Senator Matt Stone

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 19, 2025 (2:52:52)

where it enjoyed peaceful, productive education of our men and women to fight fires from 1973 until now. If there wasn't a problem, then we wouldn't have gentlemen testify and they no longer have clarity about how the Fire Academy should operate. With that, I'm closed and I'd appreciate a good vote. Thank you.

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 19, 2025 (2:52:20)

If I was an employee, I want to report to one person so I don't get put in an untenable position myself. I took the time to do some research and there's not another college in this state that has a program or anything that has an outside board of commission that comes in and has oversight of any part of their campus. I think we just need to realign SAU Tech with the other colleges, institutions of higher learning in our state

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 19, 2025 (2:52:04)

so much for your testimony. Appreciate it. Senator Stone, you're recognized to close for your bill. Thank you, Madam Chair. Members, I know that many of you are self-employed or have positions of authority. If you have someone that reports to you, you want them reporting to you and not some outside agency or group of people that causes conflict.

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 19, 2025 (2:39:14)

with somebody else having oversight over the academy. Okay,

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 19, 2025 (2:38:41)

And they ran from 1973 until last session. And now they have to interject and have to have oversight and cause confusion in the chain of command between the academy and the chancellor of the university. You know, I'm just sitting there listening. I don't know if it's oversight, an unintended consequence, or a power grab that has taken place, but I think we have put Chancellor Thomas in an untenable position to be held accountable for everything that happens on the campus at SAU Tech

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 19, 2025 (2:38:07)

It was never meant to take away their advisory capacity and replace it with oversight. But, you know, the testimony today, I don't know if they, you know, I don't understand how it operated efficiently since 1973. Then all of a sudden it needed their oversight. You know, I don't believe that Alita has any oversight. That's the Law Enforcement Training Academy that's also on SAU campus. The Environmental Academy doesn't have an independent board or commission providing oversight.

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 19, 2025 (2:38:03)

time, I assumed that that was an oversight.

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 19, 2025 (2:25:58)

bill, and they can personally convey their concerns about the untenable position that they've been

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 19, 2025 (2:25:51)

And if you would, I wouldn't mind letting them have just a minute or so at peace just to speak to this

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 19, 2025 (2:25:38)

to speak against the bill. Brad Holden. Madam Chair, May I say one other thing, too? Yes. I

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 19, 2025 (2:25:45)

had Chancellor Dr. Thomas and the leadership team travel up from Camden today, so they're here.

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 19, 2025 (2:25:17)

purview of the chancellor, and that is where they want to remain. So with that, I'm open to any

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 19, 2025 (2:24:41)

failure. And ultimately, nobody can serve two masters. They're needing direction from the legislature, so I believe we need to put it back to an advisory board. I think any chancellor, whether it's Dr. Thomas or future chancellors, would covet their advice to make sound decisions on hiring, training, curricula, or any other matter that may come up. But at the end of the day, they need to be able to make sure that there's no undivided loyalty from the Fire Training Academy, and the Fire Training Academy has historically been under

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 19, 2025 (2:24:08)

This is just a simple one-word change, removing the word oversight back to advisory where it was. went so far as to talk to Dr. Ken Ward, Secretary of Higher Education, and said, "This is what happened, an unintended consequence." And I said, "Give me your thoughts on it." And he said, "You know, I think you're right. At the end of the day, if that program sits on the campus, which it does, Dr. Thomas, the sitting chancellor, is going to be held responsible for success or

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 19, 2025 (2:23:35)

Now, listen, I'm not opposed to the Fire Service Academy or any other firefighter organization. And I would even go so far as to say that myself and Representative Wade Andrews, who was the House sponsor on this bill, were recognized by them last year as the Legislators of the Year for the Firefighters Protection. So we're not against anybody, but what we're for is order on SAU Tech campus.

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 19, 2025 (2:23:02)

Now we have an independent board that is dictating curriculum, training who can be hired. We've put the Fire Academy in an untenable position. So I also went and talked to Dr. Jerry Thomas, who was the sitting chancellor of SAU Tech. And he said, you know, this is on my campus, and everything that happens on this campus, Ultimately, I'm going to be held accountable for now there's an outside agency that's having input to what happens in the Fire Academy.

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 19, 2025 (2:22:26)

It sits on the campus of Southern Arkansas University Tech. Historically, the Fire Academy has answered to the sitting chancellor of SAU Tech. Last session, there was a bill that was passed to change one word from advisory to oversight. I was contacted by the leadership of the academy, and they shared with me that we're confused. Historically, we've sat on the campus of SAU Tech, and we've always answered to the chancellor.

Public Health Welfare & Labor Committee (Senate & House) — March 19, 2025 (2:21:48)

Matt Stone, State Senator, District 2. Members, words have meaning, and one word can change the meaning of everything. And that is exactly what has happened, and that is why I'm running Senate Bill 473. Historically, the Fire Protection Services Board has been advisory committee to the Arkansas Fire Academy. The Arkansas Fire Academy is located squarely in my district, but it trains men and women all over the state to be firefighters, to be EMTs.

Meeting — March 20, 2025 (3:08)

and guide our nation's leaders across our land. And above all, we just want to thank you for

Meeting — March 20, 2025 (2:52)

come before you right now, and we just want to honor and praise your holy name, dear Lord. And I just pray that you'll just give us the wisdom today to understand and make the right decisions and just vote in the right way, dear Lord. Dear Lord, just guide us, guide our country,