02/26/2025 08:00 AM House RULES

                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
                 HOUSE RULES STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                               
                       February 26, 2025                                                                                        
                           7:39 a.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Louise Stutes, Chair                                                                                             
Representative Chuck Kopp, Vice Chair                                                                                           
Representative Bryce Edgmon                                                                                                     
Representative Calvin Schrage                                                                                                   
Representative Mia Costello                                                                                                     
Representative Cathy Tilton                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Sarah Vance                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATE BILL NO. 87                                                                                                              
"An Act disapproving the recommendations of the State Officers                                                                  
Compensation Commission; and providing for an effective date."                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED SB 87 OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: SB  87                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: REJECT COMP COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS                                                                             
SPONSOR(s): RULES                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
02/05/25       (S)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
02/05/25       (S)       RLS                                                                                                    
02/07/25       (S)       RULES TO CALENDAR PENDING WAIVER FROM                                                                  
                        RULES COMMITTEE                                                                                         
02/07/25       (S)       TRANSMITTED TO (H)                                                                                     
02/07/25       (S)       VERSION: SB  87                                                                                        
02/10/25       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
02/10/25       (H)       RLS                                                                                                    
02/26/25       (H)       RLS AT 8:00 AM GRUENBERG 120                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BILL WIELECHOWSKI                                                                                                       
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:  As prime sponsor, presented SB 87.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:00:05 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  LOUISE STUTES  called the  House Rules  Standing Committee                                                             
meeting to order at 8:00  a.m.  Representatives Costello, Edgmon,                                                               
Schrage,  Kopp, and  Stutes were  present at  the call  to order.                                                               
Representative Tilton arrived as the meeting was in progress.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
          SB 87-REJECT COMP COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:00:58 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES announced  that the only order of  business would be                                                               
SENATE BILL NO.  87, "An Act disapproving  the recommendations of                                                               
the State Officers Compensation  Commission; and providing for an                                                               
effective date."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:01:43 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BILL WIELECHOWSKI,  Alaska State  Legislature, as  prime                                                               
sponsor presented SB 87.  He  explained that SB 87 would reject a                                                               
pay raise  recommended by the Alaska  State Officers Compensation                                                               
Commission (ASOCC),  in a report  received by the  legislature on                                                               
January 30, 2025.   He said by statute, the  legislature must act                                                               
within 60  days, by March  31, 2025, to  reject the pay  raise or                                                               
else  it goes  into  effect.   He  stated  that  last month,  the                                                               
commission  recommended that  the governor,  lieutenant governor,                                                               
department heads, and legislators all  receive pay raises tied to                                                               
the Anchorage Consumer  Price Index (CPI).  He  explained that if                                                               
accepted,  this pay  increase would  go into  effect in  calendar                                                               
year  2027  after   the  next  election  cycle.     He  said  the                                                               
Legislative  Finance Division  estimates that  the total  cost of                                                               
increasing these salaries in the  fiscal year 2027 (FY 27) budget                                                               
to be approximately $507,157 in  undesignated general funds above                                                               
what  is currently  paid, with  continued growth  in the  future.                                                               
Senator  Wielechowski   stated  that  SB  87   also  rejects  the                                                               
statutory recommendations because  many of the items  in the bill                                                               
referenced in 2023 do  not need to be done in  statute.  He noted                                                               
that Emily  Nauman, of Legislative  Legal Services  was available                                                               
by phone to speak further to  the legal opinion [in the committee                                                               
file]  provided  to members.    He  offered to  answer  committee                                                               
questions.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES ascertained that there were no questions from                                                                      
committee members and entertained a motion.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:03:37 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP moved  to report SB 87 out  of committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There being  no objection, SB  87 was  reported out of  the House                                                               
Rules Standing Committee.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:04:05 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no further business before the committee, the House                                                                 
Rules Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 8:04 a.m.