SJR 12-SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFIT REDUCTION REPEAL                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
6:21:57 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  SHOWER   announced  the  consideration  of   SENATE  JOINT                                                               
RESOLUTION NO.  12 Urging  the United  States Congress  to repeal                                                               
the Windfall Elimination Provision  and Government Pension Offset                                                               
of the Social Security Act.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
He  noted  that the  bill  was  previously heard,  the  amendment                                                               
period was past,  and public testimony was opened  and closed. He                                                               
asked the sponsor if he had final comments.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
6:22:18 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  BILL  WIELECHOWSKI,  Alaska State  Legislature,  Juneau,                                                               
Alaska, sponsor of SJR 12,  said this is about fairness. Somebody                                                               
who  pays into  Social Security  through multiple  private sector                                                               
employers is not penalized but  somebody who works in the private                                                               
sector  and  moves to  a  public  sector  employer in  Alaska  is                                                               
penalized. It could  amount to $6,000 per year.  His office heard                                                               
from hundreds  of Alaskans  who have  been penalized.  Alaska has                                                               
the highest  percentage of people  in the U.S. who  are penalized                                                               
by  [the   Windfall  Elimination   Provision  (WEP)   and/or  the                                                               
Government   Pension   Offset   (GPO)].  This   includes   public                                                               
employees,  military  veterans,  firefighters,  police  officers,                                                               
nurses,  and teachers.  He emphasized  that  the resolution  will                                                               
cost  the state  nothing.  It  simply urges  Congress  to say  it                                                               
values the  public service  and it will  not penalize  people for                                                               
it.                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR HOLLAND  said he was  not opposed to the  resolution, but                                                               
he wondered what the cost would be at the federal level.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WIELECHOWSKI  said  the   rough  math  would  be  12,000                                                               
Alaskans who are penalized up to  $6,000 per year. He pointed out                                                               
that this  was money that  people have put into  Social Security,                                                               
so it was a matter of fairness.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR HOLLAND clarified that he was not opposed to the bill.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SHOWER   found  no  further  questions   or  comments  and                                                               
solicited a motion.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
6:25:08 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR REINBOLD moved to report  SJR 12, work order 32-LS0664\B,                                                               
from  committee  with  individual  recommendations  and  attached                                                               
fiscal note(s).                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER found no objection and  SJR 12 was reported from the                                                               
Senate State Affairs Standing Committee.