HB 455 An Act making and amending operating and capital appropriations and ratifying certain state expenditures; and providing for an effective date. HB 455 was HELD in Committee for further 1 consideration. HOUSE BILL NO. 455 "An Act making and amending operating and capital appropriations and ratifying certain state expenditures; and providing for an effective date." Representative Brown MOVED TO WITHDRAW the pending motion on Amendment #16 - the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities' request for the road connecting the Seward Highway and the Port of Whittier. There being NO OBJECTION, it was withdrawn. REPRESENTATIVE JEANNETTE JAMES spoke in support of Amendment earnings of the Alaska Science and Technology endowment to the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, agricultural and forestry experiment station for the virus-free seed potato project. Representative Foster MOVED to adopt Amendment #1. There being NO OBJECTION, it was adopted. RICHARD PEGUES, DIRECTOR, ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF LAW, spoke in support of Amendment #2 which would provide the sum of $100 thousand dollars from the general fund to the Department of Law for attorney fees related to Weiss versus the State of Alaska for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1994. Co-Chair Larson MOVED to adopt Amendment #2. There being NO OBJECTION, it was adopted. JAMES BALDWIN, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL, GENERAL CIVIL DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF LAW, spoke in support of Amendment appropriated to the Department of Law for costs relating to legal proceedings involving oil and gas revenue due or paid to the State or state title to oil and gas land for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1995. Co-Chair Larson MOVED to adopt Amendment #3. Co-Chair MacLean OBJECTED suggesting that the Department of Law should return each year to request additional funding. Representative Brown spoke in support of Amendment #3 declaring that funding the amendment would indicate legislative support to the Department's effort. A roll call vote was taken on the MOTION. 3 IN FAVOR: Navarre, Brown, Foster, Grussendorf, Hoffman, Larson. OPPOSED: Parnell, Therriault, Hanley, Martin, MacLean. The MOTION PASSED (6-5). Representative Brown MOVED to adopt Amendment #4, a recommendation of the Alaska Judicial Council as instructed by the Legislature in order to implement a plan for integration of Alaska's criminal justice computer system. She added that information systems within each department warrant major work. The requested funding would cover costs for preparation of a system within the Department of Corrections and the Department of Law. Representative Parnell understood that the Department of Public Safety currently was working on coordinating a statewide plan. Co- Chair MacLean OBJECTED to adopting Amendment #4. A roll call vote was taken on the MOTION. IN FAVOR: Brown, Grussendorf, Hoffman, Navarre. OPPOSED: Parnell, Therriault, Foster, Martin, MacLean, Larson. Representative Hanley was not present for the vote. The MOTION FAILED (4-6). Representative Brown MOVED to adopt Amendment #5. REPRESENTATIVE JOHN DAVIES explained the $3 million dollars request would provide for an appropriation from the general fund to the University of Alaska for the completion of the Natural Sciences Classroom building in Fairbanks. Representative Navarre MOVED TO AMEND Amendment #5 by deleting "Natural Sciences" and "Fairbanks" and inserting "Kenai". He expressed discontent with continual capital improvement requests by the University for campuses in Fairbanks, Anchorage and Juneau. Representative Davies stated he would not support the amended language as requested by Representative Navarre. Representative Navarre WITHDREW THE MOTION to amend. There being NO OBJECTION, the amended language was withdrawn. Co-Chair MacLean OBJECTED to adopting Amendment #5 pointing out that no construction money had been allocated to schools K-12 this year. Representative Davies stressed that the proposed request has 4 been a priority project of the University for twenty years. The project is currently under construction and nearing completion and that without the appropriation the building would be closed. The University would then be forced to spend $500 thousand dollars to just maintain the building with no students. He added that the initial construction costs had been deliberately under-funded and that the Legislature knew at that time that there would be additional financial need to finish construction. He emphasized that each year the project is delayed will waste the State money to maintain an empty building. (Tape Change, HFC 94-157, Side 1). A roll call vote was taken on the MOTION to adopt Amendment IN FAVOR: Brown, Grussendorf, Hoffman. OPPOSED: Foster, Martin, Navarre, Parnell, Therriault, Larson, MacLean. Representative Hanley was not present for the vote. The MOTION FAILED (3-7). NANCY SLAGLE, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF BUDGET REVIEW, OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET, OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, explained Amendment #6, a request for a supplemental appropriation increase from the Department of Law to pay a FY94 judgments. She added that the $19,832 increase was created by one new judgement received since the Department's last request which was submitted on April 30, 1994. Representative Brown MOVED to adopt Amendment #6 explaining that judgments are the State's obligation. Co-Chair MacLean OBJECTED. A roll call vote was taken on the MOTION. IN FAVOR: Brown, Grussendorf, Hoffman, Martin, Navarre, Parnell. OPPOSED: Therriault, Foster, Larson, MacLean. Representative Hanley was not present for the vote. The MOTION PASSED (6-4). Co-Chair Larson MOVED that the lapse date for the Sitka School District and the appropriation for seed potatoes be extended until June 30, 1995. There being NO OBJECTIONS, it was adopted. 5 Reappropriation Budget BRUCE GERAGHTY, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS, requested that the Committee extend the Department's lapse on last years appropriations to June 30, 1995. Co-Chair MacLean MOVED to adopt Amendment #1, which would state "the unexpended and unobligated balance of the appropriation made in Sec. 6, Ch.19, SLA1993, Page 4, Line 22 [Operating costs for the Department of Community and Regional Affairs to carry out its power and duties under AS42.45 and AS44.47.050] and lapses into the general fund June 30, 1995". Representative Navarre OBJECTED. A roll call vote was taken on the MOTION. IN FAVOR: Foster, Grussendorf, Hoffman, MacLean, Larson. OPPOSED: Parnell, Therriault, Brown, Hanley, Martin, Navarre. The MOTION FAILED (5-6). Representative Brown WITHDREW Amendment #4. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. Co-Chair MacLean MOVED to adopt Amendment #3 which would provide funding for the Cambridge Way/Tudor Road traffic signal and Cambridge Way improvements. There being NO OBJECTIONS, Amendment #3 was adopted. Co-Chair MacLean MOVED to adopt Amendment #4 which would provide funding for the Municipality of Anchorage - signalization at 36th Avenue and Cottonwood Street and Locarno Street in the amount of $214 thousand dollars. There being NO OBJECTIONS, it was adopted. HB 455 was HELD in Committee for further consideration.