Senate Action on FY 13 Operating Budget

This next week or so will be pivotal to what ultimately ends up in HB 284 http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill.asp?session=27&bill=HB284, the FY 13 operating budget.  The house has passed one version of HB 284, and the senate is now finishing their deliberations on the bill (the Senate Finance DEED Subcommittee will be doing their closeout this week).  After the senate passes their version, the house and senate will meet in conference committee to choose which portions of each bill will ultimately be voted on in the conference committee substitute. 

 

The main point of the conference committee process to remember is:

1.  If an item was not in either the version passed by the house or the version passed by the senate, it cannot be considered in conference committee;

 

So at this point, if there is something you are concerned about in the version of HB 284 passed by the house, then you should contact your senator's office to discuss your concern with them.  If you would like to read up in more detail on the conference committee process, it is outlined in Rule 42 of the Uniform Rules: http://w3.legis.state.ak.us/docs/pdf/uniform_rules.pdf 

House Finance Committee taking public testimony on operating & mental health budgets next week

The House Finance Committee will be taking public testimony on the operating and mental health budgets next week.  There is a two-minute time limit on testimony.  Here is the schedule on when you can testify from your community:
Tuesday: 

Rm. 519, Capital Bldg.

1:30 p.m. – Juneau

2:45 p.m.  – Bethel, Kotzebue, Barrow, Nome, Delta Junction, Offnets

4:00 p.m. – Anchorage

Wednesday: 

Rm. 519, Capital Bldg.

1:30 p.m. – Fairbanks

3:00 p.m.  – Sitka, Wrangell, Petersburg, Dillingham, Cordova, Unalaska

4:15 p.m. – Homer, Kenai, Valdez, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Matsu, Glennallen, Tok, Seward

HB 284 – Operating Budget

http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill.asp?bill=HB%20284&session=27

HB 285 – Mental Health Budget

http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill.asp?bill=HB%20285&session=27