ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL  FEBRUARY 15, 2017  7:04 AM    MEMBERS PRESENT  Representative Sam Kito, Chair Senator Bert Stedman, Vice Chair Representative Matt Claman Representative Bryce Edgmon Representative Charisse Millett Representative Dan Ortiz Representative Louise Stutes Representative Harriet Drummond, Majority Alternate Representative David Eastman, Minority Alternate Senator Lyman Hoffman Senator Pete Kelly Senator Anna MacKinnon Senator Kevin Meyer Senator Peter Micciche Senator Gary Stevens Senator Cathy Giessel, Alternate MEMBERS ABSENT  Representative David Guttenberg   AGENDA  APPROVAL OF AGENDA OTHER COMMITTEE BUSINESS 7:03:49 AM  I. CHAIR SAM KITO called the Legislative Council meeting to order at 7:04 a.m. in Room 519 (House Finance) of the State Capitol. Present at the call were Representatives Claman, Edgmon, Millett, Ortiz, Stutes, Drummond (alternate), Eastman (alternate), and Kito; Senators Hoffman, Kelly, MacKinnon, Meyer, Micciche, Stevens, Giessel (alternate), and Stedman. Representative Guttenberg was absent. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA  7:05:31 AM VICE CHAIR STEDMAN moved that Legislative Council approve the agenda as presented. The motion was approved without objection. III. RATIFICATION OF CHARITABLE EVENTS  a. FY 18 Legislative Council Proposed Budget  b. Subcommittee Assignments  a. FY 18 Legislative Council Proposed Budget    7:06:07 AM VICE CHAIR STEDMAN moved that Legislative Council per AS 24.20.130 approve the FY 18 Legislative Council Proposed Budget and transmit it to the House and Senate Finance Committees for their review and action. CHAIR KITO objected for purposes of discussion. For the record, he read his memo dated February 15, 2017, regarding FY 18 Legislative Council Detailed Budget and Overview (below): The Legislative Council budget has 14 budget components and 4 RDU's This FY 18 Legislative Council Request is an overall reduction of ($321.6) from the FY 18 Governor's Figures (preliminary numbers). $51,508.4 FY 18 Governor's Figure -$51,186.8 FY 18 Legislative Council Request $ 321.6 Per statute this FY 18 Request constitutes the detail request, which Legislative Council submits to the Finance Committees for their review and action. The following pages provide a Recap of Changes by Component for this detail budget book. It explains the component, and the associated change from the FY 18 Governor's Figures to the Council's FY 18 Request. In recognition of current fiscal circumstances, and in an effort to make sure that the Legislature is doing all it can to adjust to the current fiscal reality, Council requests that the Finance Committees review the Legislative Council's budget and identify efficiencies in order to achieve an additional savings to the state of at least 3.5%. The Legislative Operating Budget and the Session Expenses components provide the best opportunity to achieve those savings. DISCUSSION FOLLOWED regarding the Legislative Operating Budget. Representative Claman suggested that the Legislature look for savings in the budget that might allow the Department of Law to hire additional prosecutors to serve an essential public safety function. He said it would be appropriate in the subcommittee process to look perhaps at the Office of Victims' Rights to realize those savings. Representative Eastman commented that the Legislature's Legal Services Division is down seven positions, and was a fairly critical area of the Legislature; and that perhaps the Finance Committee looks at reducing membership dues to realize savings that might be used to support Legal Services. Chair Kito noted that the amount budgeted for membership fees is not the full amount requested by those organizations and Legislative Council is not recommending that the full membership fees be paid in this budget. Chair Kito removed his objection and the motion passed without objection. b. Subcommittee Assignments  CHAIR KITO noted the following Legislative Council subcommittee assignments: IT Subcommittee: Chair - Tim Banaszak (IT Manager) and members Representatives Kito, Guttenberg, and LeDoux, and Senator Giessel. Security: Chair - Steve Daigle (Chief of Security) and members Representatives Kito, Edgmon, Millett, and Stutes, and Senators Stevens and MacKinnon. Moving and Travel: Chair Jessica Geary (Finance Manager) and members Representatives Kito and Drummond, and Senators Stevens, Giessel, and Stedman. Per Diem: Chair - Representative Kito and members Representatives Ortiz and Stutes, and Senators Stevens, Hoffman, MacKinnon, and Stedman. Benson Legislative Office Building: Chair - Representative Kito and members Representatives Drummond and Millett, and Senators Stevens, MacKinnon, and Giessel. Chair Kito also welcomed any Legislator or Legislator's staff to sit on any of the subcommittees even if they were not a member of Legislative Council. There being no further business before the committee, Legislative Council adjourned at 7:14 a.m. 7:12:13 AM