Legislature(2011 - 2012)HOUSE FINANCE 519
05/12/2011 04:30 PM House FINANCE
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB46 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 107 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| = | SB 46 | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE
May 12, 2011
4:37 p.m.
4:37:15 PM
CALL TO ORDER
Co-Chair Stoltze called the House Finance Committee meeting
to order at 4:37 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Bill Stoltze, Co-Chair
Representative Bill Thomas Jr., Co-Chair
Representative Anna Fairclough, Vice-Chair
Representative Mia Costello
Representative Mike Doogan
Representative Bryce Edgmon
Representative Les Gara
Representative David Guttenberg
Representative Reggie Joule
Representative Mark Neuman
Representative Tammie Wilson
MEMBERS ABSENT
None
ALSO PRESENT
James Armstrong, Staff, Representative Bill Stoltze; Karen
Rehfeld, Office of Management and Budget, Office of the
Governor; Representative Alan Austerman; Representative
Mike Chenault; Representative Kurt Olson; Representative
Steve Thompson.
SUMMARY
CSSB 46(FIN)
BUDGET: CAPITAL
CSSB 46(FIN) was HEARD and HELD in committee for
further consideration.
CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 46(FIN)
"An Act making and amending appropriations, including
capital appropriations, savings deposits in the form of
appropriations to the statutory budget reserve fund, and
other appropriations; making appropriations to capitalize
funds; and providing for an effective date."
4:38:02 PM
Vice-chair Fairclough MOVED to ADOPT HCS for CSSB 46(FIN)
(27-GS1740\Y, Kurtz, 5/12/11).
Co-Chair Stoltze OBJECTED for discussion.
4:39:04 PM
RECESSED
4:40:46 PM
RECONVENED
4:41:00 PM
JAMES ARMSTRONG, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE BILL STOLTZE,
highlighted the changes in the HCS. The new version
included title changes, project scope changes, and
technical changes including effective dates in Section 1.
The HCS maintained the Senate structure in Section 4
related to energy projects (pages 126 through 138) and
removed $50 million of Alaska capital income funding for an
increase to the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation
weatherization program.
Co-Chair Stoltze communicated that an amendment had been
drafted to replace the $50 million with general funds.
Mr. Armstrong relayed that the HCS fully funded the Alaska
Gas Pipeline Development Corporation at $21 million for FY
12, which had not been included in the Senate version.
Section 7 amended cruise ship funding for one project.
There were no changes to education related projects in
Section 10. He directed attention to pages 153 through 155,
which related to the supplemental capital budget. Funding
in the amount of $44 million was included from FY 11 funds
for the Tanana River Bridge.
Mr. Armstrong addressed funding for the Department of
Corrections (DOC) in Section 25, page 161, lines 24 through
26.
Co-Chair Stoltze detailed that DOC operating budget funding
had been included to allow the prison [Goose Creek
Correctional Center] to move forward.
4:44:04 PM
Representative Doogan wondered how the money allocated for
DOC would be utilized. He asked whether the funding would
allow the prison to begin operating.
Co-Chair Stoltze replied that the funding would allow work
on the prison to continue forward.
KAREN REHFELD, OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET, OFFICE OF
THE GOVERNOR, explained that the change would restore DOC
FY 12 funding to the original amount. The administration
planned to bring in a small group of minimum security
prisoners and staff during the last three months of the
fiscal year in order to conduct testing throughout the
facility; funds allocated in the conference committee
process had not sufficiently met the required needs. The
funds would help ensure that the facility could open in FY
13.
Co-Chair Stoltze added that the budget reflected the amount
that had been supported by the committee and the House in
the operating budget.
Representative Neuman recognized the importance of the
project and the 350 jobs that would be created by the
prison. The funding helped to complete the project and
ensured that DOC would not have to request supplemental
money the following year. He believed that it was important
for the prison to move forward on its soft opening to make
certain that warrantees were up and running and covered for
the following year.
4:46:31 PM
Mr. Armstrong directed attention page 163, lines 4 through
18. The bill retained Senate language that allocated $8
million for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
Co-Chair Stoltze remarked that the $8 million had been
added to the bill version adopted by the Senate.
Mr. Armstrong highlighted that language in Section 31, page
164, lines 15 through 18 restored the governor's request of
$4 million for the Alaska Aerospace Corporation's FY 12
operations. Page 166, lines 21 through 29, reflected a
request by the governor's office that allowed it to carry
forward previous appropriations for FY 12 operations. He
expounded that prior to FY 09 it had been common practice
for the governor's office to carry forward prior
appropriations.
Co-Chair Stoltze commented that the legislature conducted a
similar process on an annual basis.
Mr. Armstrong addressed a new legislative reappropriation
on page 179, lines 8 through 15. The language
reappropriated $500,000 of previous legislative funds to
the Municipality of Anchorage for the Point Mackenzie shoal
study project, which was a top priority of Anchorage Mayor
Dan Sullivan.
Co-Chair Stoltze shared that the funds had been requested
by the mayor. There was $500,000 for the Mat-Su Borough
that would be matched by $1 million from the Army Corps of
Engineers; the issue was important for navigation at the
largest port and the emerging industrial port.
Mr. Armstrong looked at page 179, lines 16 through 19. The
section appropriated $50 million in FY 11 funds and $50
million in FY 12 funds to the Statutory Budget Reserve. He
discussed that Section 13 related to FY 11 supplement
funding, had a new effective date of May 17, 2011; the date
had been changed from June 30, 2011 to allow projects to
begin at an earlier time.
Mr. Armstrong communicated that members should have a House
district summary, which provided the total funding for each
of the sections within the HCS.
4:51:24 PM
RECESSED
CSSB 46(FIN) was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 5:22 PM.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|