HOUSE RULES STANDING COMMITTEE January 31, 2000 4:07 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative John Cowdery, Chairman Representative Brian Porter Representative Joe Green Representative Pete Kott Representative Reggie Joule MEMBERS ABSENT Representative Gail Phillips Representative Ethan Berkowitz COMMITTEE CALENDAR Hearing on Ron Somerville Contract PREVIOUS ACTION No previous action to record. WITNESS REGISTER PAM VARNI, Executive Director Legislative Affairs Agency 130 Seward Street, Suite 313 Juneau, Alaska 99801 POSITION STATEMENT: Discussed Ron Somerville's contract. ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 00-2, SIDE A Number 0001 CHAIRMAN JOHN COWDERY called the House Rules Standing Committee meeting to order at 4:07 p.m. Members present at the call to order were Representatives Cowdery, Porter, Green, Kott and Joule. Representatives Phillips and Berkowitz were not in attendance. Number 0050 CHAIRMAN COWDERY announced that the committee had before it an amendment in the amount of $50,000 to Mr. Somerville's contract. He informed the committee that Mr. Somerville is performing work on the Katie John case. REPRESENTATIVE JOULE inquired as to why this business would fall under the purview of the House Rules Committee versus Legislative Council. CHAIRMAN COWDERY explained that Legislative Council has authority, for the most part, when the legislature is not in session. The Rules Committee has to approve all expenditures and budgets. Number 0144 PAM VARNI, Executive Director, Legislative Affairs Agency, agreed with Chairman Cowdery's explanation. She further informed the committee that this contract as well as others have been under Legislative Council before. However, during session the House Rules Committee or the Senate Rules Committee would need to meet when the amount of the contract exceeds $25,000. The monies come from session expenses, which falls under the purview of the Rules Committee. REPRESENTATIVE JOULE noted that the memorandum included in the committee packet was sent to Senator Pearce, President of the Senate, and Representative Porter, Speaker of the House of Representatives. He asked if this contract would also fall under the Senate Rules Committee. CHAIRMAN COWDERY explained that the expenditures on a contract such as this are joint, and therefore the expenditure is split between the two bodies. MS. VARNI agreed with Chairman Cowdery. Number 0208 REPRESENTATIVE JOULE inquired as to the reporting that occurs during the contract period. REPRESENTATIVE PORTER commented that he was not aware that the contract was not going any further [being heard by any other committee]. However, he informed the committee that Mr. Somerville does provide periodic reports regarding any activities to both of the presiding officers. MS. VARNI said that she believed that those reports were also sent to the Minority leaders as well. REPRESENTATIVE JOULE stated that it would be appropriate for members of this committee to receive a copy of those reports. He understood that the amendment to the contract would extend the contract through this session. He asked if the full amount of the contract was billed under the last contract. MS. VARNI reported that currently there is a balance of about $10,000, which includes expenditures through the end of December 1999. Therefore, this $50,000 would be added to the $10,000 that remains. She noted that the monthly billings vary. CHAIRMAN COWDERY interjected that although the $50,000 would be approved, it would not necessarily all be spent. The committee's approval means that up to $50,000 can be spent on this contract. Number 0443 REPRESENTATIVE JOULE asked whether the billing information is included with the reports provided to leadership. MS. VARNI replied no. However, she noted that her office could be contacted for such information. REPRESENTATIVE JOULE referred to the missions and measures of the departments, which have been reviewed in preparation of the budget. He asked if, at some point, those on contract would be required to have missions and measures. CHAIRMAN COWDERY commented that he believed having Mr. Somerville work with the legislature's legal department [Legislative Legal Services] is an asset. MS. VARNI pointed out that an evaluation of the contract is performed at the conclusion of the contract. REPRESENTATIVE PORTER said that he did not believe that the type of consulting service provided by Mr. Somerville would lend itself to missions and measures because the precise requirements are not known when the contract is written. REPRESENTATIVE JOULE asked if there is correspondence to Alaska's delegation [the Congressional delegation] and on whose behalf would that occur. CHAIRMAN COWDERY answered that he assumed such would be on behalf of leadership, although it benefits the entire legislature. He noted that this contract will not go before the entire body. Number 0667 REPRESENTATIVE JOULE understood that Mr. Somerville is the consultant who deals with resource issues in the state and at the federal level. He indicated that the House Resources Committee has special legislative aides to specifically deal with such issues. To the same extent, there are legal folks brought on for the House Judiciary Committee. Therefore, he inquired as to how much of this [Mr. Somerville's] work is duplicative. CHAIRMAN COWDERY commented that legislative staff does not have the history or the background that Mr. Somerville has. Mr. Somerville has expertise in areas that we [the legislature] do not. He did not believe that legislative staff has the ability. Chairman Cowdery asked if Representative Joule's staff, as he is a member of the House Resources Committee, would be capable of performing such services. REPRESENTATIVE JOULE said that he had never been offered such an opportunity, and therefore such an offer would deem serious consideration. However, during this time of cutting budgets he was unsure as to whether such an offer would be approved. He wondered why, in such an atmosphere, there would be a proposal to extend a contract for more than prior years. REPRESENTATIVE KOTT understood that Mr. Somerville is currently not working under a contract; is that correct? MS. VARNI specified that the contract terminated January 19. This amendment would extend the contract from January 20, 1999, to January 20, 2001. Number 0839 REPRESENTATIVE KOTT moved that the committee approve the amendment to Mr. Somerville's contract. REPRESENTATIVE JOULE objected. Upon a roll call vote, Representatives Porter, Green, Kott and Cowdery voted in favor of the approval of the amendment to Mr. Somerville's contract and Representative Joule voted against the approval of the amendment to Mr. Somerville's contract. Therefore, the amendment to Mr. Somerville's contract was approved. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the committee, the House Rules Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 4:20 p.m.