[{"_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",6261045,"mediaKeyId","3125072-ec5cc9fe92af83b0b9e9c18073dd76f3","parentId",3125072,"title","Committee considers bill to inject about $3.7 million into CFAB to preserve low-rate loans; members ask for appropriation clarity","audioSeconds",973,"startMs",5319000,"endMs",6292000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3125072-ec5cc9fe92af83b0b9e9c18073dd76f3&start=5319&end=6292","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3125072-ec5cc9fe92af83b0b9e9c18073dd76f3/thumbnail_5319000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6261045/Alaska/Committee-considers-bill-to-inject-about-37-million-into-CFAB-to-preserve-low-rate-loans-members-ask-for-appropriation-clarity","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261045-8462f96ca8f7b878695ca11ae317cdc3/orig.mp4?Expires=1773588647&Signature=cW6oftpyYLV1mXSjWsA9W3-Y2604LRZuP1Kj7eHxyMfXfxRdF0rlgCg-1v-kuYKi9-yX5dqeXDH7uAGWUODFA5~kMp2~VF6QXIK~SSqDYQYxp6gYxQtxGF55E8LruO7nUJziy3sjji6qdeLlIGtMM-TaG06e6Pn9d4Z3~uaapQl-50taROJiicMNcZe5lFBEILcgGMH3O7qyU~u9MFHop7gELt0Ki-3Yf~conNZ-kw7GSiDvoGA44VlPc~WT8flp1lNb0ROg305HC9W3b8QukwhE01oMSRx33QJps4BpWqZKnXwujpD4k7XBfEU9hHnd5yrshyaJAO9WKutkgIBhlA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alaska Legislature","date","2025-04-24T00:00:00Z","article","House Bill 199, presented April 24 to the House Special Committee on Fisheries by committee staff, would provide a one-time temporary investment of roughly $3.7 million in state funds to the Alaska Commercial Fishing and Agriculture Bank (CFAB) so the bank can refinance existing loans or issue new low-interest loans at a 5.25% rate.

Kyle Newman, staff to the committee, told members HB 199 is a response to CFAB losing loan volume because the state’s Commercial Fishing Revolving Loan Fund temporarily set interest at a fixed 5.25% under 2024 legislation (HB 273). \"This would allow CFAB to refinance existing loans and potentially issue new loans at a reduced interest rate of 5.25%, the same rate currently offered by the Commercial Fishing Revolving Loan Fund,\" Newman said. He said the $3.7 million would come from an existing, defunct Capstone Avionics revolving loan fund currently holding about $3.7 million; the bill would require a purchase of Class C non-voting shares in CFAB, subject to appropriation.

Sharon Lechner, president of CFAB, testified in support, describing CFAB’s cooperative, public-purpose mission and its willingness to work with borrowers rather than foreclose. \"Right now, about 90% of our loans are commercial fishing loans,\" Lechner said, and CFAB had introduced seasonal bullet loans to provide working capital as processors reduced working-capital lending. She told the committee the infusion would extend a financial lifeline to several hundred fishermen and their communities.

Committee members focused on fiscal mechanics. Representative Vance asked why there was no fiscal note showing the transfer; staff replied the bill itself does not move funds but, as written, authorizes the department—subject to appropriation—to buy CFAB shares. Vance and Representative McCabe pressed for a clear appropriation mechanism and a fiscal note so the committee could trace where the money would come from and how the transfer would appear in the operating or capital budget.

Members also asked about the history and status of the Capstone Avionics Revolving Loan Fund; Newman said the program had sunset and the funds remained in place after a prior reallocation effort was vetoed. Newman and Lechner described CFAB’s statutory authority under AS 44.81, noting the bank was created by statute in 1978 and that the state provided start-up capital via share purchases in 1979 (roughly $32 million) that CFAB repurchased by 1998.

Why it matters: CFAB provides financing tailored to commercial fishing and other rural industries. Committee staff said low ex-vessel returns and high operating costs have strained borrowers; CFAB contends it is losing new loan business because it cannot match the temporarily low rate available from the state revolving loan fund. The $3.7 million pulse would be used only for low-interest loans for a two-year period, with the state repaid over time by CFAB under the bill’s terms.

No formal committee vote was taken on HB 199; members agreed to set the bill aside while staff obtains clarifications on appropriation language and a fiscal note. Committee staff and legal counsel were asked to return with precise budget language and any necessary fiscal documentation before the committee considers the bill further.

Meeting context: Presenters included committee staff and CFAB leadership; Division of Banking and Securities staff were noted as available online but did not provide extended testimony during the hearing. The committee adjourned at 11:40 a.m.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","04/24/2025 10:00 AM House FISHERIES","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 199 would provide a one-time, temporary investment of roughly $3.7 million to the Alaska Commercial Fishing and Agriculture Bank (CFAB) so the bank can refinance or issue low-interest loans at a 5.25% rate. Committee members questioned the fiscal mechanics and appropriation pathway; the bill was set aside pending clarification.","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},6261050,"Committee recommends Olivia Irwin for Board of Fisheries; members probe subsistence, hatchery and regional issues",2780,2366000,5146000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3125072-ec5cc9fe92af83b0b9e9c18073dd76f3&start=2366&end=5146","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3125072-ec5cc9fe92af83b0b9e9c18073dd76f3/thumbnail_2366000.jpg","/articles/6261050/Alaska/Committee-recommends-Olivia-Irwin-for-Board-of-Fisheries-members-probe-subsistence-hatchery-and-regional-issues","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261050-6949b5ad11cab0e1aaccfe68d5585ee3/orig.mp4?Expires=1773588647&Signature=jy52DVo-XkgfA044plaNXzEHhV1QwLfBEoA~A1a1OHf~pbT8f7Uwn9SzycX82dSror2YPHHob5K28Y24meGLQNBVcvVTbEJIaEzP6dpGW66evr32O9ISkhBumzbEau6t47KWnNIxxKBQeCqdjRGpC81WtXKCc49vGcMnc2bUlaGQUitbrY-ab4mErki1YYj7doru7phvtowup94chSte38hRMH24TzWpEidEM6~fVavdGMTpj91RwMbeuZ2Yq8cpk6CnEIDT6S86SE7Id2NiC-avjlmXhN5UEh7YyQe1xMFT2Vnjky8TV3Y1BueABUjLsHo11jBJeg9JY8TPpGCeBw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Special Committee on Fisheries recommended April 24 that Olivia Irwin’s name be forwarded to a joint session for confirmation to the Alaska Board of Fisheries.

Olivia Irwin, who told the committee she is from Nenana and serves as policy coordinator for the Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association, said her priority on the board would be conserving fish runs to preserve long-term opportunity for Alaskans. \"The most important, and my first priority, will be to the resource,\" Irwin said when asked whether the resource or stakeholders would come first.

Irwin described her background in interior Alaska fish camps and her work with tribes, nonprofits and regional advisory councils. She said she attended short University of Alaska Fairbanks classes and other trainings to better understand the Board of Fisheries process and regulatory drafting. \"I want to ensure the sustainability of our salmon population for all users throughout Alaska in perpetuity,\" she told the committee.

Committee members questioned Irwin on several topics. Representative Vance asked her to explain a line on her resume stating she wants to \"decriminalize subsistence practices.\" Irwin responded that in some communities low stock abundance limits the ability of residents to feed themselves and said she would prioritize subsistence opportunity within the state’s allocative criteria. Representative McCabe asked whether she viewed federal or state management of salmon as preferable; Irwin said she would represent the state's interest and opposed federal management in that role. She also was asked about statements made on a podcast that had characterized commercial fishing in stark terms; Irwin told committee members she recognizes the historic and economic importance of commercial fishing and would consider allocative criteria and science when evaluating proposals.

Public testimony on Irwin’s nomination was largely supportive and included endorsements from tribes, regional organizations and individuals across the Yukon, interior and southeast regions. Craig Chiflick of Native Peoples Action, representing Bristol Bay interests, said Irwin \"has shown her leadership, her commitment, and the ability to work with commercial fishermen, subsistence users, and personal users.\" Testimony also came from multiple Yukon River tribal and advisory representatives and from statewide sport and guide organizations that cited Irwin’s outreach and process knowledge.

Representative Edgmon moved the committee’s recommendation: \"The House Special Committee on Fisheries has reviewed the qualifications of the governor's appointee to the Alaska Board of Fisheries, Olivia Irwin, and recommends that a name be forwarded to a joint session for confirmation.\" The chair announced no objections and the recommendation was recorded for forwarding; committee members were reminded that signing the report is administrative and does not bind later votes in a joint session.

Why it matters: Irwin would bring interior/Yukon River perspective and subsistence experience to a board that governs allocations among subsistence, commercial, sport and personal-use fisheries statewide. Committee questioning shows lawmakers are particularly interested in how a board member would weigh subsistence priority, hatchery policy and regional impacts when votes arise.

The committee closed Irwin’s public testimony after a series of endorsements and several detailed questions from members. The recommendation will be forwarded to a joint session for confirmation consideration.","The House Special Committee on Fisheries recommended forwarding Olivia Irwin’s nomination for the Alaska Board of Fisheries and spent substantial time questioning her on subsistence priorities, hatcheries and stakeholder balance.",{"_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},6261055,"House fisheries committee recommends Tom Carpenter be forwarded to joint session for Board of Fisheries reappointment",648,590000,1238000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3125072-ec5cc9fe92af83b0b9e9c18073dd76f3&start=590&end=1238","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3125072-ec5cc9fe92af83b0b9e9c18073dd76f3/thumbnail_590000.jpg","/articles/6261055/Alaska/House-fisheries-committee-recommends-Tom-Carpenter-be-forwarded-to-joint-session-for-Board-of-Fisheries-reappointment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261055-d7f5d71d35e80c81e04f70ca62e6fd0b/orig.mp4?Expires=1773588647&Signature=JtgLQf0q0Wv2X8T9aQ84~UWMS~EW6QhvvqfOLKxh7eRuM-y~yQk-QkvpxbA4CxTsGK86UZil8OTngQ3QPFn37Y1~NVRbjcZvjcZBqHZowHG95cFc1W-~jjQE0KWQXQ31vlR1Sm7kAt1N~ga530tY~zyhqQ-A42JAL4KmN7ArUIkeTja-sh9PvzlAST3QFvBsA65U9MB9oPN-DMgLNxjwrEflYR4WNTXMDO6V614ipilo7dmlxFOtKBPIfOfOMZOjQqpXOgLsJoMfuxYvJjJJXlYRLItnV3Uo4Ze9w3Nt~XzWPkeY~FtlbRvifWI8VqJNldYKoohr0lvBTGOTqzMiPg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Special Committee on Fisheries recommended April 24 that Thomas “Tom” Carpenter’s name be forwarded to a joint session for confirmation to the Alaska Board of Fisheries.

Carpenter, who told the committee he lives in Cordova and has served on the board for three years, highlighted his tenure as vice chair and his recent work chairing a Herring Revitalization Committee and serving on the Alaska Salmon Research Task Force. \"I served as the vice chair for the board of fisheries for the last 2 years,\" Carpenter said. \"We created a Herring Revitalization Committee, which I chaired, and we held several meetings to look at the herring issues around the state.\"

The committee’s recommendation came after roughly a half-hour of remarks from Carpenter and more than a dozen public commenters from across the state who expressed support. Katie Harms, a Juneau resident and executive director of Douglas Island Pink and Chum (DIPAC), told the panel Carpenter is “the only current board member who resides in a community whose major economic driver is fishing” and urged continued coastal representation. \"Please consider rediversification of the board by not adding any more members from the railbelt,\" Harms said. Other callers and in-room speakers from Kodiak, King Cove, Kenai and Bristol Bay also testified in favor, citing Carpenter’s mediation and work on complex regulations.

Carpenter described specific regulatory work to the committee. He said he helped craft an action plan for the Nushagak River to better protect king salmon while allowing sockeye harvests, and that he played a major role establishing a Kvichak Special Harvest Area to give the Alaska Department of Fish and Game additional tools for managing low predicted returns. \"We created the Kvichak Special Harvest Area, which will give the department the tool necessary to do that,\" he said.

Representative Edgmon formally moved the committee recommendation. The motion read in part: \"The House Special Committee on Fisheries has reviewed the qualifications of the governor's appointee, Thomas Carpenter, to the Alaska Board of Fisheries, and recommends that his name be forwarded to a joint session for confirmation.\" Hearing no objections, the chair announced the recommendation would be forwarded; the committee did not record a roll-call vote on the motion. The committee also reminded members that signing the report is an administrative step and does not bind members’ votes in any subsequent joint-session confirmation vote.

Why it matters: The Board of Fisheries sets statewide regulations that affect subsistence, commercial, sport and personal-use fisheries. Committee members and public witnesses framed Carpenter’s reappointment as important for conflict resolution among user groups and for bringing experience from a fishing-dependent community to board deliberations.

The committee closed public testimony on Carpenter’s nomination after hearing from a mix of commercial, charter and community representatives. The committee’s next business item was the confirmation hearing for another appointee, and no formal objections to Carpenter’s recommendation were recorded during the session.

Meeting context: The Carpenter hearing was part of a broader meeting that included a second Board of Fisheries confirmation and consideration of House Bill 199; the session began at 10:03 a.m. and adjourned at 11:40 a.m.","The House Special Committee on Fisheries reviewed Tom Carpenter’s service on the Alaska Board of Fisheries and, after public testimony in support, recommended forwarding his name to a joint session for confirmation.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee considers bill to inject about $3.7 million into CFAB to preserve low-rate loans; members ask for appropriation clarity

Committee recommends Olivia Irwin for Board of Fisheries; members probe subsistence, hatchery and regional issues

House fisheries committee recommends Tom Carpenter be forwarded to joint session for Board of Fisheries reappointment