Legislature(2021 - 2022)SENATE FINANCE 532
04/07/2022 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB162 || SB163 || SB164 | |
| Public Testimony: Interior, Fairbanks, Copper River Valley, and Offnets | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | SB 162 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 163 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 164 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE
April 7, 2022
9:03 a.m.
9:03:32 AM
CALL TO ORDER
Co-Chair Bishop called the Senate Finance Committee meeting
to order at 9:03 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Click Bishop, Co-Chair
Senator Bert Stedman, Co-Chair
Senator Lyman Hoffman
Senator Donny Olson (via teleconference)
Senator Natasha von Imhof
Senator Bill Wielechowski
Senator David Wilson
MEMBERS ABSENT
None
ALSO PRESENT
Dan Britton, Interior Gas Utility, Juneau.
PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE
Josh Verhagen, Mayor, Nenana; Anne Bailey, Self, Anchorage;
June Rogers, Self, Fairbanks; Dewey Hoffman, Tanana Chiefs
Conference, Fairbanks; Luke Graham, Littoral Power Systems,
Anchorage; Helen Adams, Alaska Chapter, ACEP, Anchorage;
Hannah Hill, Executive Director, The Bread Line, Fairbanks;
Deborah Bennett, Fairbanks North Star School District,
Fairbanks; Jessica Stossel, Executive Director, Center for
Nonviolent Living, Fairbanks; Kara Carlson, Deputy
Director, Center for Nonviolent Living, Fairbanks; Howard
Maxwell, Self, Fairbanks; Melissa Williams, Kluti-Kaah Head
Start, Glennallen; Mark Detter, City Manager, Valdez; Clay
Walker, Mayor, Denali Borough, Healy; Shallin Sickles,
Self, North Pole; Dean McDaniel, Helping Alaska, Fairbanks
Homeless Coalition, Fairbanks; Jim Williams, Mayor's
Office, Fairbanks; Jon Erickson, City Manager, Yakutat; Tom
Chard, CEO, Alaska Behavioral Health Association,
Fairbanks; Nicole McKee, Self, Fairbanks; Laura Bonner,
Self, 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.
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."
9:04:06 AM
^PUBLIC TESTIMONY: INTERIOR, FAIRBANKS, COPPER RIVER
VALLEY, and OFFNETS
9:05:28 AM
JOSH VERHAGEN, MAYOR, NENANA (via teleconference),
testified in support of the Alaska Long Trail Project. He
stressed the benefit of the project. He remarked that
recreation is an important component to the community
because it would enhance tourism.
9:06:52 AM
ANNE BAILEY, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference),
supported fully funding school bond debt reimbursement;
fully capitalizing community assistance; fully funding of
school construction and major maintenance; and funding the
Harbor Bond Debt Reimbursement. She focused her testimony
on the Harbor Bond Debt Reimbursement.
9:08:33 AM
JUNE ROGERS, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
testified in support of establishing a collaborative
organized trust of $10 million for the Alaska State Council
on the Arts (ASCA), the Alaska Humanities Forum, the Alaska
Native Heritage Center, the Alaska Cultural Foundation, and
the Alaska Community Foundation. She spoke in support of
$50 million for the Alaska Coalition on Housing and
Homeless. She also spoke in support of community revenue
assistance, and felt that "community revenue sharing" was a
better title for the program.
9:10:37 AM
DEWEY HOFFMAN, TANANA CHIEFS CONFERENCE, FAIRBANKS (via
teleconference), spoke in support of fully funding
education, specifically school repairs. He also testified
in support of public broadcasting and a long term fiscal
plan for the state.
9:11:51 AM
LUKE GRAHAM, LITTORAL POWER SYSTEMS, ANCHORAGE (via
teleconference), spoke in support of the power system
funding request for the University of Alaska Fairbanks AEA
U.S. Department of Energy for the hydrokinetic project.
9:13:27 AM
HELEN ADAMS, ALASKA CHAPTER, ACEP, ANCHORAGE (via
teleconference), spoke in support of funding of the Alaska
Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI)
Program. She stated that she had completed the program in
2015, and more than 50 percent of the people in her class
were currently practicing in Alaska. She pointed out that
many of her classmates were still in training, and intended
to return to Alaska to practice.
9:15:05 AM
HANNAH HILL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE BREAD LINE, FAIRBANKS
(via teleconference), spoke in support of food security
networks and food source funding. She shared that feeding
meals to those in need had increased greatly recently. She
remarked that there were aging facilities.
9:16:19 AM
DEBORAH BENNETT, FAIRBANKS NORTH STAR SCHOOL DISTRICT,
FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), spoke in support of forward
funding of education. She stressed that the funding would
encourage consistency and enhanced preparation for
education.
9:17:34 AM
JESSICA STOSSEL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR NONVIOLENT
LIVING, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), spoke in support of
flat-funding for the anticipated increases in utilities
costs at the Center for Nonviolent Living.
9:19:15 AM
KARA CARLSON, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR NONVIOLENT
LIVING, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), testified in
support of flat-funding for the anticipated increases in
utilities costs at the Center for Nonviolent Living. She
echoed the comments of Ms. Stossel. She also spoke in
support of the Alaska Housing Trust.
9:20:27 AM
HOWARD MAXWELL, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), spoke
in support of permanent funding increases for K-12
education. He shared that he was a forty-year resident of
Fairbanks, and his children attended public school. He also
shared that he was a former teacher. He remarked that there
were stresses that were caused because of the lack of
funding. He felt that there needed to be continued forward
funding of education to reduce stress and employee
turnover, and an increase to the Base Student Allocation
(BSA).
9:22:43 AM
MELISSA WILLIAMS, KLUTI-KAAH HEAD START, GLENNALLEN (via
teleconference), spoke in support of funding for Head
Start. She shared that her daughter had been able to attend
a Head Start class. She remarked about the importance of
early childhood education. She shared that students that
attend preschool have higher success rates in schools.
9:24:45 AM
MARK DETTER, CITY MANAGER, VALDEZ (via teleconference),
spoke in support of the Harbor Matching Grant Program. He
also testified in support of community jails, full funding
of school bond debt reimbursement, and the community
assistance program.
9:25:46 AM
CLAY WALKER, MAYOR, DENALI BOROUGH, HEALY (via
teleconference), spoke in support of the recapitalizing of
the community assistance program to the full $90 million.
He spoke in support of the school major maintenance project
program. He testified in support of the backup generator
project at the Tri-Valley School. He also spoke in support
of the Alaska Long Trail Program.
9:28:06 AM
SHALLIN SICKLES, SELF, NORTH POLE (via teleconference),
spoke in support of hazard pay. She remarked that she had
worked with individuals with higher needs and disabilities.
She stated that caregivers were essential to a quality of
life enhancement for those that need services in their
homes.
9:30:51 AM
DAN BRITTON, INTERIOR GAS UTILITY, JUNEAU, spoke in support
of funding for the conversions from oil to natural gas to
help meet the air quality standards in the Fairbanks North
Star Borough. He also spoke in support of funding for
transportation infrastructure, specifically the Port
Mackenzie Rail Extension.
9:32:45 AM
RECESSED
9:48:34 AM
RECONVENED
DEAN MCDANIEL, HELPING ALASKA, FAIRBANKS HOMELESS
COALITION, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), spoke in support
of funding for housing assistance. He remarked that there
were no new building for low income housing. He shared that
many other states have state housing trusts. He advocated
for considering a state housing trust.
9:50:33 AM
AT EASE
9:52:00 AM
RECONVENED
9:52:28 AM
JIM WILLIAMS, MAYOR'S OFFICE, FAIRBANKS (via
teleconference), spoke in support of forward funding for
education. He testified in support of the school bond debt
reimbursement. He also spoke in support of the Alaska Long
Trail Project.
9:55:25 AM
RECESSED
10:20:08 AM
RECONVENED
10:20:27 AM
JON ERICKSON, CITY MANAGER, YAKUTAT (via teleconference),
testified in support of the Harbor Matching Grants. He
spoke about a new boat harbor in Yakutat. He spoke in
support of programs to help with the rising housing and
utilities costs.
10:21:56 AM
TOM CHARD, CEO, ALASKA BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION,
FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), spoke in support of
increased operational funding for behavioral health grants.
He stressed that behavioral health treatment enhanced
quality of life, and saved money down the line for other
medical services.
10:23:31 AM
NICOLE MCKEE, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
testified in support of funding for hazard pay and
additional hours for caregivers. She shared that she is a
caregiver for her sister, but cannot maintain her
livelihood to care for her family.
10:25:33 AM
RECESSED
10:32:39 AM
RECONVENED
LAURA BONNER, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference),
testified in support of funding for a reasonable Permanent
Fund Dividend (PFD), and not overdrawing the Earnings
Reserve Account (ERA). She felt that there needed to be a
reasonable amount appropriated in the capital budget. She
spoke in support of $8 million for caregivers.
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
10:35:03 AM
The meeting was adjourned at 10:35 a.m.
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