HB 287-ABSENTEE VOTING  9:25:27 AM CHAIR LYNN announced that the next order of business was HOUSE BILL NO. 287, "An Act relating to absentee voting." 9:25:38 AM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG, as sponsor, stated that the purpose of HB 287 is to make it easier for people to get mail-in absentee ballots. He noted that he would be offering an amendment to delete Section 1; therefore, he asked Ms. Bakalar and Ms. Fenumiai to ignore that section when commenting on the proposed legislation. 9:26:54 AM LIBBY BAKALAR, Assistant Attorney General, Labor and State Affairs Section, Civil Division (Juneau), stated that although she does not, at first look, see any constitutional issues within HB 287, she would prefer to respond in writing to any specific questions regarding constitutionality. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG said he hopes that the committee does not vote on HB 287 today. 9:28:46 AM GAIL FENUMIAI, Director, Division of Elections, Office of the Lieutenant Governor, in response to Representative Gruenberg, said the division does not anticipate any problems implementing the proposed legislation, as written. She said the division currently allows military and overseas voters to extend their absentee by-mail applications for two general elections; HB 287 would allow that opportunity for all voters. The act of casting an absentee by-mail ballot would then extend the application for two years from the date that that ballot was cast. 9:29:54 AM CHAIR LYNN announced that HB 287 was set aside. HB 287-ABSENTEE VOTING  9:47:45 AM CHAIR LYNN announced that the final order of business was the return to discussion of HOUSE BILL NO. 287, "An Act relating to absentee voting." 9:48:50 AM REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG moved to adopt Amendment 1, to delete Section 1 of SSHB 77. REPRESENTATIVE JOHANSEN and KELLER objected. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG explained that the intent of Section 1 was to help obtain information about people who would not be entitled to receive a permanent fund dividend (PFD). However, the director of the Alaska Permanent Fund Division, Deborah Bitney, wrote the following in a memorandum dated January 19, 2012 [included in the committee packet]: I appreciate your interest in assisting the division with our audit process, but don't see this particular approach producing the desired result. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG said he would like to strike Section 1 to keep the bill simple. 9:50:04 AM REPRESENTATIVE JOHANSEN removed his objection. [The objection stated by Representative Keller was treated as removed.] There being no further objection, Amendment 1 was adopted. CHAIR LYNN announced that HB 287 was held over.