Legislature(2009 - 2010)CAPITOL 120
04/12/2010 01:00 PM House JUDICIARY
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB284 | |
| SB244 | |
| HB423 | |
| SB239 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 244 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 239 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 423 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | SB 284 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 244 - GOVERNOR'S DUTY STATION/TRAVEL ALLOWANCES
1:08:02 PM
CHAIR RAMRAS announced that the next order of business would be
SENATE BILL NO. 244, "An Act providing that, during the
governor's term of office, the duty station of the governor is
Juneau, and prohibiting payment of certain travel allowances for
use of the governor's personal residence." [Before the
committee was HCS SB 244(STA).]
1:08:12 PM
DARWIN PETERSON, Staff, Senator Bert Stedman, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of the sponsor, Senator Stedman,
explained that currently, with the exception of the governor and
lieutenant governor, all state employees within the
administration have a designated duty station assigned by the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB). It is up to the
legislature, if it so chooses, to designate the governor's duty
station in statute, and HCS SB 244(STA) specifies that the
governor's duty station - defined in the bill as the location
where the governor spends the major portion of time assigned to
fulfill the duties of the office - is considered to be the state
capital. The bill doesn't contain an effective date clause [and
so, if passed, would go into effect 90 days after enactment],
and doesn't alter the ability of the governor to maintain
his/her own travel schedule in order to fulfill his/her
gubernatorial responsibilities.
MR. PETERSON, in response to questions, noted that under HCS SB
244(STA), the duty station would be wherever the state capital
is; offered his understanding that the current governor spends
the majority of his time in Juneau, since that's where he's
provided a residence; and assured the committee that the bill
wouldn't alter the governor's ability to travel to and spend
time in other parts of the state. He added that according to
Legislative Legal and Research Services, the governor could
still choose to live elsewhere. Specifying where the official
duty station is would merely provide clarity for purposes of
calculating and reimbursing the governor for his/her travel
expenses.
The committee took an at-ease from 1:12 p.m. to 1:13 p.m.
[Due to technical difficulties with the official recording, all
volumes must be set at maximum for the period between 1:13:03
p.m. and 1:15:36 p.m.]
MR. PETERSON, in response to further questions, offered his
understanding that under the bill, if a governor chooses to
reside in his/her own home when away from the state capital,
he/she could submit an application for reimbursement of meals
and incidental expenses at a rate of $60 per day. In response
to another question, he relayed that the sponsor would prefer
that the bill specify that the governor's duty station is
"Juneau", rather than "the state capital", but isn't going to be
voting against concurrence with the change incorporated in HCS
SB 244(STA).
CHAIR RAMRAS, after ascertaining that no one else wished to
testify, closed public testimony on SB 244.
1:15:58 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN [made a motion to adopt] Amendment 1,
labeled 26-LS1322\C.1, Chenoweth, 4/1/10, which read:
Page 1, lines 1 - 3:
Delete all material and insert:
""An Act providing that, during the term of office,
the duty station of the governor and of the lieutenant
governor is the state capital, and prohibiting payment
of certain travel allowances to those officers for use
of the personal residences of the governor and
lieutenant governor.""
Page 1, line 8:
Delete "to the governor"
Page 2, lines 1 - 10:
Delete all material and insert:
"* Sec. 2. AS 39.20.060 is amended by adding a new
subsection to read:
"(b) For purposes of calculation and payment of
travel allowances due the governor during the
governor's term of office and the lieutenant governor
during the lieutenant governor's term of office,
(1) notwithstanding the residence of each
of these public officers in another location, the
governor's duty station, defined as the location where
the governor spends the major portion of time assigned
to fulfill the duties of the office, and the
lieutenant governor's duty station, defined as the
location where the lieutenant governor spends the
major portion of time assigned to fulfill the duties
of the office, is considered to be the state capital;
and
(2) the governor is not entitled to, and
may not claim as a travel allowance, a lodging
allowance, when staying in the governor's personal
residence while in travel status away from the
governor's designated duty station, and the lieutenant
governor is not entitled to, and may not claim as a
travel allowance, a lodging allowance, when staying in
the lieutenant governor's personal residence while in
travel status away from the lieutenant governor's
designated duty station."
Page 2, line 16, following "governor":
Insert "and the lieutenant governor"
CHAIR RAMRAS objected for the purpose of discussion.
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN explained that Amendment 1 would specify
that the state capital is also the duty station of the
lieutenant governor. He offered his understanding that there
has been some discussion regarding providing a residence in
Juneau for the lieutenant governor.
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN then withdrew Amendment 1.
1:17:12 PM
CHAIR RAMRAS made a motion to adopt Conceptual Amendment 2, to
replace the words, "the state capital", on page 1, line 2, with
the word, "Juneau".
REPRESENTATIVE GATTO objected.
CHAIR RAMRAS expressed an interest in returning the bill to its
original form, which specifies "Juneau" as the duty station.
The committee took an at-ease from 1:17 p.m. to 1:18 p.m.
CHAIR RAMRAS, mentioning a [potential] conflict of interest,
disclosed that he is running for statewide office.
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG objected, thus requiring Chair Ramras
to vote.
A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Holmes, Dahlstrom,
Herron, and Ramras voted in favor of Conceptual Amendment 2.
Representatives Gatto, Lynn, and Gruenberg voted against it.
Therefore, Conceptual Amendment 2 was adopted by a vote of 4-3.
CHAIR RAMRAS explained that Conceptual Amendment 2 would also
effect a similar change to the language on page 2, [lines 6-7].
1:20:31 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM moved to report HCS SB 244(STA), as
amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and
the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, HCS SB
244(JUD) was reported from the House Judiciary Standing
Committee.