02/10/2011 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

        SCR  2-UNIFORM RULES: PRESIDING OFFICER PRO TEM                                                                     
                                                                                                                              
9:32:13 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI  announced SCR  2 would be  the next  item for                                                               
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BETTYE  DAVIS, sponsor  of SCR  2, said  this legislation                                                               
could be  very helpful to all  60 members, and it  would increase                                                               
leadership  positions without  taking  away any  duties from  the                                                               
current  officers.  Senator  Davis   noted  there  is  already  a                                                               
temporary pro  tem during  organization of  the session,  and she                                                               
would like  to see a permanent  speaker pro tem. She  stated that                                                               
31 states have this. She added  that this new position would make                                                               
it  easier  for women  to  move  into  the leadership.  No  women                                                               
currently  have   leadership  positions   in  the   Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature.  Senator  Davis  said   that  having  an  additional                                                               
leadership position would strengthen the legislature.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:36:47 AM                                                                                                                    
TOM OBERMEYER,  aide to  Senator Bettye  Davis, read  the sponsor                                                               
statement, as follows:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     The purpose of Senate  Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 2 is                                                                    
     to amend  the Uniform Rules  to increase the  roles and                                                                    
     responsibilities of temporary presiding officers.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     SCR  2 first  amends  Uniform Rule  1  and changes  the                                                                    
     titles  of Temporary  Presiding  officers to  Presiding                                                                    
     Officers Pro  Tempore and Permanent  Presiding Officers                                                                    
     to Regular Presiding Officers.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     The SCR next  amends Uniform Rule 4  relating to duties                                                                    
     of Temporary  Presiding Officers.  Presently, Temporary                                                                    
     Presiding  Officers only  preside  over floor  sessions                                                                    
     until  the chamber  is organized  and the  Permanent or                                                                    
     "Regular"  Presiding  Officer  is  seated.  Rule  4  is                                                                    
     amended  to  increase  the   duties  of  the  Presiding                                                                    
     Officer Pro Tempore  who in the absence  of the Regular                                                                    
     Presiding  Officer "shall  preside  during sessions  of                                                                  
     the  house  and may  exercise  any  other duty  of  the                                                                  
     regular  presiding  officer."   In  this  capacity  the                                                                  
     Presiding  Officer Pro  Tempore  replaces the  Majority                                                                    
     Leader  of the  House presently  serving ex  officio as                                                                    
     presiding officer pro tempore.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     The  major  advantage  of  these  rule  changes  is  to                                                                    
     provide opportunities for  more legislators to function                                                                    
     in leadership positions.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR.  OBERMEYER  said  that  Doug   Gardiner,  Director  of  Legal                                                               
Services, Legislative  Affairs Agency, was present  for questions                                                               
about the  current draft. The  resolution proposes  amendments to                                                               
Uniform Rules 1 and 4  to increase the roles and responsibilities                                                               
of presiding  officers pro tempore.  Sections 1 and 2  change the                                                               
titles  of  temporary  presiding  officers. Section  4,  Rule  4,                                                               
establishes  that  in  the  absence  of  both  regular  presiding                                                               
officers,  the  pro  tempore serves  as  presiding  officer.  The                                                               
intent of  SCR 2 is that  the presiding officer pro  tem would be                                                               
selected at  the start of  the first session, and  would continue                                                               
to  serve for  both  sessions. This  would  effectively create  a                                                               
third permanent leadership position.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:40:05 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MEYER noted the House  has created a new leadership role,                                                               
referred to as majority whip.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  DAVIS  said  the  majority   whip  position  is  already                                                               
available  on both  sides.  The proposed  new  position would  be                                                               
different,  because it  would be  part  of the  structure in  the                                                               
Uniform Rules.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:42:41 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GIESSEL asked if there was a fiscal note.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DAVIS said there was not.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MEYER asked if SCR 2 would have fiscal impact.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  GIESSEL   asked  if  the  new   position  would  require                                                               
additional staff.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DAVIS  responded that would  depend upon  the leadership.                                                               
But  the bill  does have  a finance  hearing, and  that committee                                                               
will determine if there is a fiscal note.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI  said resolutions don't typically  have fiscal                                                               
notes.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:01 AM                                                                                                                       
SENATOR PASKVAN  moved to adopt  work draft  committee substitute                                                               
(CS) for SCR 2, labeled 27-LS0031\M, as the working document.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI objected for discussion purposes.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR.  OBERMEYER stated  the  CS was  rewritten  to recognize  that                                                               
there  was  no  intent  to   supersede  the  existing  leadership                                                               
structure. The  position added would  be a totally  new position,                                                               
and it would be a back-up, not a superior position                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:46:27 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI  removed his  objection; therefore,  version M                                                               
was before the committee.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI closed public testimony.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:47:27 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI announced SCR 2 would be held in committee.