SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE February 21, 2022 1:00 p.m. 1:00:55 PM CALL TO ORDER Co-Chair Bishop called the Senate Finance Committee meeting to order at 1:00 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Senator Click Bishop, Co-Chair Senator Bert Stedman, Co-Chair Senator Lyman Hoffman Senator Natasha von Imhof Senator Bill Wielechowski Senator David Wilson MEMBERS ABSENT Senator Donny Olson ALSO PRESENT Joe Geldhof, Board Member, Permanent Fund Defenders, Juneau. PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE Renn Nelson, Self, Craig; Mike Smith, Self, Wasilla; Edward Martin Jr., Self, Kenai; James Squyres, Self, Rural Deltana; Philip Prax, Self, Fairbanks; Allen Hippler, Self, Anchorage; George Pierce, Self, Kasilof; Gail Limbaugh- Moore, Self, Soldotna; Sheila Schatz, Self, Wasilla; Alan Ramos, Self, Wasilla; Ron Johnson, Self, Fairbanks; Mike Coons, Self, Palmer; Bert Houghtaling, Self, Big Lake; Greg Weaver, Self, Matsu; Joel Sigman, Self, Wasilla; Amanda Perry, Self, Soldotna; Sally Johnson, Self, Palmer; Michael Garhart, Self, Wasilla; Barbara Tyndall, Self, North Pole; Sherman Leifer, Self, Palmer; Cyrus Cooper, Self, Healy; Willy Keppel, Self, Quinhagak; Dianne MacRae, Self, Kasilof; Susan Dotson, Self, Ketchikan; Justin Hooper, Self, Anchorage; Mike Bridge, Self, Kenai; Sunshine Konovalov, Self, Homer; Linda Branson, Self, Houston; Tonda Lundin, Self, Wasilla; Lee Cooper, Disabled Veterans of Denali Borough, Healy; Allison Moe, self, Anchorage; Tom Mattie, self, Lazy Mountain; Mike Swain, Self, Anchorage; Julie Moore, Self, Soldotna; Magnus Sampson, Self, Dillingham; Lindsey Rhodes, Self, Kenai; Jeffrey Ackerman, Self, Kenai Peninsula; Jeremiah Hamrick, Self, Wasilla; Kelly Nash, Interior Patriots, Fairbanks; Richard Tolotta, Self, Anchorage; Greg Collins, Self, Homer; Dustin Aaronson, Self, Kenai; Donald Bullock, Self, Douglas; Theresa Groves, Self, Fairbanks; Christine Robbins, Self, Fairbanks; Laura Bonner, Self, Anchorage. SUMMARY SB 199 PERM FUND; PERMANENT FUND DIVIDEND SB 199 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further consideration. SB 200 PERMANENT FUND DIVIDEND; 25/75 POMV SPLIT SB 200 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further consideration. SENATE BILL NO. 199 "An Act relating to use of income of the Alaska permanent fund; relating to the amount of the permanent fund dividend; relating to the duties of the commissioner of revenue; and providing for an effective date." SENATE BILL NO. 200 "An Act relating to use of income of the Alaska permanent fund; relating to the amount of the permanent fund dividend; relating to the duties of the commissioner of revenue; and providing for an effective date." Co-Chair Bishop OPENED public testimony. 1:01:55 PM RENN NELSON, SELF, CRAIG (via teleconference), spoke against both bills. He testified that he would like a full statutory Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD). Co-Chair Bishop stated that testimony should be strictly about the bills. 1:03:59 PM AT EASE 1:04:22 PM RECONVENED 1:04:48 PM MIKE SMITH, SELF, WASILLA (via teleconference), testified against the bills. 1:07:10 PM EDWARD MARTIN JR., SELF, KENAI (via teleconference), spoke against the bills. He testified in support of a full statutory PFD. He felt that the legislature was breaking the law. He stated that his family had a history in Alaska. 1:09:23 PM JAMES SQUYRES, SELF, RURAL DELTANA (via teleconference), spoke against the bills. He felt that the bill should have more committees of referral. 1:11:51 PM PHILIP PRAX, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), testified against the bills. 1:14:24 PM ALLEN HIPPLER, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), spoke against the bills. He felt that the bills should be combined with a constitutional spending cap. 1:15:46 PM GEORGE PIERCE, SELF, KASILOF (via teleconference), testified against the bills. 1:18:01 PM GAIL LIMBAUGH-MOORE, SELF, SOLDOTNA (via teleconference), spoke against the bills. She expressed concern that the committee was not following the law. 1:19:01 PM SHEILA SCHATZ, SELF, WASILLA (via teleconference), testified against the bills. 1:21:17 PM ALAN RAMOS, SELF, WASILLA (via teleconference), spoke against the bills. 1:22:44 PM RON JOHNSON, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), testified in support of both bills. He felt that there should not be such a strict adherence to the statutory dividend, because the statute was written at a different time. 1:24:30 PM MIKE COONS, SELF, PALMER (via teleconference), spoke against the bills. 1:26:11 PM BERT HOUGHTALING, SELF, BIG LAKE (via teleconference), testified against the bills. He spoke in support of the statutory PFD. 1:28:53 PM GREG WEAVER, SELF, MATSU (via teleconference), spoke against the bills. 1:31:39 PM JOEL SIGMAN, SELF, WASILLA (via teleconference), testified against the bills. 1:33:53 PM AMANDA PERRY, SELF, SOLDOTNA (via teleconference), spoke against the bills, and testified in support of the 50/50 POMV split. 1:34:23 PM SALLY JOHNSON, SELF, PALMER (via teleconference), testified against the bills. 1:35:28 PM MICHAEL GARHART, SELF, WASILLA (via teleconference), spoke against the bills. 1:37:35 PM BARBARA TYNDALL, SELF, NORTH POLE (via teleconference), testified in opposition to the bills. She remarked that there were very high costs for groceries and oil. 1:39:22 PM SHERMAN LEIFER, SELF, PALMER (via teleconference), testified against the bills. 1:39:56 PM CYRUS COOPER, SELF, HEALY (via teleconference), spoke against the bills. 1:42:02 PM WILLY KEPPEL, SELF, QUINHAGAK (via teleconference), spoke against the bills. 1:43:50 PM DIANNE MACRAE, SELF, KASILOF (via teleconference), testified against the bills. 1:45:06 PM SUSAN DOTSON, SELF, KETCHIKAN (via teleconference), spoke against the bills. 1:45:56 PM JUSTIN HOOPER, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), felt that there was not much change, and stressed that it was very difficult for him to survive financially. 1:48:23 PM MIKE BRIDGE, SELF, KENAI (via teleconference), spoke in support of the committee, and remarked that five dollars a day could be considered a lot of money to some people. 1:50:10 PM SUNSHINE KONOVALOV, SELF, HOMER (via teleconference), testified against the bills. 1:51:47 PM LINDA BRANSON, SELF, HOUSTON (via teleconference), spoke against the bills. 1:53:18 PM TONDA LUNDIN, SELF, WASILLA (via teleconference), testified against the bills. 1:54:42 PM LEE COOPER, DISABLED VETERANS OF DENALI BOROUGH, HEALY (via teleconference), spoke against the bills. 1:56:37 PM ALLISON MOE, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), spoke in opposition of the legislation and expressed concern for cutting the PFD and imposing taxes. 1:57:40 PM TOM MATTIE, SELF, LAZY MOUNTAIN (via teleconference), expressed concern that money was being taken from him. He spoke against the bills. 1:58:28 PM MIKE SWAIN, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), testified in opposition of the legislation. 1:59:34 PM JULIE MOORE, SELF, SOLDOTNA (via teleconference), testified in opposition to SB 199. She wanted her PFD money. 2:00:35 PM MAGNUS SAMPSON, SELF, DILLINGHAM (via teleconference), spoke against the bills. 2:01:48 PM LINDSEY RHODES, SELF, KENAI (via teleconference), testified against the bills. 2:02:11 PM JEFFREY ACKERMAN, SELF, KENAI PENINSULA (via teleconference), spoke against the bills. 2:04:59 PM JEREMIAH HAMRICK, SELF, WASILLA (via teleconference), spoke against the bills. 2:06:13 PM KELLY NASH, INTERIOR PATRIOTS, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), testified against the bills. 2:07:27 PM RICHARD TOLOTTA, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), testified against the bills. 2:09:09 PM GREG COLLINS, SELF, HOMER (via teleconference), spoke against the bills. 2:10:09 PM DUSTIN AARONSON, SELF, KENAI (via teleconference), testified against the bills. 2:12:23 PM DONALD BULLOCK, SELF, DOUGLAS (via teleconference), spoke in favor of the bills. 2:13:51 PM AT EASE 2:29:02 PM RECONVENED 2:29:35 PM JOE GELDHOF, BOARD MEMBER, PERMANENT FUND DEFENDERS, JUNEAU, testified against the bills. 2:32:28 PM THERESA GROVES, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), spoke against the bills. 2:33:38 PM CHRISTINE ROBBINS, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), testified against the bills. 2:34:26 PM LAURA BONNER, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), spoke in support of SB 200. She stated that she did not support SB 199. Co-Chair Bishop CLOSED public testimony. He discussed the following day's agenda. SB 199 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further consideration. SB 200 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further consideration. ADJOURNMENT 2:36:19 PM The meeting was adjourned at 2:36 p.m.