Joint Budget Committee

And members i'm gonna i've got one bill that we need to refer to special language that's at the end of your packet senate bill eighty two we're gonna refer that special language without objection. Are with that we're going to kick off from being one is it rips in wooden since you're turned today david sorry senator davis. Rips in davis you're recognized thank you mr chairman the personnel committee reviewed items one and amendment listed as item as items one to eleven on the report and released them back to jbc to do passes amended this included amendment hand outs for item one which was the classification and compensation bill as well as item seven and eight for the secretary of state. The. All right thank you members in questions seeing no one would get a motion adopted the port we've got a second discussion on the motion seeing none of those in favor significant saying I are the supposed motion carries members there's several bills in this packet that are ready to go out if you look at b one it's at a one three four five seven six seven eight nine. Alright so first in a bill seventy seven we've got emotion do pass as amended we've got a second I was in favor significant saying I was opposed motion carries house build ten thirty seven with a motion due passes amended we've got a second in the discussion seeing none else of favor significant saying I although supposed motion carries a sooner bill twenty nine we'll get a motion to pass is amended we've got a second in discussion on the motion seeing none else in favor sign if I was saying I others opposed motion carries house building thirty six we've got motion to pass as amended we've got a second discussion on the motion seeing none else in favor significant saying I others oppose motion careers soon a bill three we've got to motion to pass as amended we've got a second in discussion on the motion seeing none of those of every significant saying I although suppose mission carries house bill ten thirty five we'll get a motion to pass as amended we've got a second in discussion on the motion seeing none of those in favor signed if I was saying I others oppose motion carries house build ten ninety we've got emotion do pass as amended we've got a second in discussion seeing none of those in favor of significant saying I are the supposed motion carries in a bill eleven we've got a motion to pass as amended we've got a second in discussion on a motion seeing none others in favor signed if I was saying I others opposed most of the carriers and that's going to take us to. At members b two is just report from opinion that with a list of positions that have been vacant for more over two more years when we questions on item b two. That's seeing then we're going to move on to c one. Yeah. Yeah okay miss chairman items see why. This is a member by senator irving reps and cabinet it is to a man senate bill sixty three it is to add north central district fair. Aren't sunner when you're recognized present your remindment thank you members and thank you for the opportunity to come before you then northern children start fair. Actually has been organized for the past two years not as affair but just through the FFA chapters through the ag teachers because I lost their funding they lost their funding because there were some one person in charge of the nonprofit that didn't want to relinquish it to anybody else involved in this district and so and because of that they just kind of let it go away but the new generation and the younger folks and the new act teachers have been buy their own volunteer or time putting together the opportunity for these kids to have a second chance that qualifying for the state fair i'm without funding miss amber kennon who's been the champion of this is the wife of the teacher at mountain view school district they are younger people they have been trying for eight years to email the department of ag for assistance and help to try to get the north central district fare back in place and then for the past two years they've used their f a chapter without any vanding to create recreate a north central district fare just for the livestock portion but i'm trying to replace our north sister district fair this is the funding appropriation bill only for that they do have a status of a non profit but upon my recommendation I prefer that they do a different avenue and not be structured as a cooperative but as a non profit specific for this in a new entity so my understanding from the department of against that they have until july one to get all that figured out or finalize but they do actually have a non profit that they are going to be able to use that's already functioning and already fully up and running so this is again trying to reestablish the north central district my area of the state of arkansas is is quite poor these kids don't have those finds to be able to travel to tried to qualify for the state fair and another opportunity. But it's not just about live stock if you my kids participated in our county fair in our district fair not just in showing live stock how's takes and and bunnies but also they competed in the talent portion we've a lot of musicians in my area that computer to both at the county fair level and at the district fair level that provides those kids a second opportunity to qualify for the state my children did the talent portion they also participated in the arts in the crafts so you have community leaders that are involved in arts class quilting canning all working to try to get the north central district fair as an entity back in place like I said the ag teachers from vampire and county stone county clever and county in israel county have pulled together and opportuned for the past two years for just the livestock kids to have that opportunity through the north central district they've caught it a jack pit but they want it to be a fair art community suffers because we don't have a nor central district fare and this is the appropriate place to put to reto put that funding back in place and so with that i'm happy to answer any questions but it's upon my recommendation that they actually not be a cooperative but have more of an establishment using their current non profit so I can provide the emails for eight years for these this lady has tried to get help and assistance from the department of to get reestablished without a lot of assistance and so i'm here as their senator and their voice to try to get this district fare reesables with the new younger generation that wants to come in and provide this opportunity for all our kids and so with that i'll answer any questions. Singer hammer like good morning center of help me understand they've been two years old non existence but they've been eight years trying to get help. From the department of eggs so. It does understand that timeline right no date for two years they have provided a opportunity just for the live stock. Kids for the past two years they are organized as a north central district operation there's actually two from my understanding through the department of act there's two and fairs or district fairs that are structured as cooperatives that do receive state funding but I personally are recommended that they not organize that way cause I feel like you need to have a stronger fediciary responsibility directly linked to the counties but that's not how these are structures and there are structured as non profits and so it was actually my recommendation that they have a stronger and structure that they can come for the prediction responsibility of it but they they've been doing that for the past two years the north central district fair has been an issue for the past eight years and the repayment says it very well but actually representative tommy ran when he was a state representative we try to work on this issue as well to try to get it moved outside of the people that had control over it they just don't want they didn't want any of the younger folks or new people coming in and they just they they just would never relinquish it but since then that actually that person has died so here we are eight years later how much money you said that she didn't want to relinquish the money how much money was there and where is that money now. No there is no there is no money now the funding has not been in place for the past. Two or three years I thought you said that she was holding the money and did no know that was previously that was that was the previous people that had the control over the north central district there was chair appropriate terminal or tear the agency at the table please thank you reps in a wood center. A couple of years ago we we just missed them didn't include amendment in the budget does this address that problem the tax car yes it's it's just permanent back in and this is the appropriate place for them to be packaging but I will also say this is an appropriation only so any of these entities that are listed in here it's an appropriation only if they don't meet the standards legally badly wine when this takes it you know when this takes the fact the department has legal authority not to find any entity if they're not and get legal standing thank you determine thank you alright since. Thank you mister chairs that urban thank you so much for bringing this so the difference in affair and a live stock show was drastic what what they put been able to put together on their own in the last two years is basically a lot of stock show lower than fair instead of just large animals you have chickens you ever have you have vegetables biggest watermelon pumpkins and I mean all kinds of agriculture correct but if if they were to be able to reestablish as a as a north central arguments all district fair. And that's the type of event where schools lead out and they take their kids on field trips it's not just about the agriculture community but it's actually about introducing the agricultural community to the rest of the community it's something much bigger than just a love stock show because it peaks interest from the community outside of the agriculture world and they all come together for a county or district fair I remember eleven years ago when I was a freshman afound a bill to try to move the north central arguments all district fair because. The people that were managing it were not fiscally responsible we tried to investigate their bank accounts and we were denied access. To their ledgers and to their bank accounts and and it was obvious that the money was being mishandled but this is new management it would be. Trying to meet the standards if this appropriation is in place and they meet the standards then they could be funded and we could reestablish the north central arts of district fair is that correct yes sir thank you thank you mister chair thank you. Sinner haster. Thank you said urban who is the north arkansas district fair who's the who's running it what what's their name who are they no central district they will be the north such they are the north central district fair at the right now that the north central district jack part but that is uh they wanting to move into the fare so it's a jack part who like it's the mayor it's the county judge it's a non profit it's mainly the face chapter saved utilizer face chapters the ag teachers and clinton arkansas mountain view so you've got bambia and county stone county clever and county and is our county and i've actually moved those shows from counting to county to county so in order to so it's like it's a it's a group of folks that are organized and ready it's a group of folks that are just doing a show and so it that they're wanting to do it they're doing a show now but they want to do a fair later yes they don't have any funding so they are doing what they can on what they have been able to raise and so this legislature will be asked to give money to a group that does not exist that we hopeful exist by july first right now it's a group of faith teachers but there is no organization now there is an organization they've been an organization for two years there there is an organization similar to how some of our affairs that are funded through this appropriation are organized as a cooperative. But again I don't I don't like that structure I think that it needs to be a stronger legal structure so they will just like anything else they are they are organized and and they've been trying to get their appropriate organization from the department of again they've worked on this for eight years and I have the emails you know I can show you okay so that the north argued so district jack pot which does exist is going to not exist to start a north are it's all district fair we're gonna give money to think it does not exist when we're going to take money from an organization that kids from seventy five counties are benefiting firm right now. So this a memo there's seventy five kids in seventy five county's benefit from a way we're going to take money from it more to give money to something that does not exist currently but will exist ballot batch you laugh first that's what this quite frankly we took money away from north central districts the money was actually taken away from my area the state of arkansas so my kids. Don't have a lot of money to travel to northwest arkansas to participate in a specific live stock show and my kids are musicians my kids are photographs my kids are artists their singers they do quoting they do cannon they grow vegetables they grow flowers they want to be able to have a nor central district fair to participate in it was a great fair it was not managed well when you had a new group of people that are willing and have for the past two years but in the efforts to bring back a portion of that fair but they want the entire affair to be re established we're just asking for the money to be put back and done and are nearly or ship and it's not correct to say that we're going to send money to a group that's not legally a forum though we statutorily the department of agriculture cannot do that I would not advocate for that and so even no none of these people are forums by july line they shouldn't get the money and in fact that's been the case for people listed inside of an appropriation where they did not have legal standing and their money was sent back to the department of ag because of that I hear this is an appropriation only so so it wasn't a great fair was a disaster which is why it went away but now they're trying to do it they're trying they're trying to make it good again I i'm for that right I want to be great but that fare didn't lose money because of a way that fair went away years later away you started getting funding now you want to take away away he's phoning to give it to that fair so you're fair didn't lose money because of aye but now we want a way to lose money for the fire. And I understand all the benefits of the of the county fairs i'm supportive I don't think this is a either or situation I don't know why one has to be punished where sept kids from seventy five counties including your counties are benefiting from it they can't took to benefit. The kids that can afford to go there are benefiting from that is. Right and kids from seventy five counties can afford that. Yeah my point is it's not an either why are you punishing the kids a can't afford to go that are using that benefit. Why can't they get funded and you found the fair. My issue is the north central district fair and getting that reasonablished again there have been a lot of concerns from a lot of members in this legislature as regards to the aye show and because of that that has been included in this appropriation and amendment request and they can speak to that there's a lot of members in this general assembly that have raised great concerns about the funding mechanism of ay and how they're spending that money and so because of those concerns i've asked for me to structure it this way and I was happy to oblige because I also have concerns about the way ayes spending spending that's fine and other members can speak to that i'd be happy to sort of an existing company or existing non profits benefiting seventy five kids for agricultural shows. You want to take money away and we want to give it to a cut to a company that's going to start affair that does not exist today and i'm finished if you'll work the funding that we've put that live sock show is on par with the other love stock shows that are listed and this appropriation at fifty five hundred so we're treating them the same as the other live stock shows in the state of arkansas through this men met and I think that's fair and I think that's right. So. Sinner urban like you not talk to them a little bit off because I thought we'd had where we're going different pathern that you told me we're going to different path and I was trying to get to you before this morning because I didn't understand you're running it as was today on the amendment right and we talked about the the issue if we needed special language but we don't need special language because the department is the department of ag that would the conversation yesterday was that this entity doesn't exist it doesn't make sense to put them in appropriations not exist as a legal entity at this time and we are going to we're passing appropriation today. They don't exist today and the conversation we had yesterday was that one time funding would be fine once they were established in up and going and you're saying you don't want to go that you want to I do not want to go at that path I am their senator they have come to me they have worked for eight years trying to get this stands with department of agriculture I am their senator this is the appropriate method this is where they were listed in the appropriation this is the appropriate method in my opinion as a state senator to put this into an appropriation bill and re establish them where they were and so that as much about as a state senator and as part of this legislature every one of you have districts and so do your constituents not come to you and ask you to solve a problem and the way that i've tried to solve this problem is using my legislative authority through this appropriation method of an in there and so that is my I don't I don't necessarily yesterday's made that suggestions and I agreed to know you've made that suggestion to me upon my research I went to hand where you recognize it was alright I was in a walk thank you i'm all for the the district fair way it was a blow whenever we in entered county whenever we lost it because it's a big deal for our kids i'm in a rural area we hurt just having things for them to do and we all know when kids aren't occupied with something they're out run around calls and problems or or getting in trouble so the more things that we can give him and rule areas will be the better. I remember when I was in elementary observatives and drawings and call and tinyings and other stuff and we had walked through there my parents and and it was a pretty neat experience being a kid I had a brother that was a lot of stock in the live stock shelves it was fun going out watching him and either thankfully wouldn't have gotten if we didn't find these district fares however my question is. It advert as long as I can remember it was held in interest county because it was a centralized location and i'm just curious i've not seen anything to say where the new location will be if we'll look at facilities and and determine that light or let the board decide or how it'll be done so i'm just curious if we've got a process there yet thank you yes and so they're past two years i've actually done it and is there they've done it all across the different districts and they've utilized all the different fair grounds which I think is a great model and it then one that they're interested in continuing to deal so they they did have it all in as a county I think one year and then they've actually then broke it into other like specific ones in vampire and counting is done counting cleaver and counting in is our county so I think the rotation was a structure that they're really interested in looking at wanting to pursue because they're all all the act teachers are trying to reestablish this for the benefit of the kids and it's not just the act teachers it's the people in the community like you said the drines that used to it's it's a lot of the art teachers and art communities and leaders in the musicians. Thank you. The. I singer seller when you recognized thank you moved to chair I think all of us in favor the fairs and oppositions how we fund it arkansas one of the leading states in the nation at centralized funding so when people in local areas want to find a project they come to this day rather than go into their local county so why has the state responsible rather than the local county organizing funding with they want for theirs why they have to come to the state and have us put money in I mean I think that's a good question and I think I think the the structures that we have is what i'm trying to work with them the current structure of what we find for county fares and district figures and sale that's a structure that i'm working with in but I mean they have on their own accord done this for two years but only the structure is though that they could pass a local tax or war fine funding locally that's the structure also is that correct. Their structures in place they just choose not to use it. I'm in again II guess that would structure would be in place for all county fairs but I think we as a general assembly have seen the value of county fares and district bears and have put state funding towards that i'm not i'm not here advocating that we night find county fairs or disappear i'm advocating for what the question is if they have an opportunity to find it locally with the people who see their tremendous need and their local then they have an opportunity to fund that for their local would that be correct yes thank you sinner hammer agency. I put you back in the second. Who see twenty nine. Not sure if seat twenty nine. You reckon asked that you missed chair how many carriers are comprised of the north central district there you have a current you have fault in county sharp county sound county vamp your and county clever and county and is there county. And follow up this chair I believe your certain part. Are all county's represented on this new board has been found. Yes they are working with a fault in county we have folks and fort and county is or county stone county vambia and county and cleaver and county i'm not sure about sharp county but they are working towards but do they but are they on this board is nearly formed board yes and represent so each one of them has a stake in this new form that that is exactly what we have and yes that's what we have someone is readjust sharp county yes sir we understand that we're trying to getting the folks and shark county to cooperate with miss caroline lewis i'm not sure if you know her but she's in fault and counting and she's been. Yeah she's following county but she's got all the folks and chart county that she's and contact with. I think and on that on the account is who are those board members you're saying each board represented or each county has a board member who are the board members I would have to get there's names to you I have. My main thing is that they're working with the ag teachers right now and it's act teachers and there's different counties will be the board now no it's also people in the community and people that are also involved with the county fares and the county judges so we have people that are currently on county for it fair boards but they have county judges i'm sorry to have a board as it stands right now is what you're saying again they have a board but they are going to formalise that in a non profit that's going to be more illegally and my pin this was my suggestion that they do their just who who is the representative of combar tenant and austin can and he is my I teacher and they are the ones that have been the ones the younger folks trying to get the reestablished with people and bambian county is our county stone county clever and county info is the representative out of clearing county I have spoken with the county judge they have spoken when the country who's the board member on the I don't have all those list of those names with me right now but but i'm not sure if any of us know who are the order members or could name the board members with the southwest district fare of the southeast district fair the northwest district fair north these district fair if that's important in the legislation then we need to name them that we can do that now that's not i'm just curious I also represent part of this history and I and I haven't had any communication with anyone about it I was curious who I could reach out to in clever county that is on the board again they have worked with the folks on the county fair board and clearer in county i've spoken with jerry holmes i've spoken with the county judge and kennon has worked with a counting judge on the spoken to them and the folks within the ad community but there is a voting board that someone from cleveland counting is represented aren't they vote and they're taking actions and they're doing things as a right now they are formed as a cooperative. And that's how they have been operating under this formation. For the past two years and they have included the people in claver and county because they had a show in clever and county but I don't have that name okay alright thank you synerget thank you mister good morning senator irving how are you today is is under duress almost my focus on a norse one i'm just trying to advocate from my part of the state of arguments understanding you're holding your own wheel the but i'm getting from this is this the concern seems to be does their exist and entity that if we send the money there will be able to operate and I transferred manner that aren't would be able to look at there are wonderful people from dfa would be able to look at and say that this is money well spent can you assure this body that that exists at this time so I will say to you that any of these that are listed in this appropriation bill are about non profit status if you're a non profit status that limits are capability I personally don't think limits are capability to do it to audit well any money that goes to a private entity is subject to state audit the monies are right so I want to make sure that if we sent the money there that we would have some way of knowing absolutely that the money would be well spent yet otherwise we're not going to go willing nearly and send money to correct does it exist yes or no because I keep hearing it does not exist it exists does it exist they have an on profit that they could utilize that is an existence and instruction however I recommended that they do a separate one because I feel like there needs to be a stronger. Status and I did not understand the way that these were structured and I was trying to get information from the department of agriculture their department of agg had gave us three months ago the recommendation to bring forward a members on amendment and they said they would work with them to make sure all the forms were filled out correctly everything was done appropriately before july one. And it we had a department of accurate unfortunately you couldn't be here and they were less than enthusiastic or shall I say they were just neutral on this issue there are no west was just trying to stay out of it all together so I need to know that was my interpretation if my interpretation was incorrect I stand correctly before the multitude I just want to make sure senator because i've tried to support you on these things because I think your area is just as important as everybody else's but I do want to rest assured. That the entity exists in a manner that will allow for audit to come in and even though it's a miniscule amount of money in the state steel state money and be able to rest assured that it is well spent and you are assuring me of that at this point they have a current non profit. Are you assuring me that the money will spend yes I assure you that the money will be well spent and I will allocate if they do not have any everything been finalized they should not get the money and that but that would be the same for anybody that's listed in this appropriation if any and one of these that are listed in this appropriation go defined in the next month we should not fund them. And so I completely agree with that and we're trying to work very hard to make sure that that all the things are correctly done and done in a matter that reflects the entire district not just one person's nonprofit so that's the difference. I am not comfortable with one person's non profit even though they can use that. All right we had some questions for the ag department i've got a bunch of others in the queue and i'm not sure if they have questions or not for the age department or for the president and so. Senator hame ran out here for the apartment if anyone else is where they actually can you turn your mic off in our will come back round to if you have questions for the sponsor then i'll keep your your mic on item on start with center call well. Thank you chairman for me to consideration. We have motion for me to consideration have a second we have a second others in favor significant saying I are the supposed motion carries. I now need a motion. Where the motion to adopt do we have a second we have a second. The. I wouldn't still have discussion because the media consideration was to take the vote is during discussion on emotion. Aren't sinder hester you're recognized for discussion so a vote yes on this amendment. Will take money away from kids going to seventy five counties incentive to want a vote no would keep keep keep support for kids at seventy five counties. I think okay is there any other discussion. Aren't seeing none I wasn't fitter reps of cabinet. The. I just want to clarify no money in this amendment is being taken away from any counting fares or district fares no money and there's a minute is being taken away from county fares or district fairs there is a reduction to a youth expel to fifty five hundred dollars but no county or disperk fair will lose funding. Alright thank you sooner flowers want clarification about what yes vote means in a no vote means that the amendment in front of you is to find the north dis- central district fare at fifty four thousand that's the representation level and it will remove forty eight thousand of the funding from aye which is a northwest arkansas show and that I don't know much more than that. Stay what it is but but utilized by seventy five counties senate flowers so so the yes vote would be to approve this amendment. And a no vote is to not approve that is correct thank you thank you all right I think that's the end of discussion others in favor singing the five saying i. All those opposed to. The nose have it. See five hands on to aren't the trolley. Senator english. Representative matthew shepherd. Not seeing representative matthew shepherd represent baby. Yes. Senator mark johnson. Represented alcohol. Senator hammer. Representative flowers. Second august alternate representative mcclure. Senator tucker. Representative ubank's. Center pain. Representative richmond. Sir urban representative tosh. Sir flipper. Represent cabinet. Center blake johnson. Representative lynch. Sarah hill. Represent evans center sullivan. Representative macquarie. Center murdoch. This. Represent milligan. Center hester. Representative mcgee. Sarah letting. Represent terrorist shepherd. Since king. That seems they're king first alternative center brian. Where was in a wooden. The. Sarah penzo. Representative perry. Yeah. Center boyd. Represent scott. Sir petty. Set first alternative bright. Yep represent collins. Show. Sarchester feel. Represent garner. Senator flowers. Representatively johnson. Sir stubborn field. Represent crowning. First alternate represent grammar. Second alternate representative making. Sarah hecky. Representative j richardson. Sure davis. Represent. No. Senator gilmore. Represent a rose. Center rice. Representative war law. Center crown. Representative eaves. Center wallace. Represent gas way. Center call well. Represent well met. Motion fails. The. It's see two has special language in that special language. And we've got a few bills that we can get out maybe a couple each packet yesterday you will be seriously over eight and one as the each back and up a right hand corner. We have some bills that are ready. Page five the holds been released on house bill to twenty university and saw a little rock members ready vote house bill ten twenty that's on page five in your house packet do you have any questions on house built in twenty seen none we've got a motion to pass we've got a second in discussion on the motion seeing none of those in favor of sign the fact that saying I others opposed motion carries page thirteen page twelve minutes to work yesterday house bill ten fifty one election commissioner board. Okay starts on page eleven the ghost page twelve house build ten fifty one to when he had been questions seeing none we've got a motion to pass we've got a second all those in favor significant saying I although suppose mush carries as chairman in the senate packet. These all have been released now cineville ten minutes of office of the courts aren't soon a bill turned when you questions seeing none we've got a motion to pass we've got a second all those in favor significantly saying I was opposed to she carries a mischairman the last one is on page six it's sent a bill twenty eight minutes rate of office of the courts this is also item number two in the personnel report need to do pass as amended if the committee so chooses alright members we need questions on senate bill twenty eight seeing none we've got a motion do pass is amended we've got a second in discussion on the motion seeing none I was in favor significant saying I all the supposed motion cares. I members special language is going to meet here in the next. Are we gonna just pick up and start here in five minutes so if you can clear your way to let's special language members have their seat if they've not got one already in and we're going to get started we will come back in here for full budget tomorrow at nine again members were looking to wrap up things next weeks we're going to have to be diligent on what we do and try to do it quickly thank you with that return before i've adjourned rsa is going to be on your desk in joint budget tomorrow so anticipate that being on here desk tomorrow.