02/13/2006 05:00 PM Senate LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                              
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL                                                                                                           
February 13, 2006                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1.     ROLL CALL                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
The   Legislative  Council  meeting    was   called  to  order  at  5:11  p.m.   by                                             
Representative   Kott, Chairman,    Legislative Council,  in the  Senate   Finance                                              
Committee Room and via teleconference.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
The  roll was taken.  In attendance were Council members:    Representatives  Kott,                                             
Coghill, Gatto, Harris, Weyhrauch,   Berkowitz, Senators  Ben  Stevens,  Cowdery,                                               
Gary   Stevens,  Therriault, Wagoner,    Wilken,  and   Davis.   Member    absent:                                              
Representative  Rokeberg.   Staff present: Varni, Ohmer,  Collins, Cook, Gullufsen,                                             
Ibesate, Maher, Popely, Schofield, and Williams.                                                                                
                                                                                                                              
2.     APPROVAL OF FEBRUARY 2, 2006 MINUTES                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Senator   Therriault moved    Legislative Council   approve   the minutes   of  the                                             
February 2, 2006, Council meeting.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
With no objection, the motion passed unanimously.                                                                               
                                                                                                                              
3.     FY 07 LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS AGENCY BUDGET APPROVAL                                                                     
                                                                                                                              
Ms.  Varni, Executive   Director, Legislative Affairs Agency   offered  the FY  07                                              
Legislative Affairs Agency Budget  overview.   Ms. Varni stated that the Legislative                                            
Affairs Agency  budget  contains eight of the thirteen budget components   and two                                              
of the three  RDU's  in the  Legislative Branch.   The  Legislative Affairs Agency                                              
request  is a  decrease  of  $50,100  from  the  FY  07  Governor's  figure  and  a                                             
decrease of $42,600 from the FY 07 Adjusted Base figure.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Therriault moved   that Legislative Council submit  the FY  07 Legislative                                             
Affairs Agency  Budget  Request   to the House   and Senate   Finance  Committees                                               
for their review and action.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
With no objection, the motion passed unanimously.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4.     LEGISLATIVE PER DIEM                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Wilken   offered the  following amendment     to the  Legislative Council                                              
Travel and Per Diem Policy.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
       Under Section:  "A. Interim Per Diem".  Delete all text.                                                               
                                                                                                                                
       Replace with:                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
       During the interim, a legislator is entitled to receive per diem at the long-                                            
       term rate while engaged in legislative business, including necessary travel                                              
       time as follows:                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
              Legislators spending one to four hours on legislative business are                                                
              entitled to $75.00/day.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
              Legislators spending more than four hours on legislative business                                                 
              are entitled to $100.00/day.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Senator Wilken objected for discussion purposes.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Discussion followed pertaining to the Travel and Per Diem Policy amendment.                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Senator Wilken removed his objection and called for the question.                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Additional  discussion  followed  regarding   the  Travel  and  Per   Diem   Policy                                             
amendment.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Chairman    Kott moved   the  Legislative  Council  Travel  and  Per  Diem   Policy                                             
amendment as offered by Senator Wilken.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
YEAS:         Coghill, Ben Stevens, Therriault, and Wilken                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
NAYS:         Kott, Gatto, Harris, Weyhrauch, Berkowitz, Cowdery, G. Stevens,                                                   
              Wagoner, and Davis                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
ABSENT: Rokeberg                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
The motion failed 4 - 9.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
5.     SCHEDULING OF MEETINGS                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                              
Senator  Wilken  requested  that Legislative Council  meetings  be  scheduled   like                                            
the other  legislative meetings.  Senator   Wilken  also expressed   an  interest in                                            
having  them  on Thursday   at 5:00 p.m. Senator  Wilken  further requested  that if                                            
possible at least a week's  notice be given.  For example,   if the meeting is on a                                             
Thursday,  notice would  be given  on Friday morning  allowing for sufficient notice                                            
time.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Chairman   Kott stated  that Legislative Council  meetings  do  not  fall under the                                             
Uniform  Rules  notice  of meeting  provision.   Chairman   Kott further stated on                                              
average  Legislative Council  usually schedules  four or five meetings  during  the                                             
legislative session or about once  a month  because  of the convenience   of having                                             
all members   in Juneau   for the legislative session.  Chairman    Kott stated he                                              
would  keep  in mind the scheduling preferences  of meetings  for Thursday  at 5:00                                             
p.m.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                              
6.     SANCTIONING OF CHARITABLE EVENTS                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Therriault moved  that the Legislative Council sanction the Thanksgiving                                               
in March charitable event to be held this session per AS 24.60.080(c)10.                                                        
                                                                                                                                
With no objection, the motion passed unanimously.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
The meeting adjourned at 5:58 p.m.