JBC-Personnel

There's other meetings to happen after this one some will go ahead and get started thank you all for being here today we've got a lot of things on the agenda so please be paying attention if there's something you've got questions on and please be ready I will go ahead and start off with item b they could be on chairman i'd be is the revised classification in compensation this bill includes the following information. It includes an up to three percent market adjustment salary increase for all state employees the language will allow anyone that is at or above the max to receive the increase that includes a compression of the pay scales for great GSO one through gso five all classifications authorized with these grades will have the same pay scale of thirty two thousand four hundred and five dollars to fifty one thousand six hundred eighty six dollars please note that three percent market adjustment and the pay scale adjustments for great one to five will have an estimated cost of nineteen million dollars to GR. There is an a ten percent increase to the maximum salary level for all the pay grades gissa want to see a five this change will also affect the mid point of each grade due to the ten percent increase in the maximum salary available for each grade and adjustment is required to the language for special rate of pay moving the threshold for approval by opm from thirty percent to forty percent. There is a section for special compensation awards to recognize employees outstanding performance a completion of special projects the special compensation wards will include lump some bonuses up to five thousand dollars or incentive leave of up to forty hours employees may only receive a special compensation where two times during a buying each department or agency will be required to create a plan and process to provide the awards this plan must be approved by the archaeological council or jbc prior to providing any awards to employees following approval of the plan any awards the department or agency wishes to provide must be approved for the office personnel management and reported to all sea or JBC each month. Agencies must find the funding. For these words within their existing budgets and may not access per the performance fund to provide awards. Um there's a section for recruitment incentives and to incentivise in recruit perspective employees the incentives may include bonus payments up to five thousand dollars or incentive leave of up to forty hours incentive bonus payments may be made as full lump sum payments upon employment or maybe paid and installments over the course of the commitment period. If the employee receiving the incentive bonus terminates prior to filling the required period of commitment any remaining bonus payment will be forfeited in a previous payments shall be repaid to the state department or agency each department or agency must follow the same process as a special compensation awards and provide a plan to be approved by alc your JBC prior to providing any incentives once the plan has approved OPM shall approve the payment of an incentive before it is provided to an employee and report report them to each month to ALC JBC a department or agency must find the funding for these incentives as well within their budget and may not access the performance fund to provide the incentives. Any there's also a section that adjusts the merit increased pay system any adjustment are changed to the current merit increased pay system under arkansas code twenty one five eleven oh one must be sent to ALC or JBC for approval before implementing the requested changes in madam chair I believe representative wouldn't has a brief amendment to this bill as well yes representative wouldn't you recognize to present your amendment. And if we'll have one second here we're gonna pass the amendment out. Will give us thirty seconds and then represent the written begin. Yeah. He's have you have been known provide thank you madame germany of you have been provided with a hand out there has the amendment that the items being changed or added or underlined. In both this amendment and the recruit again were attention section is an effort on the port community to make us more competitive in the market place. Their addressing the issue of not being compliant. Or in comparison to the marketplace today well to to the three percent. In our discussions and review and going over this we have several that have brought to our attention their concern about the company special compensation section so while we've done what I have done is attempted to make it more compatible with the agencies particularly the state police they they are a special organization I think we all working there is that. But won't tempting to do in this amendment is to make the decision back in the situation where personal decisions i'll become involved is struck the birthday on the need for the special sandman the need for the special project and the measurable current of their required to do what is being required of the employee of course agency will have to have a plan in place before they award this and then it will have to be forwarded to the joint budget or the lead slave accounts for approval for the compensation but briefly won't we've attempted to do with the amendment is to produce measurable results and other words have a specific requirements of the specialist special that can be measured about the supervisor the others who have to approve the the approval of the of the award of the special compensation it has to have a description of the special compensation the special project ended up description of how the employee or employees were selected for the project so we were attempted to deal with any subjectiveness to take it there I love it is best we possibly can and in the important to me you will important things that we need to do is to make state possessions state jobs comparable with the market place because we're competing and in a tide labor market today and the well being of state government will as opponent. Are employees and the the more competent the more scaled employees that we can hire and retain. Is what we need to do so we we were attempted and this amendment to address the concerns of the several members then the legislature and particularly as it were like spoke so compensation so I urge the adoption of this amendment and in order to address of the issues. Thank you now jam thank you representative wouldn't representative taught you recognize for a question. This. Thank you madame chair and so you would not really appreciate your efforts to made a lot of those concerns that I addressed in rules and also in the house floor and and I think these amendments they help do they are that in reading this amendment I have. She still one concern or something I want to make sure that I understand. Or a supervisor will ride a letter. Justifying the need or approval for an employee to do an additional assignment. Does that supervisor that immediate supervisor do they submit that letter with a request for them to be able to sign someone. Two that additional to ask or do they wrap that later after they've already selected one of their subordinates to perform that additional test i'm just not sure on this amendment in what order that approval takes place is it both again is it before they've selected a subordinate or they riding that request to the director of that agency requesting permission to select some one. Should be providing it. Thank you captain for you question they should be they should be writing it prior to the selection is my understanding okay and that and that was my concern and if that's the case that's good ideas did not won't and immediate supervisor that for an example. Say for say head five support it's we could use ten fifteen or twenty but to make my point we're going to use five supervisors and again I just I just don't want his bill to be able to allow an immediate supervisor. To be able to pick walk to pick one of those subordinates for an additional task or assignment and then rather let her objectification if the letter is read it is senny and before that a sand but is given to one of their subordinates and i'm okay but if that supervisor is making that decision and they're picking more of their subordinates and again I use the phrase I use the other day on the house for then they're in a position to pick winners and losers and and we don't leave that all our wall and all I want to make sure this bill is that ever state employee just like you do sort what I just want to make sure ever state employee is true traded fairly I want to make sure that all of my own a level playing feel and that ever one of them winters in the distant assignment that they are given the same opportunity to be able to to do that as I am in and be in the qualify for the special compensation of five thousand dollars or a week or pay vacation and I just want to make sure again that that supervisor is not immediate super as well I should say is not in a position to be able to pick those winners and lose yours and we know when that happens in you've you've stated issue say often you're an hour and agreement all there's that you know that's going to cause them a route problem that's going to cause hard fails to go to college to state yourself and I mean to give a speech on this battle chair but I think it's extremely important that we understand the disbey all the the way to this be on what the effect it can have owner stayed in ploys especially when we give that kind of authority to an immediate supervisor and so as long as this amendment and I read it and I be honest we wasn't real clear on it. Did the justification occur before the selection is made of a subordinate or they make a request to the director of that agency to be able to assign someone and justifying the person that they want to assign the base don't qualification so. Your answer to me today is that this letter. For justification to be able to select someone for an additional sign but it would qualify them for a special compensation or a weaker paid vacation that is submitted before a subordinate is ever selected are there the same and is ever made by immediate supervisor is there correct we'll make who will make sure that there's the case but let me make three point with you first of all it's not five thousand dollars in necessarily it can be up to the other male. The second thing is that they will have to submit the plan and have a thing two hours before it's approved and thirdly the agencies themselves will have the policy of them for each agency relatively to how are they going to handle it now for us to say it still here until you the school happened like you outlined in like a city would be done and that's really going to be in the policy player so we'll have another opportunity to review each player before it's good employees. So it'll be a legislative council or a joint budget depending on where we are assession wise and we will evaluate another a hope that it's been made very clear to every secretary of each and every department that they have to do all they can to reduce the subjectiveness in the plan and the person part of it so i'm hopeful that that will take place and follow up madame chair and I agree with you sorry would I agree with you I will ever think you say it and I really appreciate the effort you've made in these amendments to to you know identify and to try to help with a concerns that you know i've mentioned in the issue and I partially discussed it I really appreciate it I just feel like that in and hopefully you'll give me an answer to make sure that letter of justification I think that's critical to know that because i'd like to if they department here the director of an agency is making that decision as to who I should be selected for that special task I think that's extremely important that the director of an agency makes that decision it's decision so that decision is uniformity because that entire agency but when you have an immediate super base of making that decision decision sometimes in one section of that agency burst is another one of those immediate supervisor you could identify something as a special tears and have an employee do it were another could not so if we've got the director of the agency making that decision and not an immediate so provider there are nothing we're good but if it's still in the hands of immediate surprise you're. Then i've still got a problem so but with your actually as you're pretty sure it goes to the agency here for that final decision as to who would be asigned to that specialist sam it's so that's good but I think we need to make sure that madame chair and the representative would I think we just need to make sure that that's the case and with everything else I think there for that's been made to address those concerned thank you and but if you can make sure that i'd be happy to know that and and be pleased if that was the case thank you representative oh go ahead. Hope that he secretary. We'll be involved well they should be because their play and should call for that due to being involved in it it is not just these immediate supervisors as a surgery is the head of the agency and in the secretary that department of the other agency that makes that decision this is not the best of the world is it relates to more l building but it is what currently has taken place in the marketplace the quid services are great destined manage in the state government now. They up they will have to adam a far. The special project what the difference is in the job performance of the normal routine duties of that person. So hopefully we will be able to adapt what it is were after a special project and will be able to have measurable points in their plan they will take out the personal dspectrum which I think that's what we're we're all left well can we just make sure that the language is not something that is debatable within an agency as to who can make that decision that the language is clear and precisely in the fact that that decision will have to be made by the director of that agency it does this language again we want bags does it do they have read the s and I didn't see there are some times you just have to spell things out in a bill to say this is the way it's going to be and as long as I know the director's going to make that decision of who's doing the s that puts the amount of position to qualify for that special compensation i'm okay I just want to take it out of the hands of immediate supervisor that war it's not going to be the same across the state from all sat is state to the other and II won't rehearse that point because i've been through it and third with everybody but. So if I if somebody can just give me that assurance yes the director had will make the final decision yet they want to select i'm good representative tosh thank you I have understand and and respect that yes the direct the secretary will be the ones making the decision I mean nothing comes to us without approval of the secretary of that agency anyways and so and also opm once it comes to us will also be reaching out before any money is distributed back to that secretary to ensure that that's what they intended. So the plan if you look at the language I mean it's very easily the agencies could put that in the plan and based on this amendment even it says down where you look the amendment on page seven that a description of how the employer employees were selected for the project or assignment that prompted the request for the special compensation award that can easily be included in the plan that comes to us for approval on the front end and if at any time any member fills like there's not enough information or justification or they want more detail then that's the reason that we have approval on the front and in the first place so we can ask for that additional information before we approve if we want to do that so we certainly we will see all this on the front end but yes it is the age the director or the secretary that has that final approval before it even comes to us and if kay barnel wants to see anything different she cannot you know we can have a app here but that is the process that's what this intense and that's for us to decide if we approve a plan for an agency that comes to us based on the information that they give us so we will see that on the front end before any money is ever distributed and before the works ever completed so that will be for us to look at it if if if you allow me and I appreciate your comments and I understand what you're saying that those that pay plan or whatever that you know the process will be in place in approved by us as any agencies that submits their understand that. But will that agency in their plan the day lay out as I just want to make sure that all of my consistent was one agency to the next that the director of that agency is the one that's going to be making that decision as to who is given that space your test that would qualify them for their special conversation I just don't want to be one agent you're doing it one way and another age you don't this way I just think there has to be some uniformation so that's all across the state ever state employees given the same opportunity and all of them feel actually level play and feel alice that's all i'm trying to do and I just want to make sure that that's going to happen with the language that we've got in this bill and is desponsors of this bill if you assure me that that's good but if not I think we need to go back and make sure that that language in the bill so there is no doubt no loud that ever state import is going to have the same opportunity to be able to compete in the special assignment so that they too can qualify as long as we're doing that at all of my own playing field i'm good I just don't want you to be language in here that allows anything differently than what i've just expressed and what they ever and through representatives telling I agree with you and I think the the the proper change of command would be there immediately supervisor. Would make a decision now when he makes his citizen here she makes their decision if it's a department it would go to the department director and from him it would go to the secretary of the agency every plan should be the same as it relates to the selection browse there now to say it's going to be the same and agriculture mean totally the same it depends about the level of command but but the final file embarrassment of the fan approval will come from the secretary of their agency. Which will cover your review process before it leaves their agencies and go to. And the better the vile point that I want to make with you is the fact that we will approve every plan before it's awarded but we will approve the overall plan prior to it even being put in place in the agency so we will have the phone will. The. Oh that thank you thank you marythank you assend her hammer you're recognized for a question thank you mature and all that I think I heard you say this but I just want to hear it said again if you will so in it in a situation like this word there's going to be this exception for the scope of work that's not going to exceed six months prior to that work moving forward will it come before the personnel committee for review and approval prior to that commitment being made. Will refer it back with approval or disapproval okay so everything is going to be prior approval before the work begins and would that include also us having some that will allow us then to call into question why did it rise to the level of being something special to where the additional page is going to have to be pages that correct okay and then i'm just thinking the i'm just trying to wonder how how many examples of this in the path so that the agencies have built into their budget the ability to fulfill that financial obligation that's going to come with this and was that discussed in the putting together of this amendment and good issue what it was said. The money has to be and their agency so if they budget forward there's a principle how many they think they're going to have they can burger for it now to say that that will be approved okay then to there but they came out used money other than what is what they have available. Right so entered the current budget that we're about to approve they have anticipated how much decision is you can be used for not not yet they because that we don't even have plans yet so the plans will not every specific instance is not going to come before us ahead of time for approval the overall plan that agencies want to put in place to award special compensation awards that's what will come to us and it will have all these details what is an objective measurable standard for that word the reason for it and that's what we will see on the front interpret they cannot award any compensation any special compensation awards with money that they don't have so if an agency like they're going to have to work that within the budget so we don't have a number right now because there's no there's no plans yet no special compensation projects have been identified yet but that something will see on on the front end for approval and they'll work within their own budgets that they have to hand out those awards the trans that I just wanted on the record that as far as what's going on in the budget cycle we're dealing with now there is or there is not bill to enter their budgets are going to have to they're going to have to defend it each and every time come before us then we get in the wage of haggling to pay for it within the budget you guys are a fair characterization that's right they already have it in their budget they've got to find it to be able to award it so we're not going to have to work through funding and where's the money going to come from they'll base their awards and their projects based on the funding they have available the man chair promised i'll be quick but can can the table sudden ask your question please absolutely thank you. Yeah. The. Thank you please state your name and who you're with for the record is k barn hill with the transformation department of state personnel direct. Less like this can secretary of transformation insurance services take thank you and they come out of church okay my question is had to come up with had come up with some idea as far as what's going to be built in the budget to be able to accommodate this wants to pay plan go sue this amendments put in it and all this good stuff done so do you how did you historically come up with in the budgets the numbers based on previous examples and how many previous examples were there that were used in order to set into the budgets what you think is going to be the anticipated amount used. Senator hammer are these awards must come out of the agency's existing budget there is no particular funding for these rewards that comes out of their personal services budget as it is that it's one of the reasons we had leave and compensation as options because of the agency or department can not afford to give a award based on their budgetary issue they can do it with late when on anticipate this to be a. A full I mean it's for special projects is not for just doing the job it's for doing extra work that has been a fan throughout the department so some examples I could give you one other back to one of these pretty pretty often and it was when we have the medicaid back human services had a big group that agreed to work nights weekends do all the sex to work to catch that back up before the end of the year. They couldn't award bonuses for that but it certainly happened at that time okay all right I just and all the agencies are good with believing they've got the money in their budgets currently to cover these that right yes that are thank you thank you ma'am chair for legit. Thank you all right representative tosh you've got a question are you madam chair met upset of you just get how many of our state imports and you might not have the insurer they understand in twenty twenty three. How many other received what percentage received I married increase. In twenty twenty three how many of our state employees percentage wise received a merit. Representative tosh there about twenty three thousand full time regular employees and in twenty three about five point five hundred and forty received so it looks to me that that's around a little bit less than twenty five percent. So less than twenty five percent last year a bar state employees only less than twenty five percent is all that received a merit increase yes sir. Can't. Because I knows in years past that percentage would have been considered behind. What happened last year that would have caused such a drop in the number of state employees receiving a married increase. I think i'm previous years we had a warden married increases for satisfactory performance and this past year it was specified that it had to be above standards are excellent performance to receive an increase. This. So another war jars date implies many of them would that change in the gone from satisfactory beating giving it may it raise to a four or five on that performance evaluation just left a lot of a band would you agree with that. Yes sir. Okay so this bill here would be an attempt up to. It leaves correct that product part of the problem in so i'm an agreement with that so in you heard my questions while ago is there anything you'd like to add to that concerning the justification who would make that approval is is that. You've read the amendment so are you okay with it yes basically there's gonna be three levels of approval for any reward could be awarded it will go first through the secretary of the department then it comes to open open reviews that to see if there's any holes and that selection process and before we send it over to you and then when it gets to you you also get to review it so I thought we've talked that process down okay appreciate your trying to address my concerns in appreciate your meeting with me the other day and and it looks like that attempt has been made i'm still a little concerned about some of that languages you can talk so. Hopefully hopefully it'll be addressed the way that all of our state employers have the same opportunity to thank you thank you and again a representative tash that the secretaries will approve it's not just funding but it's also could be vacation days and we have approval on the front and so I think we've made this language as air tight as possible to ensure that it is fair across the board that if there are special projects with an agencies that the employees have an a chance at that work so I really think we've we've never this language down so much and put so many controls around it that it is really it really is airtight in my opinion and like I said it comes to as for approval and I think I mean that's the big thing is if if we care about this and we are really paying attention to make sure that this is executed in the way that we see fit then we'll be paying attention to the approval on the front end and asking those questions and if we want more follow up then will ask the agencies for fall up on their plan and we can approve or not approve so I do think we've done our due diligence here to really address concerns and make this language irritate to ensure that there's not favoritism II think what what you're looking at here but you're looking for is to ensure that there is not favoritism that all employees have a chance and I think that we've really done that with with this language that you and representative wouldn't have worked on and making sure that those employees do you have a fair chance of the special compensation awards so thank you II appreciate the the conversation and I wanted you'd be able to ask your questions and everybody hear that you know this is what we've been going through for months and months and we've really been trying to work through the details to. You know protect and represent saint employees and ensure that they have opportunities at the special compensation awards and that this employee state employee plan is fair and it's something that everybody's on board with and I think we've really come to that agreement from all sides the state employee side the state agency side the legislative side so seen no more questions do I have a motion to adopt the amendment emotioned out a second second all those in favor please say I oppose no motion carries. Ok the amendment has been adopted do I have any questions on the bill itself on the state employee pay planned bill. Yeah. See no questions do I have a motion. To adopt as amended thank you I have a motion to have a second and a second any questions are those in favor say I oppose no motion carries alright thank you will move on to item c thick chairman item see is a letter from the administrative office of the courts on page seven of the packet you'll see an increase of one data quality manager and on page nine you'll see the elimination of one AOC c IP data analyst this is giving them a net change of zero positions on page nine they have also lowered the regular salaries and matching appropriation in the court improvement program of a hundred and eighteen thousand dollars and that's federal funding. Man i'm sure in that is all the changes for items see do we have any questions on item c nine do we have a motion to approve. I'm emotion do I have a second a second any discussion all those and favorably say I know motion carries item d madam chairman item d is a letter for the attorney general's office and i'm going to note to the committee that which you have in front of you is the attorney general's letter and then the amendment that goes with the letter and there's several changes within this letter so if you if you turn and look at page of nineteen of the packets for the attorney general you'll see a spread of the spreadsheet on page nineteen and twenty and that's really what i'm going to go through that displays what changes are being made by the letter from the attorney general so starting on page nineteen in section one there are total of sixteen new positions that are being requested in the operation section section of the appropriation bill along with several reclassifications of existing positions yes. You'll see those changes laid out and bold and you can see the increaser decrease for each classification in the position change column on the right side so the second to last column you'll see the plus reminder's positions where they are changing in and out which titles they have in their appropriation bill also next to that on the right side you'll see the percentage change calm that shows the percentage increase in the land at a maximums they are asking for these classifications most of the land out of maximums have been increased anywhere from ten to twenty two percent in this particular section they've requested a new extra help section to be added in the operations this includes ten extra help positions this is the next table down it's his new section two extra of operations and you'll see the ten positions there. Then below that in section two this is the appropriation for operations from state central services you can see that the request includes a twenty nine percent increase in regular salaries and a twenty six percent increase in matching for the positions above adding an additional five point five million dollars from state central services this includes two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for those ten extra positions in the final table at the bottom of that page. Sorry I was replaced and. There is a one reclassification you'll see the addition of one senior management system to you. And the elimination of a senior management assistant but there's no increase in a number of positions. As we moved to the last page page twenty. You'll see the total increase. In this medicaid fraud section is a hundred thousand dollars. This is a regular salaries increase of twelve percent and a matching increase of ten percent and an undersection five for regular salaries medicaid frod federal you'll see three positions are being reclassified with no increase in the total number of positions the same classifications are used in the appropriation in the operations appropriations and show the same lot out of max percentage increases in bold on the right side. The next table under section seven shows the regular salary and matching appropriation increases at fifteen and twelve percent for medicaid fraud federal with a total increase of three hundred and twenty three thousand dollars. Finally there are no position changes than section ten this is the cooperative disability investigation other than an increase over ten percent for one of the classifications the last table for sex eleven shows the increase in appropriation for regular salaries and match in the corporative disability investigation program at ten percent and seven percent for total increase in federal appropriation of thirty two thousand dollars madame chairman i'll take any questions alright thank you do I have any questions on item d. All right so now hammer you are recognized thank you could we get the agency to the table please. Please state your name and who you're with for the record. Thank you madame chair members of the committee right now cheap death for the attorney general. Yeah. Morning when I just give me the lay the land as far as all the changes the increase is just give me give me some conference level would you yeah thank you for the question and the opportunity to provide a little bit more context here so that the overall at most general down and specific the overall is our total overall appropriation request is two point two percent increase from the previous year that includes a reduction of five million off of the settlement cap that applies to the ages office where requesting to add as as as was said earlier sixteen new position really twenty six new positions ten of those are extra help positions that were they have historically been in the ag's appropriation that we removed last year when you put those back that's our law clerk program so we have a sort of an entire system that we're developing to attract the very best attorney's notice in the state but also in the region and nationally can work at the ag's office so that's those ten. Slates that gives a sixteen net essentially sixteen net of those sixteen ten or additional attorneys five article investigators in one is an administrative assistant and the theme there center hammer is our office where we're doing more work in and all the divisions then most of the divisions have done in the previous several years so for example we have a number of new obligations and old obligations that that we are picking up the baton on and making sure that we're are doing around law enforcement round investigations and so on so it's the reason for example for those five uh investigators what it happened historically is you have an investigator you have one investigator for example who's working internet crimes against children cases and then a human tracking case comes in and so that investigator has a set aside the account case and move over to the human traffic in case and then we're having a shift back and forth so this increase in the investigators for example will allow us to make much better progress on those cases and ultimately keep our cans and safer. Okay thank you in the area cause you'll get right or the coles pretty good regarding the attorney general's opinion is is this going to help expedite those opinions or where are you historically now based on where you started from yeah thank you so historically I have some personal knowledge of this i've been in the opinions division now under three attorneys general historically the average number of opinions released under the previous three attorneys general is about a hundred forty per year and in the previous four the last four years of the previous administration that got down very very low the last year of the previous administration was thirty two total opinions released. We are rebuilding the opinions division. And that's been a significant initiative of the attorney general so we have now just now got back to being fully staff I say just now about three four months ago got back to being fully staffed in the opinions division and we've dropped that turnaround time which had gotten to about five months in the previous ah the last four years of the previous administration we've gotten that turnaround time back down to about forty days we'd like to get that under thirty and so to your questions their hammer one of these attorney attorney slots that were requesting is for an additional opinion's person so we can continue to drop that so the ulk and count on those opinions and then last questions as far as you're turnover rate due to loss of attorneys being hired away were give gimme some perspective on their as far as the loss of attorneys to other firms are. Right yeah thank you so this is our goal is to obviously to stop that the attorney generally said that we are he wants the office to be the the premier firm in the state and so we have a slightly different position in some agencies where we're competing not just against other agencies and marketplace for talent but also we're competing against people in private practice obviously we can't keep up with certain levels of this private practice pay but we can insured keep up with the comparable positions in other state agencies so some of the positions that are increased you know up to twenty percent some of those frankly have been neglected positions in the sense that they have not kept pays with changes over time and so our goal with those is to put this basically right size those to their peers and similar organizations so that we we're able to recruit the very best and keep them all taking maps here. Alright thank you representative taste you're recognized for a question that you made a chair how many investigators i'm sure how many best go to you have now right now I believe we have we have get several different divisions with investigators that where we're adding these investigators as to our special investigations division which is responsible for investigating internet crowds against trial children cases human traffic in cases organized retail crime cases election integrity cases and legislative audit issues. I'm just curious when you have these additional fab investigators are you looking at current law and porch but all of shares are those retirement water one of the quality case you look for whatever their background i'm just curious is is it previous law enforcement experience obviously yes and majority of these are all five of these are sworn positions so these are all former some of them are retired some of them are not retired they've been just moving over into the organization yes last question manager are these are these commission also specifications that you're with all enforcement authority. I'm so I didn't hear your question I said all the investigators these additional five investigators ran the investigators you have are those commissioned law enforcement alters are they understand story law are they commissioned to enforce the law and make arranged yes sir they're certified law enforcement officers okay thank you thank you seeing no more questions or have a motion to approve. Emotion second all right all those and favorably say I oppose no motion carries item e mail chairman item is letter from the auditor of state on page thirteen you'll see the auditor of state is requesting the reclassification of three positions in the first table showing for the regular salaries appropriation there are no request for increases and modern max over ten percent the regular salaries and match line items can be seen in the next table down under sixty three the out to a hundred and seventy thousand dollars from state central services section four and five last few tables on the spreadsheet and show the positions in appropriations for the unclaimed property appropriation paid by state central services there are no additional positions or line and a max increase is over ten percent there is a really salary and matching increase of eighty thousand dollars for this appropriation. Do I have any questions on item e. See nando have a motion to approve. Drive a second any discussion all those in favor please they are opposed now motion carries item from chairman item earth is from the commissioner state lands starting on page eleven. The. In bold you'll see an item director being reclassified to an it administrator as well as a staff attorney being reclassified to a special project's coordinator they're also two new positions created for a real estate administrator in an assistant director of public relations the department has also requested to eliminate a legal secretary of fiscal associate three and four customer service associates each classication authorized is requested had their long animals increased by ten percent in these position changes created net decrease of four positions in the appropriation the commission also requests to lower the regular salaries and match totals by forty thousand dollars from state central services. This. Any questions seen do I have a motion to prove item a second any discussion are those in favor of place they are opposed now motion carries item g madam chairman on item g if you'll look at page six of the packets that on the very back page of the lieutenant governor's requested no changes other than moving the line out of maximums up ten percent over their current level in adding twenty nine thousand dollars to the regular salaries and matching line items from state central services to accommodate those hours any questions on item g seen non do I have a motion to approve a second any discussion all those in favor please say I oppose no motion carries item for excuse me item h madame chairman items hand item eye or both from and one are in both and when packet and they're both from the secretary of state however we do have some adjustments of them hand outs that are coming around. Yes sorry. So the amendment that you all are being in handle they'll have tony go through it in a little more detail but essentially it takes the request to twenty positions to ensure that we have security over big mac. And it also puts the salaries in line with the state employee plan and i'll at tony go through it a little bit more when everybody gets there's. Thank you chairman sorry about that so there are two amendments here for senator davis. The two amendments one is the first amendment will deal with their current bill the second amendment deals with a supplemental appropriation for the rest of this fiscal year so that's why there's two amendments if you turn to the very back page of the packet that you've been handed there's another spreadsheet for the for the committee to look at in this incorporate both amendments what you're going to see for the bill and for the supplemental bill for the rest of the remaining of this year so there are no changes. On the first table section one there's no additional positions there's no increases over the ten percent for the positions that they currently have at the secretary of state when you go under the bottom table for section three this is the operations section you'll see an increase of six hundred ninety four thousand dollars and change this is five percent and regular salaries and six percent in matching these are increases for their existing positions. If you flip over to the back. You'll see the new table this is for this is where the amendment comes in where you see twenty new positions being added you've got a stay capital police lieutenant a secretary of state training sergeant a state police sergeant excuse me secretary of state police sergeant secretary of state programmer analyst secretary of state police corporal and secretary of state dispatcher so these twenty positions in the salaries that are requested here which are the same as the positions on the front page. These add the twenty positions you'll see in section five this is a new appropriation it adds one one point nine million dollars to the to the agency for these twenty positions for the security which you see in the second are the last table down this is the appropriation for the positions for the supplemental bill so the twenty positions that you approve up at the top it's the same twenty positions and below we're just adding them currently to this fiscal year nothing changes bathroom and there's no regular sellers are matching appropriations added for these twenty positions so I just don't want the committee to get confused and think there's forty there's only twenty we're adding the twenty for the remainder of this year and in the go on and carry forward for FY twenty five. Do we have any questions on the amendments. All right seen hang on. Alright do we have emotion to adopt both amendments in a second. Alright any discussion all those in favor please say I oppose no motion carries okay now uhm are there any questions on items hi. Cdan do have a motion to approve items high as amended motion a second so I can't any discussion all those and favorably say I oppose no motion carries right moving on to item j madam chairman item jays letter from urged yes a letter from the supreme court the supreme court is asked for two new supreme court police officers agree GS ten there's no request for adjusted appropriations this will take their total number of positions in the operation section from forty nine to fifty one. Alright are there any questions on item j. Seen earned do I have a motion to approve the motion to have a second any discussion all those in favorably say I oppose no motion carries item k item k is from the treasure of state the treasurers asked to make permanent the one treasure executive assistant to the treasurer that was created during the interim this will take them from thirty two to thirty three positions they've also requested increase of ten percent to each one at a max. In the appropriations section and this is all on page fifteen appropriations section you'll see their requested increases to rego sorry match along with an increase and their extra help one item the total increase is two hundred thousand dollars for all three appropriations from state central services. Are there any questions on item k seen none do I have a motion to approve a motion to have a second any discussion all those infavorably say I oppose no motion carries item l m chairman item else a letter from the arkansas game in fish commission on page one of the letter from arks ogin fish you can see that they're requesting eight additional positions one position for their it to positions for the conservation biologist poor one for their giants pool three for their agc biologist pool and in one new four coordinator position these changes can also speak in in the bill mark up beginning on page eight of the packet on page nine you will see the requested changes to the regular salaries extra help in matching line items the total increase for the agency for these three line items is seven point one million dollars however the total increase after the other adjustments that are going to be made to that appropriation is only an increase of two point six million dollars from the AG f c protection fund. Okay are there any questions on item l seen none to have a motion to approve driver second any discussion all those in favor of place they I oppose now motion carries. All right that is it for the business that we have today I want to say that JPR is going to be meeting right now after personnel so please set over the personnel or at a jpr right now if you're on there you guys have an important vote you need to take with that meetings adjourned.