House Convenes

The. All. The. The. Yeah. The. The. In accordance with invite the wording the arkansas constitution article five section five the fiscal session of the ninety fourth arkansas general assembly will now come to order invite the members staff press and guess in the galleries to stand to be led in prayer by doctor jonathan kelly pastor of first babies church in hot springs and to please remain standing for the pledge of allegiance to be led by representative lane g. Let us. Greases guy we come before you now grateful to and i'm called the state of arkans. Assist those showers would remind us of the many blessings that have fallen o. Prosperity developing we see children excelling we see families uplifted and so guide from northern arkansas to south arkansas central arkansas the delta region we just ask. The wisdom. Yeah. I'm in. Members please indicate your pres. Madam. Mark. Mr clark called the role. Acre. Or here present allen andrews. Barker maybe maybe. The. Back bentley bet mark merry standbarry brow brooks k brown m brown marks joe car john car cabinet clowney collins cooper cos are crawl bird down be that bill nook evens In it ubank's evans. Debra bargain can berger soon charliene barn lanny bar lany part flours flowers porter burman garner gas away gonzalez graham which hodges lee hodges grand hodges holcom hallowell had some gene johnson ladyman long landstrom linch maddex madix meg maybe mcalinden mcclurre mccollum mccolla macle roy magrew mackenzie mcnair makes melar melagan j more kendermore next painter bears pairing bill kington per year ray j recordson scott richardson richmond rose rare sure scott shepherd. Springer stam or target underword hunger about walker wardle word love warn more on watson white occur wing woman well ridge wooten speaker. Ask let me let the record reflect representative baby is here later. Would ninety eight members present the charities a core and are there any requests for leave representative representative mcnair for what purpose if they deline that leave granted for representative laney fight. The. This tamil recognized the delegation. The. The. The senate is here and open for business thank you. Are you. The. Madame clark please read house resolution one thous. House resolution one thousand one by representative wing for a joint session of the house of representatives and to send it at twelve thirty pm wednesday april tenth twenty twenty four in the house chamber to hear an address by the honourable sarah sanders the governor of the state of arkansas. Read the resolution second time. Paris resolution one thousand one read the resolution a third time house resolution one thousand one reps of wing your recognized to speak for the resolution. This joint session and to be able to hear from the honorable governor sanders i'd appreciate a good vote. Represent wing is explained the resolution would anyone like to speak against the resolution for the resolution represent wing as close for the resolution the question before the house is the past past resolution one thousand one all in favor say I any opposed they need the as habit. Represent both for what purpose motion let's hear your motion mr speaker to work in a more efficient manner and to save taxpayer dollars I move that we suspend for the duration of the physical session house rule thirty eight p through t setting minimum links of time for circulation of physical impact statements related to specific types of legislation that's probably motion it's not debatable all in favor say are any opposed the as have it represented bought for what purposes motion let's hear your motion speaker I moved that way suspend for the duration of the fiscal session house rule forty one requiring bills to be on the dash for at least twenty four hours before final passage and prohibiting bills from being placed on committee agenda is no sooner than the second calendar day following its filing that's a proper motion it's not debatable all in favor say are you any opposed the as habit representative for what purpose motion let's hear your motion mister speaker I may voice to spend for the duration of the physical session house rules sixty a setting the minimum links of time for notice of community meetings that's a proper motion it's not debatable all in favor say are any opposed to outs have it. The following committee is appointed to notify the senate that the house is in session and ready for business representative mark berry chair person representative josh miller representative bibbie and flowers representative jamie scott represent deal ya hawk representative grant hodges. Following committee is appointed notify governor sanders at the house as in session and ready for business representative charliene fight chair person represent deborah ferguson represent milton next representative jack fortner representative danning watson. Members that are still here in the chamber we do have a few announcements our doctor the day as doctor navine patiel and infectious disease position here in little rock. The. The. Yeah. Yeah. And our nurses are the day our sherry banard and brenda hewitt. Members we also have with this as julie casha brandy schulz jack shilts and sam schulz they're all yes of representative bart schultz they're in the north gallery miss cash shows his is reps of short sister. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Mary man clerk read the bills house be one thousand one the objection read the bill a second time elsewhere one thousand one balander hospital one thousand two thousand objection read the bill second time as well one thousand two house management house but one thousand three that objection rebuild second time elsewhere one thousand three point budget. Members the house will stand in recess until the joint session at twelve thirty. Check one two check. This. Yeah. The. The. Yeah. The. Yeah. By authority of house resolution one thousand one and senate resolution wine the joint session of the house of representatives and senate is called to order and bite the member staff press and guess in the galleries to stand to be led in prayer by doctor jonathan kelly pastor first baptist church in hot springs to please remain standing for the posting of the colors by the arguments all state police color guard and for the pledge of allegiance to be led by representative lane gene. Let us pray. Father we bow before you know and we are mindful on this day of what a privilege it is to call the united states our home con. For self governance that the men and women in this chamber gets a s. And so we are mine for then of the people the citizens of arkansas. And every town village that wherever they live they were created in your. Remindful of the many natural resources our state has been blessed with but we know that our greatest resource are the people. We are grateful for educators who invest in the next generation. I teaching every day we're grateful for our police officers in our firefighters who keep a safe were grateful for doctors and nurses who promote our health lord we are grateful for people we often forget those who collect our garbage. Work on our streets. We know that we all work together to create a better arkansas and so guide grant these men and women during this session the ability uh to discern wisdom to promote the welfare of all those who call arkansas they're home and christianity and we pray. Secretary please call the role of the senate board brand card well chesterfield clark crown davis dese this mine dartson english flipped out flowers gilmore hammer hester hake hill. Urban like johnson mark johnson can learning love making up. Payton penza. Perry rice down stabber fills on leave sullivan tucker wallace. Representatives please indicate your presence by pushing your yellow present button prepare the machi. Cast up the ballot made a clerk with ninety nine members present the chair sees a core of are there any requests for. Late representative landing fight is leave granted for representative laney fight so noted. The president protempt appoints the following senators as the committee to escort governor sarah huckeny sanders to the house chamber senator brian davis senator matt mckey and senator jam petty. Speaker points of following representatives it's the committee to escort governor sarah had to be sanders to the house chamber representative marcus richmond chair person representative lane gene representative jeff wardlaw representative john ubank's representative kenneth ferguson represented fred allen representative france is cavenal representative jimmy gazaway representative sony ubank's barker representative david ray representative john mill. Mr speaker mrperiod sergeant and arms for what purpose it meant is that the governor of a great state of arkansas honorable service centers mr sergeant and arms please admit the governor. The. Yeah. The. The. Yeah. The. Yeah. The. Yeah. The. The. Okay. Yeah. The. The. The. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. The. The. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The. Thank you governor sanders you're recognized thank you mister speaker. Good afternoon. We got one on the front road speaker shepherd president hester. Constitutional officers. Members of the supreme court distinguished members of the general assembly my family and my fellow arkansas it is an honor to join you for my first state of the state address it's been just over a year since I took office as our state's forty seventh governor and what an incredible year it has to be on. Compared to last year's inaugural address today is a bit more low key but what today lacks in fanfare we make up for it in substance. Last year I made promises this year and reporting results. But I didn't do any of it alone it was the partnership and the work of this body that helped us bring about transformation or change and it wasn't always easy but it is something that we can certainly or be proud of even on the hard days the one thing that we could count on where the people of arkansas. One of the most difficult days since I took office was march thirty first of last year the day that tornadoes tore through central arkansas and when I was in went two days after meeting with students with families and seen the damage to the town's homes businesses and when high school one of the stories I heard about that day was about a group of high schoolers who came after the storm passed they showed up to see their school and the damage and unlike just about everything else the flag pole was still standing but the flags that it normally hung there were gone a searched their town they tracked down their flags and they mounted it back on that flag pole it is the flag pole that is standing in front of that school today built but not broken in government it's easy to forget the bigger picture. Let us never loose sight of the people that we serve and let us never forget why they elected us to be here in the first place I came into this office as the arkansas first woman governor and the youngest governor in the country but those are not the data points that matter to me the ones that I cared about were forty eighth in america for starting teacher pay forty fifth in the nation for a literacy the highest tax burden in the region the highest violent crime rate in the nation I can sell head deep entranched problems when I took office and we were not going to solve those problems with the same failed policies that got us here in the first place so we charged a new course and that meant changed sometimes a lot of it and it made a few people on comfortable but we are building a better a safer and a stronger arkansas in fact our work is making arkansas a model for the nation our priorities are reflected in the budget that we put before us hard as it may be I made a promise to the people of arkansas that we would work to slow the growth of government and with the help of my cabinet we have kept it this year's budget increase is spending by only one point seventy six percent for below the three percent year over a year average that we have had in recent years if you send me a budget that funds critical services for our kansas while slowing the growth of government. I will sign up. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. That's because as revenue's climb and costs slow will have room to cut taxes we have already done so by more than three hundred million dollars and i'm committed to responsibly phasing out our state income tax and letting every archains and keep more of their hard owned money. The. Tax cuts are just some of the bipartisan legislation that we have come together to pass we enacted the protect act death by delivery universal licensing reform social media protections for kids and much much more all with support from both sides of the aisle frankly there are people outside of this chamber and maybe even a few inside who want to distract us from these common sense reforms I beg of you do not let them there is a lot of wisdom in the marble holes of the capital but i've learned even more from spending time with people from magnolia tomorrow and button to build libel which is why i've traveled more than sixteen thousand miles in arkansas last year and hosted more than two hundred and fifty events I remember holding a town hall and hebrew springs I was taking questions and I was surprised when half of the crowd sounded like they had come from the soprano central casting I thought do people from the northeast just have a way of talking over everyone or do we have our own little italy on the shortest of gray resperie turns out the answer is yes and yes as I mingled with the proud afterward I figured out the reason these newcomers love our freedom living to state and are great people and they're not just in hebre i've met transplants from everywhere I have gone. We are even getting a former kentucky wild couch in say it bill as I speak welcome to arkansas. Yeah. Yeah. Added twenty one thousand new arcans and slash year alone these newcomers are joined by companies from literally all over the country and all over the world I traveled to europe and age to pitch businesses on arkansas and i'm here to report they liked what they heard companies proposed more than one billion dollars in new investments last year companies like rafil rate beyond and lockheed martin are turning camden arkansas into the arsenal a freedom supplying israel's arndone america's marine corps and service members across the globe the so falcon is adding eight hundred new jobs right here in literal and mississippi county is now the tap still producing county in america. Little bias there. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The. You can tell where the northeast arkansas while their arms is helping us defend our rates with the expansion in fort smith and companies are making investments left in right in south arkansas with the are national economy is dragging blue states are shrinking but arkansas is roaring ahead and that starts with education which was my tap priority since taking office. I worked with this body this group to pass arkansal learns and launched the largest transformation of arkansas education in modern history and the largest single investment in our public schools ever before. Yeah. The. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Before this year are teachers where some of the worst paid in the country in many districts there wasn't a single educator making more than fifty thousand dollars a year learns rays starting teacher pay from thirty six thousand dollars to fifty thousand dollars and gave every single teacher in the state a two thousand dollar race. Yeah. Arkansas went from forty eighth in the country to the top five overnight before this year only a third of arkansas third graders could read at great level learns deployed hundred and twenty literacy coaches to public schools across the state targeting at risk students with the attention that our kids need and the attention that they deserve before this year arkansas families had no choice where to send their kids to school learns expanded education freedom to more than five thousand students in just one year fifty percent of those students have learning disabilities we have a few efa families that are here with us today including colonel chad bridges from the arkansas national guards thirty ninth infrontory brigade combat team his wife carry and there are two kids I met shout and some other arkansas guardsmen during my trade mission to germany last year and while we that were there chad brought up the orange act and mentioned that his family was taking advantage of the program so that they could send their son carstone who has down send to compassion academy in conway now nearly nine months into the school year carstone could not be doing better he's never been the type of kid who lets his differences get in the way of doing what he knows that he is capable of doing and that compass account of me he is surrounded by supportive staff who believes in hound just as much as he do does we ask a lot. Of marms and doubts who protect our communities and our freedoms and to keep us safe and it's important that we recognize their service and their sacrifice and that we stand up and show them our support carson is here with us today carson are you up there i'd love to get away. The. Let that be a reminder to this group carstone is the person that we are survey carson is the person that we are helping and carstone is the face that we are fighting for every single day you're one of the learns act targeted the most at risk students in our state but education freedom should be for everyone and soon education freedom accounts will be too I had the opportunity to visit harvest time accounting in fort smith last week to announce that efa applications for next year are now open to more families the children of first responders law enforcement veterans and any student attending a deraded school in just the first day of the application period we had more than eighteen hundred new sign ups new students looking for an opportunity and those numbers have only climbed and i'm happy to report that twenty five percent of those applicants are the children of active duty military personnel and our state's federance they deserve to know that we are cheering and routing for them. This. The. Educational freedom is the least that we can do for those who put everything on the line for our freedom this time next year we will have universal education freedom for the first time in arkansas history. The. The. Yeah. The. Send me a budget that continues to fully find fund the learns act and I will sign it. The. The. Yeah. The. Education was my first priority but it was far from my only one for too many or cancelled the thought of taking your kids to the park or stopping at a gas station at night is a scary one the reason is simple some of our leaders think it is compassionate to cart all criminals frankly they need a reality check i've been to the southern border and i've seen how joe bards compassion let's the cartels traffic millions of people and deadly drugs into our country. Just last week are can saw state police seized half a pound of that no in a routine traffic stop that is enough to kill eight hundred thousand people a town that is bigger than all of the population of fort's method and so and we've read far too many reports here in arkansas about what violent repeat offenders who are sinnets to decades in prison loud out early and then go on to commit other crimes this isn't compassion it's cruelty and we've had enough sir last week I thanked forty arkansas garagement before they headed out on ambition to our southern border they know the gravity of the security and the humanitarian crisis that we are facing and every single one of them volunteered to go on that mission many for their second time last year the legislation passed and I signed death by delivery which charges final dealers with murder if the drugs they traffic cause a fatal overdose and we came together again to pass the protect act. No more catch in release of violent repeat offenders in arkansas we will keep the most dangerous criminals off of our streets. Yeah. I. And we're paving the way to build a new three thousand bed prison and in the meantime we have opened up a thousand beds in our existing capacity to take pressure off of our local jails. The. Arkansas state police are on the front lines of that effort it's why allocated three point eight million dollars in my budget to replenish their ranks. When we think of our state troopers. We often think of them chasing down criminals or launching drug bust and that's certainly part of the job but it's not all magnum pi late one night this january trooper brandon bird was on patrol on interstate forty he came across an older man sitting in his vehicle and out of gas bird sat with the man as he called a family member who couldn't come to pick the general men up until the next morning so trooper bird drove the man to the nearest hotel and when they got there he found out that the elderly gentleman had no money. So we paid a hundred dollars out of his own pocket for the man to have a warm room for the night random felt like he was just doing his job but the reality of this situation soon sunker it was dark and it was cold the man had no gaps if bird had not been there the man likely would have frozen to death trooper bird is with us today and I want to take him and all of our law enforcement for their service to our state they could be send up and be right. Yeah. Brand story is remarkable but it's not uncalm and for the exceptional men and women of the arkansas state police when the left coles to defund the police remember that these are the troopers that they want to get rid of remember that we do not need less of trooper bird we need a lot more like. The. Yeah. The. That's why we've increased state police ranks by more than seventeen percent. In just one year since i've taken office and it's why i'm working to grow the force by more than one hundred additional officers send me a budget that funds are police and I will sign it. The. The. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Public safety and education when we crack those problems a low cost of living won't be the only thing bringing new commerce to arkansas and there are hardly this groups only accomplishments. I was the first governor in the country with the help of those in this room to kick a chinese state owned company off of our foreign land and out of our state. The. Yeah. Together we launched a comprehensive work for strategy to get our cans back in the job market arkansas learns plays a big rolling out growing career and technical education and ending a lie that if you don't go to college you are somehow less then we're making progress on our maternal health crisis each year a eleven hundred women in our state never even see a doctor until they go into labor I signed an executive order to help women access the health care they need because we know that healthier women mean healthier babies study after study shows that too much social media exposure leaves our kids anxious and depressed. Unfortunately suicide rates for young teams have tripled since two thousand and seven depression among teenagers is up one hundred and fifty percent and thirty percent of all teenage girls are now seriously considering to aside we were one of the first states to pass legislation protecting our kids from dangerous and addictive social media but we cannot stop there it is time to start a conversation and make this issue one of our next big priorities experts suggest goals like no smartphones before high school no social media before sixteen phone free schools and more outdoor play and childhood independence big tac just like joe camel says that it is kids right to use their addictive products I disagree and are consult will lead on their sust like we have done on education and public safety because we have to. The. The. Yeah. And I fully expect that big tech will take us to court but we will fight them because our children's future depends on it we band in doctor nation and our schools we got rid of nonsense words like birthing person and men and women's sports we focused on improving the quality of life my husband brian who is here with me at my three kids our spearheading the natural state initiative to grow outdoor recreation and tourism already were smashing tourism records left and right are tourism revenue in each month of twenty twenty three has already set a new record and twenty twenty four is on track to break records again we live in one of the most beautiful states in america and it's time that the rest of the world finds it out about it too. The. The. The. Yeah. The. Mid all this progress we have had challenges to we're just over a year past the march thirty first tornadoes that I mentioned earlier and with us today is passed or eddie miller from jacksonville I met pastor miller the day after his church was destroyed in the store. And when I visited most of his entire structure in church was completely gone but it's faith strong pastor miller let us deep into the sanctuary where the roof had completely caved out miraculously there was one wall still standing and on that wall connect one night two but three wooden crosses pester miller my husband brian a few local legislators we put our arms around each other in that moment and we prayed we prayed for a strength we paid for resilience we pray that this community though bet would not break a year later by the grace of guard and with the sweat of his congregation pastor millers church walls are back up past their miller you could be recognized. Yeah. Yeah. The. The. The rebuilding isn't done yet but when it's finished it will be better than what stood there before a testimony to our gripe and to guards internal world the greatest privilege of this job is being with the people of arkansas who no matter what will never be broken we are humble we are gracious we work hard and we take care of one another we put our trust in our families and are fee in god almighty may we never ever forget who we are and who we serve and let us never be afraid to charge boldly ahead my god bless you in their guard bless the great state of arkansas thank you so much let's get to work. Yeah. Yeah. The. The. The. Yeah. The. The. Yes. Yeah. Okay. The. The. Yeah. The. The. The. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The. The. The. Yeah. The. Are. I. House will come to order. The. Representative meeks from what purpose motion please let's hear your motion after the announcements reading of the bills transferring of the bills place in the counters on the desk members amending their own bills with their own amendments members withdrawing their own bills finalizing resolutions reading communications and any remaining committee reports I moved that we adjourned until eleven AM tomorrow morning that's a propromotion it's not debatable all in favor say any opposed as habit. Any announcements representative jean for what purpose now you recognize joint budget will meet and the german of both chambers this afternoon we'll take up the general appropriation bill that's the bill we have to do before we do any other other work but will be a big mac a only german. You're reckoning the back I think blame you stroll tomorrow morning will be at it at nine man a joint budget take up appropriation bills represent ubank's for what purpose announcement you're recognized at the state chambers have in our legislative reception money the afternoon at four thirty at their office and I think they have a big tent set up and they usually have some pretty good shrap represent wing for what purpose announcement recognize I just want to remind everybody who has tickets about the arkansas prayer breakfast tomorrow that's at seven thirty at the governor's mansion doors open at seven fifteen. Representative bury for what purpose recognize jpr tomorrow one o'clock in big mac a lot right for what purpose just say they are now something sir you're recognized have one reason to more and level and we're going to we're gonna refrain from announcing fundraiser so just going forward any other any other announcements. Members I believe there is one other meeting this afternoon upon adjournment of joint budget there is a rule administrative rules subcommittee meetings that correct upon a german and that's in big mac a any other announcement. If not the house is adjourned