Legislature(2013 - 2014)CAPITOL 106

02/10/2014 08:00 AM House EDUCATION


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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
*+ HB 291 STIPEND FOR BOARDING SCHOOLS TELECONFERENCED
Moved Out of Committee
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
+= HB 245 SCHOOL FUNDING: REQ'D LOCAL CONTRIBUTION TELECONFERENCED
Moved Out of Committee
+= HB 278 EDUCATION: FUNDING/TAX CREDITS/PROGRAMS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
- Discussion Focused on Residential Boarding
School Stipend
        HB 245-SCHOOL FUNDING:  REQ'D LOCAL CONTRIBUTION                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:05:03 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTIS announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL  NO.  245,  "An  Act  repealing  the  required  local                                                               
contribution to  school funding;  making conforming  changes; and                                                               
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:07:09 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON  asked for clarity regarding  the mandatory                                                               
borough  act  and   whether  it  was  written  as   part  of  the                                                               
constitution or as state statute.   He pointed out that change is                                                               
often made  to state  statute but the  Constitution of  Alaska is                                                               
handled differently.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TAMMIE WILSON,  Alaska State Legislature, speaking                                                               
as  the prime  sponsor of  HB  245, said  the act  was signed  by                                                               
Governor  William   (Bill)  Egan.     She  opined  that   if  the                                                               
legislature wants  to see more  areas become organized,  the body                                                               
should  understand that  this act  serves as  a penalty  to areas                                                               
considering  such  action.    Using Nenana  as  an  example,  she                                                               
reported on  attending local borough organizational  meetings and                                                               
how  focus  was placed  on  the  immediate  imposition of  a  2.6                                                               
required  mil to  fund  education.   The  area schools  currently                                                               
outside  of the  organized Nenana  city limits  are state  funded                                                               
without  a requirement  of local  contribution.   The reason  for                                                               
areas to  organize is to  receive services that are  not provided                                                               
by the state.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:09:41 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  P.  WILSON  related  having  experienced  similar                                                               
concerns in the  communities on Prince of Wales  Island, and said                                                               
the  mandate  for  school funding  presents  a  stumbling  block.                                                               
Agreeing  that  changes  need  to be  considered,  she  said  the                                                               
subject is  multi-faceted, and inquired  about limiting  the bill                                                               
to only one aspect.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  T.  WILSON  said  the   scope  of  the  bill  was                                                               
intentionally limited in order to provide focus.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:12:15 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SEATON  offered that  the  state  is required  to                                                               
generate school funding, and suggested  that an alternative could                                                               
be to impose  a statewide property tax.  He  pointed out that the                                                               
current  mechanism was  devised by  the state  to meet  education                                                               
funding requirements  through taxing areas with  an economic base                                                               
and a  means for tax collection.   He asked whether  the proposed                                                               
legislation was  drafted taking  that effort  into consideration,                                                               
and what is  contained in HB 245 that would  be clearly different                                                               
from existing practices.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE T.  WILSON clarified that the  basic needs formula                                                               
was derived by the state, and  opined that whether it is adequate                                                               
is  arguable.   She  suggested  that  a  statewide tax  could  be                                                               
helpful in  serving to  remove the  penalty that  organized areas                                                               
are experiencing.   Impact aid does enter the  equation, but does                                                               
not apply  to all areas.   Equality needs to be  brought to bear,                                                               
and that is the intent of HB 245, she finished.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked whether  the sponsor would agree with                                                               
having a state  property tax imposed, and if  the disagreement is                                                               
with the current system.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  T.  WILSON  expressed   support  for  imposing  a                                                               
statewide, equal tax based on  income levels or property holdings                                                               
and deferred to legal for further comment.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:17:52 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DRUMMOND said,  "The governor  is the  mayor, and                                                               
the legislature is  the assembly," of an  unorganized borough and                                                               
a system of educational must be  provided.  Some people choose to                                                               
live   in  organized   boroughs  and   enjoy  the   benefits  and                                                               
conveniences.   These residents pay taxes  in those jurisdictions                                                               
in order to support the local services.   "If we don't want to be                                                               
the  legislature of  the unorganized  borough, then  what are  we                                                               
doing here," she finished.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  T. WILSON  underscored that  local borough  taxes                                                               
are collected to support extra  services for the organized areas.                                                               
The boundary  commission report indicates that  these discussions                                                               
will be  occurring throughout small  communities, such as  are on                                                               
Prince of  Wales Island,  who are  looking at  becoming organized                                                               
cities so as not to be incorporated into boroughs.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DRUMMOND said  HB  245 could  alter local  versus                                                               
state authority for schools.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  T. WILSON  said  whether an  area collects  local                                                               
contributions for  schools or not  does not affect  the authority                                                               
and  responsibilities governing  education  that  are already  in                                                               
place.  She  maintained that HB 245 addresses a  promise that was                                                               
made under the mandatory borough  act.  Summarizing the intent of                                                               
the act,  she said, "If you  become an organized area,  the state                                                               
will  continue to  give  you  the same  services  that they  were                                                               
before hand."                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:21:33 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX  referred to  Ketchikan Gateway  Borough v.                                                             
State of Alaska,  Case No. 1KE-14-16 CI (2014),  and commented on                                                             
the legalities  for allowing the regional  educational attendance                                                               
areas   (REAA's)   the  ability   to   completely   opt  out   of                                                               
contributions, while  mandating that an organized  borough always                                                               
contribute.   Distinctions can be  made between  entities without                                                               
violating constitutional law, as  long as a rational relationship                                                               
exists.   Some  of the  unorganized boroughs  have a  substantial                                                               
resource  base,   while  some  of  the   organized  boroughs  are                                                               
struggling.   She pointed out  that this represents the  heart of                                                               
the  Ketchikan lawsuit  -  an equal  protection  challenge not  a                                                               
matter of  what the  state may  have appeared  to promise  at one                                                               
time.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:23:41 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LES  MORSE,  Deputy  Commissioner, Department  of  Education  and                                                               
Early  Development   (EED),  offered   to  take   questions,  and                                                               
introduced support staff available to address aspects of HB 245.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:24:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REBECCA  HATTAN,  Assistant  Attorney General,  Labor  and  State                                                               
Affairs Section, Department of Law (DOL), referred to Matanuska-                                                              
Susitna Borough School Dist. v.  State of Alaska, 3PA-86-2022 CI,                                                             
(1997),  and said  the decision  of the  Alaska Supreme  Court on                                                               
this case  lends significant weight  to the issues  the committee                                                               
is considering.   The allegations  revolved around  the disparate                                                               
treatment  of  REAAs  versus   the  municipal  school  districts,                                                               
charging that this  violated the equal protection  rights of both                                                               
the borough and the individual tax  payers.  The court decided in                                                               
favor of the state, finding  that the required local contribution                                                               
was a reasonable  way of dealing with the reality  that REAAs are                                                               
unable  to  levy property  taxes.    Although Ketchikan  has  not                                                               
indicated agreement with the 1997  finding, the decision presides                                                               
and the  southeast borough case  does not attempt to  claim equal                                                               
protection violation.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:26:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE P.  WILSON noted that  two REAAs have a  tax base,                                                               
and asked whether  the 1997 decision implies  liability for those                                                               
areas.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS.  HATTAN  said the  decision  did  not  address the  issue  of                                                               
resource  availability  but  rather  the legal  ability  to  levy                                                               
taxes, which is not a lawful function of REAAs.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:27:27 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  REINBOLD asked  if  it is  equal protection  when                                                               
some areas are required to pay and some aren't.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. HATTAN  responded that two  plaintiff classes  were addressed                                                               
in  the  decision.     The  first  part  of  the   case  was  the                                                               
municipality as plaintiff and it  was decided that suit could not                                                               
be brought by a municipality against  the state on the grounds of                                                               
equal  protection.   She  paraphrased  from  the decision,  which                                                               
read:                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     The purpose  of the  Alaska due process  and protection                                                                    
     clauses is to protect  people from abuses of government                                                                    
     not  to protect  political  subdivisions  of the  state                                                                    
     from action of other units of government.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS.  HATTAN said  the  decision then  turned  to the  plaintiff's                                                               
rights of freedom  from disparate taxation.  The  court fixed the                                                               
plaintiff rights at the low  end of the equal protection spectrum                                                               
and the only  burden on the state  was to prove that  there was a                                                               
rational basis  between the means  employed and the  ends sought.                                                               
The court determined that the test had been met by the state.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD noted that  the mandatory borough act was                                                               
initially required in  certain areas, and asked  what the current                                                               
path is for communities to follow  in order to organize and avoid                                                               
the described dis-incentives.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. HATTAN deferred.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:31:05 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LEDOUX referred  to  the Matanuska-Susitna  case,                                                               
and  noted that  the state  did  not determine  which areas  were                                                               
struggling  and left  it to  the legislature  to decide  resource                                                               
availability and any subsequent borough mandates.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MS. HATTAN said  hearings on the case, originally  filed in 1987,                                                               
occurred over  the course of  several years.   Plaintiffs claimed                                                               
no   rational   distinction   between   REAA   and   municipality                                                               
contribution requirements.  The case  was not decided until 1997,                                                               
which  allowed an  extended time  for presentation  of arguments.                                                               
She noted that  the Alaska Supreme Court sat as  appellate to the                                                               
Alaska Superior Court,  taking all arguments under review.   To a                                                               
follow-up question,  she said, the nature  and economic viability                                                               
of different  areas of the  state underwent ample  exploration in                                                               
this case.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:33:08 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON  asked whether  any past legal  suits would                                                               
prohibit the assessment of a state wide, education property tax.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS. HATTAN said not to her knowledge.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:35:27 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD moved  to report HB 245  out of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:35:33 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON  objected, and  said that  the state  has a                                                               
rational  system  for  generating  funds for  schools  via  local                                                               
taxation.   By eliminating  the current  system, a  statewide tax                                                               
would need  to be  imposed and  for the state  to take  that step                                                               
could  prove  cost prohibitive.    The  state established  system                                                               
appears  to be  working  well.   Requiring  the  generation of  a                                                               
statewide  tax  would be  cost  prohibitive  and possibly  create                                                               
issues.    Additionally,  many property  tax  exemptions  can  be                                                               
claimed and  the amount  generated may result  in a  shortfall in                                                               
many areas.   Although  HB 245  attempts to  equalize educational                                                               
support across  the state, he  opined that it  may prove to  be a                                                               
detriment, if implemented.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:37:54 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DRUMMOND   commented  that  confusion   could  be                                                               
created by the passage of HB 245.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:38:30 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX said it would be  helpful if the bill had a                                                               
referral to the House Judiciary Standing Committee.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:38:52 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTIS agreed,  and commented that a cost  could arise, and                                                               
that the bill represents a pivotal piece of legislation.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 8:38 a.m. to 8:39 a.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:39:56 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON withdrew his objection.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD withdrew her motion.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:41:04 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  P. WILSON  concurred that  referral to  the House                                                               
Judiciary Standing Committee would be helpful.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:41:17 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  T. WILSON  agreed  to  approach leadership  about                                                               
including a  House Judiciary Standing  Committee referral  for HB
245.   However, the municipal tax  as a penalty, outlined  in the                                                               
bill, has been discussed in previous legislatures, she reminded.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTIS announced that HB 245 would be held over.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
[The committee later returned its attention to HB 245.]                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
        HB 245-SCHOOL FUNDING: REQ'D LOCAL CONTRIBUTION                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:53:43 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  GATTIS returned  the committee's  attention to  HOUSE BILL                                                               
NO. 245,  "An Act  repealing the  required local  contribution to                                                               
school funding;  making conforming changes; and  providing for an                                                               
effective date."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTIS related her understanding  that the bill sponsor has                                                               
worked out  the mechanics for the  bill to be referred  the House                                                               
Judiciary Standing Committee.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE REINBOLD moved  to report HB 245  out of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.   Without objection,  HB 245 was  reported from  the House                                                               
Education Standing Committee.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
Molly Hunter Article.pdf HEDC 2/10/2014 8:00:00 AM
HB 245
HB278 Testimony - Patricia Young.pdf HEDC 2/10/2014 8:00:00 AM
HB 278