04/29/2005 01:30 PM House RULES

HB  98-NONUNION PUBLIC EMPLOYEE SALARY & BENEFIT                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ROKEBERG announced  that the final order  of business would                                                               
be HOUSE  BILL NO. 98,  "An Act  relating to the  compensation of                                                               
certain public officials, officers,  and employees not covered by                                                               
collective bargaining agreements; and  providing for an effective                                                               
date."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 2:15 p.m. to 2:17 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:17:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  COGHILL  moved  that the  committee  rescind  its                                                               
action  in reporting  CSHB 98(STA),  as amended,  from committee.                                                               
There being no objection, it was  so ordered and CSHB 98(STA), as                                                               
amended, was before the committee.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
2:18:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  COGHILL  moved  to  adopt CSHB  98,  Version  24-                                                               
GH1099\Y, as  the working  document.   There being  no objection,                                                               
Version Y was before the committee.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
2:18:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JANET  SEITZ,  Staff  to  Representative  Rokeberg,  House  Rules                                                               
Standing  Committee,  Alaska  State Legislature,  explained  that                                                               
Version Y  incorporates the  two amendments  adopted at  the last                                                               
hearing.   She  highlighted that  Sections  1 and  2 address  the                                                               
[salaries  of   the]  governor   and  the   lieutenant  governor,                                                               
respectively.     Section  3  addresses   the  [salary   of  the]                                                               
commissioners,  which were  the amendments  adopted at  the prior                                                               
hearing.  Ms.  Seitz pointed out that Section 11,  a new section,                                                               
indicates that  Sections 1, 2,  and 7, will take  effect December                                                               
4, 2006.   She  explained that the  Department of  Law interprets                                                               
the  current  statute  differently  than  Legislative  Legal  and                                                               
Research  Services, and  felt more  comfortable  with a  specific                                                               
date for  the pay increases  for the governor and  the lieutenant                                                               
governor.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:20:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ROKEBERG  related his understanding that  the statutes [for                                                               
which there is a differing opinion] are the following:                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
      Sec.  39.20.020.   Date of  entitlement of  governor's                                                                    
     salary.     The  governor is  entitled  to receive  the                                                                    
     salary established  for the  office effective  from the                                                                    
     date  on which  the  oath  of office  is  taken by  the                                                                    
     governor.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
      Sec.  39.20.040.   Date of  entitlement of  lieutenant                                                                    
     governor's  salary.       The  lieutenant  governor  is                                                                    
     entitled  to receive  the  salary  established for  the                                                                    
     office effective  from the  date on  which the  oath of                                                                    
     office is taken by the lieutenant governor.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS. SEITZ agreed.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:20:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ROKEBERG, upon  determining no one else  wished to testify,                                                               
closed public testimony.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
2:20:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  COGHILL  moved to  report  CSHB  98, Version  24-                                                               
GH1099\Y, out  of committee  with individual  recommendations and                                                               
the accompanying  new fiscal  notes.   There being  no objection,                                                               
the new CSHB  98(RLS) was reported from the  House Rules Standing                                                               
Committee.