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AARP AK Legislative Update

  

Senator Kim Elton introduced SB 23 which would reverse action taken by the Legislature in 2005 under SB 141. Prior to SB 141, Alaska’s teachers and municipal and state employees participated in a defined benefit pension plan. Since most of Alaska’s public employees do not participate in Social Security, it was critical that they have a defined benefit that could not be outlived. SB 141 changed the system to a defined contribution plan. It is possible to outlive your contributions and, without Social Security, some retirees would find themselves with no income. NEA, the AFL-CIO, and all the public employee unions and municipal police and firefighter organizations are backing SB 23 to return to the defined benefit program of Tier III under PERS and Tier II under TRS. AARP, theAlaska Retired Educators Association, and the Retired Public Employees Association are all supporting SB 23. At this time, 8 additional Senators have signed on as co-sponsors, 6 Democrats and 2 Republicans (Ellis, French, Wielechowski, Menard, Paskvan, McGuire, Thomas, and Davis). SB 23 passed out of L&C and has been referred to State Affairs. 

 

There are two companion bills to SB 23 that have been introduced in the House. HB 30, co-authored by Representatives John Harris, Mike Hawker, and Cathy Munoz, is the vehicle we expect to move through the committees since it is co-authored by three majority Republicans. It is co-sponsored by 5 Democrats and 2 Republicans (Kawasaki, Guttenberg, Gara, Lynn, Dahlstrom, Kerttula, and Herron). It will be heard first in House Labor and Commerce. A hearing has been requested but no date has been set yet.

 

Members of the House Labor and Commerce Committee are:

Kurt Olson, Chair 1-800-463-2693 Representative_Kurt_Olson@legis.state.ak.us

Mark Neuman V-Chair 1-800-505-2678Representative_Mark_Neuman@legis.state.ak.us

Mike Chenault 1-800-469-3779 Representative_Mike_Chenault@legis.state.ak.us

John Coghill 1-877-465-3719 Representative_John_Coghill@legis.state.ak.us

Bob Lynn 1-800-870-4931 Representative_Bob_Lynn@legis.state.ak.us

Bob Buch 1-800-773-4968 Representative_Bob_Buch@legis.state.ak..us

Lindsey Holmes 1-888-465-4919 Representative_Lindsey_Holmes@legis.state.ak.us

 

Another bill, HB 54, was also pre-filed. It is identical to HB 30. It is co-authored by 7 Democratic members of the House (Tuck, Crawford, Buch, Cissna, Gara, Holmes, and Peterson). Co-sponsors include 2 Republicans and 2 Democrats (Harris, Dahlstrom, Kerttula, and Gruenberg). We do not expect it to be the bill that moves. We presume that these legislators will sign on to HB 30 (four already are).

 

SB 1 is authored by Senators Bill Wielechowski, Johnny Ellis, Joe Thomas, Bettye Davis and Hollis French. It would increase the Alaska minimum wage by $1.00 over the national minimum wage. It would also automatically increase with the consumer price index.

  

There were two Senate bills introduced to make certain the adult dental benefit under Medicaid is continued. Currently the program would “sunset” on June 30, 2009. Senator Bettye Davis introduced SB 65, co-authored by Senator Johnny Ellis. This bill would eliminate any future “sunset” for the program. Over 7600 adult Alaskans on Medicaid have taken advantage of this program over the last fourteen months. The program offers a maximum annual benefit of $1,150. Governor Palin also has a bill, SB 82, which would continue the program but would subject it to a sunset review in five years. The Senate HSS Committee determined to pass the Governor’s version. SB 82 has been sent to Senate Finance. No hearing has been set at this time.

 

Representative Mike Hawker has a similar bill, HB 26, which would also eliminate any sunset date. His bill is co-sponsored by 1 Republican and 2 Democrats (Munoz, Kerttula, and Gara). HB 26 was referred to the House HSS Committee but no hearing has been scheduled at this time.

 

  

Senator Johnny Ellis has authored SB 32 which would establish regularly scheduled rate reviews for home and community based services that serve older Alaskans and younger persons with disabilities. The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Bettye Davis and Joe Paskvan. Currently Alaska’s hospital rates are reviewed every year to determine if they need to be adjusted. Rates for home and community based services (which often keep an individual in his home and community and avoids more expensive institutionalization) have in many cases not been raised for several years. As a result, some providers have left the market, others have had to reduce services and serve fewer clients. Potential providers have been discouraged from entering the market when it looked like reimbursement would not keep up with costs. It makes sense that all health providers should have their rates reviewed on a regular basis, just like hospitals and nursing homes. SB 32 would accomplish this.

  

Senators Gene Therriault and Charlie Huggins have jointly introduced SB 45, which would allow Alaska to establish a fund for state cemeteries for veterans. Currently the only veterans’ cemeteries are in Anchorage and Sitka. This bill would allow the state to establish additional cemeteries. Currently the most logical location would be Fairbanks. The Interior has over 11,000 veterans. Alaska has the highest per capita number of veterans in the United States. 

  

Cell Phones and the Do Not Call Registry:

House Speaker Mike Chenault has authored HB 93 which would add cell phones and other mobile wireless devices to the Do Not Call registry. Most importantly, it would give the Alaska Attorney General authority to prosecute anyone who calls cell phones already listed on the registry. Two Republicans and two Democrats are co-sponsoring the bill (Neuman, Harris, Gardner, and Gara).

 

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