HJR 7-CONST. AM: PERM FUND & PFDS  3:27:59 PM CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 7, Proposing amendments to the Constitution of the State of Alaska relating to the Alaska permanent fund, appropriations from the permanent fund, and the permanent fund dividend. CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS opened public testimony. 3:29:10 PM BERT HOUGHTALING, noted that aside from representing himself, he represented 4,000 Alaskans. He stated his opposition to HJR 7, as it would not protect the statutory PFD. He believed that the resolution would make it easier for legislators to spend money on the [operating] and capital budget while disregarding the dividend. He claimed that every Alaskan who had filed for a PFD would be against this proposal "if they were to actually understand what is written in it." He urged the committee members to oppose HJR 7 and continued by expressing his support for SJR 1. 3:32:17 PM REPRESENTATIVE TARR inquired about the 4,000 Alaskans that Mr. Houghtaling represented. MR. HOUGHTALING said he ran a "news organization page" with a largely Alaskan following. 3:33:16 PM REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN sought to clarify whether Mr. Houghtaling claimed to represent all Alaskans who received a PFD or just the Alaskans who follow his publication. MR. HOUGHTALING replied, "I personally represent 650,000 Alaskans that receive their dividend because most of them don't even know this committee hearing is even happening right now." He clarified that the individuals he truly represented were the 4,000 people who followed his publication directly. REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN noted that as one of the 650,000 Alaskans that received a dividend, Mr. Houghtaling did not represent him. 3:34:09 PM CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS closed public testimony. [HJR 7 was held over.]