Legislature(2013 - 2014)CAPITOL 120
02/04/2013 01:00 PM House JUDICIARY
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| Start | |
| Overview(s): Department of Law | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
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ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE JUDICIARY STANDING COMMITTEE
February 4, 2013
1:31 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Wes Keller, Chair
Representative Bob Lynn, Vice Chair
Representative Gabrielle LeDoux
Representative Charisse Millett
Representative Max Gruenberg
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Neal Foster
Representative Lance Pruitt
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
OVERVIEW(S): DEPARTMENT OF LAW
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
MICHAEL C. GERAGHTY, Attorney General
Department of Law (DOL)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented the overview of the Department of
Law (DOL).
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:31:47 PM
CHAIR WES KELLER called the House Judiciary Standing Committee
meeting to order at 1:31 p.m. Representatives Keller, LeDoux,
and Millett were present at the call to order. Representatives
Lynn and Gruenberg arrived as the meeting was in progress.
^Overview(s): Department of Law
Overview(s): Department of Law
1:32:11 PM
CHAIR KELLER announced that the only order of business would be
an overview of the Department of Law (DOL).
1:32:22 PM
MICHAEL C. GERAGHTY, Attorney General, Department of Law (DOL),
explained that the DOL has four core functions: protect the
safety and financial wellbeing of Alaskans; foster conditions
for the responsible development of Alaska's natural resources;
protect the fiscal integrity of the state; and promote good
governance. Over 60 percent of the DOL's budget is devoted to
protecting Alaskans via the DOL's Criminal Division, which has
over 13 offices across the state staffed with assistant district
attorneys. Last year, the Criminal Division handled just under
40,000 matters, including over 20,000 misdemeanors and over
8,000 felonies, as well as criminal appeals, extraditions,
juvenile matters, petitions for post-conviction relief, "and the
like." Out of the aforementioned 13 district attorney offices,
7 offices also house civil attorneys, and it's the DOL's Civil
Division that addresses the core functions of protecting the
state's fiscal integrity, promoting good governance, and
fostering natural resource development, which includes
litigating the state's right to develop its natural resources.
In response to questions and comments, he relayed that whether
to litigate a particular issue is determined by a number of
factors; mentioned some examples of current, past, and possible
future litigation to illustrate; and indicated that the DOL does
speak with Alaska's congressional delegation regarding federal
law.
[Members and he then briefly discussed further some of the
examples he'd touched on.]
2:13:53 PM
ATTORNEY GENERAL GERAGHTY, returning to his overview of the DOL,
explained that approximately 10 percent of the DOL's budget is
devoted to fostering "economic opportunity, resource
development," and that most cases involving those issues are
handled in-house, though the DOL does use outside counsel on
occasion. There are just under 300 attorneys currently working
for the DOL, divided roughly equally between the Civil Division
and the Criminal Division; five new positions were added this
year and staffing levels are adequate; and the DOL earns a
return on its budget in the sense that a big part of what the
DOL does is related to the fiscal integrity of the state. For
example, for fiscal year 2011 (FY 11), the DOL recovered
approximately $146 million; for FY 12, the DOL recovered just
under $100 million; and thus far for FY 13, the DOL has already
recovered $255 million. In conclusion, in response to comments
and questions, he explained that prior to serving as the
attorney general, he served as a commissioner on the National
Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL); and
mentioned that he is a strong proponent of how Alaska currently
chooses and retains its judges and how it chooses its attorney
general.
2:26:50 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Judiciary Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 2:26 p.m.
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