helps with recruitment. She shared  that in the past 12 years                                                               
since forces  have been  deployed to  Iraq and  Afghanistan, over                                                               
2.6  million soldiers  have  returned on  a  national level.  She                                                               
explained that  the National Guard  does not have  funding levels                                                               
of the other  military branches for advertising.  She pointed out                                                               
the National  Guard members primarily  joined based upon  word of                                                               
mouth, job  fairs, visiting schools  and speaking  with community                                                               
members. She reiterated that the small perks aid recruitment.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
10:22:52 AM                                                                                                                   
SENATOR  GIESSEL addressed  the fiscal  note and  noted that  the                                                               
$100 is  a biannual  vehicle registration fee.  She asked  if the                                                               
$100  includes  the   local  tax  that  is  paid   to  the  local                                                               
government.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. SOUTHWORTH replied that local tax is not included.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  GIESSEL  addressed the  fiscal  note  and asked  if  the                                                               
annual deficit from waiving the license fee is $200,000.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS. SOUTHWORTH answered yes.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
10:24:10 AM                                                                                                                   
AMY ERICKSON, Director, Division  of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Alaska                                                               
Department of Administration, Anchorage,  Alaska, stated that DMV                                                               
has no problem  with implementing SB 141's  directive if enacted.                                                               
She  stated  that   DMV  does  anticipate  that   there  will  be                                                               
approximately  80  hours  of programing  time  and  approximately                                                               
$11,400 in programming  cost to add a new field  for the National                                                               
Guard  exemption. She  noted that  Senator Giessel's  fiscal note                                                               
calculation was correct.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
10:25:13 AM                                                                                                                   
STEPHEN  BURRIS,   President,  Alaska  National   Guard  Enlisted                                                               
Association (ANGEA),  Anchorage, Alaska, explained that  ANGEA is                                                               
not a  part of the National  Guard. He said ANGEA  represents the                                                               
National Guard soldiers  and airmen in Alaska.  He explained that                                                               
he brought the  bill forward based upon Hawaii  members who noted                                                               
that  their state  enacted a  waiver for  National Guard  vehicle                                                               
registration.  He revealed  that Florida  and Vermont  also offer                                                               
free special  license plates. He  added that  there are 12  to 15                                                               
other  states  who  offer  a reduced  rate  for  special  license                                                               
plates. He  said the big  thing that ANGEA  is trying to  show is                                                               
when ANGEA  members are called up  to state active duty  and work                                                               
at  a  military base  pay  rate,  members  do not  receive  Basic                                                               
Allowance for  Subsistence (BAS)  or Basic Allowance  for Housing                                                               
(BAH). He  explained that  when a National  Guard members  do not                                                               
receive BAS  or BAH  when in  active duty for  the State  to take                                                               
care of  flooding and snow  removal. He asserted that  the bill's                                                               
intent is  to help  compensate members.  He concurred  that added                                                               
benefits are great for recruiting and retention.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
He noted a correction for  Ms. Southworth's testimony. He pointed                                                               
out  that there  approximately 1,200  to 1,400  fulltime National                                                               
Guardsmen and the rest are part-time "weekend warriors."                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
He  explained that  the  fiscal note  was  calculated based  upon                                                               
approximately 4,000 members receiving  an annual $100 waiver that                                                               
is derived from the biannual $200 registration.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DYSON  noted  that  he  suspected  that  the  numbers  Ms.                                                               
Southworth provided had been flipped.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
10:27:43 AM                                                                                                                   
SENATOR COGHILL  asked to  verify that  the bill  benefits active                                                               
duty members and not retired members.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI answered yes.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  COGHILL  noted  that  his   son-in-law  was  a  fulltime                                                               
Guardsman and he might have a conflict.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON asked if wanted to recuse himself.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COGHILL replied  no. He added that his  daughter may very                                                               
well benefit from the bill.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DYSON stated  that the  bill will  make at  least a  small                                                               
difference and a significant symbolic one.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON announced that the Chair will entertain a motion.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
10:28:34 AM                                                                                                                   
SENATOR  GIESSEL moved  to report  SB  141, version  28-LS1139\U,                                                               
from  committee  with  individual  recommendations  and  attached                                                               
fiscal note(s).                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
10:28:50 AM                                                                                                                   
CHAIR DYSON stated  that seeing no objection, SB  141 is reported                                                               
from the Senate State Affairs Standing Committee.