Legislature(1997 - 1998)
05/02/1997 03:52 PM Senate RES
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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SENATE RESOURCES COMMITTEE
May 2, 1997
3:52 P.M.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Rick Halford, Chairman
Senator Lyda Green, Vice Chairman
Senator Loren Leman
Senator Robin Taylor
Senator John Torgerson
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Bert Sharp
Senator Georgianna Lincoln
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CS FOR HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 14(RLS)
Relating to supporting the "American Land Sovereignty Protection
Act."
- MOVED CSHJR 14(RLS) OUT OF COMMITTEE
SENATE BILL NO. 184
"An Act relating to access by the Department of Environmental
Conservation and the Department of Fish and Game to confidential
tax records for fisheries resources prepared or kept by the
Department of Revenue under AS 43.75."
- MOVED SB 184 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS SENATE COMMITTEE ACTION
HJR 14 - No previous action to consider.
SB 184 - No previous action to consider.
WITNESS REGISTER
Ms. Myrna McGhie, Staff
Representative Jeannette James
State Capitol Bldg.
Juneau AK 99801
POSITION STATEMENT: Staff to sponsor of HJR 14.
Mr. Paul Dick
Income and Excise Audit Division
Department of Revenue
550 West 7th Ave, Suite 560
Anchorage AK 99811-0402
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 184.
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 97-30, SIDE A
Number 001
HJR 14 SUPPORT AMERICAN LAND SOVEREIGNTY ACT
CHAIRMAN HALFORD called the Senate Resources Committee meeting to
order at 3:52 p.m. and announced HJR 14 to be up for consideration.
MS. MYRNA MCGHIE, Staff to Representative Jeannette James, sponsor,
said that in 1971 the United States joined the U.N. program calling
for establishing biosphere reserves around the world. Forty seven
national parks which cover 51 million acres of land are classified
as these sanctuaries. Sixty eight percent of our national parks,
preserves, and monuments have been designated to the U.N.
Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to
biosphere reserves and world heritage sites without any legislative
or congressional direction. Most disturbing is that 40.7 million
acres of this land are in Alaska. A world heritage site in Alaska
is Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve and the six
biosphere reserves are: Admiralty Island National Monument, the
Aleutian Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Denali National Park and
Preserve, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Glacier
Bay National Park and Preserve, and Noatak National Preserve.
There is legitimate concern about possible international
interference.
SENATOR TAYLOR said that he is thoroughly convinced this is a
wonderful resolution and moved to pass it from committee with
individual recommendations. There were no objections and it was so
ordered.
SB 184 DEC & ADFG ACCESS TO FISH TAX RECORDS
CHAIRMAN HALFORD announced SB 184 to be up for consideration.
MR. PAUL DICK, Department of Revenue, said this bill is essentially
the culmination of three agencies work, ADF&G, DEC and Department
of Revenue, on recommendations by seafood processors as part of the
Governor's marketing Alaska initiative. Their recommendations
strongly suggest that they simplify the reporting and application
procedure for seafood processors and he thought the agencies had
been very responsive in doing that.
The next thing they want to do is consolidate the fishery business
tax return with an annual report that's submitted to ADF&G into one
booklet.
MR. DICK said with development of their data base they would
restrict access so that ADF&G would have access to only fish tax
data. DEC wants this information so they can set up their
application fees by looking at the values that are being reported
by the processors.
SENATOR LEMAN said that although he trusted DNR, he had seen some
breaches in that trust the other departments. He applauded their
consolidating forms, but he was concerned about the two departments
getting tax returns unless there's some way of removing the tax
payer's identity.
SENATOR TORGERSON asked if either one of the departments has
something now that they consider confidential. MR. DICK replied
that he thought the commercial operators annual report had some
bounds of confidentiality.
SENATOR TORGERSON said he didn't think DEC had anything that was
confidential. They can't keep anything secret for more than five
minutes and they run faster to the press than anyone he has ever
seen.
MR. DICK said that DEC gets all the value information which is the
basis of their tax and they are recording that value on the
commercial operator annual report. If they wanted to go an
additional step and multiply those values out times the rate, they
would essentially have the tax by the taxpayer. He would envision
only working with DEC to give them data and not associate that
information with the taxpayer and that would only be on a need to
know basis.
SENATOR TORGERSON asked if that information was used to levy a fee
on someone based on how much money someone is making. MR. DICK
replied that they would set up some schedule rate and they have
already done this.
SENATOR TORGERSON sad he didn't favor this proposal.
Number 176
CHAIRMAN HALFORD said he didn't hear a motion and adjourned the
meeting at 5:03 p.m.
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