Legislature(1995 - 1996)
01/26/1995 01:35 PM House FIN
| Audio | Topic |
|---|
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE
JANUARY 26, 1995
1:35 P.M.
TAPE HFC 95 - 7, Side 2, #000 - end.
TAPE HFC 95 - 8, Side 1, #000 - end.
TAPE HFC 95 - 8, Side 2, #000 - #250.
CALL TO ORDER
Co-Chair Mark Hanley called the House Finance Committee
meeting to order at 1:35 P.M.
PRESENT
Co-Chair Hanley Representative Kohring
Co-Chair Foster Representative Martin
Representative Mulder Representative Therriault
Representative Brown Representative Parnell
Representative Kelly
Representative Grussendorf and Representative Navarre were
not present for the meeting.
ALSO PRESENT
Bruce Botelho, Attorney General, Department of Law; Richard
Pegues, Director, Division of Administrative Services,
Department of Law; Joe Perkins, Commissioner, Department of
Transportation & Public Facilities; Ron Lind, Director,
Division of Administrative Services, Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities; Ron Otte,
Commissioner, Department of Public Safety; Ken Bischoff,
Director, Division of Administrative Services, Department of
Public Safety; Mike Greany, Director, Legislative Finance
Division; Dr. Jerome Komisar, President, University of
Alaska; Wendy Redman, Vice President for University
Relations, University of Alaska; Alison Elgee, Budget
Director, University of Alaska; Representative Con Bunde;
Representative Eileen MacLean; Representative Scott Ogan;
Representative John Davies; Representative Caren Robinson;
Barbara Ritchie, Assistant Attorney General, Department of
Law; Laurie Otto, Assistant Attorney General, Department of
Law.
SUMMARY
AGENCY OVERVIEWS:
Department of Law
1
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
Department of Public Safety
University of Alaska
(*Copies of log notes, meeting tapes and handouts are on
file with the Legislative Finance Division. Contact #465-
3795).
Log DISCUSSION
DEPARTMENT OF LAW
OF LAW, provided an overview of the
responsibilities of the Department of Law.
He used graphic charts to emphasize important
areas within that department.
The Department is divided into two sections,
criminal and civil.
prosecution of crimes in the State and to
provide the legal counsel for the Department
of Corrections (DOC), Department of Public
Safety (DPS) and the Office of Special
Prosecution Appeals (OSPA).
offices throughout the State. Attorney
General Botelho emphasized that policy
problems in the Department originate from the
30% growth rate in misdemeanor prosecution
case loads. The Department's use of word
processing has enabled them to accommodate
some of that increase, although that
equipment is now antiquated and much of it is
no longer working.
legal service to the Legislative, Executive
and Judicial Branches of the government.
headquarters for the civil division is housed
in Juneau with attorneys throughout the
State. That division provides legal service
to all departments.
division responsibilities for the Department
of Law.
2
Natural Resources; Governmental Affairs
Section; Legislative & Regulations; Oil & Gas
& Mining; Commercial; Human Services; Special
Litigation (Torts); Transportation;
Collections & Support; Environmental; Fair
Business Practices; Medicaid Provider Fraud;
Welfare Fraud; and Administrative Services
Division.
in the civil division have changed with the
drastic increase in juvenile delinquents.
The Department is currently contemplating how
to handle the increase.
1992 323 felonies
1994 702 felonies
protection for child services.
oil and gas cases have been solved, although
there continues to be on-going smaller
disputes and royalty negotiations. Fiscal
policy will not be enhanced by any major
settlement windfalls.
question regarding the number of royalty
cases still in negotiation by the State.
These are:
Amerada Hess
Pt. McIntyre
recommended funding level. Commissioner
Botelho advised that receiving the amount
requested for the first six months is
crucial. He asked consideration of full year
funding, whereas, with the resolution of that
case, there will be a large reduction to the
oil and gas section expenditures.
to juvenile delinquents resulted from last
year's legislation to treat these offenders
as adults. Commissioner Botelho indicated
3
that historically, all juvenile cases were
treated as felonies.
DEPARTMENT OF LAW, added that juvenile
delinquent cases are handled by Division of
Family and Youth Services (DFYS). She added
that the felony case increase in Anchorage
was 42% since 1992. She added that, one
attorney in Anchorage is handling all those
cases.
agency overview.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC FACILITIES
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC FACILITIES,
provided the Committee with a handout. [Copy
on file - Attachment #1].
and Public Facilities (DOTPF) basic
responsibilities and services:
1. Maintain and operate the State highway
system.
2. Maintain and operate the Alaska Marine
Highway System.
3. Maintain and operate public facilities
occupied by the department and multiple
State agencies.
4. Maintain and operate Anchorage and
Fairbanks International Airports.
5. Maintain and operate other airports
statewide
(except Ketchikan, Juneau, Soldotna,
Merrill Field, Kenai and a few others).
6. Design and Construct capital projects:
Federal Highway program
Federal Aviation program
Buildings and Harbors
7. Current employment is approximately 2750
people (about 2965 in summer).
4
Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA)
money and asked how those funds would be
distributed among the western states.
Commissioner Perkins noted that this is a
high priority of the Administration, in order
to guarantee that Alaska receive a fair ratio
of those funds.
HFC 8 - 1 RON LIND, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF
ADMINISTRATIVE #000 SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC
FACILITIES, pointed out there
is an established formula used
to determine the distribution
of the ISTEA funds. He
offered to provide that
information to the Committee.
Representative Don Young is the second
ranking member on the U.S. Transportation
Committee and he should be able to guarantee
Alaska appropriate funding.
prior funding to DOTPF; some funds remaining
from completed projects and funds authorized
and not yet used. Commissioner Perkins
agreed that the Department should be
scrutinized in order to determine which
sections and projects are sustainable and
which should be contracted out.
supplemental would increase due to the
expanded ferry schedule. Representative
Kohring observed that more emphasis should be
placed on receipt of federal monies.
Facilities completed their FY96 budget
overview.
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
SAFETY (DPS), introduced himself to the
Committee. He commented on the common
misconception that the Department of Public
Safety's budget has increased. Non-Core pass
5
through now compose approximately 27% of the
budget. Two hundred employees and $42
million dollars would be required in the core
mission and support programs to provide the
level of service provided in FY83.
their responsibilities for the Department:
1. Fire Prevention - Fire education
programs discontinued, inspecting
approximately 18% of 10,000 state
jurisdictional structures. Fire Service
training continues at a reduced level.
Life and property losses are increasing.
Fire education programs influence these
trends.
2. Motor Vehicles - DMV services 1500
citizens daily and collects more than
$30 million dollars annually. Impact of
the loss of 9 seasonal with higher
forced vacancy will be felt this spring
with peak wait times of 2-3 hours in a
major field office.
Commercial fisheries are attributed with
providing approximately 35,000 jobs.
FWP has already been reduced from 118
commissioned in FY84 to 86 in the Hickel
budget.
4. Troopers - The troopers are underfunded
by approximately $1 million more than
would be experienced by normal attrition
and refilling with academy graduates.
Network/Criminal Records and
Identification -reorganization of the
essential role of criminal justice
information management plays throughout
the criminal justice system and in the
improvement of the public safety
delivery for line programs.
contract jails. Commissioner Otte replied
that the Department would support the
recommendation of the task force.
6
violence and sexual assault would be included
in the non-core reduction. Commissioner Otte
agreed that domestic violence programs are
crucial programs.
are transferred from the Federal Highway
funds, who is responsible for deciding how
those funds are allocated. Commissioner Otte
reported that the Department has no control
what those funds are used for. That
information is predetermined on the federal
level.
FY96 agency overview.
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA
ALASKA, provided Committee members with a
brief history of the University. The
University of Alaska has been in existence
for 3/4 of a century. He added that the
University has:
* Introduced thousands of Alaskans to a
great range of human inquiry;
* Prepared Alaskan teachers and nurses,
engineers and political leaders;
* Served the states cultural and economic
interests;
* Discovered scientific and technological
knowledge that enriches Alaska's
industry.
* Administrative efficiencies/savings
* Lower per student costs - especially in
rural areas
* Higher faculty/staff productivity
* Identification of campus and system
priorities
7
* Greater intercampus collaboration
* Campus differentiation
* Higher proportion of non-general fund
support
* Innovative funding alternatives
* Enhanced collaboration with schools,
business, other state agencies
* Enhanced distance delivery opportunities
priorities for the University:
* Deferred maintenance
* UAF Code compliance
* Finish buildings - Natural Science &
Mat-Su classrooms
* UAA Communications
* Student housing
* Upgrade management systems
HFC 8 - II Representative Martin voiced his appreciation
of the #000 program assessments made by the
University. President Komisar
acknowledged the decisions were
difficult to make as each program
was supported by specific
interests.
tuition per credit hour.
Administration budget would differ from that
proposed by Governor Knowles for the
University. President Komisar stated it was
too early to detect.
new facilities being proposed when the State
does not have the funds to maintain those
already existent.
8
that building additional student housing
would enhance the opportunities and income
from generated University receipts.
Komisar to address the status of the student
population in the State. President Komisar
pointed out that the trend is more full time
students than in previous years. He added,
the vocational education programs have
weakened with less services being funded for
this group. National trends are not being
followed in Alaska.
agency overview.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 3:15 P.M.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|