Legislature(1993 - 1994)
02/08/1994 09:08 AM Senate CRA
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS brought SB 203 (MUNICIPAL POLICE SERVICES) before the committee as the final order of business. He suggested having a discussion on information gathered by the committee over the few weeks on the legislation and having everybodys' thoughts on one version or the other. Number 188 SENATOR ADAMS asked if Senator Kelly and Senator Rieger have come up with a unified proposal. SENATOR KELLY responded that they have not. He said it is a question of whether the Hillside is going to pay for Anchorage police protection, or whether they are going to try to pay a lesser amount for State Troopers. Senator Kelly commented that he does not believe that Senator Rieger's proposal will be accepted in the House and that Commissioner Burton has said that Governor Hickel will veto the bill if it reaches his desk. Rather than pursuing his initial concept that he introduced, Senator Kelly has proposed a committee substitute that takes the Task Force recommendation which provides that it be decided on the local level in areawide communities only. He pointed out that this concept was supported on the floor of the House the previous week. He urged that the committee adopt the recommendations of the Task Force, the State Troopers and the mayor of Anchorage. Number 215 SENATOR RIEGER directed attention to a new proposed committee substitute (work draft 8-LS0626\Q) which he has been working on with the Department of Public Safety to come up with a draft that is acceptable to them. It incorporates the amendments which were suggested by the department such as the deletion of Section 3 and some minor wording changes in Sections 1 and 2. Senator Rieger said he believes this is a local government problem. Unification in Anchorage would not have happened without the Charter Commission's review and realization that some City of Anchorage services would not be imposed on the other areas to be unified. Areas that were not mandatorily consolidated included road service, fire service, police service, etc. Since that time, the Municipality of Anchorage has proceeded to grossly mismanage their local labor relations, and now they are trying to shove those problems onto other areas that are not subject to those problems. He said it is hard for him to even imagine that they could think of trying to force something like that on areas which have not voted it in. Senator Rieger said the new committee substitute incorporates changes which benefit the remainder of the state by relieving the state government of a burden which they are now absorbing. He said it is a productive solution, and if this version is unacceptable to the sponsor, he would offer to introduce this bill himself in order to reach a solution. Number 310 COLONEL JOHN MURPHY, Alaska State Troopers, Department of Public Safety, stated Commissioner Burton and Deputy Commissioner Swackhammer were both out of town, however, he was available for questions from the committee. Colonel Murphy briefly explained how the department came up with their cost estimate for service to the Hillside, and he noted that the department has substantially reduced these services in the past couple of years. Colonel Murphy said Senator Rieger's proposal gives the department the ability to charge for actual services, and it would be acceptable if that is the way the committee chooses to go. Number 320 SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS asked Colonel Murphy if the department supports Senator Rieger's proposed committee substitute. COLONEL MURPHY answered that he believes it is the Department of Public Safety's position that they would rather have municipal police services up on the Hillside. However, if it is decided by the Legislature that the State Troopers should do it, the department would support this bill. Number 338 SENATOR KELLY asked if the committee substitute under discussion would call for a contract between the service areas and the Department of Public Safety. SENATOR TAYLOR answered that in his reading of the language in the bill, there is no contractual requirement - there is just a mandate by the Legislature to provide those services. SENATOR KELLY said he had just received Senator Riegers' new committee substitute and he feels it is important to talk to the Commissioner of Public Safety and the Mayor of Anchorage. However, he has no objection to the committee moving this version out and onto the next committee of referral, pending investigation of this new approach. Number 360 SENATOR TAYLOR moved that CSSB 203(CRA) (work draft 8-LS0626\Q) be adopted. Hearing no objection, it was so ordered. Number 368 SENATOR TAYLOR moved that CSSB 203(CRA) (work draft 8-LS0626/Q) be passed out of committee with individual recommendations. Hearing no objection, it was so ordered.
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