Senator Bart Hester

Judiciary Committee (Senate & House) — April 2, 2025 (35:31)

They sue Blue Cross Blue Shield. They sue CVS. They sue Simmons Bank. They sue Walmart. They're going to sue one

Judiciary Committee (Senate & House) — April 2, 2025 (35:37)

of your local business owners next and harm your community. With that, I ask for a

Judiciary Committee (Senate & House) — April 2, 2025 (34:59)

And I've appreciated this committee. They've always stick up for the little guy. This card right here, this is about this language on the bottom. They say it's not bold enough. That's it. There it is. There it is. Good Rx is not insurance. There it is on the card. It's not bold enough. That's what this is about. This is junk lawsuits. Junk lawsuits. And we don't want these companies coming into the state of Arkansas starting to continue to sue.

Judiciary Committee (Senate & House) — April 2, 2025 (34:28)

Both sides have just untenable, untenable, in my opinion, in your opinion, political beliefs. All right. They both believe in not protecting the life of the unborn. One side gives free legal services to those that want to mutilate children, right? Both sides, equal standing on that. So I hope we can just move to what's important about this bill. Are we going to stand up for the little guy?

Judiciary Committee (Senate & House) — April 2, 2025 (34:07)

your bill. Thank you, members. You know, there was a question about whether somebody had to be harmed, and on page 3, lines 6, 7, and 8, it It clarifies that between seven and eight. It says if injured, someone may seek compensation. But look, and I'm going to speak more to Senator Stubblefield since he brought this up.

Judiciary Committee (Senate & House) — April 2, 2025 (30:05)

separate. Okay, so this is the firm's. It's the firm's position. In fact, the firm has represented, sued two states advocating for young

Judiciary Committee (Senate & House) — April 2, 2025 (30:14)

girls to get double mastectomies and young boys to be castrated. They give free legal services to sue states like us who protect young children from double mastectomies and castration. And they provide the funds

Judiciary Committee (Senate & House) — April 2, 2025 (29:32)

a better question for him. I can answer. It's a true statement for both, the lawyers

Judiciary Committee (Senate & House) — April 2, 2025 (25:18)

i think it's just basic common sense that someone would actually have to be harmed to be able to sue that doesn't mean a

Judiciary Committee (Senate & House) — April 2, 2025 (19:09)

have somebody with me that I intended to have sitting with me during testimony that can answer that

Judiciary Committee (Senate & House) — April 2, 2025 (4:28)

which takes money, either increases the cost to our constituents or takes away jobs, right? Like this group, this bill is about are we going to stand with our citizens, with our small businesses, with our big businesses, with our constituents, Or are we going to let these groups from out of state come in in what I consider parasitic behavior, something that we want to keep out of the state of Arkansas? With that, I'm happy to answer any questions. Questions from the committee?

Judiciary Committee (Senate & House) — April 2, 2025 (3:55)

I think we have to be concerned about letting these tall building lawyers come into the state of Arkansas with these junk lawsuits, whether we're going to give them any ground or not. Just in the past year or two, this same company has sued CVS. They've sued Walmart. They've sued Blue Cross and Blue Shield. They've sued Simmons Bank. Every one of these are businesses from our communities that employ our people. That this group wants to come in and harm our local businesses, cost them money,

Judiciary Committee (Senate & House) — April 2, 2025 (3:22)

to create, to try to get some sort of financial gain, which goes directly to the cost of all of your constituents, for what? For who gets the benefit from it? Who gets the gain if there's money paid? We know who pays it. It's every one of your constituents. But who gets the money, right? Some tall building lawyers, right? maybe some non-profit who's never been harmed by this at all. I really think it doesn't get any more complicated than that.

Judiciary Committee (Senate & House) — April 2, 2025 (2:48)

They're doing best to help those that are the most needy among us. Our school teachers, our firefighters, people that are struggling, our seniors to cover the cost of their pharmacies. Every one of our constituents, one group's doing their best to help them. Another group is doing their best to harm them by charging, by suing for fees. well, this is appropriately titled a junk lawsuit, Prevention Act,

Judiciary Committee (Senate & House) — April 2, 2025 (2:14)

You are recognized to present as amended. Thank you, members. I suspect you've heard about this bill already. It's possible that one side or the other has lobbied you and encouraged you. It's not a very complicated bill. I'm just going to talk about what I think this means to the state of Arkansas. Really, we've just got two sides to this. We've got one side that is doing their best to help keep pharmacy costs under control to your citizens and your constituents.

Judiciary Committee (Senate & House) — April 2, 2025 (1:50)

It would be passed out. All right, you can recognize yourself, please. State Senator Bar Hester, District 33, Senate Bill

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — April 2, 2025 (1:57:44)

closed for your bill. I think, you know, we all have a lot of these standing problems. This is a solution to, or part of a solution to a big problem that we have, which is the need for more physicians. And with that, I'd appreciate a good vote. Okay.

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — April 2, 2025 (1:56:31)

unless you're comfortable on the floor, but just for logistical purposes, if the committee was okay with that.

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — April 2, 2025 (1:56:16)

Senator, and I would make a committee, if this committee, without this bill out of committee, I would not run it until you told, I would not run it on the floor until you said I got my questions answered. Okay. And if you don't, like, y'all hear me say that I will not move forward

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — April 2, 2025 (1:54:48)

And they became passionate about this issue. And if there becomes questions or this is a problem, you know, I'll defer to next week and I will have them come and talk more intelligently about