City, County & Local Affairs Committee - Senate & House

The areas where there is no broadband access what those specific newspaper as circulation percentages are but I'll be happy to pull that information and provide it to you all thank you for Mr yes A DO newspapers across state charge same rate for the public. Yes they do and currently the way the system that some places they cannot charge more than their current classified advertising rates to all those all those rates are capped at what the classified advertising rate is for that newspaper thank you. Representative Deffenbaugh you're recognized. Trying to thank you yeah thank you Mr chair I I really enjoyed getting just the paper part of the guys that I I have taken it for years and then when they came out with the. IPad and and that situation if you're technologically challenged a you know that that becomes a bit of a problem and so my question is how did you how did you choose what areas of would get. The I pads in the and how you know and what areas would get just paper. we we have offered the I pay a a program you can use one of our I pay as you can use your own we've offered that the everyone in the state of Arkansas noun obviously some people can't afford it for some people don't live in a geographic area where there's wifi access but but that offers out there to everyone so if if we missed you somehow or you know someone who's been missing me before we leave today and and I can help take care that we give people the option of reading the paper digitally or reading a printed copy in some cases we can't do home delivery of the printed copies because it's too remote remote we can't take one paper down a dirt road for ten miles it's just not economical and affordable to do it but in those geographic areas we have single copy outlets where people can go to their local store and buy a newspaper so everyone has access. Yes when I was wondering if you know if I still want to get to paper the paper part of the paper is a place to get it like you and being your the inventor and there is a place to buy of the printed paper on Sundays not on the other six days of the week and Sunday's are that the is the day when we have the A public notices printed in the newspaper yeah. Okay thanks sure. Senator hammer you're recognized. Thank the shares were if you clarify one thing did you did you say well go any all say that it is in the law what did you say that was in law with regarding to the rates that are set. You want to repeat that is. For delinquent taxes it's charged by tract by tract for other public notices it is that the the the highest rate that a newspaper public publisher can charges the classified the published classified advertised classified advertising rate. Do you know how many of the newspapers charge less than that rate or they all charging at the Max of the classified rate am I believe there are some newspapers and I'll I'll have to again look at look at that in detail but I do know that a few of the newspapers Have charged less than their classified ever to advertising rate but I know that obviously nine charge more okay then by virtue of the way the law is written if the newspaper decides to go upon their advertising rates for their classified ads. Than the cost of those public notices. Goes with it. If the bill if the newspapers choose to charge more and I'm just wondering how that's not taking advantage of the law that you got it written in there that you can charge the rate but the state has no authority over what rate you charge so over the years have the rate's gone up thus the cost to the counties and everybody else is gone up no Sir the rates have not gone up in many years that is actually stated there tied to classified advertising rates and I think everyone in this room is probably aware of what's happened for the demise of the with the demand for newspaper classified advertising you know twenty years ago we would publish fifteen or twenty pages of classified ads today in the Democratic this the there's a pager to we cannot raise our rates because of the economic situation the newspapers ran so no that is there the they're very use no danger of class of legal notice rates getting more expensive in the foreseeable future and that's part of why the Democrat Gazette another newspapers are in the situation we're in today that's why we've gone to the iPad program because advertisers have largely departed two speakers and our prices of had to shrink they're not going up okay but if I want to get access to those public notices that are on your tablet which I've got one by the way on those tablets I don't have to pay the subscription fee in order to be able to see those legal notices there are they're all uploaded on the Arkansas press association website for free. Our thank you. All right represented love you're recognized. Thank you thank you Mr chair and I appreciate you all being here because when now Representative della Rosa will one of my concerns is how we're doing public notices the other state agencies and so on and this is a timely discussion and one Representative della Rosa was here she just coming it was a glaring issue that she pointed out as far as this environmental piece I wish she was here the one thing that I did say was. He I thought that the the state was failing to actually have this these notices and so that's why I was pushing for a state we have signed but I did not know that you all have this available so. I'll be more than happy to work with you all and in the future in regards to move in for because I don't think that the state would need a website if we are going to if if we have this option available so Mr chair are I will look forward to hearing more of on this and I'm study propose and working with the press association on this so thank you all for coming. Representative rye you're recognized for a question. Thank you Mr chairman bill of the cost if you got the paper for seven days away. What would the cost of that baby in do you guys deliver in every town and in the state. You're speaking specifically about the Arkansas Democrat Gazette the cost for subscription is thirty four dollars a month and we that we deliver on Sundays in areas where it is economically feasible the the thirty four dollars per month subscription provides digital access to our digital replica of which is in the same format as the printed newspaper and that is available throughout Arkansas wherever you cell phone service is available if you have a cell phone you can I'm not dumb don't wanna get too deep into technology but if you have a cell phone you can set up what's called a hot spot the General generates a wifi signal that allows you to read the newspaper so if you if you own a cell phone and you're using it you have access to the newspaper and that is thirty four dollars a month. Read our place yes well let's just say town of say seven thousand like Truman or town I mark for you had something like three thousand folks do you guys to deliver that guarantee that everyone of those towns like that no we don't guarantee delivery to every town in Arkansas and that is. Really small in population and we don't have a cut off number we don't have a number of three thousand you know I want to tell you I think we deliver in Trumann I I'm not positive but I'm pretty sure we do I think we deliver in marked tree but I don't hold me to that because I don't know exactly where we are in every town one follow up on that too Representative rye and you know what like Lynn said the Democrat Gazette has circulation and all seventy five counties and we have an an additional ninety nine newspapers who were legal newspapers in the state at least one in every county obviously more than one in some counties with there being ninety nine but between the coverage of the democratic is that those other ninety nine newspapers I'm from rector so I'm very familiar with marked tree and treatment area but and then obviously our website to as an additional steps so if anyone is not subscribing to newspaper either we think they should they do still have access to those public notices that read in newspapers for no charge by going to the website that we've had in place for several years. One more follows yes can you get that there if a person wants that paper in marked tree and then try and can I get that delivered to their house everyday. I service a yep they subscribe and I know a lot of I know several people in those communities to also go to a public library or some other areas that that the have a subscription and have access to the the local newspaper the you know through through a community center a library thank. Okay Representative Cavenaugh you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair of the ninety nine your term but independent newspapers we have seventy five counties does every county in the state have at least one newspaper that covers that entire county. Yes okay so I able even if they're weekly we have one that covers the entire county that can be gotten in any county correct thank you. Okay Senator hammer you're recognized you will love would you allow notice on your free website if the ad has not been purchased. I'm not sure I understand the question if you're speaking to the to may and I'm sorry we're is Senator there you are Esther didn't spot you sorry the the so you are you asked what what's your question my question is if an agency or if there's a legal public notice would you allow it to be placed on the website you're referring to that people can see without having to pay a subscription would you allow that notice to be placed on there for free or what they have to have the the the yeah I understand your question sorry slow on that yes people can see all public notices for free on the Arkansas press association website but I'm asking would you allow the notice to be put on that for free or they're going to have to purchase it whoever the entity is that wants to run a legal notice are they going to have to purchase it before to allowed to be put on that free site and actually that I don't I haven't discussed that with the Arkansas that's an issue and I think the issue there Senator hammer would be that they would be meeting the current state requirements of paying to put it in their local newspaper which would then be come added value on the state website and so I I feel like meet the at this point in time they wouldn't be meeting meeting the state requirement so I don't think we would want to be part of that process for that reason okay up few terms you all have to go back and dig up I actually ran a bill that would have allowed for either or it could be placed with the newspaper could be placed on a on a state hosted website you'll fall real hard against that so why would we not allow that to go forward now if the only reason if the state laws prohibiting that from occurring why we would not just change at state law to allow it to be either or well I think there's a myriad of reasons and I I think that the key word there is what two words consistency. E. and transparency and again I've talked to Richard Kerr pale who at stays on top of what's happening with public notice it and and all states and I think the issue is is that some of your constituents are going to see the public notice in the newspaper in summer going to see it on a website and so you provide it both ways and some may see it on the that newspaper in the newspaper and some I also see it again on the website so I believe that that. Yeah what what land and and Restivo said is the consistency of the process we don't need to have constituents guessing where they need to go seek out a public notice if if there's a system in place that works and we have a new of website that were already offering this state is added value that we're happy to be five it's about it's about letting your constituents now where they should go every time to find a public notice so if someone's not caught off guard we don't have another situation like what happened in Newton county. Okay well I guess in my mind I'm thinking if I've got an issue with the secretary of state like I wonder if my land is delinquent ninety pay my taxes I should be able to go secretary state people going to go to subject matter based upon what either they're interested in or what they are afraid of for their enquiring about and I would probably argue all day or debate all day about the battle of either or it's a matter of educating people as to where to go look whether that's you know in the newspaper or with that should go free website it's the same argument well the last session ever ever call we did ask one of the people in the committee meeting if you if you were going to push people to a state website or you had multiple websites how would you a lot of people SO you know where to look and and we love the answer that was that we not take out an ad newspaper to tell people where to go so I mean that feels like there has to be some kind of marketing on or some kind of consistency so people know where to look thank you Mr. I see no more questions at this point Mister Hamilton I was one of those people was very reluctant to go to an iPad and I did that over a year ago and I read more the paper I read more than I ever advertising I care if my pocket I have the newspaper my pocket I look at it more than once during the day. But I never look at the the legal section and I and I think that's one of the things that most people have discussed about with this issue I I noticed that you all had said earlier in when you're opening statements The the I think it was Mr Carter who said that would welcome an independent study on what would be the best way in which to notify I think a lot of the members on this committee believe that is not just one thing but maybe multiples thanks to no five somethings are local and need to be directed maybe a little closer would you all be willing to do something like that independent study of the joint I know I'm putting on the spot right now but would you have an interest in that what we welcome a steady and well you know what we talked about before this committee meeting is we feel confident our product in the process and we feel like a study is going to show that newspapers in the state press association website is is the answer so we welcome that we're happy to be part of anything you'd like for us to be involved with the on the democratic is that certainly would want to split thank you since. I would agree with that as well that we love to participate and I think I think we find that that newspapers provide a great opportunity to take to get the word out I just like to say also as we mentioned on the news guy appear in putting my news in mind and news reporter had on when I was a young reporter some of the best groups some of the best stories I found were reading to legal ads in the newspaper finding out what was going on what development was happening what changes were being made to regulations it's a great source of information if you if you read it and uh it was it was very valuable to me as a as a young reporter and it remains our goal for the reporters work for me now because I encourage them do that every day there's a lot of great information in there that that people really need to have some okay do you all have any closing statement you like to make. Thank you for inviting us here today we really appreciate having this open conversation we look forward to working with you more thank you we appreciate you all coming today and and again thank you. This time uh secretary of pressure we wouldn't invite you up to the table also Bob senators president and general manager of information networks of Arkansas. If you would please identify yourself and you have an opening statement please make it. Good morning thank you for the opportunity to address the committee I'm any factor secretary of transformation and shared services. In addition to the focus of this I. S. P. which is on environmental permitting transformation looks more globally at this issue of simplifying processes and finding efficiencies throughout state government. An electronic posting mechanism would save the state hundreds of thousands of dollars each year much of which comes from general revenue. And can also provide the state economies of scale. I want to say we completely great with the Associated Press on consistency and transparency in this process we just also want to add efficiency to that a question. Across state city and county government there are approximately six hundred statutes that require references to newspaper or printed notices some examples of those include legal notices permitting rules city and county ordinances public auctions publication of individuals who are delinquent on their property taxes notices of applicants for a permit to sell alcohol notices of the disposition of abandoned cemetery lights and notices in pounding and the description of animals found running at large. In preparation for this committee meeting I quickly gathered some information from some of our departments and this is not all inclusive. lasts fiscal year of FY twenty the department of Human Services spent over three hundred and eighty two thousand on public notices. The department of environment and energy for energy and environment spent over nineteen thousand. My department which is much smaller spent around four thousand dollars and the Pulaski County treasured ever Buckner spent a hundred and twenty five thousand a year on delinquent taxes for one county. So this is just a give you a little bit of information we'd be happy to do more analysis for the committee if you would like that but I did invite Bob Sanders he's with the general manager of the information network of Arkansas to share his experiences in what some other states are doing. I'm Bob Sanders general manager information network of Arkansas and secretary for trust me to come and talk a little bit about the technology side she serves on the information network of Arkansas board and our function is to provide you government services for the state of Arkansas which we've done for the last twenty three years to just to give you a little bit of background and some experience that we have here over those past twenty three years we've published and supporting hundreds of government websites from the state at the state and local level. In addition to that every year we send out emails and push notifications about five hundred thousand Arkansans to a note notify them about various tax and other government deadline so property taxes assessment vehicle tag renewal reminders things like that several agencies have specialized notification systems with us so the silver member system with the state police. And with many agencies that have specialized email system that they use to communicate with their constituents what we found about the these digital communication methods that they're highly effective more so than traditional marketing techniques were see our delivery rates higher open rates higher click through rates for these kinds of communication so we see the citizens really act on them when they receive them. So as we contemplate what a multi agency public notice system would include if if we're going to be enhancer several interesting options that that we would consider one is multiple publishing methods so they're already many websites out there both of the APA and some government websites that have pretty traditional methods of publishing's you've got a website but you've also got the ability to search and filter information you've got the ability to download information that's kind of the foundation of what we see is publishing this confirmation but on top of that you can layer in things like personalization and customization so you may want to subscribe to a particular agency or subscribe to a particular topic or even subscribe to notifications within a particular geographic areas so I may be interested only in building permits in the city of Bryant for example and would be notified about those. Many of these notices require public comments so having a standard way to except public comment would be a nice feature to have it's also good to think about these is on the channel notifications of already talked about email and push notifications through text message or mobile app notification but we also think about social media and there's many agencies that have their own social media audience already so being able to automatically push that information out to those audiences would be a valuable feature for them. Something else is integration a government website so it was already brought up that some people may go to the secretary of state's website to get a particular piece of information a good public notice system would have the ability to federate that information out C. CA posted one place but also mere it out on another website. So some of these techniques would like you to amplify and extend the reach of some of those some of those systems. You read take a few questions senator Ingram you're recognized. Thank you Mr co chair of those figures of miss venture that you of a mention are they of aggregate figures in the in the sense that is former county judge in the mayor knows on local levels if a petitioner wants to rezone and has to run a on a at the that petitioner pace for that it's not of the city or state certainly there are things that we required I would be very interested to see the numbers that you throughout What the break at is that the state is actually paying verses of the the petitioner. So when we asked these departments we ask them to go into their aces center and see what was coated and what we had paid for not not what any other entities that paid for. Of okay it but they're not in in their application fee that they're paying let's say a ET qui they are not paying eighty Q. an application fee that goes to the state that includes running the ad do you see what I'm saying I mean even though the state paid for their either could be the fee that they charge is in turn paid by the state but in actuality it's a pastorate okay I'm I'm unsure on that I would have to check that out let's just see what that is if we could okay. Thank you Representative Cavenaugh you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair. Secretary. I listen to the one to say that we were require notices on some of the things is there not a way that we could go through the required notices and really kind of update that lists because maybe some of our obsolete would that not be one way we could save money whether it's county city local or state for a lot of these notices are now just not really need it any longer is that not something that we could look at during the session that we get streamlined the process simply because we don't require some of these notices anymore absolutely I think that something of course that would require legislation to amend all of those statutes but I would think that was something that would be easily done thank you. Okay Representative love you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair and I'm trying to figure out what what we're doing we're doing here are we send the will we're going to create a website that the so Senate press already has to do public notice I believe the difference in what we're talking about creating would be free for all agencies you don't have to pay for the ad before you get on the A. P. site that they've developed. And we don't have a plan to do this right now we were asked to come in front of the committee and talk about you know our thoughts on the possibility of doing this there there's no plan in place today it's it's just the consideration this point catch okay aren't so this our will without a plan and I can answer any any further questions his. Okay the red represented love we we invited the the secretary secretary here today to see what options were in the state you know not necessarily does she have a plan for anything but what they can do and cannot do okay so then so then madam secretary then I ask this is that is that your preference that we that we proceed down this road instead of instead of continuing to advertise with the Associated Press and. So is is that is that your is that your preferences that the stance of the administration I think that is up to the legislature since that would require legislative action I would say that it will save the state is that sentiment opening hundreds of thousands of dollars if we changed it and did it this way okay so the in. Would this be something that would this be equivalent to what I information systems will we be charging a service for for those that are not only state agencies but those that are cities and counties municipalities to advertise that a question for Mister Sanders if there would be a charge for that if if they did it on your existing. Website. I guess. Would certainly have to find some way to fund that busy bees considerable security in costs and things to go in that and to administering that over time so there's lots of different options for that I can't speak to what it would be specifically right now. Okay alright thank you thank you Mr chair okay Representative rye you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman any help help me with this if you don't mind over the last couple months. I thank you was within the cares act did we not. Operate a hundred million dollars. Four hundred Bucks for computers I believe that's correct and and they would not. Come up with twenty million four K. through twelve schools for equipment. Again I think that's correct that have to get back and look at my notes from all the committee meetings what what what the question is I mean what would that do could that be used for some top of notices if we needed to. I would think it would be used to help with the broadband issuing getting at the internet available to the smaller rural areas so that there could be the capability delegate a digital notice rather than a permanent one thank you thank you Mr chairman okay represent a mission Senator hammer you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair let me follow up I think it was Representative loves question just ask you. If the if the website was to be developed by I in a I am a would have to charge the agencies or anybody else that wanted to put a legal notice up on that website is that correct. It it really depends on the funding moment for example a transformation could decide to funded centrally somehow without some kind of other funding I would imagine it would be paid for by the entities that use of the. Would any entity not would any entity be allowed to put a legal notice up on the website without having to pay for it. It's it's really early to speculate on how that would work we will have any kind of plan a secretary Fisher said for a system like this we're just kind of talking about what our ideas are I would imagine anything is off the table. Okay so just trying to flush that should miss cheer appreciate the tallest acres just because legislation ran the passcode strong interest in this but I think would be interested to a cost analysis of what it would take for us to maintain it is a state of verses what it costs to do it for the private sector and have that have that comparison of the cost of houses that might have some direct bearing on legislation allows the you know the independence to. Be able to move the rates up or down however they choose to do that appreciate thank you thank you. A resident Kevin all you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair. Digital things straight away the future everything's going digital from my. Car dealer everything's going digital force but. Currently we don't have citizens in the state of Arkansas that can get things digital so we're in a transition period where it looks to me that we're going to have to have multiple ways for people to get notices. And it's simply just because we don't have that broadband access and it's going to take us some time to do that so as we go for we were realizing that it's going to be maybe not the way the digital a hundred percent but we're still going to have to have pre it because we do have those areas that that's the only way that they're going to get some notices. That's why I go back to really looking at what is these required notices will be a big help to that savings because there's no white currently we can so we can go a hundred percent digitally is that kind of the way the dollar thanking to is that this is going to be a transition that we have to transit from a hundred percent Preet. To the moving toward a digital. I would think that makes sense and that it would take much more analysis than just an idea that we have tossed around and. Yes I think it would take a looking at counties and what their capabilities are and maybe doing it in a county by county manner until we get to the point where we do have that widespread broadband follow up Mr chair yes because being in the area and that's in the white part of the state we don't have that broadband access so digital to most of my constituents is really not an option most of the time is that they would have an issue with being able to get those types of notices so we don't want to although I understand the need to want to move to digital because it is more effective in that lot of different things are easier I'm a digital person my husband's a print person but. I we can't leave those are Kansans out that don't have that ability is my concern so thank you. Okay I have no other questions I appreciate you all being here today. And but they will have discussions in the future thank you. Of Representative love call me here couple weeks ago and he asked if we have room today I have some of those people from this area come and speak today on concerning adult education and at this time we'd ask Debbie follows Kendrick the the director of Crawford County adult education center well would you come forward. Would you all identify yourself for the record and if you have an opening statement proceed with it. What. Go ahead and set out to talk in the might give you would thank you. By the way I have to go. If you got it on his own. In them here okay okay. I'm Kathleen Dorn on the director of adult education FOR Forsman schooled state dental district would you please do it again I don't know if we got you on the mind placer. Debbie five his candor director Crawford County adult add them here in thank you. Marcia Taylor Arkansas the learning resource center here in little rock thank you. So my per se okay thank you very much by the way I used to coach with the. Gary Deffenbaugh so I can tell you some stories okay we've been around the block a few times thank you for having us here today Mister chairman and committee I know that all of you are very busy what we're trying to do is. Get the face of adult ed out there again. Adult it is taking on a different role than it used to be or no longer just to GT or just Arkansas high school diploma and miss Kathleen is going to go into that in just a minute but I want to share some things with you and we have given you some take homes with some statistics that I'm not going to read to you all of your capable of reading I hope. That we wanted you to have that is a take away. Your story real quick I love stories friend of mine this morning to taste some really funny she called her car got broken into guess what they stole use facemask really who does that okay. So we had a we had a fellow his name was Jake up he was incarcerated in Crawford County. And he was a felon. Still it's a felony. he had gotten thrown in jail for assaulting his girlfriend and a few other things he's from California gotten kicked out the navy because he decided to smoke marijuana. So we go into the jails and we teach just like miss Kathleen does in Sebastian county. And he heard about a career reading a certificate that he could get well I was in jail on the spot well why not muzzle tried. This long story short. This fellow got out. He's now working at paper sourcing Van Buren. And I love him he's gotten three races since he's been there a year. That's what we do. He's awesome young man we gave him another chance we do that daily we do that daily and I know you hear about money all the time when I go to DC and talked about was may not he knows he rested on the dollar sign on me when I walk in. That we haven't had an increase in funds in thirty years and we're doing the same thing that we've been doing for thirty years with a little bit more. We have in Crawford County in a few other counties in Arkansas a program called alternative sentencing in has a different name and Sebastian county. The what we do is instead in lieu of are people going to jail. Are going through community service are paying a fine they can come and go through one of our programs. If they are not working we help them get a job. If I need a place to live we try to help them find a place to live. That keeps them off the streets. The residuals are that a greater than the numbers. Because we have the class is it not on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I have about twelve charges that rotate feeding. And you have family sitting in the parking lots. The mother may be with the kids. The kids around the parking lot plan because Daddy is inside going to class. And you have to excuse because sometimes I get a little emotional about this. It's powerful when I go in to our big green we call it and they're all eating and you've got a guy walking in its homeless and you've got somebody from a charge that sits down with them just a top tune nine might not do the chart you thing excuse me I don't want to say that the he had he but he he's cares about him enough to listen. Cares about her enough to listen. So it's very powerful what we do and I feel like it's a calling it's not just a job and that's why we wanted to come here today because we're getting the word out on the street if you ever saw the blues brothers we're getting the word out on the street. Because we're going to go before the joint budget committee and ask for some more funding that we want you all to know what we do on the front side if you had if if anybody says anything to you about it. And also this week is adult education family literacy weight so we're pumped for that also. But I like the things that I heard some of you say about our people that live out in the rule communities it's been a challenge for us also with distance learning. They don't have computers. We still get people that can't read let that soak in for a minute. Fifty something years old sixty something years out I had one seventy the other day he can't read. Can you imagine what that's like in your life. Those are the people that we help those are the people that we try to give opportunity to. And we take a lot of pride in that. I just want you to understand that we are different now and that we're doing a whole lot more. I'm gonna let miss Kathleen talk about when a lot of the changes started and what prompted that. So is there a said that adult education is not what it used to be we're not G. we're not it we are still a GT opportunity for students in Arkansas we still offer English language classes but now I have a snap case manager that works for me I have a tentative case manager that works for me I have a tennis instructor who helps the folks in my adult education center that instructs those students and Debbie was talking about alternative sentencing and we do have a different name for that in Sebastian county we call it community diversion and I now have a court liaison that goes to court four days a week and on Friday she stands in front of the judges in Sebastian county talking about what they've been doing at the adult education center. We're not we're a one stop work for center you've heard about the work for centers around the state but adult education is so much more because of the work force innovative opportunity act that was passed back in two thousand fourteen. Is Debbie said we are very passion and this time last year before kopen at this time I had a thousand students and Sebastian is got counties this year I have four hundred students because of code but the majority of my students are from our community diversion program we serviceman's filled in Scott County I'm also we just received a grant to serve this to serve class three felons in the Sebastian county detention center that will be there between ninety and a hundred days and now I will be out asking teachers to go back into the jails and to teach GED classes pre apprenticeship programs English language classes so when they leave the detention center there go to they're ready to go to work that's what we are today Debbie told you about a story about Jacob I'm gonna tell you a story about Clara Clara was one of our community diversion students she was caught shoplifting to feed her family. She was the fifty three year old woman raising her grandchildren and her daughter. She goes in front of judge born guesser in Sebastian county. Judge born guesser at talks to her about it and we just now started the CNA program back in the spring. And she said I need to I want to go to work but I can't find a job I don't have a training I don't have my grand children that I'm raising. She went there are CNA program she got a job at mercy and her record was expunged. That's what we're dealing with an adult education and this Debbie said she's going to get teary eyed I'm going to get teary eyed too because this is what I love to do I mean to see the faces of what we're able to do. Governor Hutchinson is doing a wonderful job of bringing jobs to Arkansas and to putting us where we want to be but we need to realize that adult education has that work force because that's what we are tasked to do now. So you're going to be seeing a lot of Debbie in a and probably Marcia to don't run the other way because we have lots of stories to tell you about your folks in Arkansas so thank you for letting us come to you today and bring in adult education to the forefront. Thank you. That's all we have where we join you on lunch okay well we have some questions if you don't mind and absolutely we love questions okay Senator Chesterfield you're recognized for a question. thank you very much and ladies thank you so much and this is one of the most important programs the state of Arkansas has as a former educator just want to thank you all I do have a number retired teachers in K. to twelve what now gone into adult the. What is troubling to me is the under funding of the it and when you went virtual as far as the TS the GTS was concerned how much cost at that add to the taking of the test. Do you remember. I don't I can paint your picture. Okay. Thank you a picture so when that when that when we had to shut down on March the twelfth we still I said to our teachers I said you find that you get those email addresses you go to them and see what we can do to help them to continue on because we're so they're still needing work these folks want to work they don't not want to work because there are done education center they want their education they want to certificate they want to work for certificate so that they can go to work. They were calling we had to get a cell phone we've never had a cell phone before you ever try to get the cell phone for an adult education center. There is nothing out there for anywhere to get us an a a cell phone it costs forty nine ninety five to get a cell phone but we had to go through our program adviser we had to talk to doctor miles I had to talk to my superintendent all these things well we've never had to have a cell phone for adult education so there's your first cost is fifty nine ninety five and then we had to get some crown books because of our folks could not have any type of technology in their homes so we got sixty Chromebooks sixty Chromebooks four hundred dollars a piece this okay so you pass those out I guess what we're even though we live in the K. twelve we're Debbie not live in a K. twelve we did not receive the we were the care spending was not for I don't education. So then we had to we had to scramble I mean we were pinching pennies Inc that's one of the places where we feel sure that's exactly right so I say it's going to cost us around ten to fifteen thousand dollars now because of what the state with the state rex war are and we can correct that or is that channel that would preclude adult education from being eligible FOR cares. The you know or should we just let me tell you the conversation that I had I'm gonna tell you what I know okay is that we work in that but it's up to the K. twelve to decide what they give us okay so it's local in answer to your March will testing. I'm not doing it. Because our people just don't have the capability to do that in our people I say our P. so you still can get a paper and pencil test well it's on computers it's not merger yes but it's not yes ma'am because I know when it first came out there was great great angst about individuals yes ma'am for non conversant with the use of technology being able to take that chance to be successful that's correct again thank you for what you doing thank you Mr chair for allowing me to ask a question thank you ma'am represent Richmond you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair. And thank you ladies for everything that you do I know that it's a challenging thing and and I am a bit entry that you're willing to admit that you actually know represented Deffenbaugh. The show some quite a bit bravery on your part thank you. Take one for the team. My question is I'm on the budget committee as well and you guys going to become in front of us and and asking for additional revenue can you give. A snapshot of what you're going to be able to try to do with that additional revenue. I can give you the snapshot that I have and that I think it's because what's going to happen this is what we're looking at okay the one of the huge issues we have is paying our staff. we have to and and I think she alluded to some of her retired teachers are working for us not that they're not important not that they're not qualified that we can't pay what public school pace what department advice so I have people even if they come in right out of college and their I. T. qualified you know they technology thing I can't keep up because I can't pass. So that's one quality instruction. More distance learning. For us those are a couple things that I can tell you that we need as far as more teachers we have qualified teachers I just like to keep the ones I have and I think that's across the board that's been a big issue I've been doing this twelve years and that's a big issue. Someone tell you right now that's what we're looking that's two areas. Follow up Mr yes very quickly you said what it's been no real increase what thirty years. Okay I understand fully thank you very much appreciate your time thank you. Senator hammer you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair I just a couple questions about the are you are you the source of this thank you that's right yes are you the source of this handout that we were given today yes okay so the four hundred seventy our Kansans that did not finish high school what period of time did that cover to come up with that number do you know as last year. Is a sentence yes the senses. Okay but do you know that like over the lot so that's the last calendar years at like over the last five years or less ten years the four hundred seventy thousand year last year last calendar years where we got all that data. Okay. Do you know of those four hundred and seventy thousand how many are either incarcerated or have involvement with the court system. The do you happen to know that by any chance that that's a good question we can find out and get it back to you like you can find. Like. I can tell you a little bit about in Sebastian county we now have five different programs that are in the court system as I said Mansfield and Scott County the two committee of the community diversion programs the committee the program that's going to be working with class three felons. And the I have also students that come to mind of the sixteen seventeen year old teens they're a court order to come to my building which I have between ten and twelve Pete young people that come in my building every day. Added to M. Debbie has got the same thing so we are serving that population and that's another thing because of the folks that we hire into our program Debbie not become the bouncer we become the people who run down the street after the kid house where to you we're calling the police we're driving them out of our building we have no security and that's and that is the honest to goodness truth because it is not in our budget now it may not be that way in the other parts of the state but the ones who have a community diversion as I have a Sebastian county in an alternative sentencing and Debbie we become the bouncer and the sheriff and dealing with the parole officers and the judges on a daily basis. Okay. This I guess maybe little sick this morning four hundred seventy thousand Arkansas adults. Did not finish high school. The answer here you giving implies that four hundred seventy thousand in the last year of Arkansas adults did not finish high school that seems a little. Out of. That's awful high numbers show just wonder work how did you come up with that number again. John. In our state office yeah we got it from the state office but I can I can do some research for you and get it to you yeah make sure we're correct on that I'd like you to do that and I also look at the I'd like to see how the numbers break out regarding those that are in the court system does that are incarcerated if you dig down those numbers and based on that ten thousand dollar figure you gave while go that was just for Sebastian county. Yes yes yes that's just for Sebastian county so maybe if the cares steering committee would see it within their hearts six maybe allocated million dollars to adult ed that might take care of the immediate needs of how you've been impacted over the over the covert situation sure would and we can buy you lunch and that's not knowing. That. Not an issue to either I know you did. That would be a million to Sebastian county to be you know for if a million was given to adults to kind of help ease the pain of the code effect on you you all might want to get together with all your other study for counties and do a measurable impact as to what cove it is costing before all that money dwindles away okay thank you thank you Mr I want to add two since we're talking about figures is we uh we've had our alternative sentencing programs for three years worked very closely with Chet Baker judge check biker and we roughly put a pencil to it and figured that we've saved our county probably about a million dollars and three years just because we know the number of days average number of days a state and it cost what cost per day so that's in like again I'll mention the residuals what it's done for the families the people are continuing to work they're paying their taxes they're they're at home to be a mom and dad which is very important and I and I I have nothing I was in K. twelve. But if we can make the mom and Daddy successful they're the key it's best teacher. So that's what we try to do we also have a parents as teachers program that where they can work with the parents teaching them how to be a parent you know because they don't come with directions and some of these people don't want a parent the way they were painted. Because I see where got that so we have one of those programs I forgot to mention when the gentleman over here asked me where the money would go again we have a lot of coaches now when the pandemic yet I had my girls she has a Google phone number because you know suicides went up during the pandemic. So people could call into her and we posted this on social media and just talk to her. If they get depressed or what ever so that was that was really important to me during that time. So. Represent all the you're recognized. Hi. Thank you Mr chair of I'm. One of the functions I get to do is I sit on the specialty court advisory committee and my question to you and and thank you for being here I hear you in terms of alternative courts are alternative diversion programs and this may be a question for the state office are you partnered up around with the administrative office of court on the specialty court program and those include your drug court your veterans court juvenile quarters those kinds of things are you partnered up around the state because it I am being a part of that committee that is a key thing of keeping people out in a lot of a lot of those folks don't have their education don't have to G. E. D. don't have work force training I'm just curious if your partner the in state wide on that program it would really depend on the local program that many of them have. It follows Mr chair. Yes A in that regard would it be beneficial if we look in to Parking state what not making it so local but making it from the state wide initiative is that I like that I appropriate absolutely yes Debbie was saying that she is involved with the programs that are drug court inventors court we are as well and Sebastian county so all those different courses and yes ma'am we are one more follow up Mr chair yes could I get to see if if that's true and how many counties can you get me that information as to. I can tell you it's not very many it's in White County Sebastian county our county Crawford County and they have one in Barber Hamilton southeast Arkansas it's canned yes I can then Calhoun County national park college bill Ritter he has one to write in garland county okay thank you very much that's all the counties that are currently serving those particular students corporation so I but I've been in several places in the state and presented to different people in fact I may have talked to some of you in here before on the phone because I presented this before and I would love to have a statewide initiative and hand I think it could save us a lot of money in this state if we could move this forward the the key is is what I'm finding is. It's an alternative if you call somebody and and and you're a judging you said you've got to go get your GED and that's it that's not alternative sentencing that you tell me what I'm gonna do. Alternative sentencing is I'm giving them choices a lot of times we have people that don't have a GED they'll get a seat that they'll get there so you're so you're white certificate then they come back and get the G. date that you can remember a lot of these people were not successful in school. So school is it off limits to them you know they come in with an attitude sometime until you show me a lack of I hear that all the time they walk out the door I'll be back because you made me feel like you like me. Is that sad. You know and so that that to me is an alternative since the program this in the daily show that's why I tell people but this is what I tell people you've got to give people choices because they're not going to do it if you down. Thank you thank you Mr chair. Okay Representative Richmond your Richardson I'm sorry. That's right thank you Mr chair of. Comment and a question if that's okay so my comment is I've had the opportunity to be at the a couple of the court hearings in Fort Smith and I see the work that you're doing and it is an invaluable there are so many people within district seventy eight north side of force met that have benefited from that so I just want to give you guys kudos on the work that you're doing and know that we appreciate it and the constituency or side of for Smith really do see the benefit of it so thank you thank you for saying that of my question is is. How often have you guys met you said it's been thirty years since you've received any funding since you've been in the roll how often have you made the request for funds and if you've been denied what's been the reason have you heard have they provide any feedback on why you weren't able to get those phones. Go ahead okay I think the biggest change for us is when we I came through the workforce innovation opportunity ACT when that came that was the part that really put us in a strange because we are not able to hire the teachers that we need we're not able to service the pope the people that are incarcerated or at the different work places around our city for me especially and no we have never asked that I know of and then he's looking at me and she may not know either but she in a the bridge goes cross ways all the time between she and I and we want what's best for that area and we also want what's best for the state of Arkansas and we has certainly put a strain on the adult education centers. Okay it Kathleen she hasn't been around so long as I because she's not as old as I am for one thing that have yes we have I don't know if you remember Jim Smith Jim Smith and I in fact met with our now governor before he was ever elected and talk to him about it all to it so there has been asked there has been what papers I didn't do it but I know that there's been and I ask as far as one I think they just ran out of money. To be honest I think you will what's it called I'm not real good at this were you appropriated but you don't have the money or you say you can but the money's not there you know so I was kind of that kind of deal I think you can tell I'm pretty outspoken I tell you what I think. Just. Thank you Mr chair yes. Absent a Deffenbaugh. Thank you Mr chair at since my name was used drug early I I do I'm not gonna reciprocate there I I do I do do want to say I I just to appreciate you girls ladies you know especially being from our area and it and what I've heard is is you know very enlightening and encouraging in and I think the big thing is it let the fact you guys got a heart for the people you work with that's the biggest thing going so I appreciate your being here thank you. Representative rye you're recognized. Yes thank you Mr chair ladies this four hundred and seventy. Thousand folks that there will come by now would with these folks that didn't finish our school. Right the school yeah I'm we're gonna find out for him to make sure that it's this fiscal year and who all includes if it does include people that are incarcerated or not okay now okay but that four hundred seventy thousand did they come toward you that as for the G. date or and you know that could have I don't know and not finish that's a good question ladies I'll tell you something to be interesting here okay is to be able to take that four hundred and seventy thousand or whatever we know is dropping out each year. They go toward you ladies. And you all are able to turn these folks around to get them you know a high school equivalency and then be able to find a job that's right and then be something to find out it would be you're right and I may show up again they do that they don't look at it is they look at it is stopping out they don't drop out life happens it's not like school K. twelve you know they may show up two years later yeah I was here a couple years ago something just happened in my life and then they'll finish in and you know in the fine it's just interesting I mean like I said we could sit here and tell you stories all day and you can't make this stuff up okay I could take my chicken story real quick I contain magic in story we had a lady that had trouble at the courts with judge biker and I get a call from her she's freaking out she's from North Carolina she got picked up for marijuana coming to Crawford County she said I can't drive my van because you on the state of Arkansas if you got marijuana and you go to court it yours licenses suspended automatically six months she can't get back to North Carolina she's got two dogs in a chicken in her brain. So I see in some I am making this up folks so I send somebody up to drive the van down and we've got the dogs in the chicken well I just happen to have a cage that I brought from my house as you know I can only talk on my phone at the deer stand anyway so I had a cage for the ticket so we can change the chicken I'm a partner with a quality in there and so we got her room for fifty dollars and not teller boyfriend can get there from California to driver back to North Carolina can't make that up. That's one in a million yes ma'am thank you. And it sure will be good to see what this would be for terms yes thank you thank you ma'am. The. Representative from vomiting did were you on this okay. I see no other questions at this time uh and I know you all traveled a long ways this morning and I we appreciate you coming very enlightening and I have nothing else the on the agenda today and we are adjourned. Thank you thank you.