Legislature(2021 - 2022)SENATE FINANCE 532

04/07/2022 01:00 PM Senate FINANCE

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Audio Topic
01:02:01 PM Start
01:02:12 PM SB162 || SB163 || SB164
01:03:21 PM Public Testimony: Nome, Bethel, Kotzebue, Utqiagvik, Unalaska, Dillingham, and Offnets
02:32:02 PM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
-- Public Testimony <Time Limit May Be Set> --
+ Nome, Bethel, Kotzebue, Utqiagvik, Unalaska, TELECONFERENCED
Dillingham, & Offnets
Call In/Sign Up By 2:30pm, Time Limit:90 Seconds
+= SB 162 APPROP: OPERATING BUDGET/LOANS/FUNDS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+= SB 163 APPROP: MENTAL HEALTH BUDGET TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+= SB 164 APPROP: CAP; REAPPROP; SUPP TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
**Streamed live on AKL.tv**
                 SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE                                                                                       
                       April 7, 2022                                                                                            
                         1:02 p.m.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:02:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Senator Hoffman called the  Senate Finance Committee meeting                                                                    
to order at 1:02 p.m.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Click Bishop, Co-Chair                                                                                                  
Senator Bert Stedman, Co-Chair                                                                                                  
Senator Lyman Hoffman                                                                                                           
Senator Natasha von Imhof                                                                                                       
Senator Bill Wielechowski                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator Donny Olson                                                                                                             
Senator David Wilson                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
John Handeland,  Mayor of Nome,  Lake Tahoe;  Denice Gilroy,                                                                    
Arctic Access  and Independent Living Network,  Nome; Eileen                                                                    
Arnold,  Self,  Bethel;  Rhonda  Schneider,  Nome  Community                                                                    
Center, Nome;  Joy Baker, Self,  Nome; Tessa  Baldwin, Self,                                                                    
Kotzebue;  Jaela  Milford,   Bethel  Winter  House,  Bethel;                                                                    
Robert  Baty,  Chief  of Police,  Sitka  Police  Department,                                                                    
Sitka;  Michael Jefferies,  Self, Utqiagvik;  Bessie Weston,                                                                    
Board  Member, Mekoryuk;  Sarah Sledge,  Executive Director,                                                                    
Coalition for Education Equity, Anchorage.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SB 162    APPROP: OPERATING BUDGET/LOANS/FUNDS                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
          SB 162 was HEARD and HELD in committee for                                                                            
          further consideration.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SB 163    APPROP: MENTAL HEALTH BUDGET                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
          SB 163 was HEARD and HELD in committee for                                                                            
          further consideration.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SB 164    APPROP: CAP; REAPPROP; SUPP                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
          SB 164 was HEARD and HELD in committee for                                                                            
          further consideration.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
PUBLIC TESTIMONY: NOME, BETHEL, KOTZEBUE, UTQIAGVIK,                                                                            
UNALASKA, DILLINGHAM, AND OFFNETS                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATE BILL NO. 162                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act making  appropriations for  the operating  and                                                                    
     loan  program  expenses  of state  government  and  for                                                                    
     certain   programs;    capitalizing   funds;   amending                                                                    
     appropriations;    making   reappropriations;    making                                                                    
     supplemental   appropriations;  making   appropriations                                                                    
     under art.  IX, sec.  17(c), Constitution of  the State                                                                    
     of  Alaska,  from  the  constitutional  budget  reserve                                                                    
     fund; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATE BILL NO. 163                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act making  appropriations for  the operating  and                                                                    
     capital    expenses   of    the   state's    integrated                                                                    
     comprehensive  mental  health program;  making  capital                                                                    
     appropriations  and  supplemental  appropriations;  and                                                                    
     providing for an effective date."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATE BILL NO. 164                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act   making  appropriations,   including  capital                                                                    
     appropriations,     reappropriations,     and     other                                                                    
     appropriations;  making   supplemental  appropriations;                                                                    
     and providing for an effective date."                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:02:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
^PUBLIC TESTIMONY: NOME, BETHEL, KOTZEBUE, UTQIAGVIK,                                                                         
UNALASKA, DILLINGHAM, AND OFFNETS                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:03:21 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOHN   HANDELAND,   MAYOR   OF   NOME,   LAKE   TAHOE   (via                                                                    
teleconference), spoke  in support of the  Arctic Deep Draft                                                                    
Port Project  in Nome. He  stated that the project  had been                                                                    
in  development for  a  long  time, and  was  now ready  for                                                                    
construction thanks to a recent appropriation.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:05:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DENICE   GILROY,  ARCTIC   ACCESS  AND   INDEPENDENT  LIVING                                                                    
NETWORK,  NOME (via  teleconference),  spoke  in support  of                                                                    
senior and  disability community service grants.  She shared                                                                    
that  the  grant would  help  those  who require  additional                                                                    
needs. She remarked  that the funding would  help ensure the                                                                    
care for seniors. She spoke in support of a housing trust.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:08:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
EILEEN ARNOLD,  SELF, BETHEL (via teleconference),  spoke in                                                                    
support  of funding  for  spoke in  support  of funding  for                                                                    
Tundra  Women's  Coalition  Crisis Center  for  Victims  and                                                                    
Survivors  of  Interpersonal  Violence.  She  remarked  that                                                                    
there  was  a major  staffing  issue  for advocates  as  the                                                                    
trauma victims' experiences in exams after an assault.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:10:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RHONDA   SCHNEIDER,  NOME   COMMUNITY   CENTER,  NOME   (via                                                                    
teleconference),  testified   in  support  of   housing  and                                                                    
homeless  prevention; and  food  security.  She shared  that                                                                    
Nome had launched a project to house homeless people.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:13:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOY  BAKER, SELF,  NOME (via  teleconference), testified  in                                                                    
support  of funding  for  the  Port of  Nome.  She spoke  in                                                                    
concern of marine traffic. She  stated that the Port of Nome                                                                    
currently  was   not  capable  to  resupply   vehicles,  and                                                                    
increased risk of  oil spills. She remarked  that search and                                                                    
rescue was a primary concern in Nome.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:15:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TESSA  BALDWIN, SELF,  KOTZEBUE (via  teleconference), spoke                                                                    
in support of  funding for public safety  warm storage units                                                                    
for fire equipment and Village  Public Safety Officer (VPSO)                                                                    
housing.  She   shared  that  her  community   was  recently                                                                    
affected  by  a  fire,  but four  people  lost  their  lives                                                                    
because of  the lack of  access to fire  fighting equipment.                                                                    
She remarked that volunteer  firefighters were attempting to                                                                    
put out a fire using a shove, snow, and snowblowers.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Hoffman   wondered  whether  there   was  necessary                                                                    
personal for  voluntary fire fighters if  there was provided                                                                    
equipment.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Baldwin replied in the affirmative.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:18:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JAELA   MILFORD,   BETHEL    WINTER   HOUSE,   BETHEL   (via                                                                    
teleconference),  spoke in  support  of  creating a  housing                                                                    
trust. She  stressed that there  was not enough  housing for                                                                    
the state.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:20:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ROBERT  BATY,  CHIEF  OF POLICE,  SITKA  POLICE  DEPARTMENT,                                                                    
SITKA (via teleconference), spoke  in support of funding for                                                                    
community jails.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:21:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MICHAEL  JEFFERIES,  SELF, UTQIAGVIK  (via  teleconference),                                                                    
spoke in support  for the Step Up Program  at the McLaughlin                                                                    
Youth  Center. He  also testified  in support  of behavioral                                                                    
health treatment and  recovery. He also spoke  in support of                                                                    
public radio.  He also testified in  support of intellectual                                                                    
disability waiver waitlist reduction.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:24:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BESSIE  WESTON, SELF,  MEKORYUK (via  teleconference), spoke                                                                    
in support of  and increase of funding for  the Base Student                                                                    
Allocation (BSA).  She also testified  in support  of school                                                                    
major  maintenance  construction   projects.  She  spoke  in                                                                    
support of Power Cost Equalization (PCE) funding.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:25:40 PM                                                                                                                    
RECESSED                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:42:36 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:42:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Hoffman  stated that there  were no  new individuals                                                                    
signed up to testify.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:42:58 PM                                                                                                                    
RECESSED                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
2:05:12 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:05:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SARAH  SLEDGE, EXECUTIVE  DIRECTOR, COALITION  FOR EDUCATION                                                                    
EQUITY,   ANCHORAGE  (via   teleconference),  testified   in                                                                    
support of  significant investment to the  major maintenance                                                                    
CIP  list.  She stressed  that  there  had been  significant                                                                    
deterioration  of Alaska's  school buildings.  She spoke  in                                                                    
support of  funding for school  bond debt  reimbursement and                                                                    
Regional Educational Attendance Area (REAA) funding.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
2:07:49 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:31:14 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SB  162  was  HEARD  and   HELD  in  committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SB  163  was  HEARD  and   HELD  in  committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SB  164  was  HEARD  and   HELD  in  committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
2:32:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The meeting was adjourned at 2:32 p.m.                                                                                          

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