Legislature(2017 - 2018)SENATE FINANCE 532

04/13/2018 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

Note: the audio and video recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.

Download Mp3. <- Right click and save file as

* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled: TELECONFERENCED
+= HB 176 EMER. MEDICAL TRANSPORT SERVICE PAYMENTS TELECONFERENCED
<Bill Hearing Canceled>
<Bill Hearing Rescheduled from 4/12/18 at 9 a.m.>
+= HB 213 PUBLIC SCHOOL TRUST FUND TELECONFERENCED
<Bill Hearing Canceled>
<Bill Hearing Rescheduled from 4/12/18 at 9 a.m.>
+= HB 215 DHSS: PUBLIC HEALTH FEES TELECONFERENCED
<Bill Hearing Canceled>
<Bill Hearing Rescheduled from 4/12/18 at 9 a.m.>
+= HB 236 EXTEND: SENIOR BENEFITS PAYMENT PROGRAM TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSHB 236(FIN) Out of Committee
+= HB 79 OMNIBUS WORKERS' COMPENSATION TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+= HB 287 APPROP: PUPIL TRANSPORTATION; EDUCATION TELECONFERENCED
Moved SCS HB 287(FIN) Out of Committee
HOUSE BILL NO. 287(brf sup maj fld)                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act making appropriations for public education and                                                                     
     transportation of students; and providing for an                                                                           
     effective date."                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
11:10:58 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Hoffman MOVED  to ADOPT  the committee  substitute                                                                    
for  HB  287(brf  sup  maj   fld),  Work  Draft  30-LS1229\T                                                                    
(Wallace, 4/13/18).                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon OBJECTED for discussion.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon announced  that the  committee had  been                                                                    
working on a proposal  to forward-fund education. She stated                                                                    
that the Work Draft had a funding source.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
11:12:04 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
PETE  ECKLUND,   STAFF,  SENATOR  LYMAN   HOFFMAN,  wondered                                                                    
whether he should  walk through the bill,  or only highlight                                                                    
the change in the committee substitute.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon felt that there  should be a walk through                                                                    
of the  bill, and  then an explanation  of the  changes. She                                                                    
remarked that  there was work  to ensure forward  funding of                                                                    
education,  but  she  wanted the  information  delivered  as                                                                    
quickly as possible.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Ecklund  noted that on  page 2 was the  numbers section.                                                                    
The items was  K-12 aid and support to  school districts and                                                                    
Mt.  Edgecumbe. He  stated  that those  items  did not  fund                                                                    
Department  of   Education  and  Early   Development  (DEED)                                                                    
programs,  but  rather  went directly  to  the  schools  and                                                                    
school  districts. He  noted the  change  from the  previous                                                                    
version, which  was the update  on Mt. Edgecumbe.  He stated                                                                    
that there  was an increase requested  by the administration                                                                    
after the  other body  had moved the  legislation. It  was a                                                                    
$250,000 general fund program  receipt for Mt. Edgecumbe. He                                                                    
noted that  page 3  had the  different funding  sources from                                                                    
Section 1  of the  bill. He stated  that the  same structure                                                                    
was on page 4.  He looked at page 5, Section  4, which was a                                                                    
$30 million grant  that would become effective in  FY 20. He                                                                    
stated that the grant would  be run through adjusted average                                                                    
daily  membership,  so the  grant  would  be distributed  to                                                                    
school districts  as if it  were run through  the foundation                                                                    
formula. He  stated that a  $30 million was equivalent  to a                                                                    
$117  Base Student  Allocation (BSA)  increase, which  would                                                                    
become effective  in FY 20. He  noted that Section 5  was FY                                                                    
19 fund  capitalization for the  FY 19  Education Foundation                                                                    
Program,  and fully  funding the  BSA at  $1.89 billion.  It                                                                    
also fully  funded the people transportation  formula for FY                                                                    
19  at $78.1  million effective  in  FY 19.  He stated  that                                                                    
Section 5  also fully funded the  BSA formula in FY  20 with                                                                    
an FY  20 effective date. He  stated that it also  funds the                                                                    
student  transportation formula  in  FY 20,  with  an FY  20                                                                    
effective date. He noted that  all the funding in Sections 4                                                                    
and 5 was from the general  fund. He remarked that Section 6                                                                    
was standard lapse language. He  shared that Section 7 was a                                                                    
contingency that  stated that the  FY 20 funding of  the $30                                                                    
million; FY 20 forward and  early funding of K-12 and people                                                                    
transportation  formulas would  only  become effective  upon                                                                    
the passage of  a version of SB 26. The  other sections were                                                                    
effective dates.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Hoffman  noted  that  once  the  bill  passed  the                                                                    
Senate,  early funding  for  FY 19  would  only require  the                                                                    
House to concur. Mr. Ecklund agreed.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
11:16:57 AM                                                                                                                   
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
11:17:32 AM                                                                                                                   
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
11:17:38 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Senator Micciche wondered whether  Section 5(a) was the same                                                                    
amount of  the BSA that was  in the past, and  only required                                                                    
concurrence. Mr. Ecklund replied in the affirmative.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Micciche  noted that  the  FY  20 funding  required                                                                    
passage of SB 26. Mr. Ecklund agreed.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon noted that the  issue was that the budget                                                                    
would draw from the earnings  reserve account (ERA), and she                                                                    
explained the ERA.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman stressed that  the Senate was not demanding                                                                    
any version of SB 26. He noted  that page 5, lines 22 and 23                                                                    
stated that  those provisions, if  passed, would  be enacted                                                                    
with a  version of SB  26. He  remarked that the  burden was                                                                    
placed on the legislature to come to an agreement on SB 26.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  WITHDREW the  OBJECTION. There  being NO                                                                    
further  OBJECTION, the  proposed  committee substitute  was                                                                    
adopted.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon discussed the bill history.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
11:22:35 AM                                                                                                                   
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
11:22:47 AM                                                                                                                   
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
11:22:49 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon OPENED public testimony.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman  noted that the  operating budget  had been                                                                    
passed  the day  prior.  He stressed  that  education was  a                                                                    
priority, and did not want to lay off teachers.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon  announced  that  there  was  a  regular                                                                    
public hearing.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Senator Micciche  stressed that education was  a priority in                                                                    
the  Senate. He  understood that  there was  talent lost  in                                                                    
education, because  districts were  not aware of  the amount                                                                    
of money that  would be available. He  stressed that forward                                                                    
funding education  would help districts to  understand their                                                                    
funding.  He appreciated  the section  that  would help  the                                                                    
public recognized the importance of a structured draw.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Bishop thanked those who worked on the bill.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
11:29:01 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson felt  that a  structured  draw was  important                                                                    
with the option to draw from the ERA.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon stressed  that  there  were "no  strings                                                                    
attached" to FY 19's funding.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman  stressed that  the previous version  had a                                                                    
2018 draw  form the  ERA. The  current bill  did not  have a                                                                    
draw out of the ERA.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon   remarked  that  it  would   focus  the                                                                    
attention  on  the steps  that  would  be taken  to  further                                                                    
efforts.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Hoffman  MOVED  to REPORT  SCS  HB  287(FIN)  from                                                                    
committee  with individual  recommendations. There  being NO                                                                    
OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
11:31:48 AM                                                                                                                   
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
11:34:21 AM                                                                                                                   
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SCS HB  287(FIN) was  REPORTED out of  committee with  a "do                                                                    
pass" recommendation.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair   MacKinnon  discussed   the  following   meeting's                                                                    
agenda.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon ADJOURNED the meeting.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
11:35:43 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon RECINDED  THE ACTION  TO ADJOURN.  There                                                                    
being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
11:35:55 AM                                                                                                                   
RECESSED                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:17:28 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson OBJECTED to adjourning the meeting.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon stated that  Senate Finance stayed active                                                                    
during the last  few days of session. She  remarked that the                                                                    
meeting could be adjourned for a few minutes.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson  WITHDREW  his   objection.  There  being  NO                                                                    
OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
HB176 - Explanation of Changes.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 176
HB176 Flow Chart.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 176
HB176 Sponsor Statement.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 176
HB176 Letters of Support.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 176
HB 213 Actual vs. POMV bar chart.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 213
HB 213 Letter to House Finance - Dept. of Law.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 213
HB 213 Letter to House Finance - Dept. of Revenue.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 213
HB 213 Sectional Analysis.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 213
HB 213 Summary of Changes ver. R 2-8-18.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 213
HB 213 Support letter.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 213
HB 287 work draft version T.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 287
HB 79 UPDATED Alaska Chamber Letter.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 79
HB 79 Public Testimony Letter AFL-CIO.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 79
HB 79 Public Testimony Letter AFL-CIO.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 79
HB 79 Support Grieco.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 79
HB 79 UPDATED Alaska Chamber Letter.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 79
HB 79 Testimony Macklin.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 79
HB 79 Testimony Laborers' Local 341.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 79
HB 79 Public Testimony Reaves.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 79
HB 79 AIIAB April 2018 Letter to Senate Finance.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 79
HB 79 DOLWD Response to SFIN 4.14.18.docx.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 79
HB 79 2018.04.30 - Joint Response Letter to DOLWD.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 79
HB 79-Letter-DOLWD to Industry Stakeholders 4.27.18 (1).pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 79
HB 79 2018-05-04 Ltr to Governor Bill Walker Re Workers' Compensation Legislation from Law Offices of Elliott T. Dennis.pdf SFIN 4/13/2018 9:00:00 AM
HB 79