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Media Contact:
Anneliese Roberts
Anneliese.Roberts@akleg.gov
(907) 465 3743
Bill to ensure more efficient state government moves forward
JUNEAU – Today, Senate Bill 107, establishing an Alaska Sunset Commission, moved out of the Senate State Affairs Committee. The legislation is a key component of a much-needed comprehensive state fiscal plan.
Governor Mike Dunleavy recently requested that the legislative and executive branches work together on a plan in the coming months. SB 107 sponsored by Senator Shelley Hughes (R-Palmer) creates a mechanism for rotating annual audits of state agencies by an independent and objective commission and requires legislative action on the commission’s recommendations.
“Too often reports to the legislature for improvements in efficiencies, cost-savings, and more effective operations of state entities are ignored and sit and collect dust on shelves. SB 107 would prevent this inaction,” Senator Hughes said.
The commission would draft and submit a bill with recommended improvements, and the Legislature would need to act to prevent an agency from sunsetting and its statutory duties falling to the department commissioner.
Hughes continued, “The year-long ‘in-the-weeds’ audit process of an agency will ensure both the governor and the Finance Committees have critical and unbiased information for the annual state budget process. The Sunset Commission’s report will be a valuable tool for each future governor to craft his or her proposed budget and for the Legislature to build and finalize the state budget each year.”
The seven Sunset Commission members would be subject matter experts appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Legislature. Senator Hughes looks forward to working with the next committee of referral, the Senate Finance Committee, to add technical fixes to ensure confidentiality and appropriate sunset dates for state entities.
Senate Bill 107 is part of a suite of bills offered by the Senate Republican Caucus aimed at stabilizing state finances.
Two other bills supported by the caucus and designed to improve state finances are: Senate Bill 37, the Executive Budget Act, and Senate Bill 36, a GDP-Based Spending Cap. Senate Bill 37 is currently in the Senate Finance Committee and Senate Bill 36 is with the Senate Judiciary Committee.
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