It’s a rare thing done well at the last minute. House Bill 379 is not that rare thing.
After listening to two days’ worth of testimony in the House Finance Committee, it’s still not clear what Reps. Craig Johnson, R-Anchorage, and Charisse Millett, R-Anchorage, hope to accomplish with HB 379.
Many of the questions directed at them by legislators friendly to this bill, and the answers provided by Johnson, Millett and their staffers, focused on the process in which merit increases provided to Alaska state employees are awarded.
And it may be fair to say that’s a process in need of review. But creating substantial changes to a long-standing method of rewarding employees for their hard work is something that should be done thoughtfully, not with a hard freeze proposed at the last minute.
However, in reading Johnson’s sponsor statement and those of others supporting this bill (who must be thanked for their participation in the public process despite their views on this matter), it seems more likely this is an attempt to take from labor to correct the mistakes of legislators past and present and avoid asking for sacrifices from those in the best position to make them.
State employees have already done plenty to “pick up the rope” and help out. Furloughs have been implemented. Cost-of-living raises are gone. The state will be paying less to cover health insurance costs that continue to rise. There is general agreement, as expressed in recently negotiated collective bargaining agreements and conditions imposed on non-covered employees, that state workers understand the state’s fiscal situation and are going to do their parts to help navigate the crisis.
However, there are many steps the state will need to take to get on solid financial footing. Some of these — oil and corporate tax reform, changes to the permanent fund, draws from savings and new taxes — have been on the table from the get-go, and are receiving the thoughtful and considered debate they should (unlike HB 379). But decisions need to be made in these areas before asking — or demanding — more from state workers.
Finally, it’s been said by backers this bill is necessary to avoid layoffs. If passage of HB 379 would guarantee no state employee would lose their jobs during this crisis, the discussion would be different. Of course, no one is making that guarantee, because no one can. Given the current crisis, additional layoffs remain a real and unfortunate possibility regardless of HB 379. All HB 379 would do is ensure those fortunate enough to avoid a pink slip in that scenario will be doing more work for less pay.
HB 379 has already cleared — barely — the House Finance Committee and seems next headed to the full body. Though this process has been horribly rushed, there is still time to urge legislators and Gov. Bill Walker to stop this bad bill before it becomes bad law.
• Charles Ward is a Juneau resident, proud state employee and proud union member. However, his words are his alone. Ward is a former editor at the Empire.
