HB 135-REJECT COMPENSATION COMM RECOMMENDATIONS                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:03:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHAW  announced that the  first order of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL NO.  135, "An Act disapproving  recommendations of the                                                               
State  Officers Compensation  Commission;  and  providing for  an                                                               
effective date."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:03:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   CRAIG   JOHNSON,   Alaska   State   Legislature,                                                               
presented HB  135, as the prime  sponsor.  He explained  that the                                                               
bill would  disapprove the recommendation  of the  State Officers                                                               
Compensation Commission and provide an effective date.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:04:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TOM WRIGHT,  Staff, Representative  Johnson, presented HB  135 on                                                               
behalf  of   Representative  C.  Johnson,  prime   sponsor.    He                                                               
paraphrased  the sponsor  statement  [included  in the  committee                                                               
packet], which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     The  purpose of  House Bill  135 is  to disapprove  the                                                                    
     State      Officers'     Compensation      Commission's                                                                    
     recommendations for salary  increases for the Governor,                                                                    
     Lt.  Governor, department  heads  and the  legislature.                                                                    
     These recommendations, made on  March 15, 2023, amended                                                                    
     the original recommendations made  by the commission in                                                                    
     their report dated January 24, 2023.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     The   process  undertaken   by   the  state   officers'                                                                    
     compensation  commission  was  flawed  in  adopting  an                                                                    
     amendment to  the original report. Because  of this and                                                                    
     with the spring revenue  forecasts predicting a deficit                                                                    
     of  over $900  million  for this  and  the next  fiscal                                                                    
     year,  pay raises  are not  justified nor  warranted at                                                                    
     this time.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:07:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SHAW   opened  public   testimony  on   HB  135.     After                                                               
ascertaining that no  one online or in person  wished to testify,                                                               
he closed public testimony.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:07:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT  moved to  report HB  135 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no objection,  HB 135 was reported out of the                                                               
House State Affairs Standing Committee.