02/11/2003 03:30 PM Senate STA

                                                                                                                                
          SJR  6-CONST AM: 90 DAY LEGISLATIVE SESSION                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  GRETCHEN GUESS,  bill sponsor,  explained the  resolution                                                              
would place  a constitutional  amendment on  the ballot  to change                                                              
the current  120-day legislative  session to a 90-day  legislative                                                              
session.  She opined legislators  could accomplish  their  work in                                                              
that time frame and save the state $888 thousand a year.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR TAYLOR called for questions.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COWDERY  asked whether  she would  support elimination  of                                                              
the five-day notification rule.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GUESS said she would give it some thought.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR TAYLOR  said the  issue needs  periodic debate.  Legislators                                                              
haven't  received  a salary  increase  for  16 years  and  perhaps                                                              
reducing  the length  of the session  would allow  more people  to                                                              
participate in the legislative process.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
He thought  the work  could be  accomplished  in a shortened  time                                                              
frame,  but he  couldn't say  whether  it would  result in  better                                                              
legislation for the people of Alaska.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COWDERY  noted he has  been as busy  in the interim  as he                                                              
is during the 120-day session.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR TAYLOR  said legislative  leaders always  have demands  upon                                                              
their time and are  busy year round. The questions  of how they go                                                              
about doing  business and whether more  or less should  be done in                                                              
the interim are policy calls that are deserving of review.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DYSON identified  with the Chair's ambiguous  feelings and                                                              
expressed  a desire to  hear additional  testimony before  passing                                                              
the  bill to  the next  committee.  He wanted  to  hear about  any                                                              
impacts  experienced  by  other   states  after  shortening  their                                                              
legislative  sessions.  He  also  wanted to  hear  from  political                                                              
scientists because  he could argue that shortening  session length                                                              
could change  the balance of  power vis-à-vis the  administration.                                                              
In  addition  it  might  rob  power  from  a  minority  that  uses                                                              
deadlines to force the majority into accommodations.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
He asked  what the  other committees  of referral  were and  where                                                              
the Chair expected the continued debate to occur.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  TAYLOR replied  the next  committee is  Judiciary and  then                                                              
the  bill would  be  referred to  Finance  because  a fiscal  note                                                              
would be attached to put the issue on the ballot.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
He  anticipates the  major  debate would  occur  in the  Judiciary                                                              
Committee.  The Senate  President  is seated  there  and he  hopes                                                              
they  would  take the  time  to  discuss  the bill.  Moving  bills                                                              
stimulates interest in a debate.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DYSON  said that would be  fine, but because it  is a bill                                                              
dealing  with a fundamental  role  of a branch  of government,  he                                                              
thought State  Affairs is the  committee where substantive  debate                                                              
on the philosophical and policy issues should occur.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  GUESS  made  a  commitment  to  Senator  Dyson  to  begin                                                              
collecting  information on  lessons learned  from other states  as                                                              
well as from the academic community.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR TAYLOR  had no objection  to holding additional  hearings in                                                              
the State  Affairs Committee,  but he  contends movement  from one                                                              
committee   to   another   serves  to   stimulate   interest   and                                                              
discussion.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
He said  he would entertain  a motion to  move the bill,  but none                                                              
was forthcoming.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  DYSON assured  members his  questions were  not meant  to                                                              
kill the  bill and  he looked forward  to hearing enlightened  and                                                              
expert opinion on the matter.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  TAYLOR held  SJR  6 in  committee  and  announced the  bill                                                              
would be heard in two weeks.