Legislature(2019 - 2020)BUTROVICH 205

03/18/2019 09:00 AM House RULES

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Audio Topic
09:00:04 AM Start
09:00:41 AM Organizational Meeting
09:07:19 AM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ Organizational Meeting TELECONFERENCED
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
                 HOUSE RULES STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                               
                         March 18, 2019                                                                                         
                           9:00 a.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Chuck Kopp, Chair                                                                                                
Representative Jennifer Johnston, Vice Chair                                                                                    
Representative Bryce Edgmon                                                                                                     
Representative Louise Stutes                                                                                                    
Representative Steve Thompson                                                                                                   
Representative Lance Pruitt                                                                                                     
Representative David Eastman                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
All members present                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
No previous action to record                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
No witnesses to record                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:00:04 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  CHUCK  KOPP  called the  House  Rules  Standing  Committee                                                             
meeting to  order at 9:00  a.m.  Representatives  Pruitt, Stutes,                                                               
Edgmon,  Johnston, Eastman,  Thompson, and  Kopp were  present at                                                               
the call to order.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
^ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING                                                                                                         
                     ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING                                                                                 
                                                                                                                              
9:00:41 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KOPP announced that the only order of business would be an                                                                
organizational meeting to formally delegate the duty of setting                                                                 
the House  floor calendar to  the House Rules  Standing Committee                                                               
chair.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:00:50 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSTON  moved and  asked unanimous  consent that                                                               
the  House  Rules  Standing Committee  delegate  the  duties  and                                                               
responsibilities set out  in Uniform Rule 18  for the preparation                                                               
of the  House Daily Calendar,  including the scheduling  of bills                                                               
for the floor, to the chair  of the committee for the duration of                                                               
the  Thirty-First   Alaska  State   Legislature,  and   that  the                                                               
delegation would  remain in effect until  the committee withdraws                                                               
it.                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:01:12 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN  objected for  the purpose  of discussion.                                                               
He  noted legislation  had  been "put  forward  last week"  which                                                               
addressed the  [House Rules Standing Committee],  and he inquired                                                               
whether it  was Chair  Kopp's intent that  the committee  "take a                                                               
look at that."                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:01:37 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KOPP  answered no.   He offered  further details as  to the                                                               
focus of today's meeting.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN  clarified that  he had been  referring to                                                               
[HCR  4, a  concurrent resolution  sponsored by  the House  State                                                               
Affairs Standing Committee]  that is related to  the Committee on                                                               
Committees and proposes a change to the Uniform Rules.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:02:30 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   EDGMON  provided   that   the   bill  to   which                                                               
Representative Eastman  had referred currently sits  in the House                                                               
State Affairs  Standing Committee.  He  offered his understanding                                                               
that the bill  has two referrals before it would  reach the House                                                               
Rules Standing Committee.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KOPP  concluded that the bill  still had a journey  to make                                                               
before being seen by the House Rules Standing Committee.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:02:51 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRUITT asked  what Chair  Kopp's process  was for                                                               
determining which bills are heard on the House floor.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KOPP  answered  that consistent  with  prior  House  Rules                                                               
Standing Committee  chairs, he  would look to  see that  the bill                                                               
had  majority support  in the  body,  at which  point his  intent                                                               
would to be to put the bill on the floor.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PRUITT asked  if there would be  a requirement for                                                               
everyone to have a chit sheet to illustrate the support.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KOPP replied that he  thinks the easiest and most equitable                                                               
way to show the  support would be a chit sheet.   He indicated he                                                               
has "gone back  and forth" in his thinking about  this issue.  He                                                               
explained that although  he likes to take members  at their word,                                                               
he also  knows that  a chit sheet  is a way  for members  to keep                                                               
track of  those to whom  they have  spoken, and "looking  at that                                                               
together  is a  confirmation of  support."   Further, Chair  Kopp                                                               
suggested  [using  a  chit  sheet   would  avoid  a  hypothetical                                                               
situation  in which]  he may  take Representative  Pruitt at  his                                                               
word but not Representative Eastman.   He opined, "I think a chit                                                               
sheet is the best way to go."                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:04:52 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN  asked if minority bills  would be treated                                                               
differently from majority bills.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KOPP  answered, "Minority bills  that have support  will be                                                               
treated the same."                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:05:13 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  EASTMAN [maintained  his objection].   He  stated                                                               
that based on  his interaction with constituents and  what he has                                                               
seen regarding  calendaring and "attention  given to  the rules,"                                                               
he  was  "not  prepared,  at   this  time,  to  delegate  further                                                               
authority."                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:06:00 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRUITT  stated  that  while  he  appreciates  the                                                               
concern  expressed by  Representative  Eastman,  he thinks  Chair                                                               
Kopp  has "given  us a  standard for  both minority  and majority                                                               
when it  comes to the ...  calendaring of bills," and  he expects                                                               
Chair  Kopp to  keep  his  word in  that  regard.   He  expressed                                                               
appreciation  for the  meeting as  a  means to  formally ask  his                                                               
questions.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:06:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
A  roll call  vote was  taken.   Representatives Pruitt,  Stutes,                                                               
Edgmon,  Johnston,  Thompson, and  Kopp  voted  in favor  of  the                                                               
motion  to delegate  to the  House Rules  Standing Committee  the                                                               
duties and  responsibilities set out  in Uniform Rule 18  for the                                                               
preparation   of  the   House  Daily   Calendar,  including   the                                                               
scheduling of bills for the floor,  to the chair of the committee                                                               
for the  duration of the  Thirty-First Alaska  State Legislature,                                                               
and for  the delegation to  remain in effect until  the committee                                                               
withdraws it.   Representative Eastman voted  against the motion.                                                               
Therefore, the motion passed by a vote of 6 to 1.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:07:19 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no  further business before the  committee, the House                                                               
Rules Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 9:07 a.m.                                                                     

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