HB 333-CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS/POET ACCTS                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:15:27 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  WIELECHOWSKI  announced  that  the next  bill  before  the                                                               
committee  would be  HB 333,  which proposes  to modify  statutes                                                               
pertaining to Public Offices Expense Term (POET) accounts.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
JULI  LUCKY, staff,  Representative Mike  Hawker, introduced  the                                                               
bill on behalf of the sponsor.  She explained that the bill makes                                                               
one major  change to  the statute by  repealing the  POET account                                                               
reserve.  She  noted that  the  bill  also  sets in  statute,  in                                                               
Section 1,  what a person can  do with any remaining  POET funds.                                                               
It provides guidelines for both POET accounts.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI requested an overview  of how the POET account                                                               
works.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS.  LUCKY explained  that  when  a member  finishes  his or  her                                                               
campaign, there  is a certain  amount of time to  expend campaign                                                               
money. There  is also  a limit as  to what can  be done  with the                                                               
money. One of the options is to  put a certain amount into a POET                                                               
account for legitimate office expenses.  The amount is limited to                                                               
$5,000 per year of term of office.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
She explained the way the current  process works is for $5,000 to                                                               
be deposited into the POET  account and anything over that amount                                                               
must be  put into a  POET reserve  account. A transfer  of $5,000                                                               
per  year from  the reserve  account back  into the  POET account                                                               
would then  be allowed. That  process was deemed  unnecessary and                                                               
complicated. The new legislation would  allow a person to deposit                                                               
the full amount directly into the POET account.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI  asked if  there have  been any  objections to                                                               
the bill.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MS.  LUCKY  said  no.  She  noted  that  Alaska  Public  Officers                                                               
Commission  (APOC)  requested  two  amendments  which  have  been                                                               
incorporated into the House State Affairs version of the bill.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:19:13 AM                                                                                                                    
JOAN   MIZE,   Lobby   Administrator,  Alaska   Public   Officers                                                               
Commission (APOC),  Juneau, Alaska,  offered to  answer questions                                                               
related to HB 333.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  WIELECHOWSKI asked  Ms. Mize  if she  considered HB  333 a                                                               
"clean-up" bill.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS. MAIZE said yes.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI closed public testimony.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  KOOKESH asked  if there  was another  committee referral                                                               
for the bill.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. MAIZE said no.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  WIELECHOWSKI  stated   that  HB  333  would   be  held  in                                                               
committee.