House Finance forwards disapproval resolution on governor’s Department of Agriculture order to the floor after 6-5 vote

Juneau — The Alaska House Finance Committee voted 6-5 on March 11 to transmit Senate Special Concurrent Resolution 1 (SSCR 1) to the full legislature. The measure would disapprove Executive Order 136, the governor’s order to establish a stand‑alone Department of Agriculture.

The committee heard a presentation from John Boyle, commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources, and Deputy Commissioner Brett Goodrum, who outlined the administration’s plan to reorganize the current Division of Agriculture into a department while keeping the change “cost neutral and position neutral.” Brian Scoresby, director of the Division of Agriculture, also testified by phone in support of creating a department, and two public testifiers — farmer John Dart and Amy Seitz, policy director for the Alaska Farm Bureau — urged the committee to let the executive order take effect.

Why it matters: The governor’s executive order would create a Department of Agriculture from the existing Division of Agriculture inside the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Under state procedure the legislature has 60 days to disapprove an executive order; if the legislature takes no action the order would take effect. The committee’s decision to forward SSCR 1 moves the disapproval question toward a joint legislative action, keeping the issue alive for floor debate.

Administration plan and timeline

Commissioner John Boyle said the administration revised an earlier plan to avoid adding permanent new positions or a net new cost to the state. Deputy Commissioner Brett Goodrum described the current proposal as a “cost neutral and position neutral department,” saying the administration would reclassify three positions within the current division, transfer two long‑vacant DNR positions to the new department, and have DNR continue to provide administrative services during the transition. Goodrum also said the governor’s amended budget request includes $2,200,000 in federal receipt authority for microgrants intended to support food security.

Boyle told the committee the administration’s timeline assumes the legislature does not disapprove the order; in that case the department would be implemented quickly with an effective date of July 1. He said the division’s headquarters and staff already are in Palmer, which would limit the logistical work needed to stand up a department.

Questions and concerns in committee

Members pressed the administration on staffing and vacancies. Representative Hammond asked for clarification on position counts after the proposed reclassifications; Goodrum said three existing Division of Agriculture positions would be reclassified and two vacant DNR positions would be transferred. Commissioner Boyle acknowledged the two transferred positions had been vacant for more than three years and said fire management teams had managed without them.

Several members raised concerns about the state’s broader fiscal picture and whether a new department would require future budget increases. Amy Seitz of the Alaska Farm Bureau, testifying in support, said a commissioner‑level office would provide “a voice at the table” and that, based on past experience, keeping agriculture as a division within DNR tended to produce “an underfunded division that doesn't have the capacity to provide programs, resources, and support necessary to build an industry.” Seitz told the committee she expected future budget requests to expand the department’s capacity if it were created.

Legal and procedural points

Committee staff walked members through SSCR 1 and the procedural rules. Bridal Anderson, staff to Co‑Chair Neil Foster, explained that SSCR 1 contains two whereas clauses and a resolve clause disapproving the executive order, and that a fiscal note attached to the resolution shows a $0 fiscal impact for committee processing. Megan Wallace, chief counsel of legislative legal services, advised members that a special concurrent resolution can be amended only in limited ways and that changes to the executive order itself would require separate legislation; she also explained the constitutional and rule framework for how the legislature may disapprove an executive order within the 60‑day window.

Public testimony

Two people provided verbal testimony: John Dart, a producer from Manley Hot Springs, called to express support and told the committee farmers need “a voice … at the governor’s table.” Amy Seitz, policy director for the Alaska Farm Bureau, said a department would improve market access and disaster response and urged members to vote no on SSCR 1 (a no vote on the resolution would leave the executive order to take effect if the legislature took no further action).

Committee action and next steps

Representative Schrage moved that the committee “review SSCR 1 and move it from the house finance committee with attached documents and fiscal note,” with the motion language noting the committee signature does not reflect how members will vote on the floor. After an objection and roll call, the motion passed on a 6‑to‑5 vote. The committee clerk recorded the vote and the resolution will proceed for further consideration by the legislature; the committee’s signature does not bind members’ votes in a joint session or on the floor.

If the legislature takes no final action to disapprove Executive Order 136 within 60 days, the governor’s order would become effective and the Department of Agriculture would be established under the administration’s plan.

Ending

The committee adjourned after completing the SSCR 1 procedural vote and said it would resume hearings the next day for several bills and a committee rollout of the operating budget. The committee’s action March 11 moves the question of whether to disapprove EO 136 to the next stages of legislative consideration.