HOUSE RULES STANDING COMMITTEE January 22, 1999 5:02 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative John Cowdery, Chairman Representative Brian Porter Representative Joe Green Representative Gail Phillips Representative Ethan Berkowitz Representative Reggie Joule MEMBERS ABSENT Representative Pete Kott COMMITTEE CALENDAR *HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 6 "Establishing a House Special Committee on Electric Utility Restructuring." - MOVED CSHR 6(RLS)OUT OF COMMITTEE PREVIOUS ACTION BILL: HR 6 SHORT TITLE: H SPEC CMTE ON UTILITY RESTRUCTURING SPONSOR(S): RULES Jrn-Date Jrn-Page Action 1/19/99 15 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S) 1/19/99 16 (H) RULES FOR CALENDARING 1/19/99 10 (H) MEMBERS: HUDSON, CH., COWDERY, V.CH., 1/19/99 10 (H) KOTT, ROKEBERG, PORTER, DAVIES 1/20/99 52 (H) RULES TO CALENDAR 1/21/99 1/21/99 52 (H) RETURN TO RLS COMMITTEE 1/22/99 (H) RLS AT 5:00 PM SPEAKER'S CHAMBER WITNESS REGISTER Representative Bill Hudson Alaska State Legislature Capitol Building, Room 108 Juneau, Alaska 99801 Telephone: (907) 465-3744 POSITION STATEMENT: Discussed HR 6. Walt Wilcox, Legislative Assistant to Representative Hudson Alaska State Legislature Capitol Building, Room 108 Juneau, Alaska 99801 Telephone: (907) 465-3744 POSITION STATEMENT: Provided information on HR 6. ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 99-1, SIDE A Number 001 CHAIRMAN JOHN COWDERY called the House Rules Standing Committee meeting to order at 5:02 p.m. Members present at the call to order were Representatives Cowdery, Porter, Green, Phillips, Berkowitz and Joule. Representative Kott was absent. HR 6 - H SPEC CMTE ON UTILITY RESTRUCTURING Number 010 CHAIRMAN COWDERY announced the first order of business was House Resolution No. 6, "Establishing a House Special Committee on Electric Utility Restructuring." He explained that the purpose of the meeting was to delete the word "electric" from the title and throughout the resolution. REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON, Chairman of the Special Committee on Utility Restructuring, clarified that this change would broaden the scope of the committee in order to cover telecommunications as well as other relevant issues. Representative Hudson said that the electric utilities in the Anchorage area, in particular, will be the major issue. This would provide the committee with the authority to take up issues dealing with utilities. REPRESENTATIVE PORTER moved to adopt the proposed committee substitute. REPRESENTATIVE BERKOWITZ objected for discussion purposes. He noted that there was a substantive difference in the proposed resolution and last year's resolution. Last year's resolution included Uniform Rule 1(e) regarding proportional representation. Why was proportional representation omitted in the current resolution? Representative Berkowitz referred to HCR 34, last year's resolution, which stated, "the presiding officer of each body shall apportion minority membersto the joint committee provided in Rule1(e), Uniform Rules of the Alaska State Legislature, for standing committees." WALT WILCOX, Legislative Assistant to Representative Hudson, Alaska State Legislature, said that there had been discussion on this matter of having another Minority member. Mr. Wilcox believed that the aforementioned difference between HCR 34 and HR 6 was left to the discretion of the Speaker rather than the Uniform Rules. REPRESENTATIVE GREEN pointed out that the Uniform Rules do not provide for special committees to maintain that ratio. The Uniform Rules do specify that all committees are to consist of an uneven number of members. REPRESENTATIVE PORTER stated that there was no intent not to utilize the proportion called for in the Uniform Rules. REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS suggested amending the proposed committee substitute. Line 16, "Further resolve that the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall determine the number of members of the committee consistent with the Uniform Rules." CHAIRMAN COWDERY asked if the Uniform Rules applied to special committees. REPRESENTATIVE BERKOWITZ stated that Uniform Rules specifies that a committee must consist of an odd number of people; there is no rule of proportionality in a special committee. Representative Berkowitz inquired as to why the rule of proportionality was included last year, but not included in the this year's resolution. REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON believed that there was no intent to disrupt the normal pattern. Whatever is decided, the committee must have one more member in order to consist of an odd number of members. REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS moved to adopt the aforementioned amendment to the proposed committee substitute. There being no objection, it was so ordered. REPRESENTATIVE PORTER moved to adopt CSHR 6(RLS). There being no objection, it was so ordered. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the committee, the House Rules Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 5:10 p.m.