04/09/2010 09:00 AM House FINANCE

                  HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE                                                                                       
                       April 9, 2010                                                                                            
                         9:13 a.m.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:13:57 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze called the House Finance Committee meeting                                                                     
to order at 9:13 a.m.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Mike Hawker, Co-Chair                                                                                            
Representative Bill Stoltze, Co-Chair                                                                                           
Representative Bill Thomas Jr., Vice-Chair                                                                                      
Representative Allan Austerman                                                                                                  
Representative Mike Doogan                                                                                                      
Representative Neal Foster                                                                                                      
Representative Les Gara                                                                                                         
Representative Reggie Joule                                                                                                     
Representative Mike Kelly                                                                                                       
Representative Woodie Salmon                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Anna Fairclough                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
ALSO PRESENT                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Elizabeth Hensley, Staff, Representative Reggie Joule,                                                                          
Sponsor.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
HCR 22    ALASKA NORTHERN WATERS TASK FORCE                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
          CSHCR22 (FIN) was REPORTED out of Committee with                                                                      
          a "do pass" recommendation and with attached new                                                                      
          fiscal note by the Legislative Affairs Agency.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 22                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Establishing and relating to the Alaska Northern                                                                           
     Waters Task Force.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:14:20 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  REGGIE JOULE,  SPONSOR, noted  that comments                                                                    
from a  previous hearing had  been considered  carefully and                                                                    
incorporated into the proposed CS (Version T).                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
ELIZABETH  HENSLEY,  STAFF,   REPRESENTATIVE  REGGIE  JOULE,                                                                    
SPONSOR, described  the changes  in the work  draft outlined                                                                    
on the handout "Changes Between  26-LS1622\E and T" (copy on                                                                    
file):                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Composition of the Task Force:                                                                                             
        · Pg. 2 line 21 - 11 members rather than 9                                                                              
             o 2 senators (not 1)                                                                                               
             o 2 reps (same)                                                                                                    
             o 7 members appointed jointly (not 6)                                                                              
                  ƒ5 public, 3 of whom reside in coastal                                                                       
                    areas (i.e. 2 at-large)(not the 4                                                                           
                    mayors)                                                                                                     
                  ƒ1 executive branch (same)                                                                                   
                  ƒ1 federal (not 2)                                                                                           
        · Pg. 3 line 1 - vacancy shall be filled in the                                                                         
          manner of the original document                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Hensley detailed that  the seven non-legislative members                                                                    
are appointed  jointly by the  Senate President  and Speaker                                                                    
of the  House. She  explained that  issues addressed  by the                                                                    
task force  impact the  entire state  so the  public members                                                                    
would be from all over.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair   Stoltze  clarified   that  "at   large"  is   not                                                                    
geographically defined  and could be Northern  or Southeast.                                                                    
Ms. Hensley agreed.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Representative Foster asked whether  there had been feedback                                                                    
related to  replacing the four  mayors with the  five public                                                                    
members. Ms. Hensley  responded that there was not  a lot of                                                                    
feedback about the change.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:18:19 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Joule  explained the process of  changing the                                                                    
makeup  of  the  membership.  He pointed  out  that  borough                                                                    
mayors  may have  an interest  in  the task  force and  that                                                                    
Native corporations and  other groups might also  want to be                                                                    
part of the group; the new  CS provides the option to select                                                                    
a more diverse group.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Representative Kelly  appreciated the process  that resulted                                                                    
in the changes.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Hensley  continued  that   the  proposed  CS  addressed                                                                    
previous concerns about how a vacancy would be filled.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Thomas MOVED  to ADOPT Work Draft for  HB 22, 26-                                                                    
LS1622\T,  Cook,  4/8/2010  (copy  on file),  as  a  working                                                                    
document before the committee. There  being NO OBJECTION, it                                                                    
was so ordered.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stoltze asked  about an  amendment. Representative                                                                    
Joule responded that the CS covered the issue.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Representative Kelly  pointed to  page 3  line 19  and asked                                                                    
whether  the group  would  be prevented  from  meeting in  a                                                                    
location  other  than  the   Northern  region.  Ms.  Hensley                                                                    
replied  that  there  was  nothing  to  preclude  the  group                                                                    
meeting elsewhere;  she noted that there  were already three                                                                    
meetings scheduled to take place in Anchorage.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:22:05 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stoltze   liked  not   limiting  the   task  force                                                                    
positions to politicians.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Austerman  referred  to fiscal  note  backup                                                                    
addressing the issue of meeting places.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Joule noted  that while  the number  of task                                                                    
force  members increased  by two,  the fiscal  note did  not                                                                    
increase because he assumed  the at-large appointments would                                                                    
come  from well-populated  Southcentral or  Interior regions                                                                    
and might not impact the fiscal note totals.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Foster   commended    the   work   on   the                                                                    
legislation.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Thomas  MOVED to  report  CSHCS  22(FIN) out  of                                                                    
Committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal  note. There being NO  OBJECTION, it was                                                                    
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CSHCR22 (FIN) was REPORTED out of Committee with a "do                                                                          
pass" recommendation and with attached new fiscal note by                                                                       
the Legislative Affairs Agency.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The meeting was adjourned at 9:26 AM.