Legislature(2023 - 2024)ANCH LIO DENALI Rm
03/09/2023 11:00 AM House SELECT COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE ETHICS
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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+ teleconferenced
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ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SELECT COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE ETHICS
MARCH 9, 2023
11:00 AM
FULL COMMITTEE
11:08:43 AM
1. CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER:
Skip Cook called the meeting of the full Ethics Committee
to order at 11:10 a.m., and he directed Jerry Anderson to
conduct roll.
Roll Call
Senator David Wilson, Alt for Senator Stevens (telephonic)
Senator Lki Tobin (telephonic)
Representative DeLena Johnson (telephonic)
Representative Sara Hannan (telephonic)
Skip Cook
Conner Thomas (telephonic)
Joyce Anderson (telephonic)
Deb Fancher
Jerry McBeath (telephonic)
All present.
Skip Cook asked if anyone was online telephonically.
Noah Klein announced that he was online.
Kenneth Kirk, counsel for Representative David Eastman
announced that he was online.
Representative David Eastman announced his presence online.
Others present.
Jerry Anderson
Jacqui Yeagle
Skip asked that committee members and others identify
themselves before speaking for the benefit of other
attendees and the audience.
Skip Cook stated that he expected the full committee
meeting to last about 90 minutes.
11:10:57 AM
2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Skip Cook directed the committees attention to the agenda
and entertained a motion for approval.
Motion made by: Deb Fancher
There were no objections.
The agenda was approved.
11:11:57 AM
3. PUBLIC COMMENT
Skip Cook invited public comment.
Antonia Leonard said that she had recently moved to the
Eagle River area and was new to the legislative process.
She acknowledged she was not sure of the purpose of the
Ethics Committee meeting. She asked if the committee could
speak to the ramifications of not following the
Constitution.
Skip Cook replied that the committee could not speak to
that question at this time.
Skip Cook moved to the next item on the agenda.
11:14:10 AM
4. ELECTION OF COMMITTEE CHAIRS FOR 2023-2024
Skip Cook opened nominations for House Subcommittee Chair
and Vice-Chair positions.
Conner Thomas nominated Joyce Anderson to chair the House
Subcommittee.
Skip Cook asked if there were other nominations for the
position. Hearing no other nominations, Skip Cook directed
Jerry Anderson to conduct a roll call vote.
Roll call vote
Skip Cook
Conner Thomas
Joyce Anderson
Deb Fancher
Jerry McBeath
Representative DeLena Johnson
Representative Sara Hannan
The vote was 7-0 in favor of Joyce Anderson chairing the
House Subcommittee.
Skip Cook opened nominations for Vice Chair of the House
Subcommittee.
Conner Thomas nominated Deb Fancher.
Skip Cook asked if there were other nominations for the
Vice Chair position. Hearing no other nominations, Skip
Cook directed Jerry Anderson to conduct a roll call vote.
Roll call vote
Conner Thomas
Joyce Anderson
Deb Fancher
Jerry McBeath
Skip Cook
Representative Sara Hannan
Representative DeLena Johnson
The vote was 7-0 in favor of Deb Fancher serving as Vice-
Chair of the House Subcommittee.
11:16:36 AM
Skip Cook directed the committee to the next item on the
agenda: executive session.
5. Motion to go into EXECUTIVE SESSION to discuss matters
which by law must remain confidential under AS 24.60.160,
Uniform Rule 22(b) regarding executive sessions, and
Rules of Procedure Section 5: Executive Sessions and
discussion of matters, the immediate knowledge of would
adversely affect the finances of a governmental unit, and
discussion of subjects that tend to prejudice the
reputation and character of a person.
Skip Cook entertained a motion to move into executive
session.
Deb Fancher so moved.
There were no objections.
Skip Cook announced a short recess while preparations for
executive session were complete.
11:17:31 AM
6. EXECUTIVE SESSION
1:07:19 PM
7. PUBLIC SESSION
Skip Cook announced that the committee was prepared to act
on Advisory Opinion AO 23-01.
Jerry Anderson read from a brief summary of the advisory
opinion:
The "immediate family" exception in AS 24.60.080(c)(5)
does not allow a gift worth $250 or more from the
spouse of the legislator's sibling.
The "legal services" exception in AS 24.60.080(c)(8)
does not include the purchase of future legal
services, or a third party contracting to provide a
legislator future legal services for a legislator or
legislative employee for legal expenses on matters of
legislative concern.
A gift of legal services may simultaneously be related
to a legislator's legislative status and offered for a
matter that is not of legislative concern.
The capacity in which a legislator is sued is not
determinative of whether a gift related to that
lawsuit is connected to the legislator's legislative
status.
A specific matter may be a matter of legislative
concern under the Ethics Act, despite an express
decision by Legislative Council not to intervene in
the matter.
A matter addressing the responsibilities and proper
role of the houses of the Legislature to judge the
"election and qualification" of their members under
art. II, sec. 12 of the Alaska Constitution is a
matter of legislative concern.
The result in a specific matter does not determine
whether the matter is a matter of legislative concern.
The exception in AS 24.60.080(a)(8) does not apply to
a legislator accepting cash gifts to cover the cost of
legal action both while a matter of legislative
concern is proceeding and after conclusion of the
matter.
Skip Cook entertained a motion to concur with the draft
advisory opinion as amended.
Representative Sara Hannan so moved.
Skip Cook entertained objections. Hearing no objections,
Skip Cook asked Jerry Anderson to conduct a roll call vote.
Roll call vote
Skip Cook
Conner Thomas
Joyce Anderson
Deb Fancher
Jerry McBeath
Senator David Wilson
Senator Lki Tobin
Representative Sara Hannan
By a vote of 8-0, the committee adopted and concurred with
Advisory Opinion AO 23-01.
8. OTHER BUSINESS
Skip Cook entertained other business.
9. ADJOURN
Hearing no other business, Skip Cook entertained a motion
to adjourn the meeting.
Deb Fancher so moved.
Skip Cook entertained objections. There were no objections.
The meeting adjourned.
1:11:18 PM
ADJOURN:
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| 20230309 Ethics Committee BASIS.pdf |
JETH 3/9/2023 11:00:00 AM |