03/27/2014 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB317 | |
| HB238 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 238 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 317 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
March 27, 2014
8:05 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Gabrielle LeDoux, Co-Chair
Representative Benjamin Nageak, Co-Chair
Representative Neal Foster
Representative Bob Herron
Representative Kurt Olson
Representative Lora Reinbold
Representative Sam Kito III
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 317
"An Act relating to official traffic-control devices at schools
and in school zones."
- HEARD & HELD
SPONSOR SUBSTITUE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 238
"An Act relating to the state and municipal procurement
preferences for agricultural products harvested in the state and
fisheries products harvested or processed in the state; relating
to legislative oversight of those procurement preferences; and
providing for an effective date."
- HEARD & HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 317
SHORT TITLE: TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES NEAR SCHOOLS
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) TUCK
02/19/14 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/19/14 (H) CRA, TRA
03/13/14 (H) CRA AT 8:00 AM BARNES 124
03/13/14 (H) Heard & Held
03/13/14 (H) MINUTE(CRA)
03/27/14 (H) CRA AT 8:00 AM BARNES 124
BILL: HB 238
SHORT TITLE: PROCUREMENT PREF: AK GROWN FISH/AG PRODS
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) TARR, GARA
01/21/14 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/10/14
01/21/14 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/21/14 (H) CRA, FIN
02/21/14 (H) SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE INTRODUCED
02/21/14 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/21/14 (H) CRA, FIN
03/18/14 (H) CRA AT 8:00 AM BARNES 124
03/18/14 (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --
03/27/14 (H) CRA AT 8:00 AM BARNES 124
WITNESS REGISTER
KENDRA CLOSTER, Staff
Representative Chris Tuck
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HB 317 on behalf of Representative
Tuck.
CONNIE MCKENZIE, Legislative Liaison
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Spoke to the fiscal note for CSHB 317.
REPRESENTATIVE GERON TARR
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented SSHB 238 as sponsor.
DANNY CONSENSTEIN
State Executive Director
U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency, Alaska
Member, Governing Board of Alaska Food Policy Council
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SSHB 238.
BRYCE WRIGLEY, President
Alaska Farm Bureau
Delta Junction, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SSHB 238.
ALISON ARIANS, Owner
Rise and Shine Bakery
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SSHB 238.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:05:50 AM
CO-CHAIR GABRIELLE LEDOUX called the House Community and
Regional Affairs Standing Committee meeting to order at 8:05
a.m. Representatives Olson, Reinbold, Kito III, LeDoux, and
Nageak were present at the call to order. Representatives
Foster and Herron arrived as the meeting was in progress.
HB 317-TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES NEAR SCHOOLS
8:06:38 AM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX announced that the first order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 317, "An Act relating to official traffic-
control devices at schools and in school zones."
KENDRA CLOSTER, Staff, Representative Chris Tuck, Alaska State
Legislature, noted that there was a committee substitute.
The committee took an at-ease from 8:08 a.m. to 8:09 a.m.
8:09:05 AM
CO-CHAIR NAGEAK moved to adopt the committee substitute (CS) for
HB 317, labeled 28-LS1442\U, Gardner, 3/26/14, as the working
document.
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX objected for purposes of discussion.
MS. CLOSTER said HB 317 was the subject of multiple meetings
with Assistant Attorney General Jeff Stark, Doug Gardner
[Director of Legislative Legal Services], and the Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT) to ensure that the
bill contained the appropriate language for putting traffic
control devices around all schools. She said, "Section 1 was
added in to update the uniform system of traffic marking and
posting," and Section 2 updates AS 19.10.040 and adds the
definition of "school." Sections 3 and 4 update AS 19.10.050
with regard to markings, postings, and signals, she explained,
"so, it's just letting them know that we need to use our
definition of school, which is a little bit broader than saying
we need to cover our charter schools and all public schools and
religious schools." Section 5 is similar to the previous
version, "and Section 6 is our definition of school, which
remains the same." She summarized that the CS just clarifies
what needs to be done in making sure that DOT is allowed to use
the different types of appropriate traffic control devices.
8:12:20 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 8:11 a.m. to 8:12 a.m.
8:12:49 AM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX announced that CSHB 317 would be held over
because the committee just received it today. She was expecting
someone from DOT to discuss the fiscal implications of the CS.
MS. CLOSTER said DOT is present. The fiscal note will drop
dramatically, according to DOT, but there will not be an updated
fiscal note until the CS has been adopted.
8:13:58 AM
CONNIE MCKENZIE, Legislative Liaison, Department of
Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT), said DOT's traffic and
safety engineers are reviewing the CS and preparing a new fiscal
note.
8:14:31 AM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX said she would like to see the fiscal note, so
she withdrew her objection to adopting the CS. There being no
objection, Version U was before the committee.
[CSHB 317 was held over.]
HB 238-PROCUREMENT PREF: AK GROWN FISH/AG PRODS
8:15:11 AM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX announced that the final order of business would
be SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 238, "An Act relating
to the state and municipal procurement preferences for
agricultural products harvested in the state and fisheries
products harvested or processed in the state; relating to
legislative oversight of those procurement preferences; and
providing for an effective date."
8:15:27 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GERON TARR, Alaska State Legislature, noted a
trend in Alaska for using Alaska-grown produce and Alaska-made
products. This growing interest in supporting the agriculture
industry is evidenced by new farmer's markets and community
supported agriculture (CSA) ventures, she said. She mentioned
Tim Meyers, who is known for his efforts to farm in the harsh
climate of Bethel. She added that she has been working with
farmers in Alaska, and she helped start the Anchorage Farmer's
Market and the Alaska Organic Association. She and others have
been considering how the state could support the Alaska
agriculture industry, "and today we are talking about something
where we can really do it right." Currently, there is the "7
percent statute" whereby if an Alaskan-grown fisheries or
agricultural product is within 7 percent of the price found from
Outside products, then [the state] can buy the Alaska product.
However, it appears that 7 percent may not provide enough
flexibility to really capture the Alaska-grown market, she
stated. "We spend $2.5 billion annually on food," but only 5
percent of that is spent on Alaskan food, she added. If it went
up to 30 percent, it could grow Alaska's economy by $750,000 per
year, and this bill is intended to increase the opportunity for
Alaska schools, agencies, and municipalities to buy more Alaska-
grown products.
REPRESENTATIVE TARR said, "If you think of a shopping center
starting out, you're looking for anchor tenants, and once you
have those anchor tenants, then you can go and build the
boutique stores." In growing Alaska's agriculture industry and
its food security system, these institutional purchasers would
be the anchor tenants that would then allow farmers to expand
their operations to then provide items to local grocery stores
and markets. She said that SSHB 238 is a priority of the Alaska
Food Policy Council. The bill had an audit provision to track
purchasing by state agencies "to see what's happening and give
us an opportunity to work more closely with departments in
making those purchases," but Legislative Budget and Audit (LB&A)
advisors said the language did not need to be in the
legislation; a special audit could be requested instead. That
change keeps the fiscal note at zero, she added.
8:21:22 AM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX said the money would still be spent, whether the
audit is in the legislation or done by request. "Isn't that
just a way of avoiding the finance committee as opposed to
actually saving money?"
REPRESENTATIVE TARR said that LB&A told her that it has capacity
with existing staff, and an audit would just be part of its
regular duties.
8:22:19 AM
CO-CHAIR NAGEAK added that there will be financial consequences
by going from 7 percent to 12 percent.
REPRESENTATIVE TARR said that the effective date is delayed to
2016, which will provide time to work with departments to
facilitate connections with farmers. The financial impact would
be seen in the department budget requests for the following
year, she noted. The statutory change gives the departments the
opportunity to pursue the Alaska products, which could increase
their overall budget for food purchasing.
8:24:07 AM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX said she feels uncomfortable eliminating the
fiscal note and skirting the finance committee, "and I think
we're talking about a significant outlay of state dollars."
REPRESENTATIVE KITO III noted that Legislative Audit and Budget
performs hundreds of audits every year, and this audit would not
be statutorily required and would likely not happen every year.
8:25:12 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR said she had no intent to eliminate a
referral to the finance committee; the request came from LB&A
because "this is what they do." She agreed that there might be
financial implications in a future budget, but she wants the
time to work with the departments and farmers to see where
relationships can be built, and then it might be time to look
for funding.
8:26:43 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KITO III moved to adopt Amendment 1, labeled 28-
LS1167\U.1, Bullard, 3/24/14, as follows [original punctuation
provided]:
Page 1, line 3:
Delete "relating to legislative oversight of those
procurement preferences;"
Page 1, line 6, through page 3, line 2:
Delete all material.
Page 3, line 3:
Delete "Sec. 2"
Insert "Section 1"
Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.
Page 3, lines 24 - 29:
Delete all material.
Renumber the following bill section accordingly.
Page 3, line 30:
Delete "Sections 2 - 5 of this Act take"
Insert "This Act takes"
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX objected for purposes of discussion.
REPRESENTATIVE KITO III explained that Amendment 1 deletes
Section 1, which is the annual audit requirement.
8:28:02 AM
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX withdrew her objection to Amendment 1. There
being no further objections, Amendment 1 was adopted. She then
opened public testimony.
8:29:10 AM
DANNY CONSENSTEIN, State Executive Director, U.S. Department of
Agriculture Farm Service Agency-Alaska, said he also sits on the
Governor's Alaska Food Resource Working Group, which was formed
as a result of the passage of HCR 1 by the legislature last
year. He said the group provides recommendations for policy
changes that can increase the use of locally harvested food by
state and local institutions, agencies, and schools, and SSHB
238 is in line with that purpose. The Alaska Food Policy
Council was formed a few years ago and has over 200 stakeholders
from around Alaska. Members promote strengthening the Alaska
food system to better serve Alaskans by building the economy,
improving health, and providing food security and preparedness
in terms of emergencies and self-sufficiency. One of the
priorities of the council is the enforcement of the [Alaska
food] statute. If there was one thing the state could do to
build a stronger food system, it would be to act as a stronger
purchaser, he stated. Once the state provides the demand, the
fishing industry and farmers can come in and meet that demand.
8:34:33 AM
BRYCE WRIGLEY, President, Alaska Farm Bureau, said the Alaska
Farm Bureau represents about 350 farming families. He noted
that he is a producer and grower, and he owns the Alaska Flour
Company. One of the challenges that farmers face is access to
market. He said 95 percent of people in Alaska shop at the big
box stores, and the distribution system for those stores is
difficult to break into. In order to expand the market and
justify an increasing growing and processing capacity, there
must be access to market. He stated that the product preference
in SSHB 238 will create a market that is outside of the normal
distribution channel, which is important for Alaska food
production.
MR. WRIGLEY encouraged the committee to view this effort as an
investment, not a cost. Food security is both strategically and
economically important. Local food systems will benefit Alaska
tremendously; if each family in Alaska purchased $5 of local
food a week, it would result in $27 million a year. He said,
"We can grow a lot more than what is consumed in Alaska, and it
would increase our food security; it would increase economic
activity, especially in the rural areas; and all that together
would benefit the rural areas as far as development, stability,
[and] opportunity." He said he encouraged and appreciated the
efforts to address this.
8:38:17 AM
ALISON ARIANS, Owner, Rise and Shine Bakery, said she is in
Juneau to advocate for public school funding, but supporting
locally-grown products is very important to her. She owns the
Rise and Shine Bakery, and in the summer she sells her bread at
the South Anchorage farmer's market. Anchorage farmer's markets
have grown by leaps and bounds in the last six years, she noted,
giving many more people easy access to fresh, locally-grown
food. She co-owned the Glacier Valley Farm CSA for three years,
but people starting getting tired of the same vegetables every
week (cabbages, carrots, potatoes, and beets), and so she tried
to encourage farmers to grow different things, but it required
infrastructure and investment and her business was too small.
The state, however, is a much bigger customer, and SSHB 238 will
offer incentives to try new crops and will grow opportunities
for farmers, she stated. She added that she has been hearing
about all the new and creative ways that schools have been using
Alaska-grown products, and she finds it exciting to be able to
use Alaska foods in our schools. She said to keep up the
momentum of this growing movement.
8:40:55 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KITO III suggested changing the effective date of
SSHB 238 so that schools, municipalities, and agencies can begin
to use the new percentage this next fiscal year. He moved
Conceptual Amendment 2, as follows:
Page 3, line 30, delete "2016" and insert "2015"
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX objected for discussion and then removed her
objection. She then asked about the lack of a fiscal note.
8:42:14 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR said [there is no fiscal note].
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX said she will hold the bill. It has significant
financial implications and should have a fiscal note.
REPRESENTATIVE TARR said she has been working with Kris Curtis
of Legislative Budget and Audit who felt that a fiscal note
would be unnecessary once the audit provision was removed, "but
we will quickly work with her and get that remedied."
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX said the bill should have a fiscal note, because
the 7 percent to 12 percent increase will have financial
implications.
8:43:25 AM
REPRESENTATIVE FOSTER asked if schools have testified on the
impacts of SSHB 238.
REPRESENTATIVE TARR said she has talked to the Farm-to-School
program. Like for all other agencies, the legislation would
just provide more flexibility when purchasing Alaska-grown
products. The Farm-to-School program already has a special
grant, and it is in the budget to be reauthorized next year.
There is a set amount of money to spend on that program, so,
within that budget, SSHB 238 simply allows the program to
consider additional products. She gave an example of a product,
potatoes for instance, that might be 10 percent more expensive
than Outside potatoes, and now the program would be allowed to
choose Alaska potatoes. It would not require additional
funding, she clarified.
8:44:34 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR said that SSHB 238 does not require state
agencies to purchase the more expensive products, it will just
provide the flexibility to do so. At this time, there is no
price tag, but it is a step toward providing Alaskans with more
market access.
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX closed public testimony.
[SSHB 238 was held over.]
8:45:24 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee meeting was
adjourned at 8:45 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 238 ver U.pdf |
HCRA 3/27/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 238 |
| HB 238 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HCRA 3/27/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 238 |
| HB 238 Sectional Changes.pdf |
HCRA 3/27/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 238 |
| HB 238 Amendment U.1.pdf |
HCRA 3/27/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 238 |
| HB 238 Agricluture in the Classroom.pdf |
HCRA 3/27/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 238 |
| HB 238 AK Grown Restaurant Rewards Program.pdf |
HCRA 3/27/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 238 |
| HB 238 Alaska Ag Facts 08.pdf |
HCRA 3/27/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 238 |
| HB 238 DNR & AK Grown Letter Gov Parnell.pdf |
HCRA 3/27/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 238 |
| HB 238 AK Food Policy Council Food System Assessment Final Rreport 2012.pdf |
HCRA 3/27/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 238 |
| HB 238 Supporting Articles.pdf |
HCRA 3/27/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 238 |
| HB 317 ver A.pdf |
HCRA 3/13/2014 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/27/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 317 |
| CSHB 317 ver U.pdf |
HCRA 3/27/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 317 |
| HB 317 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HCRA 3/13/2014 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/27/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 317 |
| HB 317 DOT Traffic Control Devices for School Areas.pdf |
HCRA 3/13/2014 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/27/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 317 |
| HB 317 Lttr of Support Ketchikan Gateway Borough.pdf |
HCRA 3/13/2014 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/27/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 317 |
| HB 317 School Zone Standards.pdf |
HCRA 3/13/2014 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/27/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 317 |
| HB 317 Lttr of Support.Nardini&LaVine.pdf |
HCRA 3/27/2014 8:00:00 AM |
HB 317 |