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Contact Information:
Toll Free:(800) 665-2689
In the Homer Area:(907) 235-2921
Via Mail or in Person: 345 W. Sterling Hwy., Suite 102B
Homer, Alaska 99603
Fax:(907) 235-4008
Website:
Email:
Greetings from Juneau on this 113th day of the legislative session. We are keeping all of you in the area affected by the fire in our thoughts. We are currently working with the Department of Transportation to get emergency repair work done on East Skyline and Olson Mt. Road, and have been in touch with the Forest Service in case any additional support is needed.
The weather at the Capitol has been great this week; warm, dry and sunny days with a nice breeze. As the last week of the session approaches many issues are coming to a head in both the Senate and the House. As the Chairman of the House State Affairs Committee, which generated the House version of the pension reform bill, I spent long hours with the House Finance Committee on both Saturday and Sunday working through 29 proposed amendments. Although there were many close votes, a bill was finally passed out at 5:30 Sunday evening. This issue will soon go to the floor and probably to a conference committee. Hopefully an agreement can be reached between both houses and we can then get the full education funding and municipal funding that has been made contingent upon the passage of . We will probably not know anything about capital and special appropriations until the last minute.
Though I missed the first part of the week, many folks from the district were in to visit with my staff and I. Seward Mayor, Vanta Shafer and Councilwoman Margaret Branson were down to introduce their new City Manager, Clark Corbridge. Also in from Seward was Charlie Crangle, and who could forget our impassioned Borough Assemblywoman from Homer, Milli Martin.
State Affairs Committee
Last week the committee heard five bills. sponsored by Rep. Les Gara (D-Anchorage), amends the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act. Under this bill, a dollar threshold is established for executive branch employees to know when their financial involvement in a stock affected by government action is insignificant (ethically okay) and when it is significant (ethically not okay). The original threshold was established at $5,000 but was amended by the committee to $10,000. This was the amount suggested by former US Attorney Robert Bundy following his investigation of Gregg Renkes. HB 194 was held in committee.
by Rep. Mike Hawker (R-Anchorage) exempts the Internal Affairs files of Police, Troopers and Correctional officers from public scrutiny under the Freedom of Information Act. This bill would not prevent individuals from obtaining general information about complaints against a particular facility or office, but would prevent them from obtaining information on a particular officer as is currently allowed. The bill is intended to protect against citizens searching records of officers in order to target them for a lawsuit. This legislation was held in committee.
by Rep. Ralph Samuels (R-Anchorage) would shorten the legislative session from 120 days to 90 days. An estimated $830,000 in per diem and staffing costs would be saved were the legislature to adjourn 30 days earlier than it currently does. One problem with shortening the legislative session, however, is that it would inadvertently shift power from the Legislature to the Governor by further decreasing the time the Legislature is able to review the Administration’s proposals. The bill passed out of committee, though I recommended a Do Not Pass.
by Rep. Pete Kott (R-Eagle River) increases the per diem for members of the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation board from $100 to $400 to bring them in line with members of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation Board of Trustees.
by Rep. Jim Elkins (R-Ketchikan) extends the sunset date on legislation enacted in both 2001 and 2003 allowing retired PERS and TRS members to return to work and continue to receive their normal retirement benefits. If re-employed as a commissioner, employees retired under the Retirement Incentive Program are eligible. Also eligible are retired teachers rehired under the "teacher shortage" program. This bill moved out of committee.
On Tuesday we will hear , the House State Affairs sponsored bill extending the deadline for coastal districts to submit their revised management plans to the state. An amendment will be offered changing the extension from the original one-year down to six months post federal/ state ACMP consistency.
We will also hear . This bill gives the Executive Director of the Human Rights Commission the discretion to choose between the cases that will be heard before the commission. The Commission is currently required to hear any case filed, despite many costly abuses to the system. One concern is that this transfers additional power to the Executive Branch authorities. This would not affect an individual’s ability to take their case to Civil Court.
The final bill we will hear on Tuesday is . HB 28 establishes a municipal dividend fund administered by the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development. The municipal dividends will amount to $250 for each resident of a qualifying municipality.
Resources Committee
We heard three bills, two resolutions and passed the names of nine appointees on to a vote of the full legislature. resolves that the first Tuesday in May 2005 and May 2006 should be called Alaska Agriculture Day. resolves that the legislature supports the start-up of the Kensington Gold Mine north of Juneau. clarifies that parties responsible for hazardous waste cleanup costs and damages can seek contribution under state law from other responsible parties in the absence of a lawsuit brought by the state or others to force cleanup. seeks to loosen the conflict of interest policy governing the Board of Fisheries. This bill would allow board members to speak and vote on proposed regulations affecting fisheries that they may have a financial interest in. I am proposing an amendment that would bar members of the board that have been paid to represent the interests of a certain group from voting on regulations affecting those interests. makes technical changes to the state’s air quality permitting program in order to achieve consistency with federal requirements. The bill allows the Department of Environmental Conservation to ensure the payment of program fees by giving it the ability to revoke permits when user fees are not paid.
The committee interviewed nine of Governor Murkowski's appointees, both by teleconference and in person. For the seats on the Board of Fish we forwarded John Jensen, Rupert Andrews and Melvan Morris to the full legislature. For seats on the Board of Game we interviewed and forwarded Ted Spraker, Carl Morgan, and Ron Somerville. We also interviewed McKie Campbell for the position of Commissioner of Fish and Game, Kurt Fredriksson for Commissioner of DEC, and Peter Froehlich for a seat on the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission. These appointees must now be confirmed by a vote of the full legislature.
HESS Committee
On Tuesday we confirmed Anchorage resident and UAA student, Jason Gondek for the student regent position on the UAA Board of Regents. We also heard and passed two resolutions out of committee.
honors parents by celebrating the fourth Sunday in June as Parents Day, a nationally recognized holiday.
urges the prompt approval of new, targeted drugs for the treatment of prostate cancer.
On Thursday we heard a presentation on the Family Wellness Warriors Initiative by the South-Central Foundation.
Limited Entry Permits Sale
The Alaska Division of Investments (ADI) is offering limited entry permits for sale in Kodiak, Cook Inlet, Bristol Bay, Prince William Sound, Alaska Peninsula/Aleutians, Southeast Alaska, Lower Yukon and Statewide. You can get complete information regarding the permits, sale procedures, financing information and loan application packages on ADI’s website, .
You can also contact the Division directly at (800) 478-5626 within Alaska, or (907) 465-2510. Written offers are due no later than 1 p.m. on May 10th.
Following Bills
All bills can be found on the State's Bill Action and Status Inquiry System (BASIS). You can see what committee a bill is in, when it will be heard, how committee members voted, and much more. Don't forget that you can view all bills relating to your areas of interest by selecting "Subject Summary" from the menu on the right. You can access BASIS through the link below.
Live on the Web
Most committee hearings can be seen and heard on Gavel to Gavel, which is broadcast on both local access TV and on the internet. You can also access online archives from their website. .
Contact Us
If you would like to speak to me regarding a specific issue, it is helpful to first get in touch with the member of my staff handling related issues. You can click on their email addresses to send them a note, or just give us a call at the office. Please provide your full name, address and phone number on any correspondence with the office. Your time and effort are much appreciated.
Louie Flora
State Affairs, Resources, Fisheries, HB 25
(907) 465-4963
louie_flora ''@'' legis.state.ak.us
Katie Shows
Health Education and Social Services, HB 20, HB 24
(907) 465-2028
katie_shows ''@'' legis.state.ak.us
Ian Laing
Ways and Means, HB 50
(907) 465-2689
ian_laing ''@'' legis.state.ak.us
Rep. Paul Seaton
House District 35
(800) 665-2689
representative_paul_seaton ''@'' legis.state.ak.us # # # |
