02/28/2017 03:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB97 | |
| HB82 | |
| HB1 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 97 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 82 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 1 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 127 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 91 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE STATE AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
February 28, 2017
3:05 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, Chair
Representative Gabrielle LeDoux, Vice Chair
Representative Chris Tuck
Representative Adam Wool
Representative Chris Birch
Representative DeLena Johnson
Representative Gary Knopp
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Andy Josephson (alternate)
Representative Chuck Kopp (alternate)
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 97
"An Act repealing the insurance tax credit for gifts to the
Alaska fire standards council; and providing for an effective
date."
- HEARD & HELD
HOUSE BILL NO. 82
"An Act relating to vehicle registration; relating to off-road
system restricted noncommercial drivers' licenses; relating to
off-highway commercial drivers' licenses; relating to off-road
system eligible areas; and relating to motor vehicle liability
insurance."
- HEARD & HELD
HOUSE BILL NO. 1
"An Act relating to absentee voting, voting, and voter
registration; relating to early voting locations at which
persons may vote absentee ballots; and providing for an
effective date."
- HEARD & HELD
HOUSE BILL NO. 127
"An Act relating to a permanent fund dividend for an individual
whose conviction has been vacated, reversed, or dismissed; and
relating to the calculation of the value of the permanent fund
dividend by including payment to individuals eligible for a
permanent fund dividend because of a conviction that has been
vacated, reversed, or dismissed."
- SCHEDULED BUT NOT HEARD
HOUSE BILL NO. 91
"An Act relating to fees for certain persons filing disclosure
statements or other reports with the Alaska Public Offices
Commission; relating to a tax on legislative lobbyists; and
providing for an effective date."
- HEARING POSTPONED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 97
SHORT TITLE: REPEAL AK FIRE STANDS. COUNCIL TAX CREDIT
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) THOMPSON
02/01/17 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/01/17 (H) STA, FIN
02/28/17 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
BILL: HB 82
SHORT TITLE: RESTRICTED OFF HWY DRIVER'S LICENSE
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) KREISS-TOMKINS
01/25/17 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/25/17 (H) STA, TRA
02/02/17 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
02/02/17 (H) Scheduled but Not Heard
02/23/17 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
02/23/17 (H) <Bill Hearing Canceled>
02/28/17 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
BILL: HB 1
SHORT TITLE: ELECTION REGISTRATION AND VOTING
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) TUCK
01/18/17 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/9/17
01/18/17 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/18/17 (H) STA, JUD
02/23/17 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
02/23/17 (H) Heard & Held
02/23/17 (H) MINUTE(STA)
02/28/17 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
WITNESS REGISTER
REPRESENTATIVE STEVE THOMPSON
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HB 97, as prime sponsor.
BRANDON BREFCZYNSKI, Staff
Representative Steve Thompson
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on HB 97 on behalf of
Representative Thompson, prime sponsor.
BERETT WILBER, Staff
Representative Kreiss-Tomkins
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HB 82 on behalf of Representative
Kreiss-Tomkins, prime sponsor.
MARLA THOMPSON, Director
Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
Department of Administration (DOA)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the hearing on HB
82.
AUDREY O'BRIEN
Driver Services - Juneau
Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
Department of Administration (DOA)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the hearing on HB
82.
KENDRA KLOSTER, Staff
Representative Chris Tuck
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on HB 1 on behalf of
Representative Tuck, prime sponsor.
MICHAEL HAWFIELD
Homer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 1.
ALEX KOPLIN
Kenai Peninsula Votes
Homer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 1.
KIM REITMEIER, Executive Director
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) Regional
Association
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 1.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:05:36 PM
CHAIR JONATHAN KREISS-TOMKINS called the House State Affairs
Standing Committee meeting to order at 3:05 p.m.
Representatives LeDoux, Tuck, Birch, Johnson, Knopp, and Kreiss-
Tomkins were present at the call to order. Representative Wool
arrived as the meeting was in progress.
HB 97-REPEAL AK FIRE STANDS. COUNCIL TAX CREDIT
3:06:26 PM
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS announced that the first order of business
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 97, "An Act repealing the insurance tax
credit for gifts to the Alaska fire standards council; and
providing for an effective date."
3:06:40 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STEVE THOMPSON, Alaska State Legislature,
presented HB 97, as prime sponsor. He stated that the Twenty-
Eighth Alaska State Legislature, 2013-2014, passed the indirect
expenditures bill [House Bill 306] to review all tax credits and
reductions in funds. He relayed that not all the tax credit
programs had sunset dates, therefore not all were reviewed. He
related that HB 97 is being introduced to allow the legislature
the opportunity to review the effectiveness of the insurance tax
credit program by setting a sunset date of January 1, 2022. He
said that that the insurance tax credit program was established
to provide financing for the Alaska Fire Standards Council
(AFSC).
REPRESENTATIVE THOMPSON relayed that HB 97 would not immediately
repeal the insurance tax credits for donations made to the AFSC
but would establish a sunset date of January 1, 2022. He
asserted that the intent of HB 97 is to allow an opportunity for
the legislature to review whether the credit is effective and
necessary. He added that to date there have been no donations
made to AFSC; therefore, there have been no tax credits under
this program. He mentioned that the AFSC tax credits were
established in the Twenty-First Alaska State Legislature, 1999-
2000, by House Bill 380 introduced by former Representative Gene
Therriault. He stated that the 2015 [Indirect] Expenditure
Report released by the Legislative Finance Division recommended
that the tax credit be reviewed to determine if it is still
applicable and potentially terminate it if it is not. He
concluded by saying that he would not be opposed to an amendment
to HB 97 terminating the program in December 2017, as it has
never been used.
3:09:23 PM
BRANDON BREFCZYNSKI, Staff, Representative Steve Thompson,
Alaska State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Thompson,
prime sponsor of HB 97, stated that the intent of House Bill 380
was to establish a funding mechanism for the newly created AFSC
by creating a tax credit for insurance companies to make
donations to AFSC. He reiterated that there have been no
donations to AFSC because of the legislation. He relayed that
currently AFSC is funded by unrestricted general funds (UGF) and
fees collected for firefighter certification.
3:10:40 PM
REPRESENTATIVE THOMPSON confirmed for Representative Wool that
the insurance tax credit program has not been used in the 17
years it has been in place.
3:12:05 PM
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS, in response to Representative Knopp's
interest in introducing an amendment, indicated that Legislative
Legal and Research Services would be contacted to draft an
amendment and that HB 97 would be held over.
HB 82-RESTRICTED OFF HWY DRIVER'S LICENSE
3:12:35 PM
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS announced that the next order of business
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 82, "An Act relating to vehicle
registration; relating to off-road system restricted
noncommercial drivers' licenses; relating to off-highway
commercial drivers' licenses; relating to off-road system
eligible areas; and relating to motor vehicle liability
insurance."
3:12:45 PM
The committee took a brief at ease at 3:12 p.m.
3:12:51 PM
BERETT WILBER, Staff, Representative Kreiss-Tomkins, Alaska
State Legislature, presented HB 82 on behalf of Representative
Kreiss-Tomkins, prime sponsor. She stated that HB 82 would
change the criteria for an individual to be eligible for an off-
highway driver's license. She said that under AS 28.15.126, an
individual is eligible if his/her community is on a list of
communities published by the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
She stated that the list consists of off-highway communities
without DMV offices, and these communities are exempt from
vehicle registration and insurance. She added that DMV
publishes this list every year under the insurance exemption
statute [AS 28.22.011], and residents of these communities
qualify for off-highway driver's licenses.
MS. WILBER relayed that in 2014, "traffic count" was added as a
new criterion for the list of off-highway communities. She
explained that if a rural, off-highway community had a traffic
count of greater than 499, it was removed from the list, and
residents could no longer qualify for off-highway driver's
licenses. She mentioned that five rural communities without
access to DMV offices were removed from the list based on this
new criterion - Kake, Hoonah, Angoon, Seldovia, and Hyder. She
asserted that HB 82 would change statute to ensure that traffic
count would no longer determine a community's qualification for
the off-highway driver's license, thereby reinstating those five
communities to the list of eligible communities. She opined
that it is unreasonable and prohibitively expensive for a
resident of rural communities to fly to Anchorage or Juneau to
get a driver's license and results in people driving illegally.
3:17:06 PM
REPRESENTATIVE BIRCH moved to adopt the proposed committee
substitute (CS) for HB 82, Version 30-LS0367\D, Martin, 2/27/17,
as the working document.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX objected for the purpose of discussion.
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS explained that the CS for HB 82 is the
newest iteration of the bill and was developed in close
consultation with DMV.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX withdrew her objection. There being no
further objection, Version D was before the committee.
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL asked what criteria was used to qualify a
community to be on the list of off-highway communities before
the traffic-count criteria.
MS. WILBER answered that the criteria was that the community was
not connected to the land state highway system and did not have
access to a DMV office that offered road testing for a driver's
license.
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL asked if in the communities that don't
require a driver's license, a driver isn't required to have car
insurance.
MS. WILBER replied that under current statute, a person living
in one of the 294 communities that allow off-highway driver's
licenses is exempt from registration and insurance.
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL asked for clarification that residents of
the five communities with a traffic count of over 499 would be
exempt from having insurance as well as driver's licenses. He
asked if there is an age requirement for drivers not needing
driver's licenses and insurance.
3:20:36 PM
MS. WILBER pointed out that in none of the communities are you
allowed to drive without a license. She explained that the
proposed legislation would allow a resident to get an off-
highway restricted driver's license - a specific type of
driver's license that can be obtained through the mail. She
asserted that the intent of HB 91 is to provide a mechanism for
rural residents to obtain legal licenses to drive, thus
preventing under-age driving.
3:21:34 PM
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL asked for clarification that an off-highway
driver's license requires paperwork, a written test, the
applicant to be a certain age, but not a road test or insurance.
He asked if under the proposed legislation, the residents of the
five communities having the higher traffic count would have
those same requirements.
MS. WILBER answered that under current statute, an off-highway
restricted driver's license: requires passing a written test;
requires verifying identity with DMV; cannot be used outside the
country or on the state highway system; and can only be used in
an off-highway restricted area.
MS. WILBER stated that all communities that are eligible for
off-highway driver's licenses are currently exempt from
registration and insurance, and that would continue under HB 82.
She added that the five communities that would become newly
eligible under HB 82 would also be exempt from registration and
insurance.
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL asked if a community that loses its DMV
office through budget cuts would qualify automatically for off-
highway driver's licenses.
MS. WILBER answered that language in HB 83 states that if a road
test is not offered in a community for more than 12 months, the
community then becomes eligible for off-highway driver's
licenses. She added that this would give DMV 12 months to
provide other options for road tests: establish a commissioned
agent position in the community; fly a DMV representative into
the community; or contract with a third party.
3:26:25 PM
MARLA THOMPSON, Director, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV),
Department of Administration (DOA), reiterated that if a
community lost DMV services for 12 months, it would be exempt
from registration and insurance.
3:27:05 PM
MS. WILBER confirmed in response to Representative LeDoux that
the five communities that would be affected by HB 83 are Hoonah,
Kake, Angoon, Seldovia, and Hyder.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX stated that she understands the situation
in the villages, but she expressed that Seldovia is a city of
substantial size with paved highways. She asked how many people
in the five communities are eligible to have a driver's licenses
but don't.
MS. WILBER mentioned that Seldovia has a population of 255, and
the last traffic count study performed in 2007 revealed a
highest average daily traffic count of 665.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked for an explanation of "traffic
count."
MS. WILBER said that traffic count, also known as average daily
traffic (ADT), is one assessment the Department of
Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) uses to determine
the classification of roads. She added that it is a count of
the number of people who drive over a given segment of road on a
given day.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked if "655" refers to the number of
cars driving over a segment of road.
MS. WILBER responded yes. She clarified that the number does
not refer to the number of individual cars but the number of
times over which the traffic count strip has been driven.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked if the traffic assessment was
performed in the summer or winter, since Seldovia is a tourist
destination in the summer.
MS. WILBER answered that the reason it is called an average
daily traffic count is because a statistical analysis is
performed on the actual numbers collected to produce a
representative count.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked how long it takes to travel from
Seldovia to Homer by ferry.
MS. WILBER replied that she didn't know but asserted that having
to travel by ferry to obtain a driver's license was an
imposition, and a community such as Seldovia should be able to
qualify for off-highway driver's licenses. She stated that DMV
and DOT&PF personnel have indicated to her that there are off-
highway communities that would have traffic counts of over 499,
if a traffic count were performed. She mentioned that the
communities of Hooper Bay, Sandpoint, King Cove, Selawik, and
Togiak, which all have populations significantly larger than the
five mentioned in relation to the proposed legislation, would
likely have traffic counts over 499. She added that DOT&PF is
not likely to do traffic counts in these communities, which is
why they have never been removed from the list of off-highway
communities. She stated that HB 83 was introduced to protect
rural communities that don't have road access to DMVs from being
removed from the list of off-highway communities in the event
DOT&PF performed a traffic count. She opined that a traffic
count is not a good metric for determining qualification for the
off-highway driver's license.
3:33:58 PM
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON offered that Seldovia stands out among
the five communities because it has many roads and many people.
She also mentioned that communities with ferry access are
different from bush communities with just a few miles of road in
the middle of nowhere. She added that the Alaska Marine Highway
is part of the state's transportation system.
MS. WILBER confirmed that all five communities are served by the
ferry system. Under HB 83, they would qualify for the off-
highway driver's license, because they are not connected [to DMV
offices] by land. She offered that it is prohibitive for people
in those communities to buy ferry tickets, hotel rooms, and take
road tests in an unfamiliar community, just so they can drive in
their own community. She opined that even though the
communities have access to a DMV office by ferry, the ability of
the residents to obtain driver's licenses is impaired. She
reiterated that HB 83 would allow them to access legal licenses
that other Alaskans access without the expense and time.
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON pointed out that Hyder is connected to a
road system.
3:37:59 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP asked if the age limit for a driver's
license applies to an off-highway driver's license.
MS. WILBER responded yes, the two are the same.
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP offered that in the summer, there are about
2,000 people in Seldovia; there are not many roads; and it is
less than an hour from Homer by ferry. He stated that his
concern is regarding the increased summer traffic in Seldovia
and the uninsured drivers with off-highway driver's licenses.
He asked if the off-highway driver's license system is working
well given those drivers are exempt from insurance.
MS. THOMPSON responded that currently 1,527 drivers have off-
highway restricted licenses. She said that those drivers are
not required to pay DMV registration fees or to obtain insurance
while driving in the off-highway community. She maintained that
if the driver is driving in a community that is not an off-
highway community, then the off-highway driver's license becomes
a de facto permit, and the driver needs a regular driver's
license or must be accompanied by someone with a regular
driver's license. She mentioned that the number of off-highway
driver's licenses is small due to the restrictions on them.
3:43:11 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP reiterated his concern is about local young
people driving around Seldovia with off-highway driver's
licenses and no insurance. He asserted that every other driver
is required to maintain insurance, and a visitor to Seldovia
could be a victim of an uninsured driver.
3:44:10 PM
AUDREY O'BRIEN, Driver Services - Juneau, Division of Motor
Vehicles (DMV), Department of Administration (DOA), confirmed
that for a person in Seldovia with an off-highway driver's
license, insurance is optional, and a visitor to Seldovia could
be at risk of a collision with an uninsured driver.
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS offered a scenario: Someone from Valdez
travels to Tatitlek or King Cove, both of which have ferry
service and are off-highway eligible communities. The visitor,
who does have insurance, gets T-boned by an uninsured Tatitlek
or King Cove driver. Representative Kreiss-Tomkins asked, "What
happens to the insured driver who just got hit by the uninsured
driver?"
MS. O'BRIEN replied that in that situation, the driver does not
face a license suspension as would a driver "on-system" because
insurance is not required for the off-highway driver. She went
on to say that there still could be an application of financial
responsibility for the off-highway driver depending on who is at
fault.
3:47:43 PM
REPRESENTATIVE BIRCH asked if the roads in the off-highway
communities are publicly constructed roads or private roads.
MS. O'BRIEN conjectured that these communities have a
combination of public and private roads.
REPRESENTATIVE BIRCH asked if it is reasonable to permit drivers
with no registration or insurance on public roads.
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS asked what the insurance implications would
be for the insured driver in the scenario he offered.
MS. O'BRIEN responded that depending on the insured driver's
coverage, damages for which he/she was responsible could be
reimbursed, and damages caused by the uninsured driver could be
reimbursed under uninsured motorist coverage. If the insured
driver did not have uninsured motorist coverage, he/she may have
to pay for the damages caused by the uninsured driver or seek
compensation by other means.
3:51:24 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked how many people in the five off-
highway communities would be affected by HB 83 because they are
eligible for a driver's license and have a vehicle but don't
have a regular driver's license. She opined that many people
travel out of Seldovia for services.
MS. O'BRIEN answered that she doesn't have that number. She
said she could attempt to get that information but would not
know who chose not to have a driver's license.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked if people with driving violations,
such as driving under the influence (DUI), can get off-highway
driver's licenses.
MS. O'BRIEN answered that the only difference between the off-
highway driver's license and the regular license is that the
former does not require a road test. She maintained that all
other licensing criteria that applies to a regular driver's
license applies to an off-highway driver's license. She stated
that if driving privileges have been revoked for an individual,
he/she would not have off-highway driving privileges. She
added, however, that a court-ordered requirement for an ignition
interlock device is forgiven in the off-highway listed
communities.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked what the rationale was for not
requiring insurance.
MS. O'BRIEN replied that her understanding was that back in
1986, when this was enacted, traffic in those areas was so low
that there was very little risk.
3:55:46 PM
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK suggested that the explanation for allowing
uninsured drivers might be because insurance companies don't
insure unlicensed drivers.
MS. O'BRIEN responded that her contact with insurance companies
suggests to her they are unfamiliar with off-highway driver's
licenses.
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK asked if commercial driver's licenses still
would be required in the off-highway communities.
MS. O'BRIEN answered that HB 83 would not change the criteria
for commercial licensing in off-highway communities. She added
that there is a restriction for commercial licenses based on the
size of the community, which is an exemption applied to Alaska
under federal law.
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK asked for clarification that HB 83 would
require the off-highway communities to be listed in statute.
MS. O'BRIEN responded that DMV publishes a list of off-highway
communities, and HB 83 would change the criteria for communities
to be on the list.
3:58:53 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP expressed his concern for people who are
unaware of off-highway driver's licenses being in an area not
requiring liability insurance policies. He stated that most
people have an uninsured/underinsured provision on their
insurance policy. He asked if that provision would protect the
insured driver in the event of a collision with an uninsured
driver.
MS. O'BRIEN stated that she is not aware of any clause that
would render the insurance policy invalid in the off-highway
community.
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP offered that the intent of the
uninsured/underinsured provision is to protect the insured
driver.
4:01:12 PM
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON asked if the off-highway driver's license
communities have resident law enforcement officers.
MS. WILBER answered that in speaking with Department of Public
Safety (DPS) personnel, three of the communities addressed by HB
83 have police departments.
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS offered his belief that Kake and Angoon
have Village Public Safety Officers (VPSOs); Hoonah has a
municipal police department; Seldovia has a municipal police
department; and Hyder does not have a municipal police
department.
4:02:43 PM
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON asked if the off-highway driver's license
would qualify as a "REAL ID."
MS. Thompson answered no, it would not qualify as a REAL ID. In
response to a previous question on the number of registrations
per city, she offered that there is a total of 2,752 vehicles
registered with the breakdown as follows: Angoon with 264;
Hoonah with 993; Kake with 374; and Seldovia with 1,119.
MS. THOMPSON, in response to Representative Wool, confirmed
there were 1,527 individuals with off-highway driver's licenses.
She clarified that the people in the four communities currently
have regular driver's licenses.
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL opined that a town with a thousand vehicles
does not constitute light road traffic. He offered that in the
case of Seldovia, accessing a DMV office entails a short ferry
ride and is not much of a burden. He mentioned that Hyder is
connected to the road system. He said that he is interested in
the number of cars traveling to Homer from Seldovia in the
summer.
4:07:23 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX stated that she agrees with Representative
Wool. She opined, however, that some of the other communities
on the off-highway list might also have a high traffic count,
and it is unfair to exclude these five communities based on high
traffic count, when other communities on the list might also
have high traffic count. She suggested that instead of
including these five communities on the list, an equally
reasonable solution might be to consider excluding the other
communities with high traffic count.
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK asked if the ADT count was removed as a
criterion, the only other way to remove a community from the
list of exemptions would be to open a DMV office in the
community.
MS. THOMPSON answered yes. There would have to be a road test
available in the community, either through a DMV office, a
business partner, or a commissioned agent.
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK asked Ms. Thompson to provide information to
the committee identifying the community with the smallest ADT
count that has a DMV office.
4:09:57 PM
REPRESENTATIVE BIRCH referred to the financial implication of HB
83 and asked if vehicle registration fees would be required in
these five communities.
MS. THOMPSON responded that there would not be registration
fees, but many of these communities already have permanent
registration available. She offered to provide the committee
with information on the estimated loss of revenue.
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL asked how DMV knows how many vehicles there
are if they are unregistered.
4:11:31 PM
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS reiterated that many of the people in the
five communities have regular licenses, and just a few have the
off-highway restricted license, such as elders and people who
never leave the village.
[HB 82 was held over.]
HB 1-ELECTION REGISTRATION AND VOTING
4:12:22 PM
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS announced that the final order of business
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 1, "An Act relating to absentee voting,
voting, and voter registration; relating to early voting
locations at which persons may vote absentee ballots; and
providing for an effective date."
4:12:38 PM
KENDRA KLOSTER, Staff, Representative Chris Tuck, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of Representative Tuck, prime sponsor of
HB 1, explained forthcoming changes to HB 1. She said that
Section 3 of HB 1 will be amended to clarify the verification
process for individuals changing their voter registrations.
These individuals must verify that they have lived in the
district for 30 days, which is a requirement of the state
constitution.
MS. KLOSTER stated that Section 9 of HB 1 will be amended to
allow the applicant of an absentee ballot the option of
receiving an absentee ballot every year without reapplying. She
added that if the absentee voter does not vote for four years or
his/her address becomes outdated, then he/she would be removed
from the list of voters who get their absentee ballots mailed
automatically. Those with a "bad" address may update their
address information with the Division of Elections (DOE) and
reapply to get back on the list.
4:15:08 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP asked for verification that a person must
be a resident of his/her district for 30 days prior to voting in
that district and that the proposed legislation allows someone
to register the same day as he/she votes.
MS. KLOSTER confirmed that is correct.
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP expressed his concern that same-day
registration would lead to corruption in elections by allowing
someone to move into a district just 30 days before voting in
the district.
4:17:15 PM
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK responded that currently one must be
registered to vote 30 days before an election to vote. He said
that the constitution only requires residency for 30 days before
voting in an election. He explained that under the proposed
legislation, someone who moves to a different district but has
not yet changed his/her registration, could register and vote
the same day. He added that if a person moved to the new
district 31 days before the election, he/she still would be
allowed to vote in the election, because the constitution only
requires a 30-day residency.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX mentioned that for presidential elections,
same-day voter registration is allowed nationwide. She added
that a person who is not registered to vote may vote a
questioned ballot, and the ballot will be good for the
presidential election. She asked if a person, who is not
registered to vote but votes a questioned ballot, must show
proof that he/she has lived in the district at least 30 days.
MS. KLOSTER explained that the change to HB 1 would include
clarifying language for a verification process in voting a
questioned ballot. She offered that the process would include a
signed statement verifying residency, and she added that
providing false information is against the law.
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX mentioned that she doesn't recall anything
currently in the voter registration process requiring the
registrant to provide proof of residency.
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK responded that under the proposed
legislation, a person would be required to have verification of
residency for same-day voter registration. He offered that
voting a questioned ballot updates one's voter registration and,
therefore, serves as reregistration. He asserted that same-day
voter registration, as proposed by HB 1, will allow a person:
to vote in his/her new district on Election Day in all the
races; to re-register by updating the voter registration
records; and to verify residency.
4:22:27 PM
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS opened public testimony on HB 1.
4:22:55 PM
MICHAEL HAWFIELD testified in support of HB 1. He stated his
belief that HB 1 would clarify statutory language about the
voter registration process, streamline and enhance the voting
process, and encourage more participation, especially among
young people.
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON referred to the Alaska Voter Registration
via the Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) application, Ballot
Measure 1 (2016), and asked if there was an estimate of how many
people have not registered to vote.
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK responded that the PFD voter registration
initiative will solve some of the voter registration challenges.
He said that voter registration information is automatically
updated because of the PFD application. He offered that HB 1
would allow someone to vote through same-day registration if
he/she moved to another district after applying for the PFD or
turned 18 years of age two days before Election Day.
4:26:59 PM
ALEX KOPLIN, Kenai Peninsula Votes, testified in support of HB
1. He offered his belief that Alaska does well in registering
voters, but getting people to vote is a challenge, especially in
local elections. He emphasized the importance of increasing
voter turnout. He offered other measures to increase voter
turnout might include allowing people to leave work early to
vote and extending voting beyond one day. He asserted that the
absentee voting process is confusing, and the automatic mail out
of absentee ballots would be a huge improvement and encourage
more voter participation. He opined that Alaska does an
excellent job with online voter registration, which serves to
energize voters and enhance voter turnout. He attested that the
democratic system works when more people get involved, and voter
participation is not a partisan issue.
4:30:28 PM
KIM REITMEIER, Executive Director, Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) Regional Association, testified
that the association represents the 12 land-based Alaska Native
corporations, 121,000 shareholders, and a significant number of
descendants. She mentioned that she co-chaired the automatic
PFD voter registration initiative, which passed last year. She
stated that the association supports HB 1, supports a modernized
election process, and seeks to ensure that rural residents have
equal access to voter engagement. She asserted that the younger
generation requires new ways of communication and engagement,
and it is "up to us to ensure that we are engaging those
individuals, making processes easier for them, and ensuring that
we have an energized state and communities."
4:32:16 PM
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS closed public testimony on HB 1. He
announced HB 1 would be held over.
4:32:57 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
State Affairs Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 4:33
p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 097 ver A.pdf |
HSTA 2/28/2017 3:00:00 PM |
HB 97 |
| HB097 Sponsor Statement ver A 2.23.17.pdf |
HSTA 2/28/2017 3:00:00 PM |
HB 97 |
| HB097 Sectional Analysis ver A 2.23.17.pdf |
HSTA 2/28/2017 3:00:00 PM |
HB 97 |
| HB097 Fiscal Note DPS 2.25.17.pdf |
HSTA 2/28/2017 3:00:00 PM |
HB 97 |
| HB 097 Support Indirect Expenditure Report 2.22.17.pdf |
HSTA 2/28/2017 3:00:00 PM |
HB 97 |
| HB 82 Proposed CS ver D 2.28.17.pdf |
HSTA 2/28/2017 3:00:00 PM |
HB 82 |
| HB082 Summary of Changes ver A to ver D 2.27.2017.pdf |
HSTA 2/28/2017 3:00:00 PM |
HB 82 |
| HB01_Elections_Bill_Support_022717.pdf |
HSTA 2/28/2017 3:00:00 PM |
HB 1 |