Legislature(2017 - 2018)HOUSE FINANCE 519
11/21/2017 10:30 AM House LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
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ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
NOVEMBER 21, 2017
10:53 AM
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Sam Kito, Chair
Senator Bert Stedman, Vice Chair
Representative Matt Claman
Representative Bryce Edgmon
Representative David Guttenberg
Representative Charisse Millett
Representative Dan Ortiz
Representative Harriet Drummond, Majority Alternate
Representative David Eastman, Minority Alternate
Senator John Coghill
Senator Anna MacKinnon
MEMBERS PRESENT ON TELECONFERENCE
Representative Louise Stutes
Senator Cathy Giessel
Senator Pete Kelly
Senator Peter Micciche
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Lyman Hoffman
OTHER MEMBERS PRESENT
Representatives LeDoux, Spohnholz, and Saddler; Senator
Wilson
AGENDA
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
EXECUTIVE SESSION
OTHER COMMITTEE BUSINESS
SPEAKER REGISTER
10:52:55 AM
I. CHAIR SAM KITO called the Legislative Council meeting to
order at 10:53 a.m. in Room 519 (House Finance) of the
State Capitol. Present at the call were Representatives
Claman, Edgmon, Guttenberg, Millett, Ortiz, Drummond
(alternate), Eastman (alternate), and Kito; Senators
Coghill, MacKinnon, Costello (alternate), and Stedman.
Present on teleconference were Representative Stutes;
Senators Giessel, Kelly, and Micciche. Senator Hoffman was
absent.
NOTE FOR THE RECORD: there were technical difficulties with
the teleconference system. The roll call reflects members
present once the difficulties were resolved.
CHAIR KITO removed two items from the agenda prior to the
motion to approve: The Records Policy and the Legal
Priority Policy an ad hoc working group would be
established for both with the Chair requesting any members
interested in serving on either subcommittee to contact his
office.
10:55:34 AM
Legislative Council took a brief at-ease to resolve
teleconference issues.
11:00:48 AM
CHAIR KITO called Legislative Council back to order. Roll
was called again at the Chair's request. Chair Kito
repeated the removal of two agenda items as noted above:
The Records Policy and the Legal Priority Policy. Ad hoc
working groups will look at both policies and make
recommendations to the full Council.
II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
11:02:34 AM
VICE CHAIR STEDMAN moved that Legislative Council approve
the agenda as amended.
A roll call vote was taken.
YEAS: Claman, Edgmon, Guttenberg, Millett, Ortiz, Stutes,
Coghill, Giessel, Kelly, MacKinnon, Micciche,
Costello, Stedman, Kito
NAYS: None
The motion passed 14-0.
11:03:28 AM
Legislative Council took a brief at-ease to discuss the
format for the rest of the meeting.
11:14:15 AM
CHAIR KITO called Legislative Council back to order.
III. EXECUTIVE SESSION
VICE CHAIR STEDMAN moved that Legislative Council go into
executive session to consider matters made confidential by
the Legislative Council Records Policy under Uniform Rule
22(b)(2) and 22(b)(3); as always, Legislators not on
Council were invited to remain in the room. The following
staff were asked to stay in the room: Skiff Lobaugh, Human
Resource Manager and Doug Gardner, Legal Services Director.
Legislative Council went into executive session.
4:30:11 PM
Legislative Council came out of executive session.
A roll call was taken. Present at the call were
Representatives Claman, Edgmon, Guttenberg, Millett, Ortiz,
Drummond (alternate), Eastman (alternate), and Kito;
Senators Coghill, MacKinnon, Costello (alternate), and
Stedman. Present on teleconference were Senators Giessel,
Kelly, and Micciche. Representative Stutes and Senator
Hoffman was absent.
4:32:26 PM
VICE CHAIR STEDMAN moved that Legislative Council allow
access to the Legislative Affairs Agency Human Resource
Manager Skiff Lobaugh to review video recordings as
necessary to conduct an internal investigation. Skiff
Lobaugh is authorized during the course of performing his
duties as HR Manager to allow this video to be viewed in
his presence as appropriate and consistent with the best
human resource practices. This authorization applies
through the next Legislative Council meeting.
A roll call vote was taken after a brief at-ease.
YEAS: Claman, Edgmon, Guttenberg, Millett, Ortiz,
Drummond, Coghill, Giessel, MacKinnon, Micciche,
Costello, Stedman, Kito
NAYS: None
The motion passed 14-0.
4:34:14 PM
VICE CHAIR STEDMAN moved that Legislative Council approve
Senator Wilson's request for access to materials made
confidential by the Legislative Council Records Policy, and
that he may have counsel present if desired.
A roll call vote was taken.
YEAS: Claman, Edgmon, Guttenberg, Millett, Ortiz,
Drummond, Coghill, Giessel, Kelly, MacKinnon,
Micciche, Costello, Stedman, Kito
NAYS: None
The motion passed 14-0.
4:35:38 PM
CHAIR KITO called a brief at-ease.
4:48:11 PM
CHAIR KITO called Legislative Council back to order and
asked Senator Stedman to describe the next item and make
the associated motion.
VICE CHAIR STEDMAN said that the concept is to move some
funds in current Fiscal Year 18 from LB&A, House Operating
Budget, and House and Senate Finance to Legal and Research
Services and Administrative Services.
VICE CHAIR STEDMAN moved that Legislative Council approve
the transfer of funds as follows: from the Legislative
Budget & Audit Committee, $145,000; from House Operating
Budget, $189,000; from Senate Finance Committee, $168,000;
and from House Finance Committee, $98,000; for a total of
$600,000, to be transferred to Legal and Research Services
and Administrative Services in a two-thirds, one-third
split: $400,000 to Legal and Research Services and $200,000
to Administrative Services.
4:49:45 PM
There was a brief at-ease in the middle of the motion to
ensure correct language.
4:50:29 PM
CHAIR KITO called the Legislative Council back to order.
SENATOR MICCICHE asked for confirmation of his
understanding that the legislative budget was not
increasing by one penny, that this was simply a re-
distribution of funds.
CHAIR KITO said that his understanding was that the funds
were anticipated lapse, which meant it will not be a net
increase, it will be a transfer.
A roll call vote was taken.
YEAS: Claman, Edgmon, Guttenberg, Millett, Ortiz,
Drummond, Coghill, Giessel, Kelly, MacKinnon,
Micciche, Costello, Stedman, Kito
NAYS: None
The motion passed 14-0.
CHAIR KITO said that he was in the process of establishing
a Sexual Harassment and Other Harassment Policy working
group. He said he proposed that this working group be made
up of Legislative Council members because if travel was
necessary, that travel would be provided through the
Chair's office. He said he anticipated and hoped that there
would be a draft policy recommendation as members come into
session in January. As a subcommittee, three members will
be appointed from each body. The Committee will be staffed
by Human Resource Manager Skiff Lobaugh and Chair Kito's
Legislative Council staff Crystal Koeneman for support. In
response to a question by Representative Guttenberg, Chair
Kito noted he did not need a motion to establish a
Legislative Council subcommittee.
SPEAKER EDGMON said he wanted it on the record that the
intent is to move forward in an expeditious manner.
4:54:06 PM
Legislative Council took a brief at-ease at Senator
MacKinnon's request.
4:54:28 PM
CHAIR KITO noted that there were other members that joined
the Legislative Council meeting during the executive
session and they were: Representatives LeDoux, Spohnholz,
and Saddler. Representative Stutes also participated in the
executive session as her schedule allowed.
In response to a question by Representative Claman, Chair
Kito noted that there would be three members from each
body, for a total of six members on the Sexual Harassment
and Other Harassment subcommittee.
CHAIR KITO noted for the record and for members that there
was some confusion created by information passed around for
various agenda items; as such, in order for clarification,
for communication, for the ability for the public to
understand what Council is doing, all the information that
comes before Legislative Council members needs to come
through the Chair's office. His office will make sure the
information is available on BASIS and make sure it is
appropriately distributed to members. If there is
information they receive such that there wasn't time to
post to BASIS, the Chair will have to pull those items from
the agenda. In order to follow appropriate protocols and
notifications, all agenda item information must go through
the Chair's office.
SENATOR MICCICHE requested that, in working with the Human
Resource Manager Skiff Lobaugh, the proper terminology was
used with regard to the subcommittee, in order that the
public would hear the correct terms. He also noted that he
had received at least two texts from members of the press
and bloggers to please remind every member that we are
dealing with a personnel issue and that the subject of
executive session is to be kept confidential.
CHAIR KITO agreed and reminded everyone that all issues
discussed in executive session remain in executive session.
SENATOR MACKINNON stated that the matters Council has
discussed, that they've spent hours inside of executive
session, are important to the legislative body and are
taken very seriously by all who participated since 10:30
this morning. She thanked the Chair and his staff for
allowing Council a short break to get something to eat and
come back to the table. The issues that are before Council
are extremely serious and the matter that Council voted on
was very serious. She wanted to put on the record that
while she understands freedom of speech and the request fro
the press to understand everything that was happening,
there are laws in place for reasons, to protect individuals
and she believed that everyone agreed with that sentiment.
She thanked everyone for their professionalism regarding
the conversations they've had.
CHAIR KITO thanked all the members for working with his
staff to find at time when they could all meet, and for a
full committee representation.
There being no further business before the committee,
Legislative Council adjourned at 5:00 p.m.
4:59:20 PM
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| 171121 Agenda REVISED.pdf |
JLEC 11/21/2017 10:30:00 AM |