05/01/2003 02:20 PM Senate L&C

           SB 186-CHARITABLE GAMING/ELECTRONIC GAMING                                                                       
                      SB 178-STATE LOTTERY                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BUNDE announced that they would next consider SB 186 and                                                                  
SB 178, but Senator Taylor, sponsor, wanted to comment first.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR TAYLOR said of both bills:                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     ...were  sponsored   for  the  purpose   of  generating                                                                    
     revenue  for  the  State  of   Alaska,  as  opposed  to                                                                    
     generating  revenue  only   through  taxation  and  fee                                                                    
     increases. I  have always been an  opponent of taxation                                                                    
     and  fee increases  and  felt that  at  least this  was                                                                    
     another option.  Both lottery, which  is one  bill, and                                                                    
     video gaming,  which is the  other bill,  would provide                                                                    
     somewhere in the  neighborhood, I think conservatively,                                                                    
     of  $60  million to  $70  million  worth of  additional                                                                    
     revenue that we would not have  to go out and do in the                                                                    
     form  of   taxes.  But,  I've   been  informed   by  my                                                                    
     leadership that  I've discussed  this matter  with just                                                                    
     today,  that they  don't  wish those  items  - or  have                                                                    
     indicated to me  that those items will not  pass and it                                                                    
     just seems  a waste  of our  time to  discuss something                                                                    
     and work on  it and try to fabricate a  better bill and                                                                    
     so on that's  not going to be given  the opportunity to                                                                    
     pass  anyhow,  since the  Majority  seems  dead set  on                                                                    
     taxes  and additional  fee increases  as their  revenue                                                                    
     sources. With  that, Mr.  Chairman, I  would appreciate                                                                    
     it. I  thank you  very much  personally for  taking the                                                                    
     time  to schedule  these  matters and  I  know that  we                                                                    
     share  some  commonality  in  reaching  for  additional                                                                    
     revenue sources,  but I don't  believe that's  going to                                                                    
     happen....                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BUNDE said he looked forward to getting more information                                                                  
on these issues and set SB 186 and SB 178 aside.