Legislature(2023 - 2024)SENATE FINANCE 532

05/12/2023 01:00 PM Senate FINANCE

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled: TELECONFERENCED
+= SB 48 CARBON OFFSET PROGRAM ON STATE LAND TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSSB 48(FIN) Out of Committee
+= SB 138 ELECTIONS; VOTER REG.; CAMPAIGNS TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSSB 138(FIN) Out of Committee
                 SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE                                                                                       
                       May 12, 2023                                                                                             
                         1:08 p.m.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:08:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Olson called the Senate Finance Committee meeting                                                                      
to order at 1:08 p.m.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Lyman Hoffman, Co-Chair                                                                                                 
Senator Donny Olson, Co-Chair                                                                                                   
Senator Bert Stedman, Co-Chair                                                                                                  
Senator Click Bishop                                                                                                            
Senator Jesse Kiehl                                                                                                             
Senator Kelly Merrick                                                                                                           
Senator David Wilson                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
None                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
ALSO PRESENT                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Ken Alper, Staff, Senator Donny Olson; Senator Scott                                                                            
Kawasaki, Sponsor; David Dunsmore, Staff, Senator Scott                                                                         
Kawasaki.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Rena Miller, Special Assistant, Commissioners Office,                                                                           
Department of Natural Resources.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SB 48     CARBON OFFSET PROGRAM ON STATE LAND                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
          CSSB 48(FIN)  was REPORTED  out of  committee with                                                                    
          three  "no   recommendations",  three   "do  pass"                                                                    
          recommendations and with one  new fiscal note from                                                                    
          the   Department   of  Commerce,   Community   and                                                                    
          Economic   Development,   and   three   previously                                                                    
          published fiscal notes: FN 4(DNR), FN 5(DNR), FN                                                                      
          6(DNR).                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SB 138    ELECTIONS; VOTER REG.; CAMPAIGNS                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
          CSSB 138(FIN)  was REPORTED out of  committee with                                                                    
          three   "do   pass"   recommendations,   two   "no                                                                    
          recommendations", one  "amend" recommendation, and                                                                    
          one  new  fiscal  note  from  the  Office  of  the                                                                    
          Governor.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATE BILL NO. 48                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An   Act  authorizing   the   Department  of   Natural                                                                    
     Resources   to  lease   land   for  carbon   management                                                                    
     purposes;  establishing  a  carbon offset  program  for                                                                    
     state  land;  authorizing  the sale  of  carbon  offset                                                                    
     credits; and providing for an effective date."                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:09:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KEN  ALPER, STAFF,  SENATOR DONNY  OLSON, explained  the new                                                                    
fiscal  note  from  the  Alaska  Oil  and  Gas  Conservation                                                                    
Commission  (AOGCC).  He  noted that  within  the  committee                                                                    
substitute there was a primacy  section which related to the                                                                    
governors   other   carbon  bill   that  was   about  carbon                                                                    
injection. He  stated that once  the other bill  was enacted                                                                    
the state would be permitting  and hold responsibility for a                                                                    
certain type  of injection well.  He remarked that  it would                                                                    
take a few years to go  through the process, so there was an                                                                    
immediate need  for obtaining the  federal tax  credits that                                                                    
the  companies  would  be pursuing.  He  stressed  that  the                                                                    
implementation  of  the other  bill  carried  costs for  the                                                                    
AOGCC.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:10:59 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:11:19 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:11:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman  MOVED to ADOPT Amendment  1, 33-GS1372\U.2                                                                    
(Dunmire, 5/12/23).                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Olson OBJECTED for discussion.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Alper  explained  the amendment.  He  stated  that  the                                                                    
Department of  Natural Resources (DNR) found  some technical                                                                    
clarifications, so  the amendment  held some  sequencing and                                                                    
clarity. He  stressed that the amendment  had no substantive                                                                    
changes.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Olson  WITHDREW  the  OBJECTION.  There  being  NO                                                                    
OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:12:29 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:13:03 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:13:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Bishop MOVED  to ADOPT  Amendment 2,  33-GS1372\U.2                                                                    
(Dunmire, 5/11/23).                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Olson OBJECTED for discussion.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Bishop remarked  that the  amendment would  take 20                                                                    
percent of  the program to  be deposited into  the Renewable                                                                    
Energy Grant Fund inside of eight years.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Olson  WITHDREW  the  OBJECTION.  There  being  NO                                                                    
OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Senator Bishop  MOVED to  REPORT SB  48 from  committee with                                                                    
individual recommendations, and attached fiscal notes.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kiehl  OBJECTED for discussion.  He felt  that there                                                                    
were some constitutional questions  related to the potential                                                                    
for  royalty.  He stressed  that  the  questions had  unsure                                                                    
answers.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:18:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RENA  MILLER,   SPECIAL  ASSISTANT,   COMMISSIONERS  OFFICE,                                                                    
DEPARTMENT  OF   NATURAL  RESOURCES   (via  teleconference),                                                                    
stated  that the  Department of  Law (LAW)  had communicated                                                                    
that there was  no current law defining carbon  as a mineral                                                                    
for legal purposes. She stated  that the governor had agreed                                                                    
to  request  a  written  opinion of  whether  carbon  was  a                                                                    
mineral  resource. She  stated  that DNR  would conduct  the                                                                    
program in accordance with constitution and state laws.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kiehl appreciated the executive branchs desires.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Miller stressed that the  programs would be conducted in                                                                    
accordance with state rules and laws.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Kiehl  WITHDREW  his   OBJECTION.  There  being  NO                                                                    
further OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:20:13 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:20:57 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CSSB 48(FIN)  was REPORTED out  of committee with  three "no                                                                    
recommendations", three  "do pass" recommendations  and with                                                                    
one  new  fiscal  note  from  the  Department  of  Commerce,                                                                    
Community  and Economic  Development,  and three  previously                                                                    
published fiscal notes: FN 4(DNR), FN 5(DNR), FN 6(DNR).                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:21:13 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:38:46 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATE BILL NO. 138                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act relating  to  elections;  relating to  voters;                                                                    
     relating to  voting; relating to the  crime of unlawful                                                                    
     interference with voting in  the first degree; relating                                                                    
     to  campaign  signs;  relating   to  the  reporting  of                                                                    
     financial and  business interests by  certain municipal                                                                    
     officers  and   former  officers  and   candidates  for                                                                    
     municipal office; relating  to the Redistricting Board;                                                                    
     and providing for an effective date."                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:39:16 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:39:44 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:39:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kiehl MOVED to ADOPT the committee substitute for                                                                       
SB 138, Work Draft 33-LS0783\U (Klein, 5/12/23).                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Olson OBJECTED for discussion.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:40:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KEN ALPER, STAFF, SENATOR DONNY OLSON, discussed the                                                                            
Summary of Changes (copy on file):                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     1. Eliminates the change that  would have allowed for a                                                                    
     perjury  charge  for  false   statements  on  a  ballot                                                                    
     application. This remains a misdemeanor.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     2.  Removes   the  section  that  would   have  allowed                                                                    
     international  election  observers  at  a  precinct  or                                                                    
     counting center.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     3.  Removes  the  sections  related  to  repealing  the                                                                    
     prohibition  on using  images  of  the person's  marked                                                                    
     ballot  (or  "ballot  selfies")   for  the  purpose  of                                                                    
     influencing another voter.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     4. Removed the changes  that gave direction, if someone                                                                    
     has  voted more  than once,  regarding which  ballot to                                                                    
     prioritize.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     5. Expands  the use  of observers  to witness  a ballot                                                                    
     audit so  that all  campaigns may provide  witnesses at                                                                    
     their own expense.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     6. Clarifies language  regarding postmarks and barcodes                                                                    
     on  a  ballot to  ensure  that  ballots received  after                                                                    
     election day  are only counted  if they were  mailed on                                                                    
     or before election day.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     7. Clarifies the process  for curing uncounted ballots,                                                                    
     speeding  up when  notices of  deficiency are  sent out                                                                    
     and ensuring  ballots are only  counted if the  form is                                                                    
     fully completed.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     8. Deleted  the section  adding secure drop  boxes when                                                                    
     an election is conducted by mail.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     9. Within  the section  allowing political signs  up to                                                                    
     32 square feet along  highways, removed the prohibition                                                                    
     on  the  property  owner   being  compensated  for  the                                                                    
     display.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Olson  WITHDREW  the  OBJECTION.  There  being  NO                                                                    
OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:44:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  SCOTT KAWASAKI,  SPONSOR,  remarked that  it was  a                                                                    
complex bill, and thanked the committee.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:44:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DAVID DUNSMORE,  STAFF, SENATOR SCOTT KAWASAKI,  agreed with                                                                    
Senator Kawasakis remarks.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:45:17 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:45:31 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kiehl  MOVED to  REPORT SB  138 from  committee with                                                                    
individual recommendations  and attached fiscal  note. There                                                                    
being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CSSB 138(FIN) was  REPORTED out of committee  with three "do                                                                    
pass"   recommendations,  two   "no  recommendations",   one                                                                    
"amend"  recommendation, and  one new  fiscal note  from the                                                                    
Office of the Governor.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
1:46:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The meeting was adjourned at 1:46 p.m.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
SB 48 Amendment Packet 051223.pdf SFIN 5/12/2023 1:00:00 PM
SB 48
SB138 FIN summary of changes 5-12-23.pdf SFIN 5/12/2023 1:00:00 PM
SB 138
SB 138 workd draft version U.pdf SFIN 5/12/2023 1:00:00 PM
SB 138
SB 138 DOE - Response to SFIN question - 5.9.23.pdf SFIN 5/12/2023 1:00:00 PM
SB 138