HB 24-EXTEND REGULATORY COMM. OF ALASKA SUNSET  8:03:05 AM CHAIR OLSON announced that the only order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 24, "An Act extending the termination date of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska; and providing for an effective date." He stated that the committee will be operating under Rule 42 on conference and free conference committees. He indicated the conference committee would not take any public testimony [House version, CSHB 24(FIN), and Senate version, SCS CSHB 24(FIN), were before the committee.] 8:03:45 AM SENATOR THOMAS moved to accept the House version of the bill, CSHB 24(FIN). A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Olson, Johnson, and Holmes voted in favor of the motion to accept CSHB 24(FIN). Senators Thomas, French, and Paskvan voted against it. Therefore, the motion to accept CSHB 24(FIN) failed with a vote of 3-0 from the House members and 0-3 from the Senate members. [Please note that a majority of the membership of the committee from each house must be in agreement in order to take action in a conference committee.] CHAIR OLSON announced the motion to accept CSHB 24(FIN) failed. 8:04:40 AM SENATOR THOMAS moved to accept the Senate version of the bill, SCS CSHB 24(FIN). A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Olson, Johnson, and Holmes voted against the motion to accept SCS CSHB 24(FIN). Senators Thomas, French, and Paskvan voted in favor of it. Therefore, the motion to accept SCS CSHB 24(FIN) failed with a vote of 0-3 from the House members and 3-0 from the Senate members. [Please note that a majority of the membership of the committee from each house must be in agreement in order to take action in a conference committee.] CHAIR OLSON announced the motion to accept SCS CSHB 24(FIN) failed. 8:05:27 AM CHAIR OLSON stated that at this time the Conference Committee would consider each section of CSHB 24(FIN) and SCS CSHB 24(FIN). 8:05:36 AM SENATOR THOMAS made a motion to accept Section 1 of SCS CSHB 24(FIN). A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Olson, Johnson, and Holmes voted against the motion to accept Section 1 of SCS CSHB 24(FIN). Senators Thomas, French, and Paskvan voted in favor of it. Therefore, the motion to accept Section 1 of SCS CSHB 24(FIN) failed with a vote of 0-3 from the House members and 3-0 from the Senate members. [Please note that a majority of the membership of the committee from each house must be in agreement in order to take action in a conference committee.] CHAIR OLSON announced that the motion to accept Section 1 of SCS CSHB 24(FIN) failed. 8:06:16 AM SENATOR THOMAS made a motion to accept Section 2 of SCS CSHB 24(FIN). A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Olson, Johnson, and Holmes voted against the motion to accept Section 2 of SCS CSHB 24(FIN). Senators Thomas, French, and Paskvan voted in favor of it. Therefore, the motion to accept Section 2 of SCS CSHB 24(FIN) failed with a vote of 0-3 from the House members and 3-0 from the Senate members. [Please note that a majority of the membership of the committee from each house must be in agreement in order to take action in a conference committee.] CHAIR OLSON announced that the motion to accept Section 2 of SCS CSHB 24(FIN) failed. 8:07:03 AM The committee took a brief at-ease. 8:07:29 AM SENATOR THOMAS made a motion to accept Section 3 of SCS CSHB 24(FIN). A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Olson, Johnson, and Holmes voted in favor of the motion to accept Section 3 of SCS CSHB 24(FIN). Senators Thomas, French, and Paskvan voted in favor of it. Therefore, the motion to accept Section 3 of SCS CSHB 24(FIN) passed with a vote of 3-0 from the House members and 3-0 from the Senate members. [Please note that a majority of the membership of the committee from each house must be in agreement in order to take action in a conference committee.] CHAIR OLSON announced that the motion to accept Section 3 of SCS CSHB 24(FIN) passed. 8:08:25 AM SENATOR THOMAS made a motion to accept Section 1 of CSHB 24(FIN). A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Olson, Johnson, and Holmes voted in favor of the motion to accept Section 1 of CSHB 24(FIN). Senators Thomas, French, and Paskvan voted against it. Therefore, the motion to accept Section 1 of CSHB 24(FIN) failed with a vote of 3-0 from the House members and 0-3 from the Senate members. [Please note that a majority of the membership of the committee from each house must be in agreement in order to take action in a conference committee.] CHAIR OLSON announced that the motion to accept Section 1 of CSHB 24(FIN) failed. 8:09:17 AM SENATOR THOMAS made a motion to accept Section 2 of CSHB 24(FIN). A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Olson, Johnson, and Holmes voted in favor of the motion to accept Section 2 of CSHB 24(FIN). Senators Thomas, French, and Paskvan voted against it. Therefore, the motion to accept Section 2 of CSHB 24(FIN) failed with a vote of 3-0 from the House members and 0-3 from the Senate members. [Please note that a majority of the membership of the committee from each house must be in agreement in order to take action in a conference committee.] CHAIR OLSON announced that the motion to accept Section 2 of CSHB 24(FIN) failed. 8:10:11 AM SENATOR THOMAS made a motion to request limited powers of free conference from the House and Senate for the Conference Committee for HB 24. A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Olson, Johnson, and Holmes voted in favor of the motion to request limited powers of free conference for HB 24. Senators Thomas, French, and Paskvan voted in favor of it. Therefore, the motion to request limited powers of free conference for HB 24 passed with a vote of 3-0 from the House members and 3-0 from the Senate members. [Please note that a majority of the membership of the committee from each house must be in agreement in order to take action in a conference committee.] CHAIR OLSON announced that the motion to request limited powers of free conference passed. 8:11:04 AM CHAIR OLSON stated that the letter to request limited powers of free conference would allow the Conference Committee on HB 24 to adopt any language or effective dates. He related that his staff would complete the letter with appropriate sections and circulate it to members for their signatures. He said he hoped both bodies would act on the request and the Conference Committee on HB 24 could meet this afternoon. CHAIR OLSON recessed to the call of the Chair. 11:59:37 AM CHAIR OLSON reconvened the Conference Committee on HB 24. Representatives Olson, Johnson, and Holmes were present at the call to order. Senators Thomas, Paskvan, and French were present at the call to order. 12:00:01 PM SENATOR THOMAS moved to adopt Conceptual Amendment 1 [to SCS CSHB 24(FIN)]. CHAIR OLSON objected for the purpose of discussion. 12:00:27 PM CHAIR OLSON explained that Conceptual Amendment 1 to SCS CSHB 24(FIN) would read as follows: Page 1, line 7; Delete "2013" Insert "2014" Page 1, line 12; Delete "2013" Insert "2014" CHAIR OLSON then removed his objection. 12:01:00 PM A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Olson, Johnson, and Holmes voted in favor of the motion to adopt Conceptual Amendment 1 to SCS CSHB 24(FIN). Senators Thomas, French, and Paskvan voted in favor of the motion. Therefore, the motion to adopt Conceptual Amendment 1 to SCS CSHB 24(FIN) passed with a vote of 3-0 from the House members and 3-0 from the Senate members. [Please note that a majority of the membership of the committee from each house must be in agreement in order to take action in a conference committee.] CHAIR OLSON reported that Conceptual Amendment 1 was adopted. 12:01:41 PM SENATOR THOMAS moved that the Conference Committee pass out the SCS CSHB 24 (FIN), as amended. REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON objected. 12:02:12 PM REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON expressed his concern in addressing policy statements in extension bills. He offered his belief that policy measures should go through the committee process appropriately. He related that an extension bill should be based on whether the program should move forward, but policy decisions should be made separately. He said, "It is reluctantly that I will vote yes to send this forward. I don't like policies done in extensions." He then withdrew his objection. 12:02:42 PM CHAIR OLSON remarked this is the first time he has gone in this direction. He related that he also prefers clean "sunset" bills. He acknowledged that the legislature has had a number of reasons for taking this path on HB 24. He offered his belief that it is critical that the Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) has an additional three years to operate. He acknowledged other issues exist, but this action would allow the RCA time to resolve some of the issues. 12:03:13 PM A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Olson, Johnson, and Holmes voted in favor of reporting the SCS CSHB 24(FIN), as amended, from committee. Senators Thomas, French, and Paskvan voted in favor of reporting SCS CSHB 24(FIN), as amended, from committee. Therefore, the Conference Committee Substitute (CCS) for HB 24 was reported from the Conference Committee on HB 24 with a vote of 3-0 from the House members and 3-0 from the Senate members. [Please note that a majority of the membership of the committee from each house must be in agreement in order to take action in a conference committee.] 12:03:46 PM CHAIR OLSON reported that the Conference Committee on HB 24 unanimously supported moving the CCS HB 24 from committee.