Legislature(2015 - 2016)SENATE FINANCE 532

02/23/2016 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

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09:12:47 AM Start
09:13:10 AM Governor's Fy 17 Operating Budget Amendments
10:00:47 AM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ FY17 Budget Amendments TELECONFERENCED
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
                 SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE                                                                                       
                     February 23, 2016                                                                                          
                         9:12 a.m.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:12:47 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Kelly  called the  Senate Finance Committee  meeting                                                                   
to order at 9:12 a.m.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Anna MacKinnon, Co-Chair                                                                                                
Senator Pete Kelly, Co-Chair                                                                                                    
Senator Peter Micciche, Vice-Chair                                                                                              
Senator Click Bishop                                                                                                            
Senator Mike Dunleavy                                                                                                           
Senator Lyman Hoffman                                                                                                           
Senator Donny Olson                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
None                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
ALSO PRESENT                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
David  Teal, Director,  Legislative  Finance Division;  Lacey                                                                   
Sanders, Legislative Analyst, Legislative Finance Division.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
FY 17 AMENDMENTS                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:13:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Kelly informed  that  the committee  had asked  the                                                                   
Director  of Legislative  Finance  to present  the  operating                                                                   
budget  amendments.   He  suggested  that  the   members  ask                                                                   
questions as they came up.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
^GOVERNOR'S FY 17 OPERATING BUDGET AMENDMENTS                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:13:42 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DAVID TEAL,  DIRECTOR, LEGISLATIVE  FINANCE DIVISION,  stated                                                                   
that he  and other Legislative  Finance Division  (LFD) staff                                                                   
would review  the amendments. He  clarified that he  would be                                                                   
taking  a  technical  approach   rather  than  defending  the                                                                   
amendments  from  a  policy  perspective  as  the  Office  of                                                                   
Management and  Budget (OMB) might.  He stated that  he would                                                                   
introduce the amendments  and discuss what effect  they would                                                                   
have.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Kelly assured  Mr. Teal  that  his proposed  method                                                                   
was the desire of the committee.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Teal  described  that there  were  three  categories  of                                                                   
amendments:    amendments    spreading     the    unallocated                                                                   
reductions,  the  numbers section  amendments,  and  language                                                                   
amendments.   He   specified   that   the   numbers   section                                                                   
amendments,  typically  known  as  Section  1,  would  go  to                                                                   
subcommittees  for  review;  while  the  language  amendments                                                                   
were not usually assigned to subcommittees for review.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Teal  directed attention to  a two-page summary  from the                                                                   
LFD  budget system,  entitled "2016  Legislature -  Operating                                                                   
Budget;  Agency Summary  - House Structure"  (copy on  file).                                                                   
He  noted that  the document  was a  standard agency  summary                                                                   
report,  and  reflected  all   three  of  the  aforementioned                                                                   
amendment  categories. He summarized  that agency  reductions                                                                   
totaled  just over  $950,000.  There  was a  large  statewide                                                                   
reduction of  $6.5 million, due  to the decision to  back off                                                                   
on  pension  obligation  bonds  and pay  only  the  actuarial                                                                   
recommendations.  He  added  that  he  and  LFD  staff  would                                                                   
discuss each  topic individually  as they were  reviewing the                                                                   
transactions.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Kelly asked about the statewide reduction.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon clarified  that  the reduction  pertained                                                                   
to pension obligation bonds.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Teal  pointed out  a category  at the  bottom of  page 1,                                                                   
"Statewide Items,"  which showed a reduction  in Debt Service                                                                   
of $218 million,  as well as an increase in  State Assistance                                                                   
to Retirement  in the same  category. He continued  that both                                                                   
of the  changes were  related  to the decision  not to  issue                                                                   
pension  obligation bonds,  and to simply  pay the  actuarial                                                                   
recommendations for state assistance to retirement.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Teal directed  attention the  document "Distribution  of                                                                   
FY 17  Governor's  Unallocated Reductions  (UGF Only)"  (copy                                                                   
on  file).  He  highlighted  the  yellow  column,  "Remaining                                                                   
Unallocated  Reduction not  Distributed  in GovAmend,"  which                                                                   
signified  if   an  agency   had  assigned  the   unallocated                                                                   
reductions. He continued  that a hyphen listed  in the column                                                                   
indicated  that   the  agency  distributed   the  unallocated                                                                   
reductions  within the  agency  at net  zero.  He noted  that                                                                   
there   were  some   agencies   with  remaining   unallocated                                                                   
reductions.  He  used  the  example   of  the  Department  of                                                                   
Administration  (DOA),  which   had  a  $957,000  unallocated                                                                   
reduction;  $506,000 of  which  they had  allocated,  leaving                                                                   
$450,000  unallocated.   He  reported  that  there   were  no                                                                   
additional  cuts  taken.  He  suggested  that  the  committee                                                                   
could either direct  the subcommittees to take  the advice of                                                                   
OMB  (that  no additional  cuts  could  be found);  or  could                                                                   
direct  the subcommittees  to  find  cuts somewhere  for  the                                                                   
$450,000 unallocated reduction remaining in DOA.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:18:20 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Teal thought  there might  be  some confusion  regarding                                                                   
the Department  of Natural  Resources  (DNR), which ended  up                                                                   
with  some  unallocated  cuts  as  well  as  taking  a  large                                                                   
reduction in  the North  Slope Gas Commercialization  Office.                                                                   
He  explained   that  if  the   amount  was  counted   as  an                                                                   
unallocated  reduction, then  DNR may  have actually  reduced                                                                   
more  statewide than  the unallocated  reduction. He  thought                                                                   
it  could  be   argued  that  the  reduction   was  merely  a                                                                   
reduction  in the budget  request, which  was very  different                                                                   
than taking  a cut to the  existing budget. He  repeated that                                                                   
the choice  was up to  the committee  to accept what  OMB had                                                                   
done, or take more cuts in subcommittee.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Hoffman asked  if Mr.  Teal  was aware  of how  each                                                                   
department  used the vacancy  factor as  a method  to address                                                                   
unallocated reductions.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
LACEY  SANDERS,  LEGISLATIVE   ANALYST,  LEGISLATIVE  FINANCE                                                                   
DIVISION,  stated  that  the method  varied  from  agency  to                                                                   
agency,  and  thought   the  Department  of  Law   (DOL)  had                                                                   
increased  their  vacancy  rate.   She  continued  that  some                                                                   
agencies,  such as the  Department of  Military and  Veterans                                                                   
Affairs,  had  allocated their  unallocated  distribution  by                                                                   
taking  a  mandatory  9-day furlough  for  exempt  positions.                                                                   
Other agencies had  taken other reductions, such  as deleting                                                                   
positions that had  general funds (GF) associated  with them.                                                                   
She  offered   to  provide  the   committee  with   a  report                                                                   
specifically on the transactions in question.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Senator Hoffman expressed a desire to see such a report.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Teal  informed that the  committee was provided  with two                                                                   
additional  documents; including  an 18-page report  entitled                                                                   
"2016 Legislature  - Operating  Budget; Transaction  Detail -                                                                   
House  Structure"  (copy  on   file),  which  included  notes                                                                   
incorporated into  the OMB transactions.  He shared  that the                                                                   
transaction  notes rendered  the report  lengthy and  hard to                                                                   
follow. The second  document was an Excel summary  sheet that                                                                   
detailed the transactions,  and included some  notes from LFD                                                                   
(in the far  right column). He thought the  spreadsheet would                                                                   
be much easier  to follow; and shared that  Ms. Sanders would                                                                   
review  the document,  entitled  "FY17 Governor's  Amendments                                                                   
(Excludes   transactions    distributing   the    unallocated                                                                   
reductions)" (copy on file).                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Sanders  clarified  that   the  report  and  spreadsheet                                                                   
included  all of the  remaining transactions  outside  of the                                                                   
distribution for the unallocated reductions.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:22:00 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.   Teal   explained   that   the   unallocated   reduction                                                                   
transactions  (100 or more)  were complex  and would  also be                                                                   
seen  in subcommittee.  He  clarified  that the  single  page                                                                   
sheet  indicated  that  most  agencies  summed  to  zero,  or                                                                   
allocated  the  unallocated  reductions  as  expected.  There                                                                   
were a  few that  did not.  He thought  that to walk  through                                                                   
all  of the  transactions  would  be  a burdensome  level  of                                                                   
detail.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Kelly expressed understanding.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Micciche  asked how the committee  might reconcile                                                                   
the $2.638  million remaining  unallocated reduction  that it                                                                   
had counted on.  He wondered if Mr. Teal had  any suggestions                                                                   
as to how to apply the reduction elsewhere.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Teal recommended  that the  committee  do whatever  they                                                                   
choose.  He continued  that the  House Finance  Subcommittees                                                                   
had been  varied in  their response.  Some subcommittees  had                                                                   
not looked for  additional cuts, other had taken  some or all                                                                   
of the  unallocated reductions  and made further  reductions.                                                                   
He reiterated  that the decisions  were up to  the committee,                                                                   
and  LFD  was simply  providing  the  information  that  $2.6                                                                   
million  of the  transactions  expected  to be  allocated  to                                                                   
specific locations in the budget had not been allocated.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon spoke  to her experience  on the  Finance                                                                   
Committees  and  asked Mr.  Teal  if  it  was typical  of  an                                                                   
administration  to provide  a  budget to  a legislative  body                                                                   
with massive unallocated cuts.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Teal stated  that the  previous year  had been  somewhat                                                                   
similar,  and shared  that LFDs  response to  the matter  had                                                                   
been that  unallocated reductions  should rarely be  used. He                                                                   
furthered that  if unallocated  reductions were used,  it was                                                                   
a legislative  prerogative.  He suggested  that the  governor                                                                   
should not  submit unallocated  reductions,  and that  her or                                                                   
his  job  in  submitting  the  budget  was  to  inform  where                                                                   
reductions were taken.  He thought that at  the current point                                                                   
in  the  budget   process,  LFD  would  not   expect  to  see                                                                   
unallocated   reductions.  Rather,   LFD   expected  to   see                                                                   
unallocated  reductions  taken only  if  the legislature  was                                                                   
unable to  find (after working  with agencies) an  exact area                                                                   
to cut.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:26:17 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  asked for  an example of  the unallocated                                                                   
cuts from the previous year.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Sanders   recalled  that   the  previous  session,   the                                                                   
salaries  for FY 16  were included  in the  budget as  a one-                                                                   
time item. She  continued that there had been  a direction to                                                                   
remove  the   item  in  2017.   The  governor's   budget  had                                                                   
reflected the  salaries as being  removed; while at  the same                                                                   
time  added an  increment back  for an  equivalent amount  in                                                                   
each area  of the  budget, for a  net zero. Additionally,  an                                                                   
unallocated reduction  equivalent to the  incremental amounts                                                                   
in  the  governor's   submission.  The   finance  committees'                                                                   
direction  had  been  that  they  did not  want  to  see  the                                                                   
unallocated  reductions,  because it  was  difficult to  make                                                                   
further  reductions  without  knowing  where  the  cuts  were                                                                   
coming  from.  She  explained  that  the  governor's  amended                                                                   
budget had then  spread the unallocated reduction,  which she                                                                   
described as a trickle-down effect.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon  restated  that  the  administration  had                                                                   
entered the budget  process with unallocated cuts  of a large                                                                   
magnitude that  she had never  observed before.  She wondered                                                                   
if there  had been  a previous  administration that  proposed                                                                   
such  massive unallocated  cuts in  a budget  delivered to  a                                                                   
legislative  body.  She  acknowledged  that  the  legislature                                                                   
used unallocated  cuts at  the end of  the budget  process if                                                                   
it could not reach consensus.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Kelly  followed  up   to  ask  if  Mr.  Teal  could                                                                   
distinguish  that the  governor's  budget  the previous  year                                                                   
was that  of the former governor.  He wanted to  clarify that                                                                   
if LFD was  answering questions about  unallocated reductions                                                                   
the current administration  may have provided,  it would have                                                                   
been through the amendment process.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Teal  concurred with Co-Chair  Kelly. He stated  that the                                                                   
current  budget was  the first  time he had  seen a  governor                                                                   
submit  a   new  budget   with  unallocated  reductions.   He                                                                   
continued  that there  had  been unallocated  reductions  the                                                                   
previous year.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson   remarked  on   the  length  of   Mr.  Teal's                                                                   
employment   with   LFD.   He   referred   to   the   Knowles                                                                   
administration,  during   a  time  when  there   was  deficit                                                                   
spending  and a  Constitutional  Budget  Reserve (CBR)  draw-                                                                   
down  that was  negative.  He  thought that  former  Governor                                                                   
Knowles had also had unallocated reductions.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Teal could  not  recall if  there  had been  unallocated                                                                   
reductions, and  stated that LFD  generally examined  the end                                                                   
product of  the budget  process. He  thought it was  entirely                                                                   
possible  that  at  some  point  previously  a  governor  had                                                                   
submitted  unallocated  reductions  in  the  budget  proposal                                                                   
that came  to the  legislature on December  15, but  it would                                                                   
not have been a common occurrence.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:30:35 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson emphasized  the importance  of addressing  the                                                                   
situation.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Teal  reiterated that  it was up  to the committee  as to                                                                   
how  to  address the  unallocated  reductions.  He  suggested                                                                   
that  the governor  may not  have done  what the  legislature                                                                   
expected, to  allocate the full  $16 million of his  share of                                                                   
the unallocated cut.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Sanders   reviewed  the   document  "FY  17   Governor's                                                                   
Amendments   -  (Excludes   transactions   distributing   the                                                                   
unallocated reductions)"  (copy on file). She  addressed Item                                                                   
2, a  $750,000 request  of GF  program receipts  by DOA.  The                                                                   
department planned  to contract with a fee  collection agency                                                                   
to  collect accounts  receivable  from multiple  departments.                                                                   
The  department  stated that  if  5  percent of  the  current                                                                   
receivables  portfolio  of  approximately  $500  million  was                                                                   
collected,  the state would  receive about  $25 million.  She                                                                   
read a  transaction note that  inquired if there would  be an                                                                   
offsetting  decrement  if the  service  was no  longer  being                                                                   
paid for by the department internally.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders addressed  Item 3 and Item 4 for  DOA; which were                                                                   
for  a statewide  single audit,  and included  a request  for                                                                   
$1.4 million  of GF.  Item 3  included a  request for  $932.1                                                                   
thousand  for  multi-year  funding   for  increased  workload                                                                   
resulting from the  new IRIS accounting system.  Item 4 was a                                                                   
request of  $450,000 in Unrestricted  General Funds  (UGF) to                                                                   
pay for  the Legislative Audit  Division to provide  services                                                                   
to  LFD. She  detailed  that  cost  was increasing  from  the                                                                   
existing amount of $300,000 to $750,000.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:34:08 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Micciche  asked why there was $932,000  on line 3,                                                                   
when Ms. Sanders had mentioned a request or $1.4 million.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders explained  that she had combined Item  3 and Item                                                                   
4, for a total of $1.4 million.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Hoffman  asked  if  there was  a  breakdown  of  the                                                                   
outsourcing of the single audit listed on line 3.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders did  not have the information at  hand but agreed                                                                   
to follow up with DOA and OMB to provide him with the data.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Hoffman   asked  if  there  was   justification  for                                                                   
requesting  FY  18 funds  the  current  year when  the  funds                                                                   
should be considered for the next legislative session.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders agreed to look into the matter.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Teal pointed  out  that the  presentation  was a  "rough                                                                   
review"  of  the  governor's  amendments,  and  LFD  had  not                                                                   
finished an analysis  and still had unanswered  questions. He                                                                   
urged  the committee  members to  ask for  detail as  Senator                                                                   
Hoffman had.  He thought it would  be helpful if  the members                                                                   
indicated specific  areas of interest so that  LFD could find                                                                   
answers.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Sanders addressed  Item  5, for  the  Office of  Tourism                                                                   
Marketing  and Development  in  the Department  of  Commerce,                                                                   
Community  and Economic  Development  (DCCED). In  the FY  17                                                                   
governor's budget,  the tourism marketing program  would have                                                                   
continued  under  the  department's  purview.  The  amendment                                                                   
transferred the funds  to the grant line, as  well as reduced                                                                   
the  receipt  authority  for   statutory  designated  program                                                                   
receipts. She furthered  that the department was  moving back                                                                   
to a grant  to a named  recipient, through the  Alaska Travel                                                                   
Industry   Association  (ATIA).   The   receipts  that   were                                                                   
collected  for the  visitor's  brochure and  the booths  that                                                                   
were run would be collected directly by ATIA in the future.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Teal summarized  that DCCED was turning  over the tourism                                                                   
marketing activities to the private sector.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Kelly  thought  the  amendment  would  restore  the                                                                   
funding arrangement to how it was done in the past.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders  addressed  Item 6, within  DCCED. She  explained                                                                   
that  with  declining  energy costs,  the  governor's  office                                                                   
submitted  a  decrement  eliminating   the  entire  statewide                                                                   
project  development and  alternative  energy and  efficiency                                                                   
allocation   within   the   budget.  She   noted   that   the                                                                   
spreadsheet listed  all the fund sources that  were included.                                                                   
She relayed  LFD's concern (brought  to its attention  by the                                                                   
department) was  the renewable energy funding  that was being                                                                   
eliminated. She  detailed that  there were approximately  133                                                                   
outstanding  grants under  the Renewable  Energy Grant  Fund,                                                                   
and  the reduction  decremented  the grant  funding that  was                                                                   
managing the grants.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders  addressed Item 7 and  Item 8 from the  budget of                                                                   
the  Department of  Education and  Early Development  (DEED).                                                                   
The items  would add back a  total of $2.8 million  for Pre-K                                                                   
grants,  the  Parents  as  Teachers  Program,  and  the  Best                                                                   
Beginnings Program.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:38:32 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Micciche asked about  the fund  source in  Item 6                                                                   
listed as "Ren Energy."                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Sanders explained  that the  Renewable  Energy item  was                                                                   
the funding  that was  managing the  133 outstanding  grants.                                                                   
The funding  came directly  from the  Renewable Energy  Fund,                                                                   
and was a Designated General Fund (DGF) fund source.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Teal  clarified that  the issue  was that the  department                                                                   
had   eliminated    their   grant   monitoring    capability,                                                                   
presumably on  the grounds  that it would  be issuing  no new                                                                   
grants; however  there was still 133 grants  outstanding that                                                                   
needed monitoring.  He continued  that some, or  perhaps all,                                                                   
of the  $2 million  was something  that the department  would                                                                   
be asking  to be returned in  the budget process. He  was not                                                                   
sure if  the matter  would come up  in subcommittee  or would                                                                   
be  a   governor's  amendment.   He  presumed  that   if  the                                                                   
department was going  to continue to monitor  the outstanding                                                                   
grants, it would need the funds to do so.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson asked about the total of the 133 grants.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders  stated that  she could  acquire the  information                                                                   
from the Alaska Energy Authority.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson  asked if  the  amount  was roughly  under  $2                                                                   
million.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Sanders  clarified  that  the  outstanding  grants  were                                                                   
previous grants that had been appropriated in prior years.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Bishop  thought  he understood  that  Mr.  Teal  was                                                                   
communicating that  there was  outstanding grants and  it was                                                                   
important  to  ascertain   if  the  money  was   being  spent                                                                   
appropriately,  which included  expending the  $2 million  to                                                                   
do so.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Teal reiterated  that LFD  had not  finished a  thorough                                                                   
review of  the governor's amendments.  He opined that  it did                                                                   
not  take  $2 million  to  monitor  outstanding  grants,  and                                                                   
considered  that   some  of  the  funds  may   be  for  other                                                                   
purposes.  He  articulated  that  LFD had  not  assessed  the                                                                   
details yet  and could not provide  an amount solely  for the                                                                   
grant monitoring activity.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders discussed  item 9, a $100,000 request  in federal                                                                   
receipts for DEED  to digitize newspapers. The  funding would                                                                   
pay for  one non-permanent position  for the duration  of the                                                                   
project.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Hoffman  asked if  the  digitization  was  a new  or                                                                   
ongoing program.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders  understood that  the project  was through  a new                                                                   
grant that  DEED was  receiving funding  for. She  added that                                                                   
the information  she received  did not  have an  accompanying                                                                   
timeline, and  LFD was uncertain  how long the  program would                                                                   
go.                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:41:59 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders turned  to page 2 of the document,  and addressed                                                                   
Item  10. The  Office of  the Governor  requested $29,000  of                                                                   
statutory  designated  program receipts  to  receive a  grant                                                                   
from  the  Pew  Charitable Trust.  The  grant  funding  would                                                                   
allow  the Division  of Elections  to participate  in a  data                                                                   
sharing  agreement. The  grant would  pay for  50 percent  of                                                                   
the  initial   mailing  to   unregistered  voters;   and  the                                                                   
remaining  50 percent  of funding  would come  from the  Help                                                                   
America Vote  Act funding, which  was currently in  a capital                                                                   
project.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Sanders discussed  Item  11, in  the  Department of  Law                                                                   
(DOL), which  would reinstate  a decrement  that was  made in                                                                   
the  governor's FY  17 budget  and  restore the  department's                                                                   
Dillingham   office.   After   further   consideration,   the                                                                   
governor's  office had decided  to restore  the cut  that was                                                                   
submitted,  and maintain  the current  level of funding.  The                                                                   
funding would support one attorney and one support staff.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders discussed  Item 12 in DOL, a request  for $50,000                                                                   
in tobacco  cessation education  funding as a  one-time item.                                                                   
Due to a  multi-state arbitration with tobacco  companies, it                                                                   
was  expected that  the  department  would need  the  funding                                                                   
beginning  in  FY  16  and  would  extend  into  FY  17.  She                                                                   
detailed  that  the  funding would  pay  for  attorney  time,                                                                   
travel costs,  arbitration proceedings, and  potential expert                                                                   
witnesses.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Dunleavy   asked  if   the  settlement   funds  were                                                                   
originally  intended  for K-12  education,  or  if the  funds                                                                   
were   intended   for  general   public   tobacco   cessation                                                                   
education.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Teal indicated the latter.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders  addressed  Item 13, which  provided a  technical                                                                   
correction  for DOL.  The  governor's  budget had  originally                                                                   
submitted  a transaction  for  $18.5 million  in  interagency                                                                   
receipts   for  Alaska's   Liquefied   Natural  Gas   Project                                                                   
(AKLNG).  She continued  that  because  DNR had  UGF  funding                                                                   
under fund code  1241 (AKLNG), the money had  to be reflected                                                                   
in  DOL's budget  as interagency  receipts.  Money that  came                                                                   
directly from the  AKLNG Fund had a different  fund code. The                                                                   
fund  code  correction  was order  to  avoid  duplication  in                                                                   
counting the funds.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders addressed  Item 14 for DOL, which  was related to                                                                   
the previous  item. The  amendment requested  a reduction  of                                                                   
interagency receipt  authority for  AKLNG by $1  million, for                                                                   
a remaining total of $17.5 million.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Sanders  addressed  Item   15,  for  the  Department  of                                                                   
Military and Veterans  Affairs (DMVA). The item  would delete                                                                   
a division  operations manager,  which was a  vacant position                                                                   
in  the  Air  Guard  Facilities   Maintenance  Division.  She                                                                   
understood  that   the  position  was  a   middle  management                                                                   
position that operated under a director.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders  addressed Item  16, also  for DMVA, which  would                                                                   
delete 16  vacant unfilled positions  in the  Alaska Military                                                                   
Youth Academy.  The authority  that went  with the  positions                                                                   
was uncollectable  receipt authority. She explained  that the                                                                   
academy  had  received  funding  from DEED  until  two  years                                                                   
previously, after  which it received GF directly  rather than                                                                   
passing   through  the   department.   The  amendment   would                                                                   
eliminate  the  excess  receipt  authority  the  academy  had                                                                   
retained since the funding change.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:46:30 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders addressed  Item 17 and Item 18,  which would both                                                                   
delete   vacant   positions    for   the   Alaska   Aerospace                                                                   
Corporation  (AAC)   in  DMVA.  She  noted  that   there  was                                                                   
language in  the operating  budget bill  that allowed  AAC to                                                                   
receive  and  expend  additional  receipts if  it  entered  a                                                                   
contract  in  which additional  positions  were  needed.  The                                                                   
corporation  would   have  the  ability  to   work  with  the                                                                   
governor's office to get the positions established.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Hoffman asked if  the AAC  would have  to go  to the                                                                   
Legislative   Budget  and  Audit   Committee  (LBA)   to  get                                                                   
additional positions  established, or if the  budget language                                                                   
did not require it.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Sanders  clarified  that  the  language  in  the  budget                                                                   
allowed  AAC  to  receive and  expend  the  receipts  without                                                                   
going to LBA.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Sanders  addressed Item 19  for DNR, which was  a summary                                                                   
of  a  very  large  detailed  transaction  that  was  in  the                                                                   
members  packets  of  information.   The  item  would  reduce                                                                   
funding  for the  AKLNG project  by  $7 million  in UGF.  The                                                                   
reduction  had  to  do  with   timing  issues  on  the  AKLNG                                                                   
project.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Sanders  addressed  Item  20  on page  3,  which  was  a                                                                   
request by  the Department  of Revenue  (DOR) for  $50,000 of                                                                   
UGF  in   one-time  funding   due  to   cash  logistics   for                                                                   
anticipated marijuana  tax. She  addressed Item 21,  also for                                                                   
DOR, which  proposed to add a  position to the  Mental Health                                                                   
Trust Authority  and $150,000 in administration  receipts for                                                                   
data  analysis and  policy  planning.  She relayed  that  Mr.                                                                   
Teal would  address the statewide  items on the  remainder of                                                                   
the document.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Teal  addressed Item  23 through  Item 30. He  summarized                                                                   
that  the administration  had made  a decision  not to  issue                                                                   
pension  obligation bonds.  He  furthered  that the  decision                                                                   
would  reduce anticipated  debt  service cost,  and Items  23                                                                   
and  24  reflected  resultant   large  negative  numbers.  He                                                                   
explained that  if the legislature  was no longer  depositing                                                                   
money from  the bond proceeds,  it would  need to go  back to                                                                   
the original  actuarial recommendations for  state assistance                                                                   
to retirement;  which was approximately  $99 million  for the                                                                   
Public  Employees' Retirement  System  (PERS),  and $116  for                                                                   
the  Teachers' Retirement  System  (TRS).  He specified  that                                                                   
the net change  was a reduction of approximately  $46 million                                                                   
to $47  million. In  addition, there had  been a  $12 million                                                                   
supplemental  to  cover  the  cost  of  issuing  the  pension                                                                   
obligation  bonds. He  expected that  the supplemental  would                                                                   
be reduced by the  same amount, but the action  was not taken                                                                   
in  the set  of amendments  being considered.  He added  that                                                                   
the total reduction would be $59 million.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:49:52 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Kelly asked if the reduction was year to year.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Teal clarified  that the  reduction  was dependent  upon                                                                   
earnings on the  bonds. He explained that if  the legislature                                                                   
issued  pension  obligation  bonds,  it  would  be  replacing                                                                   
state  assistance  costs  for retirement  with  debt  service                                                                   
costs.  He discussed  the uncertainty  of  bond returns,  and                                                                   
clarified that  the item was a  one-time reduction in  FY 17.                                                                   
He added that  going forward, the legislature  would continue                                                                   
to   pay  the   actuarial  recommended   costs,  which   were                                                                   
projected to increase yearly.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Kelly   wondered  if   the  FY  17   reduction  was                                                                   
reflected in the language being considered.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Teal  answered in the  affirmative. He restated  that the                                                                   
debt  service on  the  bonds would  exceed  the normal  state                                                                   
assistance  to  retirement  deposit.   Consequently,  by  not                                                                   
bonding there would  be a one-time savings in FY  17 of about                                                                   
$43 million,  and another  $12 million of  savings in  FY 16.                                                                   
He noted that costs would go up in FY 18 and FY 19.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Teal addressed  Item 32 through Item 34,  which were fund                                                                   
transfers.   He  explained   that  Item   32  reflected   the                                                                   
governor's  decision to  reexamine  a planned  deposit of  $5                                                                   
million to  the Renewable Energy  Fund submitted  in December                                                                   
and later  reconsidered. He continued  that Item 33  and Item                                                                   
34 were  related to money  for permanent fund  dividends. The                                                                   
items  reflected money  that flowed  first from  the GF  (the                                                                   
royalty proceeds)  into the  Earnings Reserve Account  (ERA),                                                                   
and then  was transferred to  the dividend fund.  He expected                                                                   
a supplemental  change to happen  that would delete  the $1.4                                                                   
billion for the  FY 16 dividend. He furthered  that beginning                                                                   
in  FY  17,  the state  would  begin  paying  dividends  from                                                                   
royalties.  He informed  that there  was no  need to put  the                                                                   
$1.4  billion  from the  ERA  and  put it  toward  dividends,                                                                   
which   was  essentially   replaced  by   the  $700   million                                                                   
appropriation.   The   $469   million   from  Item   33,   in                                                                   
combination with  another $230 million from the  GF would pay                                                                   
the $1000  dividends in FY 17.  He clarified that  the amount                                                                   
used  for the  $1000  dividend  was not  in  addition to  the                                                                   
anticipated   $1.4  billion  for   the  approximately   $2000                                                                   
dividend;  rather,  the  $1.4  was  being  removed  from  the                                                                   
previous year's budget.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Teal explained  that  Item 37  was  a wordage  amendment                                                                   
that referred  to the Commercial Fisheries  Entry Commission,                                                                   
and  its carry-forward  language. The  language was  standard                                                                   
year  after  year,  and  would  be  added  back  after  being                                                                   
unintentionally omitted.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:54:30 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Teal  addressed   Item  40  and  Item  41   on  page  3,                                                                   
explaining  that both  items were  fund capitalizations  that                                                                   
were excluded  from LFD  reports. He  specified that  Item 40                                                                   
was  a $926  million appropriation  to  the Oil  and Gas  Tax                                                                   
Credit Fund.  The appropriation  was in  addition to  the $73                                                                   
million  that was  already in  the governor's  budget, for  a                                                                   
total of  $1 billion for tax  credits. He explained  that the                                                                   
item was submitted  as a contingent appropriation,  while LFD                                                                   
considered  it was  more  appropriate as  a  fiscal note.  He                                                                   
added that if  the operating budget bill passed,  there would                                                                   
be a fiscal note attached.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Teal discussed  Item 41,  which  was capitalization  for                                                                   
the  loan fund  for  tax credits,  and  which  would also  be                                                                   
reflected in a fiscal note.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Teal addressed  Item  44, which  was  for a  sustainable                                                                   
draw  from the  ERA to  the GF.  He  noted that  when it  was                                                                   
originally   submitted  the   draw  was   for  $3.2   billion                                                                   
annually, and with  the amendment would be  increased to $3.3                                                                   
billion annually.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Teal  pointed out  that there was  one thing  not listed,                                                                   
which  reflected  a major  policy  difference  between  OMB's                                                                   
view of dividends  and LFD's view of dividends.  He furthered                                                                   
that OMB had  reflected the ERA and the payment  of dividends                                                                   
as Designated General  Funds (DGF). The implication  was that                                                                   
dividends  did   not  contribute   to  the  deficit,   either                                                                   
positively  or negatively,  and  did not  compete with  other                                                                   
expenditures.  The fiscal  summary  did  not track  permanent                                                                   
fund  earnings nor  the amount  of dividends  that were  paid                                                                   
out.  He  stated   that  LFD  had  discussed   the  situation                                                                   
internally for  years, and did  not want to distort  the cash                                                                   
flow  in the  fiscal summary.  He  elaborated that  permanent                                                                   
fund earnings  typically  exceeded the  amount that  was paid                                                                   
out  as  dividends,  and  earnings   were  traditionally  not                                                                   
spent. If  a dividend payment  was included as a  GF expense,                                                                   
and permanent fund  earnings were recorded as  GF revenue, it                                                                   
would distort the  financial picture when there  was an extra                                                                   
$3 billion to $5 billion (of earnings) showing as revenue.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Teal  continued discussing  the concept  of how  dividend                                                                   
earnings were  categorized. He  relayed that it  had occurred                                                                   
to LFD  that it was possible  to show an undistorted  picture                                                                   
by showing  only revenues used  for dividends.  Therefore the                                                                   
fiscal  summary  reflected  the   $3.3  billion  draw  as  GF                                                                   
revenue,  as well  as the dividend  cost of  $700 million  as                                                                   
revenue  and  expense.   He  thought  it  was   important  to                                                                   
recognize  that the  ERA had  always been  available for  any                                                                   
purpose, but it  had not been reflected as  UGF. He continued                                                                   
that LFD made  the argument that as royalties  and production                                                                   
tax were  deposited, which  were clearly  UGF revenues,  that                                                                   
it  changed the  character of  the  fund. He  thought it  was                                                                   
important  to  recognize  that   the  ERA  was  truly  a  UGF                                                                   
account.  He pointed  out that  there  was no  impact on  the                                                                   
deficit to regard  it as such, and thought  it clarified that                                                                   
permanent  fund earnings  were  government expenditures  like                                                                   
any other,  and competed  with K-12  education and  any other                                                                   
expenditures made by the state.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:59:45 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson  asked about the  elimination of a  position in                                                                   
air guard  facilities maintenance  for Item 15,  and wondered                                                                   
how many aircraft were being maintained by the Air Guard.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Sanders did  not  have the  information,  but agreed  to                                                                   
follow up at a later date.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Kelly  thanked Mr.  Teal and  Ms. Sanders  for their                                                                   
presentation.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
10:00:47 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 a.m.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
022316 LFD Distribution of FY17 Governor's Unalloc Reductions.pdf SFIN 2/23/2016 9:00:00 AM
FY17 Budget Amendments
022316 LFD FY17 Gov Amend Agency Summary UGF Only.pdf SFIN 2/23/2016 9:00:00 AM
FY17 Budget Amendments
022316 LFD FY17 Gov Amend Transactions with Notes.pdf SFIN 2/23/2016 9:00:00 AM
FY17 Budget Amendments