Legislature(2021 - 2022)SENATE FINANCE 532

04/01/2022 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

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09:04:08 AM Start
09:05:08 AM Subcommittee of the Whole - University of Alaska Budget Closeout
09:11:30 AM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ Subcommittee of the Whole - University of TELECONFERENCED
Alaska Budget Closeout
Review of Judgment & Claims - Division of
Legislative Legal, Dept. Of Law
<Above Item Removed from Agenda>
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
                 SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE                                                                                       
                       April 1, 2022                                                                                            
                         9:04 a.m.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:04:08 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman   called  the  Senate   Finance  Committee                                                                    
meeting to order at 9:04 a.m.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Bert Stedman, Co-Chair                                                                                                  
Senator David Wilson                                                                                                            
Senator Bill Wielechowski [via teleconference]                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator Click Bishop, Co-Chair                                                                                                  
Senator Lyman Hoffman                                                                                                           
Senator Donny Olson                                                                                                             
Senator Natasha von Imhof                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
ALSO PRESENT                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Tim Grussendorf, Staff, Senator Lyman Hoffman.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SUBCOMMITTEE  OF THE  WHOLE -  UNIVERSITY  OF ALASKA  BUDGET                                                                    
CLOSEOUT                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair   Stedman  explained   that  the   committee  would                                                                    
consider  the University  of  Alaska  (UA) budget  closeout.                                                                    
Members  each had  a closeout  narrative,  a colored  Budget                                                                    
Allocation   (BA)  sheet,   and  fund   source  totals   and                                                                    
comparisons  prepared by  the  Legislative Finance  Division                                                                    
(copy on file).                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
^SUBCOMMITTEE  OF THE  WHOLE -  UNIVERSITY OF  ALASKA BUDGET                                                                  
CLOSEOUT                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:05:08 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TIM GRUSSENDORF, STAFF, SENATOR  LYMAN HOFFMAN, relayed that                                                                    
he would address  the narrative report on Document  6 in the                                                                    
packet. He mentioned the colored BA sheet for a source of                                                                       
more detail. He read from the narrative report:                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     The   Senate  Finance   Budget  Subcommittee   for  the                                                                    
     University  of  Alaska  submits  the  following  FY  23                                                                    
     recommendations to the Senate Finance Committee:                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Fund Group: (dollars are in thousands)  Senate Sub                                                                         
     Unrestricted General Funds (UGF)        $290,969.4                                                                         
     Designated General Funds                $310,372.1                                                                         
     Other Funds                             $75,116.1                                                                          
     Federal Funds                           $187,225.9                                                                         
     TOTAL FUNDS                             $863,683.5                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Positions:                                                                                                                 
     Permanent Full-time      3,759                                                                                             
     Permanent Part Time      185                                                                                               
     Temporary                0                                                                                                 
     TOTAL POSITIONS          3,944                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     BUDGET ACTIONS:                                                                                                            
     The Senate  Finance Budget Subcommittee  for University                                                                    
     of  Alaska   reviewed  the  Governors   FY   23  budget                                                                    
     request.   The   following   are  highlights   of   the                                                                    
     Subcommittee's action.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Governors Amended Budget Request:                                                                                          
     The  Senate  Finance   Subcommittee  accepted  all  the                                                                    
     governors    requested  changes   with  the   following                                                                    
     exceptions:                                                                                                                
           Denied the single appropriation                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Subcommittee Additions, Reductions and Changes                                                                             
         Added $9.5 million for fixed and Operating cost                                                                     
          increases (of which $2.7 million is for the                                                                           
          Community Campuses appropriation)                                                                                     
         Added $2 million for Alternate Energy Research                                                                      
         Added  $1    million    to    support    Teacher                                                                    
          Practicums/Student Teaching-Small pilot                                                                               
         Added $1 million to support Health Care                                                                             
          Clinicals-small pilot                                                                                                 
         Added $635.9 to continue Alaska Library Network                                                                     
          and Imagination Library                                                                                               
         Added $881.8 to have the correct Alaska Technical                                                                   
          and   Vocational   Educational   Program   funding                                                                    
          available                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Budget Structure Changes:                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
      Maintained the current two appropriation structure                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:08:22 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Grussendorf explained  that the  subcommittee had  some                                                                    
recommendations  based  on  conversation with  Senators  and                                                                    
staff.   He  expressed   concerns   that  current   contract                                                                    
negotiations between UA  and staff were not  included in the                                                                    
budget   and  cautioned   that   the   outcome  could   have                                                                    
significant  ramifications  going  forward. He  thought  the                                                                    
negotiations  could  conclude  before  the  budget  went  to                                                                    
Conference Committee  and would need to  be accommodated. He                                                                    
noted  that there  were some  economic recovery  projects in                                                                    
the language  section, which was outside  the subcommittees                                                                     
purview.  He  recommended  reviewing  the  long-term  fiscal                                                                    
implications and whether it was  wise to add new programs as                                                                    
UA  stabilized to  its current  budget levels  post-Covid-19                                                                    
and high inflation realities.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:09:42 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Wilson MOVED  the FY  23 operating  budget for  the                                                                    
University  of Alaska  from subcommittee  with the  attached                                                                    
legislative  finance  reports:   Agency  Totals;  Allocation                                                                    
Summary    All funds; Allocation Summary    UGF; Transaction                                                                    
Compare  FY   23  Adjusted  Base  to   Senate  Subcommittee;                                                                    
Transaction  Compare  FY  23 Governor's  Amended  to  Senate                                                                    
Subcommittee. The Legislative  Finance Division was directed                                                                    
to make any appropriate or conforming technical changes.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
There  being NO  OBJECTION, it  was so  ordered. The  report                                                                    
will  go on  for consideration  by the  full Senate  Finance                                                                    
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman   clarified  that  the   subcommittee  was                                                                    
comprised of the full Senate  Finance Committee, which would                                                                    
be considering the budget report as a whole.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman  thanked the  subcommittee, and  thanked UA                                                                    
for  helping  the subcommittee  to  understand  some of  the                                                                    
financial issues  it faced. He  thanked UA for  its forward-                                                                    
looking restructuring  and avowed  that the  committee would                                                                    
help.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
9:11:30 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The meeting was adjourned at 9:11 a.m.                                                                                          

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
SB 162 University Sub Com Closeout Docs Packet 040122.pdf SFIN 4/1/2022 9:00:00 AM
SB 162