Representative Jessie McGruder

Education Committee (House) — April 1, 2025 (1:14:47)

So this is very important, passionate, and if there's anything I can do to assist, please let me know. But I will be supporting you all 100% on this legislation. Thank

Education Committee (House) — April 1, 2025 (1:14:14)

I know students have issues and concerns that they're not comfortable often sharing. And as an educator, I know they're seeing a lot of these things in their environment. So I support you all 100%. I love this. I know it's important in high poverty areas that they actually have access and they feel comfortable sharing. And I have, as a gentleman who was blessed to come from a two-parent home, there are kids who I teach now at a middle school who experience things that are mind-blowing to me.

Education Committee (House) — April 1, 2025 (1:14:07)

question? Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Read over the legislation. I love what you're doing as an educator.

Education Committee (House) — April 1, 2025 (18:33)

off by saying I love the bill. I think it's great, but I have a question. Wouldn't you agree that you are a better public speaker than your uncle? Is

Aging, Children & Youth, Legislative & Military Affairs (House) — April 2, 2025 (1:50:21)

so you were losing pay also to go to these hearings. So were there ever times when you had to make a choice of whether I have to pay bills at the house

Aging, Children & Youth, Legislative & Military Affairs (House) — April 2, 2025 (1:49:46)

During that incident that occurred, did you have to take off work? I did, multiple times. You

Aging, Children & Youth, Legislative & Military Affairs (House) — April 2, 2025 (1:50:10)

then the call was only 10 minutes long. Okay, when you were, were there any hearings that you had to attend also? Yes, yes. And when fines were issued, you had to take off work,

Aging, Children & Youth, Legislative & Military Affairs (House) — April 2, 2025 (1:49:42)

you so much for coming and sharing your story.

Aging, Children & Youth, Legislative & Military Affairs (House) — April 2, 2025 (55:57)

as a man, and as a parent. We've got to figure out something that works best for everyone within our community. So I thank you, Representative Shepard, and I will support you on this legislation. Representative

Aging, Children & Youth, Legislative & Military Affairs (House) — April 2, 2025 (55:23)

Now, if you're holding a child, especially think about if it was one of your children who comes from a good home where there are two parents for no apparent reason and he's there with the rats and the mice and kids who are actually committing crimes, there can be a problem. So I don't know if this is the approach we want to take, but I know we need to take something and we need to look at this system and we need to rework it. I'm supporting this legislation 100% because I know the problems I experienced as a father,

Aging, Children & Youth, Legislative & Military Affairs (House) — April 2, 2025 (54:52)

but I think we need to take a long look at what's going on. I'm one of those parents who was able to fight legally and get things resolved, but there are many parents who don't have a means to fight. And the main purpose of the juvenile justice system is to help the children. They don't plan on incarcerating them. But if a charge is so severe, which in my son's case it was, they hold them.

Aging, Children & Youth, Legislative & Military Affairs (House) — April 2, 2025 (54:16)

Thank God for Honorable Judge Chester Moody. Once he got the case before him, he released it, and he made my school district admit him back in the school. Today I'm blessed that my son is at Arkansas State University. I'm proud of my children. I bring them around you all when we're eating and we're having meetings because I know I put my best foot forward with them. I know we have some issues within our justice system. I know we need to rework things, and I also know financially our status may not be in the best situation,

Aging, Children & Youth, Legislative & Military Affairs (House) — April 2, 2025 (53:40)

As a father, tears began to come down my face, and I reached out to every attorney that I know to see what we can do to get him out. Through much prayer, much faith, I had my father's been involved. We were able to get an attorney to represent us. Some did pro bono work, and he was released from the situation. We investigated, and he did nothing he was accused of. It was a way of other people showing me that they were in power and control.

Aging, Children & Youth, Legislative & Military Affairs (House) — April 2, 2025 (53:06)

Me being a former law enforcement officer, I called and I say, well, I want to bond him out immediately. And the probation officer says, we don't care what you want to do. The charges are so severe until you cannot bond him out of jail. My son, who had never spent the night away from home, was incarcerated, put in jail. We visit him the next morning, and he says, Daddy, I don't know what I'm going to do. I haven't done anything wrong, but there are rats running around here where I'm locked up at.

Aging, Children & Youth, Legislative & Military Affairs (House) — April 2, 2025 (52:32)

nothing you've done makes you worthy to hold this position. And I'm aware of that. But the day my child was arrested changed my entire life. He had never been to the principal's office, never been in any trouble, but he was accused of terroristic threatening of the school. We did everything possible to get a better understanding, and we were not able to get any understanding about the situation. The officer takes him to the police department, they question him, and they place him in jail.

Aging, Children & Youth, Legislative & Military Affairs (House) — April 2, 2025 (52:02)

I also was looking at those same lines that Representative Hope Duke was looking at. And my experience is a bit different from everyone else's. I can still tell you today it happened with me, February the 8th of 2022. I'm a father of six children, and my son was arrested at the high school. He's 15 years old. And Representative Pierce shared with me when I was being sworn in,

Aging, Children & Youth, Legislative & Military Affairs (House) — April 2, 2025 (51:58)

Yes, ma'am. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Representative Shepard, for the legislation.

Aging, Children & Youth, Legislative & Military Affairs (House) — April 2, 2025 (50:40)

tell who's mic in it. Okay. Madam Chair, thank you. Mine is more of a

Education Committee (House) — April 3, 2025 (34:01)

I have this disability. That's the same information we're getting from our higher ed people. Okay. Thank you.

Education Committee (House) — April 3, 2025 (31:48)

Representative Magruder, you're recognized. And I don't know if this is a question for you or our hired people who are in the room, but as an individual who has a disabled child and actually received some disability services myself, What is the barrier that we're facing with students actually registering with disability services?