April 7, 2016 — Following an April 4 hearing that drew unanimous opposition from fishing groups, the House Resources Committee held a bill that would make statutory changes to the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission.
The bill is a relatively simple administrative fix, but sits in a tangle created by an administrative order by Gov. Bill Walker that has attracted criticism over its legality, a legislative audit of the agency, and opposition from fishermen.
Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, introduced the bill, but drastically scaled down the original version introduced last year to simply meet the needs of a 2015 legislative audit recommending some of the changes directed by Walker’s order.
Now, the bill’s main elements address administrative fixes: moving the CFEC commissioners to part-time pay and changing CFEC employees’ statutory designations.
“It changes (commissioners) from being on a monthly rate to a daily rate,” summarized Stutes’ staffer Reid Harris.
It also changes CFEC employees’ designation from “exempt” to “classified,” another statutory change.
“This bill is drafted to the recommendations of the audit,” Harris said.
Both recommendations enable Walker’s order, which folded CFEC duties into the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Walker’s order mandated the CFEC to fold some of its duties into the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.