HJR 18-SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFIT REDUCTION REPEAL  3:50:57 PM CHAIR SHAW announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 18, Urging the United States Congress to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset of the Social Security Act. 3:51:12 PM REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT moved to adopt the proposed committee substitute (CS) to HJR 18, Version S, 33-LS0162\H, C. Radford, 3/6/24, as a working document. 3:51:24 PM CHAIR SHAW objected for the purpose of discussion. 3:51:35 PM BUDDY WHITT, Staff, Representative Laddie Shaw, Alaska State Legislature, explained that the committee substitute was brought to the committee by request of the bill sponsor to ensure the clarity of the bill language. 3:52:13 PM CHAIR SHAW announced there being no objection, Version S was before the committee. CHAIR SHAW opened public testimony. 3:52:47 PM KATHLEEN YERBICH, representing self, described her work and life history as a paper delivery person, restaurant employee, veteran, teacher, and mother. She expressed her support for HJR 18. She described the unpleasant surprise when she learned about the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). She explained that because she worked as a teacher in Alaska, her and her husband's social security benefits would not be made fully available to her. She described stories of people who reached retirement age before being made aware of the situation. 3:55:12 PM MARILYN PILLIFANT, representing self, testified in support of HJR 18. She thanked Representative Galvin for her work on HJR 18. She told the committee of the commonality of Alaskans at retirement age finding out that they are not eligible for full social security after decades of public service. She explained that she didn't find out about WEP/GPO until she retired after 28 years working in an elementary school. 3:57:51 PM SARAH CAMPBELL, representing self, testified in support of HJR 18. She thanked Representative Galvin for introducing the resolution. Retirement is a significant issue facing Alaska's public employees. She said that dedicated public employees need to know their representatives support them by urging the federal government to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. She told a story of when she was informed that her social security benefits would be slashed. She mentioned that she had paid into social security through her part-time job to supplement her teaching salary. She also mentioned that her husband, a state trooper who also worked in the private sector, will experience WEP/GPO reductions because of his tenure as a state trooper. These provisions punish Alaska's public employees and need to be repealed. She said that over 70 percent of those affected by GPO lose their entire spousal and survivor benefits. 4:00:44 PM NATASHA GRAHAM, representing self, provided background information about her work and life as a military spouse, teacher, and mother. She testified in support of HJR 18. She said that as a tier III educator in the teacher retirement system, she will lose more than half of the social security benefits that she earned because of the Windfall Elimination Provision. She said without a pension and social security, she expects to outlive her retirement benefits. 4:02:14 PM LINDA SHARP, representing self, testified in support of HJR 18. She told the committee that she learned about WPA when she went to collect social security for the first time a few years after retiring. She suggested the legislature work to fund schools as generously as the legislature funded itself when it approved a wage increase for representatives last year. 4:03:59 PM PAMELA LLOYD, representing self, testified in support of HJR 18. She thanked Representative Galvin for introducing the resolution. She mentioned the disproportionate impact of WEP/GPO on Alaskans compared to other states. She said her husband will not be able to receive her social security earnings should she die first. 4:05:15 PM CHAIR SHAW, after ascertaining that no one else wished to testify, closed public testimony on HJR 18. 4:05:38 PM REPRESENTATIVE ALYSE GALVIN, Alaska State Legislature, thanked the House State Affairs Standing Committee for hearing the resolution. She made note of the bipartisan support for the resolution at the federal level. She sought to ensure current public servants that the legislature is speaking up for them. 4:06:36 PM CHAIR SHAW highlighted his own experience with social security and offered his support for HJR 18. 4:06:55 PM REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT moved to report CSHJR 18, Version S, 33- LS0162\H, C. Radford, 3/6/24, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHJR 18(STA) was reported out of the House State Affairs Standing Committee.