Caucus Responds to Resignation of Regent Hayes
Members relieved that board can focus on university

Juneau - Members of the Senate Republican Caucus appreciate Jim Hayes’ decision today to step down from the University of Alaska Board of Regents.

Hayes’ resignation came two days after the first hearing of a resolution introduced by Sen. Tom Wagoner, R-Kenai, that directed the State House to begin an impeachment trial. Prior to introduction of the resolution in late February, the caucus attempted to get a commitment from the administration that Mr. Hayes could step down without admitting guilt and possibly be considered for the next open regent seat, if and when his name was cleared.

“Sen. Wagoner held off of introducing his resolution for at least two weeks while we tried to advance a proposal that would allow Mr. Hayes to step down gracefully. We approached Mr. Hayes with what we thought was a reasonable offer, and he turned us down. After he refused, we felt it was appropriate for this body, our branch of government, to take the steps outlined in the constitution to resolve situations such as this,” said Senate Minority Leader Gene Therriault.

“On February 25, the day before Sen. Wagoner introduced his resolution, I contacted Jim with a proposal I thought would be acceptable to the Governor and best for all parties involved. When Mr. Hayes declined, we decided to proceed with the resolution,” Wilken said.

“We tried our level best to come up with a mechanism so that no one had to admit to guilt, no one lost face, the right thing would be done, and the board would have a full complement of regents functioning on behalf of the university while Mr. Hayes mounted his defense,” Sen. Wagoner said.

“We regret Mr. Hayes didn’t respond when we approached him about stepping down earlier,” Therriault said. “We’re relieved he has taken this step and hope enough time remains for the governor to submit a replacement name before the joint floor session on confirmations scheduled for May 14.”

Caucus Attempts to Alter 90-Day Session Bill
Senate Rejects Amendments to House Bill 171

Juneau - The Senate rebuffed attempts today to change the start date of the legislative session back to January, to allow an interim legislative committee to designate where the legislature convenes, and to tighten rules for budget transfers within the legislature.

Individual members of the Senate Republican Caucus offered the amendments to a bill making modifications to accommodate voter approved 90-day legislative sessions beginning next year.

Sen. Tom Wagoner, R-Kenai, offered an amendment to reinstate the second Monday in January as the start of the session. The start date was changed to February in the Senate State Affairs Committee.

“Every year, school districts plead to know their funding levels so they don’t have to ‘pink slip’ teachers. Ending a session in mid-April provides an extra month from the normal time frame for their budget planning efforts,” Sen. Wagoner said. He also noted an earlier session could encourage more people to run for office because they can get back to seasonal jobs, and would avoid delaying the beginning of field work under the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act if the bill allows for a 60-day review period.

An amendment offered by Sen. Con Bunde, R-Anchorage, would allow the legislative council to designate the location where the legislature will convene every year. Legislative council is a permanent interim committee that provides full-time technical assistance to the legislature.

“Our existing statute requiring the legislature to convene at the capital is too restrictive. It doesn’t take into account outside forces such as natural disasters or other unexpected events, so this gives us latitude,” Sen. Bunde said.

“We often hear from constituents that the capital is too far away, and access is limited to only those who can afford to travel to Juneau. I know I’m not the only legislator who hears this. I’m surprised my fellow colleagues from Anchorage and around the state could not support this amendment,” Bunde said.

Senate minority leader Gene Therriault, R-North Pole, tried to amend a section of the bill relating to how money is shifted within the legislature’s budget. House Bill 171 allows the legislative council to transfer money from a legislative committee with the written approval of the chairman of the committee. Therriault’s amendment would require the approval of a majority of the members of the committee.

“We are always leery of agencies shifting money around. It seems reasonable that we, the legislature, should also do so in a thoughtful manner with the consent of a majority of the members of the committee from which the money is being transferred,” Therriault said.

“I’m not sure what long-term problem the majority is trying to solve with this change in statute, but if we do make a change in our statutory authority to shift money around, it should at least be through a deliberative process,” Therriault said.

Sound actualities can be downloaded from the following links:
http://www.aksenateminority.com/media/25/wagoner2007042701a.mp3
http://www.aksenateminority.com/media/25/wagoner2007042702a.mp3
http://www.aksenateminority.com/media/25/wagoner2007042703a.mp3

Resolution to Expedite Point Thomson Appeal Progresses
SCR 3 moves from Senate Judiciary Committee

Juneau -  A resolution asking the governor and attorney general to allocate adequate resources and take all steps necessary to expedite the court’s consideration of ExxonMobil’s Point Thomson appeal advanced to the Senate Rules Committee today.

SCR 3 moved from the Senate Judiciary Committee today after the committee modified the language to clarify that resolving the issue out of court is acceptable and encouraged, a change supported by resolution sponsor Sen. Gene Therriault, R-North Pole.

“It was never my intention to indicate that the Legislature was itching for a court battle over Point Thomson. We are most interested in getting the area into development and production for the benefit of the state’s citizens,” Therriault said.

ExxonMobil is appealing the final decision by the Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources to deny ExxonMobil’s proposed plan to develop the Point Thomson Unit and to terminate the Point Thomson unit.

On October 27, 2005, the director of the State Division of Oil and Gas rejected the Twenty-second plan of development from operator ExxonMobil Production, and found the Point Thomson unit in default for lack of an approved plan of development. On November 27, 2006, the commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources terminated the unit.

ExxonMobil, as the operator of the unit and as a lessee, along with BP Exploration, Chevron U.S.A. and ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc., are appealing

the commissioner’s November 27, 2006 decision and the December 27, 2006 denial of reconsideration to Superior Court.

SCR 3 is co-sponsored by senators Tom Wagoner, Gary Wilken and Fred Dyson, all members of the Senate Republican Caucus.

Task Force on Human Trafficking Presentation

Juneau - The federally mandated “Task Force on Human Trafficking” will make a report to Alaska legislators on Tuesday, April 24, at noon in the Butrovich Room of the State Capitol.

Scores of women and children are prostituted in Alaska every day. The Task Force has been working on this horrendous problem for nearly two years and will be making a report to Alaska legislators and others interested in attending.

The Task Force, consisting of FBI, troopers, local police officers, child protection workers and social service providers, will detail the magnitude of the problem, what is being done to apprehend those who promote prostitution, and what we can do to help stamp out this ugly exploitation of children and women in the state. The Task Force will show video footage and plans to have testimony of children forced into prostitution in our communities. There will be some restrictions on cameras because of the presence of undercover agents.

A Fact Sheet is attached for SB 157 below, the legislation was introduced by Sen. Fred Dyson last week to address recommendations of the Task Force.
http://www.aksenateminority.com/pdfs/25/sb0157.pdf

Boy Scouts, Military, ROTC Allowed in Schools

Juneau - The Senate today inserted conditional language into the operating budget that ensures that the Boy Scouts, military and federal recruiters, and ROTC programs will continue to have access to public schools in Alaska.

“In other states, school boards have banned some or all of these organizations from access to or use of public school buildings on a variety of philosophical grounds. To my knowledge this has not been an issue in Alaska yet. I believe it has been a topic of discussion at the school board level, but no actions have been taken. This qualifying budget language was in last year’s budget and I believe it was left out inadvertently last year. The amendment was accepted unanimously,” said amendment author Sen. Fred Dyson, R-Eagle River.

Sen. Dyson said he was pleased that the majority coalition recognized the value of this policy position and the widespread support amongst Alaskans for ROTC, the Boy Scouts, and service in the military and various federal law enforcement agencies.

A sound actuality can be downloaded from the following link:
http://www.aksenateminority.com/media/25/dyson2007042001a.mp3

Senate Rejects Operating Budget Amendments
Attempts fail to increase university funding, senior assistance

Juneau - The Senate defeated amendments offered by the Senate Minority today to enhance funding for vulnerable and disabled seniors, increase funding for the University of Alaska and place parameters on the use of State money for abortions.

Senate Minority Leader Gene Therriault, R-North Pole, offered two amendments to use excess money from the legislature’s budget to increase funding for Senior and Disabilities Services. One was for low income seniors who are at significant risk of abuse or exploitation and have exhausted the use of alternative financial assistance, the other was to increase grants for elderly nutrition, transportation and assistance.

“These amendments would have added a fairly small amount of money into programs that already exist to drive our limited cash resources down to seniors that can demonstrate the highest needs,” Therriault said. “I would rather see us direct dollars to the most needy through existing programs than to create new ones. Too often the Legislature wants to build new buildings instead of maintaining existing ones, or start new programs rather than address needs through existing avenues.”

Sen. Gary Wilken, R-Fairbanks, sponsored an amendment to increase the University of Alaska general fund appropriation by $4,900,200. The amendment would have contributed $3.6 million toward the university’s fixed costs such as fuel, insurance and contract increases; and $1.3 million for engineering and healthcare education programs in Anchorage, Juneau and Fairbanks.

“I would have hoped the Senate Majority Coalition would see the wisdom of using university savings to fund university fixed costs and priority expansions. I’m disappointed they didn’t,” Wilken said.

Sen. Fred Dyson, R-Eagle River, tried to restore language that would prohibit the use of public funds for abortions that are not a mandatory service required under Title XIX of the Social Security Act and for optional services offered by the state under the state plan for medical assistance approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“This amendment would put conditional language back in the budget to follow state and federal law, and ensure that public funds would not be used to pay for the destruction of perfectly viable children whose presence is no threat to the life or health of their mother. The only sin of these children is that their presence is inconvenient and unwanted,” Dyson said.

The amendments all failed, with all members of the majority coalition voting no.

Committee Advances Wilken’s Revenue Sharing Bill
SB 3 creates sustainable community dividend program

Juneau - A bill introduced by Sen. Gary Wilken to establish a community dividend fund moved from the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Committee today.

“We need to provide revenue sharing. In my town it’s tax relief, and in other towns it’s many other things, but the state has to step up and provide revenue sharing, and do so on a sustainable basis,” said Sen. Wilken, R-Fairbanks.

Senate Bill 3 establishes the community dividend fund and allows the legislature to appropriate the amount necessary to provide a dividend equal to $70 per person for all municipalities and unincorporated communities, plus an additional $30 per person residing in a municipality that contributes locally to its school district.

Sen. Wilken said he hopes the bill moves on to the Senate Finance Committee, where the concept could be discussed and possibly rolled into some other funding mechanism.

SB 3 now goes to the Senate Judiciary Committee for consideration.

A sound actuality can be downloaded from the following link:
http://www.aksenateminority.com/media/25/wilken2007041701a.mp3

Caucus Urges Saving Portion of Tax Payment
Pay down retirement debt, set aside the rest

Juneau - The Senate Republican Caucus advocates using a portion of the $813 million the State received from last year’s tax change to help pay down the retirement system debt, then setting aside the rest for the future.

“The Senate Minority is supportive of honoring the Governor’s request to pay down a portion of our retirement debt, and then putting the remainder of the one-time funds into our savings account. If there is opposition to using the Constitutional Budget Reserve as a savings mechanism, we could consider using the education account to put the funds aside and out of reach until next year,” said Senate Minority Leader Gene Therriault, R-North Pole.

“We would like to see a portion of the true-up revenue placed in savings instead of being consumed in the current year spending. We’re fearful, with the appetite for spending, that there will be a clamor to spend all of this even though it appears we are heading into a deficit in the next year or two,” Therriault said. “Spending it all this year would be imprudent and a disservice to Alaskans. Placing a portion of the revenue into the education carry forward fund would keep us from using it all this year, and make it available for a need we know we will have next year.”

The $813 million tax payment the State received April 2, 2007 represents the increase in revenues that resulted from replacing the previous economic limit factor with the new Petroleum Profits Tax in 2006. The PPT tax changes were retroactive to April 1, 2006, but taxpayers were allowed to make monthly payments based on the prior ELF system for the rest of 2006. April 2 was the deadline for the “true-up” payments for any additional production tax liability for the period of April 1, 2006 through Dec. 31, 2006.

###

A sound actuality can be downloaded from the following link:
http://www.aksenateminority.com/media/25/therriault2007040401a.mp3