[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6261048,"mediaKeyId","3125073-f354d94100e9af261c2f170f9b492c65","parentId",3125073,"title","Committee hears bill to create Office of Entrepreneurship; fiscal notes estimate $661,000 annually and a one‑time disparity study","audioSeconds",3503,"startMs",1332000,"endMs",4835000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3125073-f354d94100e9af261c2f170f9b492c65&start=1332&end=4835","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3125073-f354d94100e9af261c2f170f9b492c65/thumbnail_1332000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6261048/Alaska/Committee-hears-bill-to-create-Office-of-Entrepreneurship-fiscal-notes-estimate-661000-annually-and-a-onetime-disparity-study","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261048-64cf4f375dcc8ac3b2728a5c02d108d4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174008&Signature=BbNcNBzv1PmA~Z7u~ubrHaO7tmwf2qz-5zWLlulzyV0qZF7L9qETKvdWPz2QWdg9iu5WdVyKFN~TcWOXiRfqo1nTvXEznOiV16HHsG6YU26TGaLHBUkSa9jJjIcgkwDgx8UvmuW3IjdfvS2Npg65iUxHV3rnCgT5ncrNexm0yGCwTmAAWGd9QJPJsHSpLrqUwNPYWHG0WIjJceNSTULzn5gzCETXSywWluIj1QFpQof0Jll7PXICV0ApSiBFUQwzkfRgqcC9pUGCU87gW2KZp3PEQYbFHMGInhIN2~Ox3zlfot-wQkDPXC3xs804F-oSZ3DR6OzYe9ZOKlp2fYtJBQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alaska Legislature","date","2025-04-24T00:00:00Z","article","The Alaska House Finance Committee held an introductory hearing on House Bill 30 on April 24, 2025, a measure sponsored by Representative Kai Holland to establish an Office of Entrepreneurship inside the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development (DCCED). Proponents said the office would coordinate statewide startup supports, promote scaling of high‑growth firms and produce regular analysis of how state policy affects new businesses.

Representative Kai Holland, sponsor, said the office would help retain and grow Alaskan firms and suggested a baseline funding concept directing 5% of the state’s economic development budget toward programs supporting startups. “100% of net new job creation in this country comes from entrepreneurs and new, scalable businesses. In Alaska, it's 89%,” Holland told the committee, arguing the office would strengthen the pipeline for emerging sectors including mariculture, aerospace and energy technology.

University of Alaska Center for Economic Development Director Jared Reynolds, invited to testify, summarized the Center’s research: “Alaska is a state of entrepreneurs. We rank eighteenth in the nation in start up density ... Over the past decade, those young companies generated 41,000 net new jobs,” he said, adding that the state struggles with scaling firms, particularly outside Anchorage, and that a more coordinated ecosystem could help.

Fiscal notes and staffing: Department fiscal testimony identified an estimated ongoing cost of $661,000 from the general fund in each fiscal year to support three positions — one division director, one program coordinator and one research analyst — and travel and operating expenses. Administrative Services Director Hannah Lager said positions were planned to be located in Juneau for recruitment and coordination. Chief Procurement Officer Tom Mayer said a one‑time disparity study to assess how state spending reaches newer businesses could cost in the range of prior disparity studies and cited roughly $500,000 as a comparable figure; the fiscal note listed a control code and a one‑time services cost for that study.

Key points of committee discussion: members questioned the bill’s emphasis on procurement as a measure of success for entrepreneurs, discussed how the office would work for rural communities and asked about the scope and cost of the disparity study. Representative Tomczewski asked whether the study would look at regulatory barriers; Holland said the ongoing review function of the office (described in the bill) is intended to monitor how policy changes affect new businesses, while the one‑time study is a snapshot of procurement access for young firms. Several members urged a tighter, lower‑cost scope for the study.

The committee did not take a committee vote on HB 30 during the morning session. Representative Holland and invited witnesses said further discussion and testimony would continue in the afternoon; the committee scheduled follow‑up consideration and noted that HB 34 (Alaska Innovation Council) may connect to the same policy aims.

The bill remains at the introductory/hearing stage; no motion to advance or refer HB 30 was recorded in the transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","04/24/2025 10:00 AM House FINANCE","oneSentenceSummary","The Alaska House Finance Committee on April 24 held an introductory hearing for House Bill 30, which would create an Office of Entrepreneurship inside the Department of Commerce to coordinate startup supports and review how state policy affects new businesses.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Alaska, Alaska","taxId",78559,"location","Alaska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6261053,"House Finance advances bill to rename Human Rights Commission, expand jurisdiction to nonprofit workers",243,862000,1105000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3125073-f354d94100e9af261c2f170f9b492c65&start=862&end=1105","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3125073-f354d94100e9af261c2f170f9b492c65/thumbnail_862000.jpg","/articles/6261053/Alaska/House-Finance-advances-bill-to-rename-Human-Rights-Commission-expand-jurisdiction-to-nonprofit-workers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261053-d0e2492014d4e2f6b94a73c657742244/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174008&Signature=n4dshcUlsrlqzRbD~Uttcl5OCPInhdP6OuGk2JvgJViF9ZEbOJEVmmIPxSpNc9OlILGQgpshTnPtICYIWR9d~n8-yBdWLprEEOBMBXiiOvNJFBwNLPSdJy0pdML0HJoqFuUjH98uVvtWk-juz1p4WlxYXRl5gDVswaGJjdy5P~5l29~H8akHYBxiG0Tn-0pEhjl69IJwRd1ebBs0DhzXp4w43b7YUHR3-nSALjKHXnHGaf54lFCgpXqqE-qHlWc21hDhbpH4h2VAgyJnutORJ8k3GfOhskTvt13aB1qjCCQ6inJskzaNx0zK3GxMrhMqp6RVqPim-PZmEbtDAo9pSg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Finance Committee co-chair Representative Neil Foster on April 24 advanced House Bill 23 out of committee, saying the measure should be forwarded with individual recommendations and attached fiscal notes. The bill would rename the state Human Rights Commission the Alaska Commission for Civil Rights and make four substantive changes to the panel's reporting, membership-removal rules and complaint jurisdiction.

Representative Andy Josephson, sponsor of HB 23, told the committee, “House Bill 23 makes 4 reforms to the Human Rights Commission. 1 of them is it it would call the Human Rights Commission the Civil Rights Commission. Another is it would move its annual report to just before Christmas rather than or even Thanksgiving rather than the beginning of the session. And and put that, make that an electronic submission of the report. It also would allow that members of the commission could not be removed without cause. And I think the most important feature is that it would give jurisdiction to the commission, over, over complaints brought by, folks in non profits that work in non profits.”

Why it matters: the measure changes the commission's name and procedure and would explicitly give the commission jurisdiction over complaints filed by people who work in nonprofit organizations. The bill also changes when the panel submits its annual report (moving it to the period before the legislative session and specifying electronic submission), and would add a statutory protection limiting removal of commissioners to “for cause.”

Committee action and next steps: Representative Schrage moved HB 23 “out of committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal notes.” Co-chair Foster stated, \"hearing no objection, House Bill 23 ... moves out of committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal notes.\" The committee did not record a roll-call vote in the transcript; the bill was advanced by unanimous consent/no objection and will proceed with committee paperwork to the next legislative step.

What the bill would do, as described in committee: (1) rename the Human Rights Commission to the Alaska Commission for Civil Rights; (2) move the commission's annual report timing and require electronic submission; (3) add a statutory limitation on removing commissioners so they cannot be removed without cause; and (4) extend the commission's jurisdiction to include complaints filed by people working at nonprofit organizations. The sponsor and staff said no committee amendments had been turned in and that fiscal notes were attached.

The committee did not debate implementation details such as statutory text, definitions of “nonprofit” or the specific standards for “for cause” removal during the recorded discussion; those items remain to be resolved in subsequent drafting or floor consideration.

The committee's action forwards HB 23 to the next stage with the committee's individual recommendations and attached fiscal notes; members were asked to sign the House Committee reports before the referral.","House Finance Committee co-chair Representative Neil Foster on April 24 advanced House Bill 23 out of committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal notes, a measure that would rename the Human Rights Commission the Alaska Commission for Civil Rights and expand the panel’s jurisdiction to include complaints by nonprofit workers.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6261044,"House Finance recommends Samuel Laffey to State Assessment Review Board after remote call‑in",1071,1066000,2137000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3125073-f354d94100e9af261c2f170f9b492c65&start=1066&end=2137","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3125073-f354d94100e9af261c2f170f9b492c65/thumbnail_1066000.jpg","/articles/6261044/Alaska/House-Finance-recommends-Samuel-Laffey-to-State-Assessment-Review-Board-after-remote-callin","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261044-8a1de30cd989477177f4b763c83521e6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174008&Signature=TCZQk6xu5sIbDMdBpAinWDn-a~wGJlO8MFLyzuPOhJ2GJRjSWJPWE--dMI2kf1HNJG7aYucZOoT9Pc6ZQklvBPuE1BaV3Y1PV8AFOZn1bKIpFUST3RTQF~GIamtx222PTxvmuBWvRNRoDxR92y95vfqzTy56~~RsXuGI4Ll0Un0Pob26lAWmveWWksbJkke7xFZVzemIvpRZAkfU4y4E2CsUOE6gcRg6EKnivvjmeajkfqx352anlmJEYZurub48PlFC9nr34w4e4su~oBKRPDx2GZqVS6EFPyaC2M9J4m2iSFJkwYDVNGBy2g6qWgvDFDX-6q5WUyj~Lc5iZ2Va-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Alaska House Finance Committee on April 24 recommended that the legislature forward the nomination of Samuel (Sam) Laffey to the State Assessment Review Board for consideration by the joint session.

Sam Laffey, who called into the committee from Kenya, told members he is a licensed attorney in Alaska and currently works for the Office of Public Advocacy representing indigent clients. ‘‘I’m a licensed attorney in the state of Alaska. I work for the state of Alaska in the office of public advocacy where I represent, various indigent, clients around the state,’’ Laffey said when asked to state his qualifications.

Laffey said he holds a Juris Doctor and an MBA, and described experience with oil and gas and property law and with factual and legal analysis of administrative matters. He also told the panel he had briefly traveled to Kenya to visit relatives and that he currently resides in Anchorage. ‘‘I live in Alaska in Anchorage. I’m only in Kenya visiting, relatives,’’ he said.

Committee action: Representative Andy Josephson presented the committee’s recommendation, saying the House Finance Committee had reviewed the nominee’s qualifications and recommended Samuel Laffey be forwarded to the joint session for consideration. The recommendation was advanced with no objection recorded in the transcript.

Why it matters: the State Assessment Review Board reviews factual and legal issues arising from property assessment appeals. The nominee told the committee he would bring legal experience and familiarity with relevant state case law to the board; the transcript references recent appeals (for example, a Valdez case) as the kind of matters the board decides.

The committee will forward paperwork to the next stage; the transcript records no roll‑call vote and the recommendation was made by unanimous consent/no objection.","The house finance Committee recommended forwarding Samuel (Sam) Laffey's nomination to the joint session for the State Assessment Review Board after a remote call from Kenya; Laffey, a licensed Alaska attorney who works for the Office of Public Advocacy and holds a JD and MBA, said he would bring legal and finance experience to the board.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee hears bill to create Office of Entrepreneurship; fiscal notes estimate $661,000 annually and a one‑time disparity study

House Finance advances bill to rename Human Rights Commission, expand jurisdiction to nonprofit workers

House Finance recommends Samuel Laffey to State Assessment Review Board after remote call‑in