03/22/2007 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

          HB 117-PROCLAMATION CALLING A SPECIAL SESSION                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MCGUIRE announced the consideration  of HB 117. [Before the                                                               
committee was CSHB 117(JUD).]                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JOHN HARRIS,  Alaska State  Legislature, said  HB
 is  very basic  and stems from  the frustration  members felt                                                               
last  year  regarding  special  sessions.  The  bill  statutorily                                                               
changes the  number of notification  days from  15 to 30,  but it                                                               
doesn't  disable  the  governor from  calling  emergency  special                                                               
sessions. For  a normal special  session it gives people  time to                                                               
adjust their lives.  "Many people have vacations;  they have work                                                               
schedules;  they  have  other  things they're  trying  to  do  as                                                               
ordinary citizens  outside the  legislature-just a  little longer                                                               
period of time to try to adjust their schedules."                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:01:35 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MCGUIRE  asked if he  gave thought to limiting  the reasons                                                               
for why a special session could be called.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HARRIS said no.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  MCGUIRE said  she has  heard a  lot from  her constituents                                                               
about  the number  of special  sessions, the  costs, and  whether                                                               
they were being called for  appropriate reasons-"if you don't get                                                               
your way, I'm going to call you back-type thing."                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HARRIS said  he has heard that as  well but didn't                                                               
want  to  get  into  constitutional issues.  He  noted  that  the                                                               
present governor doesn't have any  problems with the bill, and he                                                               
surmised it wouldn't  be as big an issue  "under this situation."                                                               
A  session could  be called  immediately under  a declaration  of                                                               
disaster, he clarified.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GREEN moved CSHB 117(JUD)  from committee with individual                                                               
recommendations  and  attached  fiscal note(s).  There  being  no                                                               
objection, it was so ordered.