ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  JOINT COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE BUDGET AND AUDIT  February 19, 2003 12:20 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Ralph Samuels, Chair Representative Mike Hawker Representative Vic Kohring Senator Gene Therriault, Vice Chair Senator Ben Stevens Senator Con Bunde Senator Lyda Green, alternate MEMBERS ABSENT  Representative Jim Whitaker Representative Beth Kerttula Representative Reggie Joule, alternate Representative Bill Williams, alternate Senator Gary Wilken Senator Lyman Hoffman COMMITTEE CALENDAR    APPROVAL OF MINUTES EXECUTIVE SESSION AUDIT REPORTS OTHER COMMITTEE BUSINESS WITNESS REGISTER    PAT DAVIDSON, Legislative Auditor Division of Legislative Audit Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Spoke on behalf of the Division of Legislative Audit. ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 03-1, SIDE A  Number 0001 CHAIR RALPH SAMUELS called the Joint Committee on Legislative Budget and Audit meeting to order at 12:20 p.m. Members present at the call to order were Representatives Samuels, Hawker, Kohring, and Senators Ben Stevens, Bunde, and Green. Representative Therriault arrived shortly thereafter. Number 0044   CHAIR SAMUELS introduced Laura Achee as the committee aide; noted that David Teal, Legislative Fiscal Analyst, was present; and introduced Pat Davidson, Legislative Auditor. Number 0055 PAT DAVIDSON, Legislative Auditor, Division of Legislative Audit, Alaska State Legislature, introduced two staff from the division: Anne McLean, Audit Manager, and Jim Griffin, Audit Manager. APPROVAL OF MINUTES  Number 0130 SENATOR THERRIAULT made a motion to approve the minutes of January 15, 2003, and January 16, 2003. CHAIR SAMUELS asked whether there were any objections. There being none, the minutes from the January 15, 2003, and the January 16, 2003, meetings were approved as read. EXECUTIVE SESSION  Number 0149 SENATOR THERRIAULT made a motion to move to executive session for the purpose of discussing confidential audit reports under AS 24.20.301. There being no objection, the committee went into executive session at 12:30 p.m. CHAIR SAMUELS brought the committee back to regular, open session at 1:15 p.m. AUDIT REPORTS    Number 0217 SENATOR THERRIAULT made a motion to release the following two preliminary audits to the appropriate agencies for response: 1) the Department of Health & Social Services, Division of Medical Assistance, Internal Control Over Medicaid Payments, and 2) the sunset for the Department of Revenue, Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. CHAIR SAMUELS, hearing no objection, released the audits to the appropriate agencies for response. OTHER COMMITTEE BUSINESS    SENATOR THERRIAULT explained that in reviewing the statutes, he found that the committee shall select its own chair. The House and Senate have had an agreement for the past couple of legislatures that chairmanship bounces back and forth. Statutes are a little unclear as to how, exactly, the chair is designated.   Number 0249 SENATOR THERRIAULT moved that Representative Samuels preside as chair of the Joint Committee on Legislative Budget and Audit for the duration of the current [two-year] legislature, and that he [Senator Therriault] preside as vice chair of the committee. There being no objection, it was so ordered. ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, Chair Samuels adjourned the Joint Committee on Legislative Budget and Audit meeting at approximately 1:20 p.m.