Legislature(1999 - 2000)
05/04/1999 09:32 AM Senate FIN
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
MINUTES
SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE
May 4, 1999
9:32 AM
TAPES
SFC-99 # 120, Sides A and B
CALL TO ORDER
Co-Chair Torgerson convened the meeting at approximately
9:32 A.M.
PRESENT
In addition to Co-chair Torgerson, Senators Sean Parnell,
Dave Donley, Loren Leman, Gary Wilken, Pete Kelly, Lyda
Green, Randy Phillips and Al Adams were present when the
meeting was convened.
Also Attending: DOUG SALIK, staff to Senator Tim Kelly; BOB
KROGSENG, staff to Senator Robin Taylor; DENNIS POSHARD;
Legislative Liaison, Office of the Commissioner, Department
of Transportation and Public Facilities; NANCY SLAGLE;
Director, Division of Administrative Services, Department
of Transportation and Public Facilities; KURT PARKAN;
Deputy Commissioner, Department of Transportation and
Public Facilities; WILLIAM CUMMINGS, Assistant Attorney
General, Transportation Section, Civil Division Juneau,
Department of Law; aides to committee members and other
members of the Legislature.
Attending via Teleconference: DAN BOCKHORST, Local
Boundary Commissioner from Anchorage.
SUMMARY INFORMATION
Co-chair Torgerson reconvened the meeting at approximately
9:35 a.m. He asked Senator Donley to walk the committee
through the new CS for SB 135 "H" version. His amendments
were incorporated into this version.
SENATE BILL NO. 135
"An Act relating to the membership of a metropolitan
highway planning organization."
Senator Donley said the bill was sponsored by the
Transportation Committee. He explained the reduction to
the appointees by the Governor to one.
Also added was a deadline for AMATS to report to the
Legislature. Last year they reported too late, after the
capital budget was put out.
Senator Donley MOVED CSSB 135() "H". Senator Adams
OBJECTED. He stated for the record that he would like to
see someone from the Department of Environmental
Conservation to be part of the voting block. Senator Adams
REMOVED his objection. WITHOUT OBJECTION CSSB 135() "H"
was adopted as the working draft before the committee.
DENNIS POSHARD, Department of Transportation and Public
Facilities was invited to join the committee. He explained
that the Department of Environmental Conservation signed an
agreement. The Department of Transportation and Public
Facilities was unclear as to what the bill was trying to
solve.
Senator Phillips asked Mr. Poshard if he lived in Juneau or
not. He said he did not feel this situation was working
out. The Department of Transportation did not want to
release any control of the process. He said he was going
to send a schedule of the AMATS meetings and ask him to
attend. His biggest concern was that individuals were
taking time off from work and meetings were then being
cancelled. Perhaps the structure should be looked at and
fixed. Senator Donley said he was trying to correct this
matter. Policy meetings go on forever and then no decision
was made.
Co-chair Torgerson said he would entertain a motion to
change the fiscal note for the Department of Environmental
Conservation to zero. Senator Donley so MOVED.
BILL CUMMINGS, Assistant Attorney General, Transportation
Section, Civil Division, Department of Law was invited to
join the committee.
Senator Donley MOVED to adopt a Senate Finance Committee
fiscal note in place of the Department of Environmental
Conservation one to zero. WITHOUT OBJECTION it was
ADOPTED.
Mr. Cummings continued his testimony. The Department of
Law believes this legislation is unconstitutional.
Senator Leman commented briefly. He suggested the
Department of Law go back and research the matter.
Co-chair Torgerson refused response by Mr. Cummings.
Senator Green asked about Legislative appointees. Perhaps
they should be changed too.
Senator Donley MOVED CSSB 135(FIN) with accompanying fiscal
note and new Senate Finance fiscal note in the amount of
zero (for the Department of Environmental Conservation) and
WITHOUT OBJECTION it was REPORTED OUT with individual
recommendations and accompanying fiscal notes from the
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities in the
amount of zero and Senate Finance Committee fiscal note in
the amount of zero for the Department of Environmental
Conservation.
Co-chair Torgerson called SB 139.
SENATE BILL NO. 139
"An Act relating to the labeling of fish and fisheries
products as farmed, or wild or natural."
BOB KROGSENG, staff to Senator Robin Taylor was invited to
join the committee and explained the sponsor statement.
Senator Parnell asked if there was a public policy
labelling farmed fish, natural or wild?
Mr. Krogseng explained, for instance, the difference in
"Petersburg" shrimp. "Farmed shrimp coming from overseas
are not quality. They have a very musty, old taste."
Senator Green comments. She explained "wildstock" term.
She asked who does the inspection and enforcement; who does
the control? "This is not a retailer friendly bill." She
indicated that she saw no reason to support the bill.
Senator Leman referred to the "no smoking" sign in the
committee room. Even though the Department of
Environmental Conservation has not collected the $50, and
probably never will, it was still a constraint. It was his
suggestion that the consumer "ought to know".
Senator Parnell commented and said he was flabbergasted
that the committee was even hearing the bill.
Senator P. Kelly said perhaps it should be called an "Act
related to buggy whips".
Co-chair Torgerson SET ASIDE SB 139. He then called SB
156.
SENATE BILL NO. 156
"An Act relating to municipal incorporation, to
reclassification of cities, to municipal boundary
changes, and to dissolution of municipalities."
DOUG SALIK, staff to Senator Tim Kelly was invited to join
the committee. He deferred to Dan Bockhorst, Local
Boundary Commission in Anchorage.
DAN BOCKHORST, Local Boundary Commission testified via
teleconference from Anchorage. He urged the committee to
support the bill and said he would be happy to answer any
questions the committee may have.
Senator Adams MOVED SB 156 and WITHOUT OBJECTION it was
REPORTED OUT with individual recommendations and zero
fiscal notes.
Co-chair Torgerson called SB 10.
SENATE BILL NO. 10
"An Act relating to an optional exemption from
municipal property taxes for recreational facilities."
SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE FOR SENATE BILL NO. 10
"An Act requiring a utility that provides services in
a municipality with a population of more than 100,000
to have an ongoing program of placing existing
overhead utility lines underground; and relating to
rates for recovering the cost of placing existing
overhead utility lines underground."
Senator Donley explained the work draft "S" dated 5/3/99.
He referred briefly to page 2, lines 7 and 8. He made a
technical correction on page 2, line 4 to delete "retail".
He MOVED CSSSSB10() "S" with the deletion on page 2, line 4
"retail". WITHOUT OBJECTION it was ADOPTED as the working
draft with the deletion on page 2, line 4, "retail".
Senator Green said, however, she would not be supporting
this piece of legislation. She indicated that it was not
up to this body to tell the City of Anchorage how to handle
their city matters. Senator Adams said he was supporting
the bill because it was only limited to Anchorage.
Senator Kelly asked if there were any benefits to being on
the Anchorage assembly.
Senator Green reminded Senator Adams that they were only
one word away from being included in legislation. Senator
Adams responded. It included numbers.
Co-chair Torgerson said he was reluctant to change the
fiscal note without the Public Utilities Commission seeing
the bill.
Senator Donley offered further brief comments.
Co-chair Torgerson HELD the bill in committee pending the
Public Utilities Commission seeing the bill and checking
their fiscal note.
Co-chair Torgerson called SCR 8.
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 8
Creating the Long-Term Care Task Force of 1999.
Senator Wilken briefly explained the resolution. He then
MOVED SCR 8 and WITHOUT OBJECTION it was REPORTED OUT with
individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal note
from LAA/Leg. Council in the amount of $15.7.
ADJOURNED
Co-chair Torgerson recessed at approximately 10:35 a.m.
SFC-99 -6- 05/04/99 an
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