03/21/2024 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 10                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Establishing the Joint Legislative Seafood Industry                                                                        
     Task Force.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:54:45 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Olson relayed that the resolution was first heard                                                                      
on March 7, 2024, at which time public testimony had been                                                                       
taken.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kiehl MOVED to ADOPT proposed committee substitute                                                                      
for SCR 10, Work Draft 33-LS1469\B (Wallace, 3/20/24).                                                                          
Co-Chair Olson OBJECTED for discussion.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:55:29 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KEN ALPER, STAFF, SENATOR DONNY OLSON, discussed the                                                                            
changes to the bill:                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Change  #1 Added  language  to  the "whereas"  sections                                                                  
     describing   increased   costs  of   operations,   high                                                                    
     interest rates,  and the fact that  numerous processing                                                                    
     facilities are  either for  sale, closing,  or planning                                                                    
     to shut down for some or all of the 2024 season.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Change  #2  Adds a  new  duty  to  the task  force,  to                                                                  
     consider a  policy for limited entry  buyback programs.                                                                    
     Also rewords the existing duties for clarity.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Change  #3  Reorganizes  the  membership  in  the  task                                                                  
     force.  The total  number of  members  is increased  to                                                                    
     thirteen,   including   the   two  senators   and   two                                                                    
     representatives that  were in the  original resolution.                                                                    
     The nine public members are:                                                                                               
     •  Three  representatives  of  the  seafood  processing                                                                    
     sector, including two larger  processors (owning two or                                                                    
     more shoreside plants in  multiple communities) and one                                                                    
     small processor (with a single plant).                                                                                     
     •  Three commercial  seafood harvesters,  including one                                                                    
     salmon  harvester,  one  whitefish harvester,  and  one                                                                    
     shellfish harvester.                                                                                                       
     •    Three    representatives   of    fishing-dependent                                                                    
     communities, including  one from rural  western Alaska,                                                                    
     one  from a  Gulf  of Alaska  community,  and one  from                                                                    
     Southeast.                                                                                                                 
     • In  addition, there  are three  non-voting ex-officio                                                                    
     members. These are the  Commissioners of Commerce, Fish                                                                    
     and Game, and Revenue, or their designees.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Change #4 Clarifies that the  members of the task force                                                                  
     shall objectively  represent and support  the statewide                                                                    
     seafood industry, not their specific region or                                                                             
     fishery.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:58:24 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Olson  asked about the  structural rewrite  for the                                                                    
board.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Alper explained that the  bulk of the structural rewrite                                                                    
came form the Senate Presidents   office. He deferred to Mr.                                                                    
Lamkin for further details.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Olson understood  the bill  sponsor supported  the                                                                    
changes.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Alper deferred to Mr. Lamkin.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Olson  WITHDREW  his  objection.  There  being  NO                                                                    
further OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:59:54 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TIM  LAMKIN,  STAFF,  SENATOR GARY  STEVENS,  spoke  to  the                                                                    
crafting of the legislation. He  said that the change in the                                                                    
board structure  was ensure parity  and to bring  about more                                                                    
diverse  representation on  the board.  He thought  that the                                                                    
model was  imperfect but  closer to  fine. He  expected that                                                                    
there would be many subcommittees  created to make the board                                                                    
as inclusive as possible.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
10:01:39 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Olson asked  Mr. Lamkin to address the  idea that a                                                                    
larger group could be more  cumbersome and more difficult to                                                                    
gain consensus.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Lamkin agreed  that the  larger a  task force  could be                                                                    
less efficient. He said that  the project was about building                                                                    
consensus.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
10:02:35 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SCR  10  was  heard  and   HELD  in  Committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Olson discussed housekeeping.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
10:03:00 AM                                                                                                                   
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
10:03:17 AM                                                                                                                   
RECONVENED