Dear Neighbors,

As you may know, the House has already considered and amended the Governor's budget requests. The Senate Finance subcommittees have submitted their recommendations for the various departments to the full Senate Finance Committee. Now it's your turn to tell the Senate Finance Committee what you think of what has been done to date and what changes, if any, you would recommend.

The Senate Finance Committee will take public testimony on HB 375, the state's Operating Budget bill, tonight (Tuesday, April 13th) beginning at 6:00 p.m. It is requested that each person's testimony not exceed two minutes, if possible, so as to allow the maximum number of Alaskans to participate.

Testimony will be taken on the following schedule:

6:00: Bethel, Nome, Kotzebue
6:30: Barrow, Tok, Delta Junction
7:00: Fairbanks, Mat-Su
7:30: Anchorage

Testimony from Southeast communities and communities on the Kenai Peninsula will be taken on Wednesday, April 14th beginning at 6:00 p.m.

You can listen to your fellow Alaskans’ concerns about and wishes for the Fiscal Year 2005 budget on GCI Cable Channel 18. If you would like to testify, you can do so in one of four ways:

• Go to the Anchorage Legislative Information Office (LIO) at 716 W. 4th Avenue.
• E-mail your thoughts to the committee at Mindy_Rowland@legis.state.ak.us. Please include in the subject line that you are sending testimony for HB 375. Mindy will be happy to distribute your written testimony to committee members.
• Fax your thoughts to the committee at 907-465-2187.
• If you are unable to get to a Legislative Information Office, either due to distance or physical disability, but still prefer to offer your comments to the committee verbally, you will be able to testify via “offnet” on Wednesday, April 14th beginning at 9:00 a.m. Please contact Senator Gary Wilken’s office at (907) 465-3709 and ask to be put on the list to call in via an “offnet” so that you can testify from your home phone.

You can read HB 375 online at the Bill Action and Status Inquiry System (BASIS) at www.legis.state.ak.us/basis, and get specific information about the proposed funding for each department by going to the Legislative Finance website at www.legfin.state.ak.us. Legislative Finance documents show the differences between current funding, the Governor's requests, the House-approved levels, and Senate Finance subcommittee recommendations. If you have any questions about any of the documents available on these pages, please contact me at 1-800-892-4843. I'll be happy to help.

Other bills that the Senate Finance Committee will consider this week are:

Wednesday, 9:00 a.m.:

• SB 366, State Sales Tax (public testimony)

Thursday, 9:00 a.m.:

• Presentation by Mr. Gabriel Petek, Credit Analyst, Standard and Poor's
• SB 65, “Correctional Facility Expansion”
• SB 337, “Energy Programs & Funds”
• SB 350. “4 Dam Pool Joint Action Agency”
• SB 255, “Illegal Use Traffic Preemption Device”
• SB 311, “Insurance & Workers’ Compensation System” (pending referral)
• Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled

Friday, 9:00 a.m.:

• SB 231, “Decrease Time to Claim Unclaimed Property”
• SB 365, “Speech Language Pathologist Assistants”
• SB 170, “Criminal Law/Sentencing/Probation/Parole”
• Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled

If you would like more information about any of these bills, please refer to www.legis.state.ak.us/basis or contact me at 1-800-892-4843 or e-mail me at Senator.Con.Bunde ''at'' legis.state.ak.us.

I hope this information is helpful to you. I look forward to receiving your comments on the budget and other legislation currently moving through the Senate.

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