Representative Steve Unger

State Agencies & Govt'l Affairs (House) — April 2, 2025 (1:37:42)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is a bill that benefits veterans and state employees, and I ask you for a good vote.

State Agencies & Govt'l Affairs (House) — April 2, 2025 (1:36:08)

to credit National Guard and Reserve members based on their accumulated points, assuring fairness and consistency with active duty service. This bill passed the Senate with broad support, 31 yay votes, and has the endorsement of Attorney General Tim Griffin. I ask for your support and I'm happy to answer any questions and when I say aye, I actually mean Mr. Wood. Representative Meeks.

State Agencies & Govt'l Affairs (House) — April 2, 2025 (1:35:33)

credits military service this way. The new federal employee with five years of military service starts out with an accrued annual leave at the same rate as a 19-year state employee. It sends a strong message that we value discipline, dedication, and military experience, and will help us attract and retain high-quality public servants. The bill explicitly prohibits double-counting service time if the individual is simultaneously a state employee and in the military. It also outlines a proportional method

State Agencies & Govt'l Affairs (House) — April 2, 2025 (1:34:59)

This bill allows their documented military service to count towards their accrued rate of annual leave, essentially acknowledging the time they've already served in uniform for state and nation when calculating how quickly they earn annual leave as state employees. It is important to clarify this bill does not provide additional leave, it simply credits relevant military service towards annual leave accrual. Senate Bill 357 helps Arkansas stay competitive with the federal government which already

State Agencies & Govt'l Affairs (House) — April 2, 2025 (1:34:27)

Go ahead. I will be as quick as I can with this awesome, non-controversial bill. The subtitle, to amend the Uniform Attendance and Leave Policy Act to apply military service credit to public employees' total service time for annual leave accrual calculation. Senate Bill 357 is about recognizing and valuing the service of our veterans and current members of the National Guard and Reserves who are employed by the state of Arkansas.

State Agencies & Govt'l Affairs (House) — April 2, 2025 (1:34:18)

Mr. Chair, committee, bringing for you today Senate Bill 357. May I ask Mr. Wood to join me at the table?

Meeting — April 7, 2025 (7:58:24)

IT'S LIKE A CHUCKY THE DOLL BILL. IT JUST KEEPS COMING BACK. AND YES, IT IS A LITTLE BETTER. I GUESS NOT QUITE DOUBLING THE ALCOHOL CONTENT IS BETTER THAN TRIPLEING IT. BUT THIS This is also in a capitalism sense, this is a big chain, a big chain running over the little guy, which is not really an Arkansas value, and what problem does this solve, seriously? Are the luscious down at the boat dock just not getting drunk fast enough? I mean, what's going on here?

Meeting — April 7, 2025 (7:31:15)

retain good employees. And for that, I ask for a good vote.

Meeting — April 7, 2025 (7:31:09)

Thank you, Representative Richmond. I don't particularly have an answer to your questions, but this will help us attract and

Meeting — April 7, 2025 (7:30:10)

and a good vote thank you representative hunger has explained

Meeting — April 7, 2025 (7:29:46)

at the individual with simultaneously a state employee and in the military. It also outlines a proportional method to credit National Guard and Reserve members based on their accrued points, ensuring fairness and consistency with active duty service. This bill passed in the Senate with broad support, 31 yes votes, and has the endorsement of Attorney General Tim Griffith. i ask for your support

Meeting — April 7, 2025 (7:29:15)

Senate Bill 357 helps Arkansas stay competitive with the federal government, which already credits military service this way. A new federal employee with five years of military service starts out accruing annual leave at the same rate as a 19-year state employee. It sends a strong message that we value discipline, dedication, and military experience, and it will help us both attract and retain high-quality public servants. This bill explicitly prohibits double-counting service time

Meeting — April 7, 2025 (7:28:43)

and current members of the National Guard and Reserve who are employed by the state of Arkansas. This bill allows their documented military service to count towards the accrual rate of annual leave essentially acknowledging the time they've already served in uniform for the state and the nation when calculating how quickly they earn annual leave as state employees. It is important to clarify this bill does not provide additional leave. It simply credits relevant military service towards annual leave accrual

Meeting — April 7, 2025 (7:28:31)

explain your bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, colleagues. Mr. Wardle, I got

Meeting — April 7, 2025 (7:28:34)

this one down under 30 minutes. Senate Bill 357 is about recognizing and valuing our service of our veterans

Meeting — April 7, 2025 (7:06:23)

did a career in military ministry is a no. Thank you for hearing me

Meeting — April 7, 2025 (7:06:15)

How do we do this today? Well, it's when we do stuff like that, like this. And that, friends, is why a man who

Meeting — April 7, 2025 (7:05:44)

The imitation has inoculated them from the real thing. There's a great little book that came out in 2019 called The Unsaved Christian by Dean Insera that does a better job of explaining the problem than I ever could. When I was in seminary, my favorite Old Testament professor, Dr. Al Bean, once said that in the Old Testament, the Hebrews didn't really worship idols, but what they did worship was Yahweh as if he were an idol. And it's true.

Meeting — April 7, 2025 (7:05:13)

and ask forgiveness every day that I have left until I meet him. And see, that is the kind of faith that needs to be modeled to a kid by somebody that loves them, not a poster. Have you ever confessed your sins to a teenager? Your teenager. Awkward. But it takes guts, but it has to be done. Cultural Christianity doesn't change anybody, but it does do a good job of inoculating young people against a life-changing encounter with the person of Jesus Christ.

Meeting — April 7, 2025 (7:04:38)

is not forces from the outside like sex and drugs and rock and roll. The enemy that a poster on the wall or the Bible on the coffee table can't stop is the scary thing on the inside. It's a threat from my own heart. My justification was completed by the work of Christ on the cross but my sanctification can only be advanced daily by daily obedience and sabotaged only by my own orneriness. Some days in my heart it's house-to-house fighting that only ends when I surrender to God