03/08/2022 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

         HB 309-APOC; CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS/REPORTING                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:10:43 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  SCHRAGE  announced that  the  final  order of  business                                                               
would be  HOUSE BILL  NO. 309, "An  Act exempting  candidates for                                                               
municipal office  and municipal office holders  in municipalities                                                               
with a  population of 15,000  or less from financial  or business                                                               
interest  reporting requirements;  relating  to campaign  finance                                                               
reporting  by  certain groups;  and  providing  for an  effective                                                               
date."   [Before the  committee, adopted on  3/3/22 as  a working                                                               
document, was the proposed committee  substitute (CS) for HB 309,                                                               
Version 320LS0540\G, Bullard, 2/24/22 ("Version G").]                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:10:54 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SCHRAGE opened public testimony on HB 309.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:11:07 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOHN HANDELAND, Mayor,  City of Nome, testified in  support of HB
.  He gave his background  as a public official, having served                                                               
7 terms as mayor.  He  observed that the reporting requirement of                                                               
the Alaska Public  Offices Commission (APOC) seems  to deter some                                                               
people  from  running  for  public   office.    He  talked  about                                                               
familiarity  when   living  in   small  communities,   and  about                                                               
disclosure and the  issue of confidentiality.   He questioned the                                                               
extension of the  effective date, and he suggested  July 1, 2022,                                                               
as an appropriate effective date.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:16:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SCHRAGE,  after ascertaining there  was no one  else who                                                               
wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 309.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
[HB 309 was held over.]