ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS  January 31, 2024 6:02 p.m. DRAFT MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Ben Carpenter, Chair Representative Jamie Allard Representative Tom McKay Representative Kevin McCabe Representative Cathy Tilton Representative Andrew Gray Representative Cliff Groh MEMBERS ABSENT  All members present COMMITTEE CALENDAR  HOUSE BILL NO. 190 "An Act establishing a violation for hindering the Alaska Sunset Commission; relating to the duties of the legislature; establishing the Alaska Sunset Commission to review and make recommendations on discontinuation of or changes to state entities; relating to the powers and duties of the Alaska Sunset Commission; and providing for an effective date." - HEARD & HELD PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION  BILL: HB 190 SHORT TITLE: ALASKA SUNSET COMMISSION SPONSOR(s): WAYS & MEANS 05/03/23 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 05/03/23 (H) W&M, STA, FIN 05/08/23 (H) W&M AT 6:00 PM DAVIS 106 05/08/23 (H) 05/09/23 (H) W&M AT 6:00 PM DAVIS 106 05/09/23 (H) Heard & Held 05/09/23 (H) MINUTE(W&M) 01/24/24 (H) W&M AT 6:00 PM DAVIS 106 01/24/24 (H) Heard & Held 01/24/24 (H) MINUTE(W&M) 01/31/24 (H) W&M AT 6:00 PM DAVIS 106 WITNESS REGISTER No witnesses to record ACTION NARRATIVE 6:02:03 PM CHAIR BEN CARPENTER called the House Special Committee on Ways and Means meeting to order at 6:02 p.m. Representatives Groh, McCabe, Allard, Tilton, and Carpenter were present at the call to order. Representatives Gray and McKay arrived as the meeting was in progress. HB 190-ALASKA SUNSET COMMISSION  6:02:49 PM CHAIR CARPENTER announced that only order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 190, "An Act establishing a violation for hindering the Alaska Sunset Commission; relating to the duties of the legislature; establishing the Alaska Sunset Commission to review and make recommendations on discontinuation of or changes to state entities; relating to the powers and duties of the Alaska Sunset Commission; and providing for an effective date." 6:03:03 PM CHAIR CARPENTER opened public testimony on HB 190. After ascertaining there was no one who wished to testify, he closed public testimony. 6:03:51 PM REPRESENTATIVE TILTON suggested the committee consider the makeup of the commission. Currently there are four members from the legislature and three from the administration. She remarked that that could seem imbalanced, except that two of the four legislative members are from the House and the other two are from the Senate, and those bodies are "not always on the same page." She proffered that the executive branch "actually ends up with more power." She said she does not know what the makeup of the commission should look like, just that it may be a point of consideration. 6:05:26 PM CHAIR CARPENTER indicated that before HB 190 had been brought forward, there had been consideration of the makeup of the commission, and "we settled on placing it within the ... administrative purview of the lieutenant governor because the lieutenant governor has regulatory review already, and it just kind of fit." Notwithstanding that, he said he is open to suggestions. Chair Carpenter noted that some amendments had been received by the previous deadline, and in consideration of the committee process, he would extend the deadline for amendments to 2/6/24. 6:06:53 PM REPRESENTATIVE TILTON reemphasized that if the goal of the Sunset Commission is to review departments, then it would be prudent of the legislature to have the most authority when it comes to that review. She allowed that she understood the decision to go with the lieutenant governor but encouraged a balanced approach with the legislature having "the majority of the authority of the commissioners on board." 6:07:51 PM REPRESENTATIVE GRAY, regarding a legal opinion that the committee had received and the ability of the governor to delete the commission through an executive order, suggested the committee could "amend the bill to make it really the property of legislature that couldn't be deleted through an executive order." CHAIR CARPENTER repeated the key points that had been discussed before Representative Gray's arrival. 6:09:03 PM CHAIR CARPENTER [announced that HB 190 was held over]. 6:09:22 PM ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, the House Special Committee on Ways and Means meeting was adjourned at 6:09 p.m.