By Sentinel Staff
The House Finance Committee will take public testimony on the state operating budget 7:30-8:30 p.m. tonight, at the Sitka Legislative Information Office.
Testimony also will be taken in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Ketchikan.
The Sitka LIO will be open at 7 p.m. for citizens to sign up to testify for up to two minutes each. The committee has said that those who arrive prior to 8 p.m. will be heard, Sitka Legislative Information Officer Ken Fate said.
Citizens also may send written testimony to the House Finance Committee at house.finance@akleg.gov until 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 27. Forms for written public testimony are available at the LIO, located at 201 Katlian St., Suite 103.
Sitkan Lisa Busch gives a one-minute public comment recently on a bill to increase Permanent Fund payouts, at the Sitka Legislative Information Office. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
House Finance Committee member Rep. Dan Ortiz, of Ketchikan, and his staff listened to comments on the state operating budget Sunday at Centennial Hall, but it was not a House Finance Committee hearing, Fate explained.
A member of Ortiz’s staff, Legislative Aide Caroline Hamp, said today that staff members took extensive notes of comments to create a spreadsheet that reflects public sentiments from different parts of the state. The spreadsheet will be given to members of the House Finance Committee, she said, but the spreadsheet and comments from Sitkans on Sunday are not considered public testimony to be part of the operating budget bill packet, the bill hearing process and state database.
By contrast, the testimony given at tonight’s hearing, and any written testimony turned in Sunday or submitted any time before 1 p.m. Wednesday, is official public testimony, Fate said.
Other hearings have been scheduled for Wednesday on the Permanent Fund Dividend and sales tax.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will take public testimony about supplemental PFD payments 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 27.
The Senate State Affairs Committee will take public testimony at that same time – 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 27 – about proposed amendments to the state constitution prohibiting the establishment of a state tax without the approval of the voters of the state.
The Sitka LIO will be open for testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate State Affairs Committee on Wednesday, with sign-up beginning at 5:30 p.m. Call the Sitka LIO at 747-6276 for information.
