HB  28-TEACHER/STATE EMPLOYEE STUDENT LOAN PRGRM                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:45:43 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  HIMSCHOOT announced  that the  final order  of business                                                               
would be HOUSE  BILL NO. 28, "An Act establishing  a student loan                                                               
repayment pilot program; and providing for an effective date."                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:46:15 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  STORY moved  to  report  HB 28  out  of committee  with                                                               
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE objected.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:46:25 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SCHWANKE explained  that  her belief  that HB  28                                                               
would  not  be  an  appropriate   use  of  the  higher  education                                                               
investment fund, especially because  the Alaska State Legislature                                                               
has  yet to  see the  impacts of  an expanded  Alaska Performance                                                               
Scholarship.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:49:19 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  STORY responded  that the  precipice of  HB 28  was the                                                               
necessity of the Washington, Wyoming,  Alaska, Montana, and Idaho                                                               
(WWAMI)  school  coalition  program and  shared  her  "respectful                                                               
disagreement" that  the teacher  repayment program at  $1 million                                                               
each  year  over  the  next three  years  compromise  the  higher                                                               
education fund.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:50:59 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE UNDERWOOD  added that  she would  like to  see the                                                               
Department  of Education  and Early  Development (DEED)  fund the                                                               
program that helped rural teachers stay in Alaska.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:51:58 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR STORY  reminded the committee that  the loan forgiveness                                                               
program was  discontinued because  it did  not yield  the results                                                               
that  the  Alaska  Commission   on  Postsecondary  Education  had                                                               
initially hoped for and emphasized the differences between a                                                                    
loan repayment program and a loan forgiveness program.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:54:04 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease from 9:54 a.m. to 9:57 a.m.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:57:04 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
A roll  call vote  was taken.   Representatives  Eischeid, Story,                                                               
Dibert, and Himschoot  voted in favor of HB  28.  Representatives                                                               
Underwood, Schwanke,  and Elam voted  against it.   Therefore, HB                                                               
28 was reported out of  the House Education Standing Committee by                                                               
a vote of 4-3.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:57:46 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT delivered committee announcements.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:58:43 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
There being no further business before the committee, the House                                                                 
Education Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 9:58 a.m.