01/31/2024 06:00 PM House WAYS & MEANS

                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
           HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS                                                                          
                        January 31, 2024                                                                                        
                           6:02 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
                             DRAFT                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Ben Carpenter, Chair                                                                                             
Representative Jamie Allard                                                                                                     
Representative Tom McKay                                                                                                        
Representative Kevin McCabe                                                                                                     
Representative Cathy Tilton                                                                                                     
Representative Andrew Gray                                                                                                      
Representative Cliff Groh                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
All members present                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 190                                                                                                              
"An Act establishing a violation  for hindering the Alaska Sunset                                                               
Commission;   relating  to   the  duties   of  the   legislature;                                                               
establishing  the Alaska  Sunset  Commission to  review and  make                                                               
recommendations  on  discontinuation  of   or  changes  to  state                                                               
entities; relating to the powers  and duties of the Alaska Sunset                                                               
Commission; and providing for an effective date."                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     - HEARD & HELD                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HB 190                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: ALASKA SUNSET COMMISSION                                                                                           
SPONSOR(s): WAYS & MEANS                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
05/03/23       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
05/03/23       (H)       W&M, STA, FIN                                                                                          
05/08/23       (H)       W&M AT 6:00 PM DAVIS 106                                                                               
05/08/23       (H)       <Bill Hearing Canceled>                                                                                
05/09/23       (H)       W&M AT 6:00 PM DAVIS 106                                                                               
05/09/23       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
05/09/23       (H)       MINUTE(W&M)                                                                                            
01/24/24       (H)       W&M AT 6:00 PM DAVIS 106                                                                               

01/24/24       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           

01/24/24       (H)       MINUTE(W&M)                                                                                            

01/31/24       (H)       W&M AT 6:00 PM DAVIS 106                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
No witnesses to record                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
6:02:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BEN  CARPENTER called the  House Special Committee  on Ways                                                             
and Means  meeting to order  at 6:02 p.m.   Representatives Groh,                                                               
McCabe, Allard,  Tilton, and Carpenter  were present at  the call                                                               
to order.  Representatives Gray  and McKay arrived as the meeting                                                               
was in progress.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                HB 190-ALASKA SUNSET COMMISSION                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
6:02:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARPENTER  announced that only  order of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL  NO.  190,  "An  Act  establishing  a  violation  for                                                               
hindering the  Alaska Sunset Commission;  relating to  the duties                                                               
of the legislature; establishing  the Alaska Sunset Commission to                                                               
review and make recommendations  on discontinuation of or changes                                                               
to  state entities;  relating to  the  powers and  duties of  the                                                               
Alaska Sunset Commission; and providing for an effective date."                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
6:03:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  CARPENTER  opened  public  testimony on  HB  190.    After                                                               
ascertaining there  was no one  who wished to testify,  he closed                                                               
public testimony.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
6:03:51 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  TILTON  suggested   the  committee  consider  the                                                               
makeup of the commission.   Currently there are four members from                                                               
the legislature and three from  the administration.  She remarked                                                               
that  that could  seem imbalanced,  except that  two of  the four                                                               
legislative  members are  from the  House and  the other  two are                                                               
from the  Senate, and those  bodies are  "not always on  the same                                                               
page."   She proffered that  the executive branch  "actually ends                                                               
up with more power."  She said  she does not know what the makeup                                                               
of the commission  should look like, just that it  may be a point                                                               
of consideration.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
6:05:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARPENTER  indicated that  before HB  190 had  been brought                                                               
forward,  there  had been  consideration  of  the makeup  of  the                                                               
commission,  and  "we  settled  on  placing  it  within  the  ...                                                               
administrative  purview of  the lieutenant  governor because  the                                                               
lieutenant governor  has regulatory  review already, and  it just                                                               
kind  of fit."    Notwithstanding that,  he said  he  is open  to                                                               
suggestions.   Chair  Carpenter  noted that  some amendments  had                                                               
been received by  the previous deadline, and  in consideration of                                                               
the  committee   process,  he  would  extend   the  deadline  for                                                               
amendments to 2/6/24.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
6:06:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  TILTON  reemphasized  that  if the  goal  of  the                                                               
Sunset  Commission is  to review  departments, then  it would  be                                                               
prudent of  the legislature  to have the  most authority  when it                                                               
comes  to that  review.    She allowed  that  she understood  the                                                               
decision  to go  with the  lieutenant governor  but encouraged  a                                                               
balanced approach  with the legislature  having "the  majority of                                                               
the authority of the commissioners on board."                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
6:07:51 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRAY,   regarding  a   legal  opinion   that  the                                                               
committee had received and the  ability of the governor to delete                                                               
the  commission   through  an  executive  order,   suggested  the                                                               
committee could  "amend the bill  to make it really  the property                                                               
of  legislature that  couldn't be  deleted  through an  executive                                                               
order."                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARPENTER repeated  the key points that  had been discussed                                                               
before Representative Gray's arrival.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
6:09:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARPENTER [announced that HB 190 was held over].                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
6:09:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no further business before the committee, the House                                                                 
Special Committee on Ways and Means meeting was adjourned at                                                                    
6:09 p.m.