Arkansas Legislative Council (ALC)

Father we thank you today for the wonderful state that we get delivered. Thank you for a the beautiful people that we get to represent nor reassure today for wisdom in direction and although we do father that we will are you and all of our actions today and nor we stop and say an extra prayer for israel today father leave them and direct them father bring safety and bring out the hostage as home we pray. Jesus name I meant thank you representative but that I need a motion to approved minutes from last month. And emotion are a second auto's available opposed members without objection we're going to move out of d to the end of the calendar nuclear subconflicts with that will go ahead and bring the. Oh. We'll bring the director rapers miss. Fetcher to the table. Yeah. Members as you paid attention this week in the newspaper I had about a four hundred million dollar loss I thought it was important that the committee here from her understand what that was and how the effects so a director of you and your guests would introduce yourself will let you give your statement. Good morning feature executive director of april. Good morning i'm carlos bormal deputy director for investments and finance okay you recognize thank you mister chair and members of the committee as representative war last said at in the paper yesterday it showed that we had a four hundred and forty two million dollar loss for the quarter I hope which is includes our investments and are operating expenses in that last we report our numbers every quarter to our board of trustees and the numbers reported there were as of september thirtieth which is the first quarter for FY twenty four. Since then the fine has gained a hundred and fifty two million so as of november fifteenth we were at ten point four billion. You have in front of you a historical market values of the total fine dating back to the year two thousand. Where you can see their certain years with gains and losses. But overall the trust fine keeps gaining money from at four point two billion in your two thousand to currently four point four ten point four billion the first quarter of five twenty three started with a loss as well which was down four point four percent which represented five hundred and four million but we ended the fiscal year up with an eight point eight three investment return. The great thing about apers is it to defined benefit plan where your benefits are computed using a formula that considers such factors as your length of employment and your salary history. This means that the benefit is not conditioned about a good or bad investment return but it's insulated from those markets fluctuations the financial outlook of the plan is stable we have a diversified pork folio and we are long term investors we are always looking at new strategies for better returns and we do appreciate your interest in your retirement system happy to take any questions. So your last statement was you're always looking for better strategies can you give us some of those strategies that you're going to do to recover the three hundred million cents obviously you've already recovered a hundred so what is what is your strategy and I understand this loss is not like. An instant last is emerassed out over a period of time so kind of walk us through and as my grandpart you say in the store business if I give away this coke i've got a sale two more coax to make up that cook so if we lost four hundred million we've almost got to make up eight hundred million to make up that loss so kind of walk us through those strategies and I notice you have carlos will you know understand he's part of that team so if if he needs to answer he can as well right certainly an alec at carlos carlos speak to that I do want to say that one of the main strategies we've implemented since i've been there is the board of trustees in may of this year approved us to get into private equity. So a week of night being in the private equity strategy until now so we're just beginning that process and we feel like it is going to help our returns for if I but carlos do you want to speak more to it. Sure sure private equity is not an asset class that we can jump right into so it's going to take us for a few years to build up the private act would be program so some other strategies that we may consider is private credit private debt infrastructure real estate debt levered loans so those are other strategy do exist that that the board could certainly consider. Sooner hammer who recognized for question thank you miss share was there one particular area that attributed to the shortfall or was it spread across all your investments. For this quarter it was all across everywhere us domestic aquities fell international equity spell real estate continues to feel some pressure from the write downs of the office space are fixed income we use the blueberg barkey's aggregate it's looking to post its third year and a relevant declines. So it's really been a head win from all directions so for this quarter it was everywhere. And then as far as you're new strategies moving forward second line more with the other retirement plans in the state as far as the investment strategies that you're going to be implementing. I'm not that familiar with the other systems other than I know on the arkansas teachers they have significant private equity exposure which apers does not. But we're starting so our programs in its infancy and there's as mature okay and one last question do we know what they and I cannot think with for each help hover out or we weird you know where we would be considered fully vested it was like twenty seven years at one time or and I can't think what the phrases but you know what i'm talking about as far as how far out of the week with our liabilities or eighty one percent best it at this point they want percent is I don't know what that number is that in years but we can find that out do you know where it was when you started. When you only responsible for where it was when you started out what you inherited but you know where it was when you carlis says mid seventies mid certainly okay right thank you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Sender hickey recognized yes just just question of course you're talking about for the quarter and I think is most all of the snow and here there was a large dip in those equity markets have you already calculated how much is it come back is out of percentage basis say since the end of the corner and i'm not asking for exact. So the the september thirty number that was reported in the newspapers ten point two four nine billion for september thirty as of november fifteenth my market valuation was ten point four zero one so roughly hundred fifty two million I have not calculated that because my numbers right now II don't have final numbers on a lot of private investments okay thank you sir. Represent cabinet you recognize thank you mister share we go to the right kin thank you for coming can you speak to how this phone is actually performing how the investments are performing compared to others throughout the country cause we hear that it's not performing this performing at the bottom of the tier rather than the top of the groups. Yes this past quarter that certainly true statement over the past. I think I have the data here over the past ten years or the gapers on six point seven two return last fifteen years seven point four seven return. Last twenty years seven point two four percent return so we're right at median. On those longer term numbers but on this first on this third quarter of the year so our first quarter for the fiscal year we did not perform that well so that's a correct statement follow up mr chair so why do we attribute that we performed so much worse in this quarter than other funds throughout the state what made throughout the country what made the difference. The most important decision the board of trustees will make is their strategic acid allocation. Um strategic at an allocation can account for eighty eighty five percent of your returns. A lot of other systems have other private investments that april does not so we are more liquid in our investment so we have a lot of domestic and international equities and fixed income are exposure to private markets is relatively low compared to our peers. And we are so probably have a lower risk profile than our peers. So our target is seven point oh eight and we're taken on a twelve percent standard deviation so when I compare the april fund versus other funds what I don't know is what their standard deviation is. With the new strategy is going for is that going to. In a market like this it's so volatile just because every time some don't know and knows it makes something else react getting those new strategies and is that going to kind of liberalize that is that watch all our hoping that is that is the plan yes the pro the private equity will level it thank you probably. See no further questions thank you and committee will keep an eye on this going forward to make sure we stay on top of it with that we'll move on to a doctor seven with the revenue report. Carl silver bureau of research show me staff and i'm here to talk about their october twenty twenty three a revenue report as a look at gross general revenues we we collect the two hundred two thousand seven hundred and seventy million dollars you should they that's a decline of seventy three point one million dollars one last year so on two point six percent as we move towards a net general revenue available for distribution have two thousand two hundred and eighty nine million dollars there there's also decline of a hundred and sixty five point nine million dollars or six point eight percent below last year you should date here as we move forward to page number two are we gonna have our accumulative deviation from the forecast we have a small increase about forecast their difference between the forecasting of collect this year of seven point six million dollars for a total community cumulative at one hundred and fifteen point eight million dollars as we look to near it nearby states we're gonna have a decline in mississippi missouri and an oklahoma for collection of this month we have a few few other states they have an increase but there's a mix there in there's a lot of different regulation balances to have been adopted but you has been to be a tran of some of their decline are on this month for the nearby states as we move forward from page three and page for n five we're gonna have. Our extended rental of revenue revenue collections for this month and forth on the other page you're gonna have a special revenue collections and with their i'll take any further questions regarding this this month general revenue thank you. Sir. Thank you mister chairman miss now have a question for missile I just have a two quick questions for DFA if they come up here. Sector hurts and can you in your team looks like you are already heading. You guys would introduce yourself at a record and sender you recognize ask your question jim outside secretary dfa of rubber breakdown and john shelter dfa yet a constitution last month I will be quick because I went through last month but last month I was talking about the reliance of federal money and how much this federal money in the spin the polluter path were on so if you look at moody's this last week downgraded the credit rating for the united states government from stable to negative I mean that's exactly what I was talking about last month about rely on fifty is that concern you at all the fact that they downgraded the united states from stable to negative is that both the on spin and federal money or anything going forward well yeah I think I agree with the point and just make sure we're clear about what moody's dear they downgraded the outlook. On us death and actually downgrade the rating of the US debt so there's a little bit distinction there but the sentiment for a long term is negative I think i'm in complete agreement with you in terms of the federal government. Needs to get its fiscal house and order the growing percentage of the federal budgets coming dedicated to servicing just death is not sustainable and so we should all be concerned about that. I think in terms of state of arkansas in a moody's last time it looked at us it reaffirmed its position on ours is very very positive. So relative to the federal governments on the real to the other states are they were in a good position you know we have a responsible budget. Yell shaped that budget governor shapes that budget you know she's made it very clear there we cannot have long term trends of increasing year over year every single year three percent. That she wants to band down that spending curve. And so we're committed to you know looking at everything so we can accomplish that and working with general assembly to you hopefully reduce our spending over time. You know at some point you know it could be more difficult to rely on fellow revenues for certain programs I don't think we're at that place yet burton and we we need to be man for the what's happening at the federal government is when I first given years ago the total fettered medicaid budget federal and state was just over three b in the state budget was just over four b and now the last appropriation bill was ten billion on federal and state on medicaid and you're somewhere around six and a half and so there's this concern about spending the thing is so what is the the personnel contract there's something out there with boston something about how and consultants are doing something prone bono what is the what is the behind the scenes thing going on with the are doing something with personnel and having this company looking probono and make adjustments or recommendations what's the word on there we're not running that out of a dfa but I am generally aware of what the work is it is kind of an assessment of where their opportunities within state government to identify you know greater efficiencies. Things that were doing personally one example but howard managing our fleet of vehicles you know are we under utilizing vehicles we have too many vehicles and go ask that question looking at real estate. And there'll be I think a longer conversation about who's going to do that detailed work of the long term it may or may not be boston consulting they're just I think doing a little bit of work on the front end to box in what the potential opportunity may be. Okay I mean it's just an old. Example i'm just like when it so if you could inform me a little bit better or talk to ever confirm with me about that i'd appreciate him just kind of curious what's going on with that I mean it's hard consultant super for millions of dollars it was the social senator this discussion at this point is about the budget forecast not a consultant so if you got a question like that get it off line so why are you guys at the table I looked at last year's revenue forecast for the same mode. And last year if you if you look at the graph and last year we went from forty six million in august a hundred and seventy five in september and at two hundred and twenty four october this year's more of a flat line and I just wonder if you kind of give us some inside on is that some kind of tail to where we're going with the economy and how that's going to look and and what that looks like going into january february when we get ready for the physical session yelled a doctor shannon get into the ten goes on i'll tell you as a lay person he's you know and leading the department. My first question always when I see the revenue report and a small get interim ports throughout the month as well. I want to know a week surprised by anything that we're seeing because that you know tells me we need to be getting ready to pivot if we have to in terms of crimes of the budget and so what i'm comforted by is shown it when I ask those questions is telling me you know we saw it in the forecast and so we have a conservative forecast in general and I think a principle of our forecast for this fiscal year was a recognition that the stimulus effects from all the pandemic release of a relief has been dissipating at this point and so I just not quite estimated economy as it wants worse. So we're not returning to normal yet in terms of activities. But were pointing toward normal we're beginning that journey to return to normal in normal is not a bad place and normal is a good place to be and so I think you know I personally remain confident in the forecast well that doctor shall not speak to particulars. So they big picture in the forecast is that we expect the volatility from the pandemic stemulus to work itself out in FY twenty four it may take a little longer than that but that that explains the big picture of negative numbers of FY twenty four compared to the prior year in the last two years really looking at the group that carlos preparers for the monthly forecast near term generally economists across the country were surprised by the strength of the economy compared to that forecast and slowed out and that accounts were some of this gain above forecast year to date after four months. Part of that jump up on the graph in september was estimated payments from individuals and a group of corporate payers estimated payments we may see another job similar to that at your end uh december january time frame december for corporate payers and january for individuals so the graph may show another jump up to some extent you are end calendar year around beyond that the forecast is extremely conservative. For the remaining months of the first school year. As an example ourselves tax forecast is a negative zero point seven percent you are a rear for that block of remaining months. November three june as opposed to a year to date four month actual gain of plus positive two point two percent so we're expecting a slow down the same slow down that's been mentioned by a large retailers in their earnings reports and guidance so I think everyone is looking for that slow down it just didn't happen in the early months of our fiscal year twenty four thank you I think it's important the committee understand that and i'll pretend to point that out doctor silver is there anything you would like to add to that no sir alright thank you guys for the questions. So if that will move on to the report section we'll go with the executive so committee fires coach your rich you recognize you think mischair the executive subcommittee met on thursday november sixteenth and reviewed and approved emergency rules from the department of education regarding payment form education freedom accountant from the department of commerce regarding the broadband grant broke of notice of this action was sent to all members and alternates of alc and the review and approval will be effective open adjournment of today's meeting the subcommittee also heard from representatives of the interest department the arkansas school board association and materials adams and lee concerning its study on education facility property insurance the sub committee were made again on december fourteenth the continuate steady own school property insurance and I encourage all alc members and alternates to attend in participating in these meetings members it is statewide concern in your are welcome to be part of that or to watch it online in in stability chairman I prove the promotion to approve this report as proper motion to have second have second others a favorite. I was posed as have it report is adopted will move on to administrative rules under hammer. You are recognized for the report thank you mister demonstrated rules subcommittee made on thursday november sixteenth the subcommittee reviewed and filed quarterly reports by the department corrections and pearl board pursued to act five ninety five and twenty twenty one to subcommittee received agency updates on outstanding room making filed monthly written updates and considered agencies request for exclusions from act five ninety five reporting requirements at the request to department of agriculture and department human services two rules were pulled from consideration prior to the meeting all other rules were reviewed and approved as noted in the report and I moved for adoption of the report. That's probably promotion to have second I have second all those favorites they are all posed as have it report is adopted will move on to employee benefits division center car will. You recommend thank you mister chair or the employee benefits division oversight subcommittee met on wednesday november fifteenth subcommunity reviewed and prove contract members for navigates health solution in the hmo partners incorporated the single group presented the diabetes management program study report on nutritional beasity and lifetime management these things medical doctors provided additional discussion discussion on obesity representatives from unknown health care provided group medicare advantage plan updates and I move for adoption this report as per promotion of second part I was in favor say are post as have it with that will move on to the game fish and stapley subcommittee senator hill you're recognized again with his day police subcommittee met monday to hear testimony regarding federal laws concerning firearms and made. I made the following communists regarding the upcoming meetings public comment there will be an opportunity for the public provider comments to the subcommittee on each of the topics we take up in study. There will be a link on general assembly website for public comment sign up and there will be a sign up sheet at the committee meeting only those members of the public who have signed up in the one of these two ways will be allowed to come forward and present their comments to the subcommittee member participation now to invite an encourage all members that general assembly to attend all these meetings and participate as we work toward recommendations to present a legislative council next year although only members of the subcommittee will be permitted to make motions and vote on recommendations doing this phase we welcome input from all members of the general assembly. Our next meeting will be december eleventh at one pm in this room and will be looking forward to hearing information presentations regarding hunting laws relate to firearms I move adoption of the report per promotion that have second. I have second older than favorite they are our posed as have it members I want to add to send a rice and sender hills please those two reports are two studies are very very important and well effect every single one who also district in one way of the other so the participation is vital for you guys to be there we are part of it and ask questions because when those recommendations come down just like the ebd just like the procurement study it will affect every piece of your district so get involved. With that we move on to the higher edge that represent a fight. Higher education subcommittee met at the washington bad just university campus on mandate october twenty third the subcommittee heard testimony from representatives from school districts and institutions of higher education regarding the alignment of professional learning communities and arkansas and I moved for adoption of this report as part promotion I have a second auto's average they are opposed as to have it with that and move on to the highway representative mcnair you recognize the highway commission review and advise its of committee met monday and her testimony own reports from the office of internal audit and the article department of transportation i'm over the option of the report. Has probably have second have a second older as if I were say I posed ours have it with that we move on to occupational license reviews representatives. The. Thank you mister chairman the occupational licensing review subcommittee met on thursday november sixteenth twenty twenty three to discuss recommendations regarding licenses that were heard on october sixteenth and october nineteen the subcommittee approved motions to further develop these recommendations prior to their inclusion in the subcommittee's final report I move adoption of this report as proper motion to have second of second auto's in favor say our posed as have it that will move on to the peer report representative of cabinet you recognize thank you mister chair the peer subcommittee met on tuesday november the fourteenth the subcommittee received reports reviewed request and approved the following various temporary appropriations american rescue act appropriation infrastructure investment and jobs act appropriation a real location of resources and restricted reserve fund transfers two adams in the report for the department of public safety or hailed in the subcommittee they are a five hundred thousand dollars restricted reserve transfer f two and the appropriation happened the department to make grants to non profits for security enhancement i'm over adoption of this report. As proper motion I need a second second although the favor say I post as have it with that. Swift that i'll bring the secretary of a department of public safety table. So members there was an autumn held in peer that was referred to friday they are see so with that i'll have the sector explain that item and then we will proceed. With the way the committee pleases yes sir good morning mister chair morning members there managed my catering secretary department public safety and director of state police. This request for the restrictive reserve and the former farm i'm sorry it's it members is in your packet is under attachment three g twelve so everybody has it to be able to follow along. Yeah. The. Yeah. The. You're mister. Basically this this grant would allow the state of arkansas to. Supplement any fines for certain groups you can see the restrictions in the hand out that you have there is a federal grant that awards about two and a half million dollars a year to arkansas it's administered through adam bed adams not the decision make your or make her on who is awarded or the department of public safety they simply sit the gallons we do have a committee in place for that be taken the applications and they forward those through the federal government and those decisions are made on that level and this year we had about two and a half million dollars that was that were rewarded it's important to know though that those monies are available to eighty nine profit what would I be different with this grant to minister through the state is that this is only going to be nonprofit institutions that are institutions of faith. So have there was a need there was identified there assist with the as we've had a request from different institutions of faith since october seventh specifically asking for assistance and this is an opportunity to provide that assistance and i'd be more than happy to answer any specific questions that membership may have got a few sir repayment you recognize. Thank you mister chair. So I guess. Oh if the federal government his covered two and a half million and grants get do we have access to a list of where that money went yesterday we do uh director gary is here I don't know he could answer more questions adam is the other ones that process those grants I don't know that he has that list with him but I know the majority of those grants are not going to institutions of faith and I think that would be the biggest difference with the any non profit is eligible for that money and that's the reason it's a it's a much larger summit a much broader payout well and and I think I heard you say that the state of arguments I would be in charge of hooks who receives these grants so yes sir that is for me that would be the biggest difference yes are absolutely would like to see the the list of where the federal grants went to. And if you could maybe respond to that yes sir. Good morning a jegary the director of dark saw division of emergency management we do have that list and we can make that available so we'd be glad to send it to the to the chair to distribute out we get a as as colonel said I think it was three million and requests in and through the federal grant we were able to push out about two point five million. Okay. That's all for now mr chair thank you. In order to recognize thank you mr term I was one of the ones that had some parts about the language before so I just need some specific answers from you colonel hagar as far as who and how you're going to determine the the level of terroristic threat high risk of terroristic attack how is that actually determined do you rely on your federal partners to. To write that so that we're not just giving many you know to just based on your opinion but only I need more structure here because I need to understand how this is defined and how this is determined before you give money and how then these monies will be used in order to address or attempt down and keep them protected from that road at threat. Yes ma'am so I mean with a few the members this morning and we we talked specifically about that and basically it's a combination we use information that from our federal partners that assess threat level we also get a situation report from the architecture state fusion center that monitors that closely. And they have members from several different state and since to include the federal government that are in the future center. So the difficult thing with threats is. It's hard to quantify it it's hard to put a number so you're in the in the world of. Thread assessment you'll rarely see any type of matrix but there's for there's a quantitative value assigned to it and the reason why is a lot of what you're looking at is just kind of honestly the local temperature and depending on like what happened after the october seventh attack so we have that that mobilized a lot of frustration in the country and when that happens have you seen a larger number of people that are emotionally involved and you're not concerned about that group because that group typically is not a threat they're not dangerous but unfortunately there's outlawers within their group they're they're the ones that become a threat to us and we know about those specific outlars we address their specific outlaw but what we see and when you see the temperature rise in any type of thread assessment you're looking at groups that are specifically targeted where there be the muslim community the jewish community the christian community whatever the case may be out right now that temperature it a lot of it is directed towards the jewish community so we're not worried about the masses were worried about the outliers and we do we we do our due diligence to try to identify those it's just very difficult to quantify but this group what would happen is once these grants are submitted are the applications of submitted i'm sorry there would be a group to assess the need assessed the rest evolved and they would be have access to our refusion center reports and are federal partners the and it's account to make a determination that group and that's one thing that director gary could speak on that group will be members of state police members of adam members of dis and we're honestly we're not looking to reinvent the wheel here we're kind of going to work on the federal model in the group that's already in place to evaluate these threads in these thread assessments for currently the people that apply for this federal money we're just going to do that on a state level of probably used that same group to evaluate those threats and I hope that answers your question that's question one so there is going to be per se a paper trail of report there's going to be some tort of guidance. It's other than what's in my mind or what's in your mind so you have to have a system you have a process you have a a way of determining that and then secondly are you defining what these moneys can be spent on within your grand structure. Yes ma'am if if you look in the bottom points and I apologize for not bringing my glasses to the table. The. It does define its security police presence contract security personnel potentially security cameras video or video cameras lighting and most the censors perimeter per protection access control the buildings trip for our alarms are primarily arms and vehicle barriers and would I be first we're going to pass out that yeah so if you want center urban will come back to you but you'll members being passed out all members that does their specifics that i'd needed to have answered thank you just ma'am but if you want to jump back in the definitely come back to you. Representative cave and all your recognize and thank you mister chairman will be here to your rock and act I have a few questions that I just need clarification on because as you know in period we really didn't have that information this one of my first questions is. How much is going to be the max available per person that applies is there gonna be a max set that if apply for five hundred thousand dollars i'm not just going to take all of it. No ma'am there will be a max limit that will be. Set we just don't know what that is yet to be completely honest. Two things number one plenty apologized to this committee into your committee specifically for that was one hundred percent on me caring period cfo was thrown to the walls and that was my mistake not hers we there are a lot of things that we were trying to work out with this process they just simply had not been worked out yet I was out of state on tuesday and wasn't able to attend the meeting so I probably apologize to carry on for putting her in his situation i've appreciated willingness to do that. Having said that there will be framers foot in place since it's no we simply don't know what to expect yet but will evaluate the request to come in will look at those I believe age tell me that on the federal grand course it's a much larger bit it's a total of is one fifty per site yet max per side of the three side up to three sites so ours obviously would be much less than that and will try to do as much as we can. With what we have to work with but uh those premiers have not been set yet but we would certainly inform the committee once they are what happens till if if for some reason all the funds are not given out in the grant process what happens to those funds. My understanding is that if that occurs that it would we make the request that it rollover in the way some of our grants are currently front loaded and whatever start used it would roll over to be considered next year in obviously that would go through this committee to get that authorization do we know at the time frame is going to be how long the gramp is going to be open for the people to apply for do we know that if that's something else that we're working on betruthfully it's going to be the quicker the better there's a sense of urgency here based on what's going on in the world right now and that's something in in that's part of the reason that truthfully we came to the table on tuesday half **** and we didn't have all of our information because this came about very quickly we're trying to put this information very quick then we're trying to be responsible with the way that we're going to put that together so but it's it's going to be sooner than later because there's a sense of urgency therefore we need to make some assistance available in them one of the most important concerns I have is is actually putting you in the department in two a maybe a process where they're going to actually get into some constitutionality issues sure are we gonna make it so we don't have that cause when we start talking about faith based faith based can mean lights of things to lots of different people and one thing that I don't want to do is to get the state in your department in particular into an issue where we're having to fight your reasoning on why you gave out to this group but not to this group or that yes ma'am well I also do not want to be sued and I can tell you that i'm blessed with the really good legal staff at the department of public saves the and they're we have former federal prosecutors state prosecutors just general council that are they're very intured with this and this is something it's going to be going to we're going to pay a lot of attention to that so we want to make sure that this is done correctly and lawfully thank you thank you ma'am. The. I did just want to circle back on availability of funds if this passes today then when is that start to get implemented you have a deadline for implementation or is it first come for serve you're just evaluating was they come in can you speak to those that I have one more question yes ma'am so our intention won't be to first all make make it know and the this fund is available and we're going to reach out to our partners is best we can to make them aware that these funds are available for application and just as soon as we can process that we will is it with anything you're going to have to set a a closing date so to speak so we'll do that and have it would be again the sooner the better but that date is not you have been determined. Okay thank you and then my last question is I would just request a report back to the committee on how those dollars for spent absolutely yes ma'am thank you thank you. Representative mclean actually like that in our best at a lot this week but how about a quarterly report start in january first that way they have time to to get the grant process rolled in and then give us a report every quarter thank you serve just mainly recognize and it's really just a kind of a question what if we've. We're gonna test your measure I don't know how we identify the terrorist threats that are out there and then how they're going to become eligible what what if we deem that they don't exist or they're et such a low level I mean is there some there's something happening right now that's that's. Where were more aware of you know it will you know what it mean like I mean if there is a terroristic thread out there and we found it to be a high level i'm assuming we already have police presence at the risk the increased risk that they're now so i'm assuming there's something already in play and this is going to support yes sir that's that is the case so we we've had request for specific institutions to add to be perhaps security presence in those areas the the problem that we run into is we have two choices we can either are like state police have seen any additional resources to those area vonduty trooper so as literal police department and other agencies are in duty status the problem is we're all shorthanded truthfully and it's what we call extra patrols where you send people over where they can and and they try to maintain a presence there but they're still subject to call for service and they have to leave so what these fines would be available to do invoice some of the institutions that receive the federal clients have done with these in the past it's going to give them the opportunity to pay for after you police officers that are solely dedicated on their downsort of speed to be at their institution and also to pay for private security personnel so there is a high and sense of alert i'm with a few of our institutions in the local area heard just around the state and general and we're doing the best we can to manpower that we have to argent their security protocols with one duty police officers it's just those were getting stretched in this will give them an opportunity to be able to to supplement that into so we have active terroristic threads in argance all right now that I mean yes sir well. Yes there there is there's a great concern yes now do we have a specific target a specific sash no sir we don't but there are investigations under way they're looking into make sure that we do not and course the fusion center does a constant analysis of monitoring social media things like that to keep you to get an idea of what that presence he is that threat level is in but yesterday I would say we are to elevated risk right now alright thank you. Senator dots and you recognize for a question thank you mister chair to your left over thank you. So. I've just got a couple of questions you just touched on it with the elevated risk factor since october seventh. What what is elevated to look like is that. We normally have one or two and now it's ten or twenty or what are we looking at is an increased elevated risk so there are. Social media sites that tend to be businesses by certain groups and for all the right reasons in all the wrong reasons and when we have something like this happened like on october thirty seventh you see those those site visits increase you see that chatter increase whether it be on some type of a blog or a form for people that I can get together and express fuse you see that you again that temperature increase in the in the rhetoric that's being expressed. That's not unusual but is that larger group grows that's when you get concerned about the outlaws that's when you get concerned about the events that we do see and the people that have these twisted ideologies where the active shooters in the massuors that we've seen around the country you know almost all of them will identify with a certain topic. And or a certain concern that they may have so and the reason the threat level is elevated is because you've just energized a group of people most or not a threat to us but unfortunately when you interact in our jazz their group. You're a number of outlawers have also increases out hours then ones were concerned has that chatter increased like ten percent or hundred percent or five hundred percent is it like honestly I would I believe to you if I try to quantify that but I can take its increase significantly but i've i'd it'd be hard for me to put a number on that and then uhm just these these funds is i'm looking at them are. Are being requested as a risk out of the restrictive reserve fund yes I am but you said something about two point five million dollars of federal funds is is this eligible for reimbursement to the reason restricted reserve fund or is this just going to be now sorry which is program specific yet so that's correct the two point five million its federal fines has been set aside but that is completely separate from this okay and then finally and you may have said it but might have missed it you said something about an evaluation group that will be looking at the certain applications who is part of that room. It will be state police members of adam department of information services and a jakins are a director gary can speak to a little bit more in what i'd mentioned earlier there's already a group to evaluate this on a state level that provide that information to the federal government for that two and a half million and we're looking to count appeared that group if not use the exact same people yes sir that is correct that's one thing that it's helped expect at this price as for us. Is that group is in place and there's a lot that we're not have to reinvent the wheel here we'll just get i'm getting tear that to these institutions are faith and just be controlled on satellite versus passing it out to the federal for going to make the decision and just just for. Understanding of the two point five million and federal funds that have been. Applied for an allocated do we can you give us a list of of what sort of allocations those have been sent out to by this working group already yes our director gary has that list and he's going to provide the committee to associate thank mister chairman. Searched our field you recognize with german colonel hunger thank you for being here today yes colon the one line on here that gives me a little bit of a heartburn is this problem that mirror similar federal programs. When we have when we have an administration that is given billions of dollars to a country that is the number one terrorist sponsored country in the world. I have a lot of problems with it but don't ask you question. Had we passes super and it passed their review had it passed away i'll say this morning is it conceivable that we could have given money to some terrorist group who changed her name to some simplistic. The. Thing at none of us would have recognized it sounded good on the surface is that possible. No sir which goes back to the fart being on me for misperiod coming to the table on tuesday a lot of these conversations were taking place they were in the works. Honestly I didn't know this was coming to peer on tuesday I was out of state misperiod came and she was here on another a number of other issues but two things that I want to make sure have counter separated there is a federal plan in place to allocate these this two and a half million dollars but they are that is completely under their control and that's one thing that with this plan it would be understate control it would be to state decision makers evaluating each individual application and putting that money or applying that money accordingly did a lot of this was in the works then i'd already talked we had talked last week about what this might look like and what the group may look like so if it would have been awarded on tuesday there were safeguards in place but my fault miss period was not aware of those safeguards so there it was more prepared than what it appeared to be on tuesday but it was just not communicated that way which is what you are similar federal problems. I mean we've got an administration bypass is congress. They operate under executive orders now right. The. So that their changes complexity of everything. What what you bought past the very people that represent the people out of you and you do it through executive order. Would you like to come in on there not so I agree thank you miss chairman. Soon johnson you recognized for a question thank you miss chair colin director gary thank you so much for your work on this twenty five years ago we would say here talking about this you know don't get carried away here but since that time we've seen some terrorist with box cutters bring band down to the tallest buildings in the world and right here in little rock we've had a home grown typically as or who attacked a recruiting office and killed a young man whose father is a constitution automatic harnway I only say that to point out that it seems like every time we we in this situation things wretch it up and use the term outliers it's probably the best term i've heard yet to describe the ones we need to be worried about I don't think hamas is gonna put a strike on little right with people that think they are affiliated with that the outliers as you said they are worried about there when i'm i'm I would rather it encourage you to air on the side of caution after I think about the incident on ronnie parent with the recruiting office and all that would obviously don't want to see things like that but I realize you said amount of money it's got to go to places where you deem is the best ones we need to protect but please if you need to come back to us or something will i'm sure we'll do whatever you is possible or are needed at that moment and not and worry about you know trying to say a little money here there after the crosses his absolute so that ee response be great but it's really a which morning mentioned now so we agree hundred percent it's always difficult when you have as for money like this we all believe in the fuel announced prevention is worth the pound of curve and unfortunately the preventions sometimes is is hard to show tangible results. So it's hard to show you what did not happen in with all these measures that are being put in place and we're asking to prevent things from happening and it's hard to come back and report on that and fortunately when we don't put these measures in place it's very difficult to report when things do happen and into identify the. The loss of laugh when that happens for instance at the recruiting station so thank you for what you're doing and again I believe I speak for about here if you need more resources will tough that time thank you sir thank you mister thanks sir. So party you recognize thank you mr chair. Colonel hagger over here I don't want to get two to deep in the weeds on the criteria but I just want to make sure that we don't have an unintended consequence on the eligibility requirements and I know we're talking about a very narrow group rat now but as a discussed describer says must be described under five or one c three of the information doesn't what are you doing in terms of of requiring proof of eligibility under that category because a lot of churches grab franklin just don't go through the process and they're not required to to get a fabra one c three letter and it's I don't want us to approve something and then have the requirement that they have to provide a letter or something to that effect and then them not be able to be eligible to ute to to get those funds I will again may be able to speak more to that since he's helped with the administration to set the grant but I believe that they would have to be available at the time of application it's not something that they would be able to share for the fact they would have to have that prepared. The. Does that answer your question. Thank you mister chip so I just want to make sure that that we don't and advertisingly create a situation at a requirement that is not required into the law because II don't know who specifically so you're talking about but if they don't have a five or one sea letter because a lot of churches don't then they may not be eligible because they can't produce that right they may be eligible under you know fable one c three and five one a this if they don't have a letter and a lot of church is done then they may not be able to produce something that shows are eligible right yes so that makes sense I would hit you to a legal staff on that to be quite answered with you thank you I have them to ask because I wouldn't even I wouldn't have a guess on that but I would I would talk to legal steps to make sure they they qualify okay thank you sir. Speaker separately recognize thank you mr chairman and I appreciate the colonel's comments about maybe would have handled it differently hope to have additional information earlier in the week but as we sit here approaching the holiday season is their heightened concern as we interest season of religious holidays that the threats that may exist out there could become heightened in the coming days and weeks. The short answer that is yes or absolutely. Sender history recognize. Sorry I wrote a question so from senator stuff filled questioning earlier there's nothing that the fed's can change on how state place and out of a minister of this grant that we're discussing no sir the feds have no control over the elsewhere that's correct yeah and II think I think everyone of a sing in here understand what's going on in the world we understand the how important it is to act quickly you know and as we as a as as a body we get set for months a month to months and go through some sort of procurement processor the rules to make this perfect but I mean I appreciate speaker shepherds comments that were rolling the holiday season I don't think any one of us want to look back and think of what what could we have done should have done anyway I think I appreciate you being here yes sir thank you. Soon hammer you recognize that it is shared couple quick ones on that five one c three stay of arkansas will actually recognize nonprofits without them being five or one c threes shows the fiber one cheap three requirement of the fed or is that just something that you copied as modeling after what the fed required with regards to the federal money the honest answer that is I believe that we copy that language and their qualifiers on of you like speak to that. At a believe it's correct but I would have to look at the to my hundred percent sure where they i'm not sure where this particular document came from okay recommendation then if this is state money that the feds will not contribute it to then I would suggest that maybe you have your legal staff look at if they are e recognized nonprofit by the state of arkansas that they were qualifying substitute for that they would address that issue second point is this in representative let me come to you with a personal situation and the federal money there's been reference today is that the federal money that his horrible gone through the process of being distributed out two some of the entities that qualified on this list. The. You're not had a conversation it's regarding the right youth association operating as the boys and girls club. They did not get awarded grant money for things it seemed similar on this list because our group of people here are an arkansas said they were deemed to be acceptable for the grant but then it was sent up to the federal level and it was at the federal level that that group said you know what now they don't qualify and they were actually some others to didn't qualify because our group of professionals and state assessed it said yes they do got up to the federal they said will these doubt they picked winners and losers. Is this all part of that conversation. Yes thank you question it's it is part of the conversation on the the federal level we. You know we make sure that they that the applicants you know check all the boxes that they they fit the criteria we we submit that entirely us now we will our group or prioritize that list and based on on local your thoughts and opinions we submit that up to the federal level in but they make those final decisions on who the money goes through or dental the money that we're talking about here giving you that is not going to be subjected to any federal oversight so whatever and is it the same group that's going to be reviewing these applications that participated in that process with that federal money is at the same group. It it certainly could be the same group since we already have that in place the colonel and I spoke about that earlier that we could use that same group they're part of the governor's homeland security advisory group so we we take members from that group to actually sit down in a say some so that is certainly available if uh if the state police would like us to use that same group and like in the course could I do that group if they message and your asking for five hundred thousand. Yes sir that's correct what i'd like to ask you of those who participated in applying for that two point five million. That met the instant groups requirements or check off list. I'd like to get a list of those folks that didn't get money i'd like to know how much money it would take to find the group that has already been through this process but was turned down. And then my questions do you know if that groups request exceeded five hundred thousand because if we've already been through this process on that level and say the needs were seven hundred and fifty maybe we have a look at coming back and seeing we already been through this once it's the five hundred taste care of those that have hard been through the process they are to get first cut added I would think never won number two if it tolls up to be seven fifty eight hundred maybe out of consider coming back and saying we've already been through this we got this group identified we need three hundred more to go with this five hundred so we can take care of this this thread assessment that we've already been through i'd like to get that information you could send to the chairs and chairs which would or consider sending out everybody else. Yes sir and I will be sent out to everybody. So just mainly recognized they was chairman in I think when a lot of questions but I want to maybe provide a little commentary about how we wrapped a serber or get somewhere I think there won't you apologize several times and will tell you I don't think there is any need for you to apologize I don't think the level of where we're at right now it's anything to do with your doing so I appreciate you doing it but I don't think it's necessary and I don't I mean again I since I don't accept it because I don't think it was we're here today having these questions because of any reactions. Me what I think we we learned so far is that there is a higher risk of a terroristic thread in arkansas impact in different communities were not exactly sure who and where or yall are but we don't have the details flashed out on that recognition that there need to be a program because there were some federal money going away but the program hasn't been fully developed which is reason that we have all the questions that we're you know you're having here today because the members want to have some in discussion and make sure that they understand what revoting to release I mean in some way must leave it to the chairs I don't know if we mean a recess for a couple of minutes to have a conversation about it but I mean if if it's going to be approved there's going to have to be another step you know before there's true final approval you know often times will allow this committee to allow the chairs of legislative counts or whatever to have some final say that way there is a little bit more assurance that you know yet we have a great idea we haven't fully throughout the plans with the plans in fact will be acceptable again I don't know how you don't want to do that or if that's already in the play but I appreciate all the questions but i'm I think what you're hearing today's are not going to be able to maintain all your questions today because we don't exactly know what direction ago the concern is I think when I listen to some of the other members is that if we don't take action a day then there's a delay. In in an we don't want to be in and we were not one another issue to rise but again I appreciate how that you're doing and I appreciate the you know the apologies but II just don't I don't think that the the reason we're having these questions as any of your doing. Sooner hiki recognize right and although senators may in our sitting together manages alone the same lands but just and I don't want to be redundant here but I mean this is thrott kind of got thrown out here so just to make sure the the five hundred thousand that's not a requirement to receive the the federal funds of two and a half million in any way shape profession because that so it's not a matching tapload grant okay and I heard you say that the committee or whoever this has made up er will you and add on and whoever else is there which i'd like to know exactly who that is and how structured that that particular committee they're do they also request what federal phones. The they're got they request what they're where they want those federal funds to go to is that correct my understanding is in he could speak on that more intelligently but by understanding is they simply receive the applications they prioritise those applications based on the information that they process and they send it to the federal government in the federal government makes the final say on there okay and that's that's good enough for me I heard sooner hammer down there he requested the ones that were turned down but as far as this committee standpoint I think that we need to see who also has been approved because the thing is you all may be doing a great doctor or possibly or not I don't know I want to make sure that those federal funds have been prioritized. In the appropriate way and that we just didn't blow six hundred thousand dollars out here to somebody that you know we didn't need to not seen you deared but that's our job here as far as review the way that we have to do that you know from my standpoint too I have another question I see that. And i've heard this stuff which it sounds like to me that we have a problem here because i'm here in you sit down there and you're saying that. You wouldn't have to be incorrectly if i'm wrong that you would not have to be under these. A fable one c three regulations and things like that however the written document that we have appear that shows what the craterie is going to be specifically says that it is right so. I'm not telling you I wouldn't support this in the end but from our standpoint and I know that we can. You know and I understand why the world is you know and I but I don't want to be in a warmest too because these are state dollars. We need to have more specifics we need to have more specifics of where this is going to also if if we're going to be doing things it sounds like that there is something that. We're trying to say that we need to move quickly so I look down here in our security cameras video cameras lighting motion since gate spencers excess vehicle barriers are we are we going to go through our procurement process on those for these graph phones or we just going to leave it up to this committee to be able to buy from whoever they want how does it how is that structure yes the way miner staying would be that each institution will make a request for a certain amount in this in their justification and there in the net committee will make the decision on whether to award that that amounts or part of that amount whatever the case may be and once they're that is given to that institution that would be their money to use I don't believe that it would go through a precurement process at that point. I just and back to the committee that's made up that looks over this who exactly is at one more term okay and is it is it something that was legislatedly formed or was it the exactly branch informed is how how was that formed. So so just to be clear we talking about on the the federal side of we talk about this grant that we're talking about on the states well and maybe there's where I need some more clarification it was my understanding that we were going to use from the approval process the same committee or structure that was in place is that is so you you need to expand on that from me I guess before it so I think we're some the confusion is on there is. We are taking for the state currently has the age team who's put together to monitor these these applications to forward on to the federal government his committee takes it information they prioritize there but ultimately the decision on the way that money is being that goes to the federal government this will be contained strictly within the state the only reason that we refer to that the federal money is that since time he is kind of of the essence here instead of reinventing the wheel we're trying to use this group that has been processing this information now for some time for that's being sent on to the federal government they're used to seeing the the needs they're used to seeing the request and can't be the criteria that's been put in place so we're we would like to use a group that is already been processing this type of thing is some story in respectfully and i'm and that cut you off that phone with me I just want to know who they are if we're the one that's going to be approving because they're going to be approving federal dollars to go to somebody and I want to make and want to know who they are and how their structure to make sure that there's a you know and then this has been alluded to that at their spareness and that you know we're not going to get into some situation you know where there is and we're gonna get into law suits and all that tap stuff so I guess i'm not for sure and I heard centre just being alluded to it I don't know that a particularly want to go his way or not probably could be convinced but. You know it looks like to me that if you do these or whatever that there would be a committee process with the legislature so that we least review it or is he suggested possibly come through the chairs of this committee because although it just comes to the chairs of this committee everybody in here knows the debts distributed out and then these chairs which are good chairs talked as about this stuff so I just I don't think that we're quite quite in the place to be able to prove this the way that I see that this particular moment thank you center i'm not sure how to receive that of never gotten a compliment from you like that before you don't get used to it. From a warm reversing inside now. The senate blake johnson you recognize. Journal in on eligibility I don't see anything that. Requires the applicator to have a security plan in place. The. I don't want the state to be the ones that develop. The security plan for these non profits there's a reason that their separate you know without taxes and they should have their plot plan in place and and they should be. Get them higher on the points if they have a plane in place and if they have security. Paid security already that you don't hire in the ranking and I don't see that. But if you're helping yourself. Then the state offsetting won't you help and yourself I don't man at the state. Setting setting something in place for these groups I mean. This ain't you know whatever religion it is it don't matter you know that they've been chairman in the back door and and arm security from churches have been shooting as down for a while but and I want something like that and place for eligibility to get them higher to offset. Since they're doing the right thing to begin with yourself yes sir that makes perfect sense and in a I think that's what give me one benefit of using the committee that's in place right now today with these because this is absolutely intended to separate midnight supply so that that will absolutely be a criteria yes sir thank you. Sender or a new recognize so just just to be final what is your time line on the ground process if this is approved today what because i'm hearing there's emergency we have terrorist a threats but I know that a great process takes some time sure so that is confusing to me and and so do I mean so what is your time line of grant processes and then the way you have this written says that they would have to be the ones to be able to demonstrate through their application that the organization is that high risk of a terrorist or other extremist attack i'm not sure if those organizations are going to be the ones to be able to demonstrate that and that's so that's a different based on what you're telling me that the fusion center and the risk assessments actually can be determined by you right so how so if you're the ones determining the risk of us you've got the risk assessment information these organizations are not privy to that information correct yes ma'am I think that's probably just a there was not communicated well in these bullet points we will make that determination that group will be the ones to make the determination if there is a substantial risk if there is an actual true rest to that particular group the best way in order to describe better to think about that if we have a jewish institution or muslim institution that they may not be able to tell you what the risk is but they know that they're say their student population or their perishers feel like that they are at an elevated risk in their their concerned they know because of the temperature that we spoke about in the social media that we spoke about the chatter they know that they're that risk they can tell us how we believe we're right as this is why and we'll make that or will make that determination if it's legitimate okay so knowing that you don't have to answer me today like as far as timeline of grant process familiar with a grant process that takes a little bit of time actually may not be able to be. First. You know before the holidays that were mentioned by the speaker or whatever so is there a fine anywhere that exist within the department I guess of public safety where you have the ability to have emergency funds because. For any kind of a situation that would arise. For an immediate response outside of whatever this grant process would be right the short answer is no ma'am I don't believe there is that all we can do right now is just use the resources that we currently have either with them state police with local law enforcement and we're trying to do that to the best of our ability this would just be a so we don't have necessarily like a we don't have an emergency response find that could go in and secure something to try to protect it if we have a real threat if the fbi calls us today and says this location in the state of arkansas is going to be is it we have a real serious terroristic thread on the school on this location do we have anything within state government a far that has the ability to immediately armor that location or a plan secretary gary are i'm sorry director and you may not be able to tell me i'm saying if there is a find or capability you don't have to give me detail right if we had a very specific thread or a very specific incident we're going to shift all of our resources over and immediately we're gonna start seeking uhm finding to to pay for those resources I truthfully can't sit here and tell you what that would look like I can tell you that my I would immediately contact the governor of a contact through adam to start trying to tap into a federal resources but as we said today you're back to the world of prevention not response and we don't have a specific fine to try to establish anything in the way to prevention so all we can do is use the resources that we have to the timing of the grants i'm sorry not and i'm not trying to be a base that it is difficult to you know I can tavi priority number one that this group will sit down we're going to determine a date you know the sense of urgency today that we're looking at is the longer we kick this can down the road since it is going to be somewhat of a lengthy process. We're just going to be that much further behind and trying to get these funds available understand it and the reason that my line of questioning for has a reason behind it which is you know I want to make sure that we're being very thoughtful about this entire situation right and so if you're going to ask for restricted reserve funds for a grant program we may need to understand that we need restricted reserves maybe not for a great program but for more for a capability of being able to go in and supply things immediately because if you go through a grant process in a grand application and then you have you know security cameras video cameras all that takes time to install as well so which i'm not at saying that this is not discounted but you know and then the last thing I would say for school safety grants that we gave our schools you know their schools that are going to get a minimum hundred thousand dollars and so I just want us to be mindful that when we're talking about non profit organizations that we keep in mind what we've done for our schools and then you'll should also look at that school safety grant how that's been structured and to me a certain degree of measurables and understand we're meeting these actual and refunding things that actually do work according to in all the research has been provided around school shootings and things of that nature or so I would just I would just think that we need to think about this a little bit more thoughtfully in fully because your department needs to be prepared and ready to respind in my opinion. And so i'd anyway thank thank you mr chair and I think you've got to have some it's are there gonna be rules associated with this. Great program is for his rules that would have been promulgated or used my understanding is done and there would not be just the criteria the while I was just going to suggest if there was anything that was necessary and not regard that you would need to go through executive subcommittee and go for the emergency processes that we have certain place but anyway thank you thank you ma'am. So you're hammering recorder thank you is cheer two quick things number one um the application processes are going be similar to the one that's right being used with the awarding of the federal dollars for that will be similar to that cause it includes light thanks members are asking about yes sir it will be very similar to that it's just going to be controlled by the state okay would you do I think it'll be good if you'd send that to the chair so the chairs could send that out all the members because if the application is gonna be similar to what you very used in the awarding of the federal dollars it addresses a lot of questions have been asked in here today and maybe that would help members find a level comfort and the second ten years. In the development of how you're going to determine to give out this money and using senator urban's point about money that's already been given to schools money that has already been awarded through the federal dollars I don't think those entities that have already received some sort of funding are to get ahead of those that receipt that if not and that that should be included in the criteria those have already received should be placed ahead of those that have not received so that we can go ahead and and put another layer of security out there we're legitimate needs very been identified but the funding has not been awarded so I would make that request to be considered in it as well I agree hundred percent I can think of assured. Thank you mister chairman christmas trees been the lead up for about thirty minutes I think thank you for the recognition and allowing me to get back to my seat before you recognize me but our colonel first and foremost because this committee has yet to thank you in the men and women of the arkansas state police for providing for the safety and security that we live by everyday this is what this is all about that is what we are talking about here is providing for our communities in excuse me if I get a little bit frustrated but I think that's the most important part here but your agency is trying to be proactive instead of reactive. To credible threats that are provided by a federal partners through our fusion center is that not correct in sir that's correct so if the staff said all the members of the committee a background information paper about all the issues that we have talked about. We have spent less time. For less money a less important issues. Before in something that can really make a difference for the safety security of our citizens we are sitting here and just. Just hammering you in dragging you through the much like I say I apologize for the frustrated. But this is something very important so at the proper time mr chairman I have a motion that i'd like to provide to the committee that I think will satisfy everything that everybody has so. Talk about or complained about your record for your motion thank mister I moved the alc coach years. Be given authority to approve the restricted reserve transfer and associate appropriations amount of five hundred thousand dollars to the department of public safety upon receipt of written guidelines for distribution of the grant program to include more specific definitions regarding what constitutes being under threat in quite expenditures will be allowed to be covered by the grant funds and parameters regarding amounts for individual grant awards the coach airs will provide a copy of the guidelines to all alc members and alternatives thank you mister children I have a second multiple seconds I have sooner just filled it up for a motion to immediate consideration that is a proper motion auto's favorite they are as have it with that would take a motion on representative various motion of the favorite they are supposed as how you can with that members will move on to the policy making report sandwiches now you are ready to share the policy making separate thank you miss share the policy making subcommittee made on thursday november sixteenth and approved a request by representative jeff wardla and senator cheery rice requesting approval of a revision to the committee fund allocations to include special expenses of the committees retroactive did you allow a cap with the committee fund allocations for this fiscal year including deduction especially expense of special expenses as approved by the subcommittee is a chest of this report i'm overdoctor of the report proposing. A second others are favorite they are posed as have it. To be honest we all the reason I had a pause is button so I wasn't deciding where they had a question or discussion but he's here for the next report to send a flip on your recognized new review report just had to be repaired with chairman. The review so committee met on tuesday and reviewed agent items including the finance grants and contracts a contract for the part of the human services was found on page eleven and the report was held all other items were reviewed and move adoption of the report including continuing the hold on d h. Second I got a second has probably motion orders in favor say I closed as have it with that members will bring sector button and her team to the table for. It a contract that was held for today I think they have some discussion they'd like to bring forth on that contract. Yeah. The. And members are being passed out and email with information that was given to the committee on this particular contract so sector if you were an internet yourself at your team and then you guys are recognized to start to discussion absolutely thank you chair christie putnam secretary dhs I brought the team up to address the content in questions raised earlier. The. Mitter chief staff dhs. Very franklin director of the division of county operations DHS insert conning ham office of procurement dhs just just to open way at we appreciate the time to be able to bring this back before you we also appreciate the grace and space to look at our process and we've got some additional information to provide to you in a request. Yeah so as a secretary said we've we used the opportunity from tuesday when we received a lot of questions right for questions on this amendment to a interpreter services contract that we put forth that contract started october one we came with a minute the next month and we wanted to raise the finding for from two hundred thousand dollars to somewhere around one point five million dollars which obviously brought some questions the good thing that came out of that is it caused us to look at our process when it was held and we made some improvements in that process and we identified some issues there and what we're bringing back before this body is a request one to withdraw all that amendment because we actually don't need it once we looked at it and then two to also clarify something which is on tuesday we said that we had overspent that contract and that was that was an error on our part really what happened is we conflated our projected spending with our actual spending so we did not overspend that contract we're nowhere near overspending that contract and right now we don't need an amendment now we may have to have an amendment sometime in the spring but that'll come once we get more usage numbers this body also had several questions and I just want to answer a real quick we answered home in the letter that we sent to you all but i'll highlight him really quickly which was one of the first questions where why didn't we receive any in state and the answer was one we got four out of state bids on this no in state bids but the contractor that did win that bid has locations here in arkansas in fact they're called arkansas spanish interpreters for some reason and they do more than spanish interpretation as well so maybe they need to expand their name but the real answer to that is they have locations here in arkansas but they do work nationwide and the benefit of that as they hire people here in arkansas for our most common interpretation needs. But if we have something that's really unique that we may not have anybody in arkansas that can do that they have the ability to grab people from other areas and again I know we're withdrawing this amendment but I want to highlight a couple points on the contract since the contract is probably up for question a little bit which was you know one of the questions where why did we jump that authorization so much right why were we coming to this body and and the answer is we had an error and our internal process we went out for bid on this contract in april closed it in may it started october one one of our divisions looked at that contract and thought that our utilization was way too low so they submitted a request to are internal office of procurement. And said hey we need this to jump up seven hundred fifty thousand dollars let's talk about yes tuesday your testimony was spend at seven hundred thousand dollars and change on this contract my understanding yesterday is there's actually two invoices there that are for they add it together to be around thirty thousand dollars but no dollars have actually been expending so walk me through where the testimony came from tuesday that we expended seven hundred thousand and while there's such a misstatement there between where reactually are and what test money was on tuesday the fact that the matter is there has to be trust as an apartment if we can't trust they were getting the right information in the committee we we had a long ways to go over the next few years so walk me through where the misunderstanding was in waa there was such a gap and were reactionally are and what was testified in committee on tuesday sure let me limit start and i'll have sarah and mary fill in so why is just an apology on our part we just didn't have the documents in front of us that we should ahead in front of us and part of that process change that we're making is to make sure we have those cheap and we have all the documents there I think a lot of that error just came from looking at the documents while we are up here and as I said earlier conflating projected spending with actual spending so what we looked at when we answered that question was what someone in our division had submitted as projected spending for the entire fiscal year and we stated that number as if we it is as if we had spent that money and the truth and matter is as we only had those two invoices and we didn't have the actual spending in front of us in preparation for the meeting to use there. So that's where that error came in and that's also part of the error in our internal process where we had that division submit that projected spending and then we took that number because it applies to six divisions and we doubled it thinking that we needed that much for the entire fiscal year. And so really it was just internal error on our part in making sure that we looked at our actual spend our actual invoicing and our actual projections now part of that came out of the unwinding that's happened over the last few months we went out for bid on this with numbers from april and whining happens this is where our division panicked right they looked back they saw our own winding numbers and they said hey you didn't you don't ask for enough. And that that wasn't the case here and so I hope that answers your question represent more. You did but port up problem tuesday was dead there seems to be a level of problem with saying I don't know a level of problem pausing when a question is asked that you don't have the answer to and it's perfectly fine for an agency to do that it's also perfectly fine for ages to come here not be prepared to do it every day what we've seen this week as we've had to make this come the table when they say hi we didn't have this will bring it on friday we apologize that that would have been the more res- the better response tuesday to a statement I i'm just done with a foreign voice of my english is not always correct. But. To give an answer that you're not sure of lead you to the possession at your end a day. Which is the position that you were off by huge peace. Are you off from zero to seven hundred and seven thousand dollars. And it's just very important to understand that this committee has to operate on accurate information we have to make a decision to say yes or no and it's very hard to do that a lot of times and it's also a lot of trust in that that we're getting the information that is correct. Oh so if that are yield to the other committee members represent a fight you recognize thank you mr chair my question has been answered. Thank you miss shared two things with regards to the numbers that you're proposing financially is this organization able to take care of the marshall east population and all of the populations you mention that on the spanish but it just want make sure it takes care like martially yes sir okay and then number two are you are your numbers take you need consideration the increase in population they're coming from the southern border that are find their way into our state or how do you calculate to make sure that for the ones that were receiving in the state that we're going to be able to meet their needs who are. Is that even a consideration are concerned to you. So I can um over the last few months are invoices for this contract for blow close to the mark if you don't monthly i'm sorry thank you. Over the last few months we have seen an increase in our needs for telephone interpretation as we interact with clients from eleven to fifteen thousand or so a month that's just one thing we do are used this contract for we also use it when we need to translate documents notices our website because we do keep it available in english spanish and marshalis as the most commonly needed languages here so we will just continue to watch that utilization and if it does increase to the point that we need to come back we will come we will come back this we have like sability with this contract and we can come back. If we need to okay so your answer is that you are monitoring the numbers that are coming in the state and and the okay thank you. See enough other questions the request will be granted without objection the contract will be the contract a minute would be port so thank you guys we appreciate the support thank you sector if you want to stay put members without objection will go ahead and take up the. I assisted living um. My mind gone blake assisted living facility reimbursement rates report at this time so members that are six under the reports are seven seven hundred reports i'm sorry. Yes thank you for. The allowance are to stay up here and get this report we submitted the the monthly update as directed by section fifteen about two thirteen of twenty twenty two and we're reporting now the status of our efforts on to increase reimbursement rates under the living choices insisted living waiver. So at the last alc meeting we reported should say I had a representative here and I appreciate the allowance of that as well that by october twenty seventh dhs would disperse the balance of two hundred twenty thousand nine hundred eighty seven dollars to the forty eight facilities that chose to participate based on the same funding formula as was used to calculate the initial payments from the two million dollars in arpa funding that was designated for that purpose I am here to report that all remaining funds have been dispersed at this time and were dispersed by that october twenty seventh date we are continuing the work necessary to implement act one ninety eight which authorizes dhs to establish the cost reporting process for medicaid funded assisted living facilities in the letter we reported that we had received reports from fifty out of fifty one facilities I appear before you today to report that we have received all fifty one reports and the remaining one report that was outstanding was received timely within the requested time period we have added that report to the information submitted to our vendor to do the analysis. Um the so we do not have to pursue sanctions at this time but I will be glad to provide if there are questions just information on what those sanctions can be if we do not receive timely costs reporting going forward with our process the reports received have all been submitted to myers and stopper for review and they begun their initial assessment to determine any follow up requests that are needed from the providers to complete the whole process we estimate the timeline to be completed by the end of january we do understand that a certain facilities have expressed some urgency around financial conditions and we are working to make sure that our art vendor understands those requests as well the un october first we posted for public comment the intent of petition cms for approval to implement the current appendix key rates at these rates are for the sustainable facility reimbursements these rates are eighty one fifty nine for urban facilities and eighty five sixty seven for rural facilities the amendment to make these rates permanent it was formally submitted to cms on october thirty first a twenty twenty three in addition we are continuing our broadbased review of all medicaid programs to assess options for a long term sustainability of the program recommending recognizing the continued increase and spend in medicaid we do look forward to sharing the information with the alc when we receive the information on the current status and options for sustainability and that concludes my report to this committee. They said do button and just in the comment can I do thank you for a year ability to communicate with me and and others too and I do greatly appreciate that I do want members to know while this administration is only been dealing with the sub you can and then redetermination of a medicaid and state rates for these entities. We have elderly and informed people at risk and some facilities. And it's not because of lack of interest. But it's it's bureaucracy. For over a year before this. Administration came in we worked on right and we can guarantee or disagree with studies and i'll once thirty came up with the right that spelling would work. If you're not reimbursed your cost. I don't care how much more business you do you're losing money. Ban aging institutions require. Some definite information by major information. Define continue to find these projects that are are stretched out over many years. And we have some that are up against wall and the clock sticking and it's not any one persons fault. But it is the bureaucracy that that we have while we were to. Be more worth fish it with government spending and medicaid dollars. These facilities that were belt to the requirements. Of the state of arkansas when some states have less required there is a cost there and that's what we're trying to determine. But there's some that have run out. Do the end and financial institutions are not going to take a gus and it's gonna be fixed down a road and it man checked around now you're you're pushing things as much as you can but we cannot. In good car just in march my view. Use eleven infirm people. To catch state government if we get tight care they are meant to it's a statement of what our priorities are so I would appreciate any in all hands on deck that we can do to come up with a realistic. Figure when that what we're warning. That that is do. It in. In stand on that because see people go out of business and I hate the early informed people hurt. The. Because we didn't get it done in time and you can't just flip the switch back on and put him back and then this my name when he shut on it's a major major deal so I know you've heard some of theirs from me before but I want membership no it's important to may I hope it's important for this population thank you. Representative. Thank miss chairman anana thank you madame secretary for being here and in the and I appreciate the chairman rice's comments because is very important to me also and he at the hit the nail on the head this then it really requires a a trin tremendous amount of attention but I asked my question madam secretary is doing what is the average time for reimbursement to these the soul is july I get about some smaller assisted living facilities and my district it's just a amazing how long it takes for them to be reimbursed do you have a I don't mean to drag it out but can you just get that information me about how long it takes to get reimbursed but absolutely we'll get you the requirement and that within which we are required to get the reimbursement to the provider and then the average length of time that we reimburse thank you ma'am sector yes sir thank you for the question. Serious hammer you recognize that it was shared at a relationship to your putting in the due you have come in after this conversation started a long time ago center rights mentioned but. For some reason and maybe you can tell me or you can get the information I thought that we were told last year maybe even further than that that this had already been submitted for the appendix k rates and on here it says that it was officially submitted october thirty first twenty twenty three can you refresh my memory on that or my incorrect on that yes sir you're not incorrect there was an initial submission of a rate that was proposed at the end of last year before the new administration came in the new administration came in we went into the process of other hold on that the questions from cms plus we were asked to review those rates and in the process in the interim we had the cost reporting a statue passed that required us to go do the cost reporting process and get that implemented and so the what we have done as we have put forth the appendix care with a a proposed permanent rate that keeps the. Temporary rates that were established during the public health emergency to make those permanent and that is the new rule that was submitted to or the new request that was submitted to cms in place of the of the former one in the rates it had been submitted now were arrived at through what process refreshed my memory. Those were rates that were arrived at by the prior administration up i'd be glad to get you the information on that I do not have that and actually arrived here after a lot of conversations have been had so but I mean the the eighty five sixty seven eighty one fifty nine you're saying those were prior administration rate don't those were established during the public health emergency yes sir. Okay and then do you know of any facilities that have served notice that they are no longer taking medicaid patience saying the last three to four months server are you seen a trend where you're getting notification from facilities that they're no longer taking medicaid page not to my knowledge we can get that clarification and final answer for you as well but we have not received that notification no sir. Okay thank you thing was sure. Thank you mister chair may I request that the information are the representative barry and senator hammer were wanting to be sent to all averse. Yes we will make sure they get sent to the entire membership thanks. Senator murder okay thank you certain. So you know further questions thank you for your report. Members we still have one more subcommittee report of representative bearing. The. You are recognized thank you mister german the personal committee met wednesday november sixteenth and reviewed all the request and reports listed and items one through forward the exception of it and once see which was held or ALC today the department of finance administration was asked to determine if they had utilised the budgeted salary dollars for a surrender position which has never been filled in other line items I moved to drop the report at the proper time including item once based on the data provided by the agency and the approval of the requesting member. Thank missed chairman that second has proper motion autos in favor say I posed as have it with that members of move on to section of the agenda I need a motion for approval and I three have a motion at the second holidays in favor of they are posed as have it members of your follow me over two hours. I adam jay and her new business if you remember last month I informed you that it would be a change to the council rules due to the special session that's all that is listed here so I need a motion to approve that change it's a statutory change. Have a motion of second all those in favor say our posed as have it members I was only one in on study without objection that in him study will be moved to the house judiciary committee. In the objection c and nine members with your following back to the top of the agenda when we back up to the secretary's report with that will go to a stay in order we'll go to the department of military major general johnson stubbs. I sure how sector stubs is still in the building. I don't remember being that way when you were there representative. Steford's fault. Miss sector. You and your help or are recognized to introduce yourself and give you report. Mr chair thank you very much members of this estimate good morning a major general jonathan stubs and on the agenda general of the arkansas national guard and the secretary of the arkansas military department. So i'm excited to be here with you this morning to tell you about the men the women and the mission of the arkansas national guard we are cansons where your friends your neighbors are co workers. And even family members we are not just stationed in arkansas we live here. The arkansas national gardens in all volunteer community base force of over eight thousand five hundred soldiers and airmen from all seventy five arkansas counties we are located across the state so we can rapidly respond when the governor calls us to do we work continuously to build partnerships throughout are consoled with community leaders that had tremendous value to our state. Our economic impact in the state of our consolidation's five hundred million dollars this includes over fifty million dollars in federal funds that flows through our state cooperative agreements with very limited requirement to match was state dollars for example such federal funds are used for maintaining our armories across the state so what we do. The arkansas national guard is committed to both our state response and national defence missions we are well trained and ready to respond anywhere in the state and nation when the governor calls in anywhere in the world when federalized by the president. Within the state this past year the arkansas national guard responded decisively in the aftermath of the thirty one march. Tornadoe that rabbits literate north literate jackson bill. And the community of wine. We've completed multiple search and rescue operations in the state helicopter hoist missions we provided clean drinking water within various communities. And supported local officials with when a response. The arkansas national gore plays a vital role and supporting the national defense strategy right now as we speak the thirty ninth temperature brigade combat team headquarters. From camp robinson right here in those little rockets in germany training the ukrainian military while units from our first and second infantry battalions or deployed and multiple locations across the middle east securing key strategic assets and providing a quick reaction force capability. Both the one eighty eighth and one maybe ninth wings about international guard and deploy more than one hundred airmen to multiple locations around the world showcasing our multi facility and specialized error and cyber capabilities. Right here in central arkansas the arkansas national garden youth challenge program provides sixteen eighteen year old to pat to obtaining their gd while also when stilling the values. Life skills and self-discipline necessary to be successful citizens this program is twenty two weeks and residents at camp robinson with no cost to the student or the family and we have graduated four thousand five hundred and eighty students from this program with sixty five currently enrolled and finally the arkansas national gord also participates in the national guard bureau state partnership program with the central american country of guatemala this over twenty two year relationship leverages the extreme professionalism of our force to improve the capabilities of the guatemalan armed forces to better protect their citizens and ensure security and the vital central american region we look forward to expanding this program to take on a more holistic approach that strengthens relationships across government economic and social spheres so how we're organized the one eighty eighth wing up and for smith had quartered it ebbing international guard base excels and three mission sets the impunine ripper remotely piloted aircraft the open source intelligence integration mission and are all source targeting mission they are a twenty four seven three hundred and sixty five day a year unit and they are providing critical capability to our combating commanders around the globe and they're doing it from home extraordinary airman doing extraordinary things the one may be night there lift wing headquartered at literacy air force base operates the soul c one thirty each legacy aircraft formal training unit for the department or defense providing c one thirty eight aircraft training to use members and four impartners we look forward to fielding our first c one thirty j aircraft at the end of this federal fiscal year and we look forward to pure fleeting or see one thirty fleet whether j model over the next five to seven years. The thirty ninth infantry brigade combat team had quartered on camp joseph t robinson is the state's largest military unit. The thirty ninth has twenty six units in thirty seven locations around the state and is comprised of infantry field artillery engineer and logistics for structure the seventy seven theater aviation brigade is headquartered at camp joseph p robinson and provide rotary wing capabilities that include tactical soldier transport medical evacuation reconnected in search and rescue using the uh sixty black haul helicopter and the luh seventy two lacoda helicopter are one forty second field artillery brigade from up in northwest dark and saw headquartered in favor bill are console probably precise and lefhal or tillery fires utilizing both the m two seventy multiple launch rocket system and the m one oh nine pound and seven propelled one five millimeter or eighty seven trip command headquartered on camp robinson is comprised of engineer military police in other small troop units while these units are organized trained in equipment for war time missions they are also tailored for domestic response and support to state authorities specializing and wrote clearance security search you rescue operations hazardous material exploitation flood response another disaster relief efforts or two thirty third regiment here at camp province and executes advanced training across all three army components including infantry signal training officer candidate school and our sniper skills training up note two of our instructors from the arkansas national guard and from the two thirty third regime were on the first place team for the two thousand twenty three international snapper competition and were recognized as the world's best snipers these are your arkansas national guardsmen. The national guards marks me ship training center at camp problems and ministers the chief of the national garbaros marks me ship training and competitive programs at the regional national and international levels and we have the crown jewel of the national guard education system the professional education center on camp robinson which will celebrate as fifty of year this coming summer as the premier learning institution and the department of the fence and the national guard bureau providing an unrivaled experience to leaders of all rings. Pc has over four hundred employees training more than six thousand person now each year across seventy five different courses and they are probably the most prolific customer of the literature national airport. Initiatives facility modernization the arkansas national gore dormant is on average forty years old historic historical funding levels have led to an estimated eighteen million dollars and maintenance back log the arkansas department of the military receives about one point five million dollars to apply to its share of armory support approximately five hundred thousand is applied to utilities and municipal services five hundred thousand goes to major renovation and armory such as adding female restrooms new roofs and the remaining five hundred thousand is applied to routine maintenance at our armories this funding level has remained relatively constant since two thousand. Excuse me. The arkansas national guard with respect to recruiting. Must maintain a solid and robust recruiting program to maintain its forestructure you are consult army national guard currently sits about ninety seven percent assigned strength. While that sounds good it's not good enough we must be at one hundred percent assigned strength the architects are air guard has increased it to sign strength from back ninety percent to ninety four percent this year but like I said we must do better. The arkansas national guard will continue to face head winds this year for example. A reduction and federal bonus funds will negatively impact our recruiting efforts for that reason i'm implementing a state level and senate program that will pay current or console national guard members who are not recruiters and better for every new referral that joins the arkansas national guard and ships to their basic training. Our fort chappy reading the center up in the barling fort smith community. We are proved to build a new red in a center on fort chathy were very excited about that but that that facility was planned prior to covered in after covered are bids have exceeded the estimated estimated cost we are currently working with our congressional delegation to receive cost to complete funding through fiscal year twenty twenty four appropriations so that we can begin construction on that project. Also up at four smith or one eighty eighth wing and the foreign military sales programs sitting around the e thirty five fifth generation still fighter at thirty five from four partners will begin landing next year at ebbing international guard based the first four from the police air force as part of the department of defense foreign military sales program. The initial training to our international partners will be conducted by active component members of the united states air force however I intend to lay the necessary groundwork for the members of the arkansas international guard to assume that thirty five training mission by twenty thirty. So and closing the arkansas national guard is always ready and always there in supporting our state and doronation thank you for your time this morning I look forward to answering your questions but before I do let me just say one more thing. I'm convinced. That there is no better place for our young man and women then service in the arkansas national good. So I encourage all of you to adicate on our behalf we're hiring we need young people who are committed to service doing something greater than themselves making a difference both inside the state and a defense of our great nation thank you very much thank you for a report we've got it couple of questions here after hammering your wrecker thank you miss school they must share let me begin by seeing how much we appreciate you and the men and women of the service and what you do to protect and secure freedoms and that is with all exclamation points and beyond the question I have you kind of hit out just in the number of recruits are you thirty flat declining and is it because of a lack of interest or is it the lack of your ability to attract specially when you mention just me to go about decreased funding thank you for the question centered or so multi facility of course so i'll give you some twenty twenty three data and it will be specific to our are consult army national guard just to kind of illuminate the issue so we had a bad omission to recruit one thousand new army national guards soldiers into arkansas for fisc federal fiscal year twenty twenty three which ended on thirty september we finished the year at five seventy seven so about fifty seven percent of our recruiting mission obviously that is not good enough over about the last three years or so we have seen declining numbers however I am beginning to see some leading indicators which lead me to believe I think we are going to turn a corner with respect to our recruity now there are many reasons for that but i'll just give you some nationwide data again that kind of puts the problem in the context propensity to serve an ability to serve so with respect to ability to serve in and a recent survey and and just some. Assessments at the nation and a national level seventeen to twenty four year olds those that demographic that that we are most seeking only about twenty two percent of seventeen to twenty four year olds meet the minimum requirements to enter the military without waivers. So a very small portion of our population can even meet the prerequisite requirements whether it be the moral requirements health and fitness requirements or the knowledge base requirements to to serve about twenty two percent of our young people only about nine percent had a propensity or interest in serving in the armed forces and of that nine percent we are in competition competition with all the other services and components across the greater department or defense. I say all that to say though. We still have got to do better so i'm putting this referral in center program in the place we are doing something structurally with the within our own recreating programs both in the army and the international guard we're putting the right leaders in the positions that that ball and a my estimation deliver those results and i'm confident that we are going to do better in twenty twenty four sir so you have a strategic plan absolutely are you at liberty to share that or that confidential you'd rather not sure we'll see the strategic plan I mean it it's all about I will tell the it's centered primarily on on a couple of things it's wine education information spreading the word community engagement engagement with community and florences primarily those within our school systems or superintendents uh per se making sure that we're doing everything we can to get back into the schools to reestablish the relationships between our recruiters and our educators are community influencers a relationship that was maybe not quite sebar but certainly degraded through the covered years and we got some catching up to do there and and we're and we're doing that but mostly service just about being present uh and then also just being very very proactive and aggressive in the way that we tell our own story because we have a very powerful enrich story to tell okay thank you last question I was is it true that you're not allowed i'm sure school campuses that is true sir that's unfortunate thank you yes sir thank you. Representative general mary. Thank you mister chairman so I just couple of quick things and I can't stress how critical in strength the recruiting and retention piece is to the military department because that's how we get our federal dollars to fund all of it the armories are everything everything that goes in your community are to include being able to have personal to support a disasters in your respect to yourself anything that this body can do. To help that cause it would i'm should be greatly appreciated but this legislature the legislature has been very gracious over the years to provide incentives for young men and women to join the national guard and the example is our education program where the legislature approved our soldiers in them and can go to college of virtually a pay for all their tuition the tax free and set up that is this body approved out for retirement pay as well as act duty pay so yeah and there's other things that we can be doing so if you would just be sure let us know how you're progressing in what kind of support that you need from this legislature so that's as a real quick if I may miss chairman the issue of sexual salt and substance abuse in the military throughout our country is has been a hot topic and I know we've done very well in the state of arkansas with staying up the front page of newspaper and off the up the news so are are are we doing pretty good and that arena holding people accountable. Yeah. Sir absolutely in general thank you for and I know you are because he used to be my cheapest staff so it's a lot of questions or without question we we are a standards based organization great thank you general and so when I was a cabinet set is sitting in your seat I had an issue with the previous administration when it came to personal authorizations and even vehicle authorization so they would put a person at a cap on personal hiring and then I would get positions that were hot a percent federally funded but the administration would not allow me to hire those positions because we didn't want to increase your employees which in other spree check and they're going to pay taxes it's making jobs and everything or are you having that issue something with vehicles they're going to pay a hundred the federal government pay a hundred percent for a vehicle for the for the the state but I couldn't buy vehicles because the administration would say no we're only allowed so many vehicles that it's they're going to buy those cars in arkansas so are you experiencing some of the same situations or does the administration know that that's an issue. Yet yes or so are accountable we are not under necessarily the acute pressure that you were we are working very closely with the administration and our partners there in the ss with respect to our federally reimbursed employees and they're not in there in the material resources that are federally reimbursed right now sir III don't have an issue or the problem or a problem in that regard okay thank you mister thank you general thank you sir i'm just glad he could fill it home for a second we we worry about him on a daily base absolutely and I feel sorry for you that you had to work for it i'll learn to laugh from themselves thank you for chairman general so that you touched lightly on your response to the emergencies of march thirty first that will people in this body to know that when the guard showed up they showed up for days and weeks and I probably security directed traffic food out by the trigger truck loads and they did that go and noticed we actually thought through wrong to it is that we probably had three hundred people that would have dad in the store it ended up being forwarded so thank you and the man and women of the national guard I would be remembered not to mention corn haggered and architects state police sector leave for an education sector putting pork human services in adam. Director. Or tutored employees of archaeological transportation then alan claimant insurance apartment and the archail getting in fish commission it destroyed three hundred hours. And it it will take us probably four years to put it back together but we we are allowed and safe because of your efforts and thank you sir thank you and if I may respond in and just to let you know how how humbled I am by your comments. And in visiting our soldiers that were deployed in the win area to support your efforts there in the community there is no place that they would rather man then right there and they were so proud to serve your citizens to serve that community and again I mean that that is exactly while we're here and we're ready now. Will be ready to moral as well. Thank you sir. Send a blake and your recognized general in your comments you said you had four that your facilities were ever dangerous forty years that is correct sir how many buildings are facilities could you. Guess but it would wait me and they are. Will sir currently right now off of our major installations in our major installations would include literacy air force based camp robinson for chaffy and ebbing or national garbage we maintain around forty four readiness centers. In of those forty four readiness centers I would say again with the average age being forty years that around sixteen sixteen percent of those are right square in the ball park of forty years and you know right there the built during the cold war anywhere between the oldest may be being the late fifties all the way through the early seventies once a lash band. Well sir it certainly depends in a week we do are very best to keep those facilities up however it is incredibly challenging. And and really the most challenging thing outside of just material construction and in in material integrity of the building itself is is really the square footage and the amenities that are within the buildings themselves with respect to being able to build out or modernize to be a more technological keeping pace with with technology and everything else and the things that are soldiers require and also back in the day seeing the late fifty sixties early seventies the vast majority of our units were male only now all of our units are or open to both male and female we have a significant issue with a lot of our facilities in terms of female literings using the military term female commodes female showers and everything else so we can have a fully gender integrated unit does that answer the question sir do you. For operations and maintenance of those forty four facilities we spend million and half. How how can we plan for the future. With the me and a half spend. That's I mean at that's going to keep up what you got your facilities are going to get older if we don't start investing. And yet those average area ages down because the last band is not so don't go out there. Yes sir I mean that's just a challenge that i've been trying to find funding for for the last four years and have. Don't you to help out how much help you because I think I remember in here. Would be willing to spend more money for those silvie because I think that'll help you in recruiting. Whenever you have a have a facility for for these young folks to get him to this lesson. I have their other parent change so the service thank you very much and thank you for your support. So remark johnson thank you mister chairman now want to thank the other. The senate took about part of have my question but I i'll use the other half you in general stubs and in current would thank you for both being here. You talked about ninety seven percent what you really say is we we need three percent of their flots failed that we don't feel you're looking personnel wondering if. Recently are made several of our institutions for her learning initiative programs to help young people a ford college in leave without debt find good career pairs and and I applied that I think they're innovative in their good have any of them spoken with you about. Including the national garden even other military branches in. That equation so young person that the the gap and what they got to go to college on and what they don't have could be filled by a serving in the guard has that been discussed or or initiated in either direction. Yes sir so we maintain a great relationship with all our institutions of higher learning both are four year universities or community colleges and we are always working together to figure out how we can best optimize the the current benefit that that's that we have in place I can tell you and and jeff i'll let you jump in here but if we have a young person that joins all organization graduates high school and is looking to move on to the next thing I believe there is no reason why that person cannot serve as a member of the arkansas national guard pursue a four year degree and come out the other end debt free and it's not just about a four year degree either we see all the time that that folks are looking towards a career in in in a trade or it were another very new oster or special vocation that doesn't necessarily require for for your degree we can also finance that education are on the jar training as well so that that's kind of where we are but we're always talking and and looking at ways that we can make it better sir jeff anything bad with it. Jeff were there cheaper staff to portrait military one of things has been very helpful as we've been up to adapting the tuition assistance program we have an arkansas when we first started that out it didn't cover fees and books and we started to find those gaps like you said we're you know it was amazing that some of our soldiers literally weren't going to college because they couldn't forward the books for some of the fees so it's it's been a great help for us to be able to just that program get those books and fees covered and we've seen some benefits from that recruiting absolutely and sure if I made I had an opportunity to speak to our console educators at one of their annual conferences several thousand educators gathered together in little rock and I talked about the benefits that are available to their students and I can tell you II described the educational benefits that are now available the idea that a young man or woman going to a higher learning type institution can metriculate all the way through their senior year on a diploma and walk out the other side that free that we would pay for their education and and I sensed and I heard an audible gasp from the crowd and that tells me that word is not gotten out sufficiently across across our institutions there at the secondary education level or high schools for instance folks that just don't know that so i've got to do a better job we've got to do a better job of communicating that across the statement guess what we can do for you your young folks we can can pull them into life with a free education whether it be four year two year or a trade or vocation. Thank you for that general appreciate what you just told me let's continue to work toward getting that word out as as it seems to be a little bit it disconnect on the on the information let's work together on getting it out thank you both for coming thank you mister chairman thank you sir. Senator hill you're recognized. I'm here general sir that I had my question for you the one go back to the senator hammers question that that he assumes what do that did I hear you correctly say you are not allowed some high school campuses. The. Some sort of okay then I was managed with what. Why. Sir that is a that is a great question. I can tell you i'm gonna visit with with a community at the beginning of december about that very issue I think some folks are are willing to talk to me about it which is very encouraging I would prefer I would be happy sir maybe offline or whatever to talk to you may be in more specifics about that but I can tell you that i'm taking is that a personal challenge my responsibility to communicate with these school districts to communicate with these school district leaders about how important it is to expose our young people to these types of opportunities now I can tell you that in some instances it's not just excluding the military the national guard specifically it's it's all recruiters whether it be uh military recruiters uh recruiters from other institutions of higher learning or other organizations they are not allowing those recruiters on campuses as well. Okay thank you sir sounds like they need it think about their case futures instead of themselves. Yes sir is is that mostly public or private schools sir I don't know definitively I know as some of the engagements that i'm looking for to having in the future or with our public education programs thanks sir. Sender gee recognize red when i'd push my black number over here to your left or the serve it's not the same lands of what sender he'll have just ask you and I heard what you said about offline. And I lane of course towards local control however. Matthew order question is gonna be if if anybody within those communities you know i'm not for sure that doesn't need to be made public. Because I want to make sure that that is the board's decision and that is the the will of members that live within those committees that vote for those board membership I heard what you said but I would really like to consider a a skidding report outs of that like I say that we can figure out why you're not being allowed on those campuses then again must get that public out there so that the members of me are to make sure the members that vote on the vote for that that that's what they want your sir in in if I may sir if I may ask a favor of this body is again i'm taking i'm taking this on is is my charge to communicate with them to engage with them and if I may have a little time in space to as we see in the military develop the situation and and try to work with these entities but if I can maybe come back with you with a report say later on this spring in terms of how we're doing and that engagement I would be very much appreciated ok well I was gonna say six days but to spring sounds spring sounds good to me so but if if it would be okay with this body I would like I would like it to be included that if you know there are reasons and I think that the reason may need to be stated by the institution but i'd like for that for that to be made public thank you sir so i'm grateful for that I appreciate your your support in your sense of urgency with this issue spraying some time proud of the april yes sir thank you sir you have now met sender hickey. Represent a very soon you are recognized thank you mister chair general just a quick question I heard you say you're not allowed on high school campuses is there true for also college campuses also. Is that true for college campuses as well sir i'm not aware of an issue on a cat on a college campus so you are allowed on college campuses yes sir it is I understand my understanding at this point in time today yes sir and a quick follow up I think I read you say that there was the issues in terms of requirement what sort of recruitment tools. Are you guys currently using in terms of recording young people into the guard yes or so we are focusing on. Our education benefits an incentives for sure we also have federal incentives federal bonus incentives for specific military occupational spec specialties that that we can offer however some of those federal incentives are on a decreasing and size and scope so we're not necessarily able to offer as much and talked about my recruiting incentive with respect to referring young people to organization and i'm looking to incentivise nonrecruiters within our ranks and also retirees of our organization to bring referrals to us. And if one of their referrals raises their right hand joints or national guard and ships off to their basic combat training we will incentivise them and then then it's just a matter of appealing. Appealing to the senses of our youth with respect to service it's not just about money and benefits necessarily it's about. Communicating effectively with our youth letting them know that our organization will provide them tools experiences and relationships that will benefit them for the rest of their life. In its a matter of just telling our story having access to these young people sitting down with them developing relationships with them and their parents their teachers in their coaches their influencers to let them know again you know my theme is it relates to recruiting is that there is no better place three words it's very simple there is no better place where an imperfect organization absolutely but I firmly believe there is no better place for a young person and arkansas then in the arkansas national guard do we are recruiting stations to the out of state we do sir would be issued one twelve question down what about diversity within the guard you hear issues in terms of recruitment when it comes along that line no sir I believe and i've seen that of all the time the design gauge are are young private in the army and erman in the air national guard I see a very diverse I see diversity in the faces of these soldiers in airmen we are truly representative of our population and i'm very proud of that we are we are deliberate we are very intentional in that in our efforts to make sure that that we that we call debate a very diverse organization that can come together and in the end fight together and went together in combat your one file question listen to a guy about young twenty year old grandside when he graduated from high school I think you get an interest in the guard but how how do you reach these high school kids when you in some situations you are not allowed on high school campuses great question and we really do that where we have got to empower each and every soldier and airmen in our formation that you are recruiter you are an em. Ambassador for our organization and we want you to engage in your communities engaging your churches engaged through the relationship that you have within your family and your friend groups again to tell our story the let folks know that there is no better place for a young person to be them with them with us thank you thank you thank you members I won't remind you we still have two more secretary so i'll keep recognizing questions sir i'm fired up I can I can stay here as long as you need me reps and flowers are recognized thank you message I just real quick general just to pick you back off of representative ferguson's questions about recruitment um in light of the limitation in in terms of high school campuses are you are using social media and employing those tools to reach the amount of campus yes ma'am absolutely we are leveraging social media to the greatest extent possible with the exception of tick pack. Right banking but we are we are very active there you tube twitter facebook and I know that's old score I need to get back with the arm snapcher. This means you're allowed to snap chat. Pandora absolutely mister representative buried that mischairman so in in that kind of piggy back up what singer hickey was talking about and you know the ipad guard ends up having issues with being on high school or campuses and that's how you get the word out do about all the benefits of being in the guard with education being a business so for but a lot of that comes I know from the high pressure sales tactics of active duty recruiters because or quotas are dependent but they're betterly funded the difference is the national guard is funded by the state in this body can do something about that but ever becomes a problem where you're not being allowed on a high school campuses. The legislature could probably help you out a little bit on that okay so the question I have and I know general steps when you were the army cheap we had some issues with bonuses with the the federal bumpers proof in a lot of FBI enquiries it it was up there was a big mess with that so you're going to have measures in place correct that too are prevent any of the that fraud waste and abuse that my occur with a similar type bonus problems that correct yes or an end let me just say we are going to promulgate rules we will have promulgated rules we're gonna be very again i'll use the words deliberate and intentional and very disciplined instructions in the way that we approach this because we do not want to put the institution at risk and we do not want to put our soldiers in error minute risk who participate in this program this will be a very well run program sir I can insure you thank you general thank you mister. Sender hammer you recognized for very quickly thank you thank you well a pop the wid because I know you have problems on school campuses and I think what you're going to find is when you get to it and I appreciate your soft approach to your care to approach and take your own find out that it's a question of limitation of space you know man power interruption clash you're in the founded deep will it's going to have to go down on this nor to get it to it but I would like to search I would like to should you come back before this body prior to fiscal session with and report of what you have found in what you find out some of the reasons for why you're not being allowed because then thank what it gets to the fiscal session send her money to stick we were going to have him give that report in march there be plenty of time to act during physical session. It'd be the end of march which get just closed april as we can sir I appreciate that they thank you and thank you for your service and and I want to echo since senator carl will i've been there and disaster when you guys with the cartage well situation regards our point on there is no better folks to have on her back then you thank you and whatever we can do to sport you let us know sir it's a pleasure to be here thank you again to this sustained body I wish you are happy thanksgiving and again we are the arkansas national guard and we are always ready and we're always there thank you members are we word will move on to department of correction senator joe for free and i'm probably messed at a. You know if you use for market so you'd have one is combinates. I like how you feel strong enough that you leave your staff back younger. Is my burden to bear sir it is they helped me well but I appreciate your acknowledgment of them thank you for having me it's my pleasure to appear before you today and give you the current state of the arkansas department of corrections I respond to most anything so I understand with the name scenario so if you would pull that might closer yes or introduce yourself for the record you're recognized yes joe preferred secretary arkansas apartment corrections thank you privately today just wanted to. Express that since becoming secretary i've seen the need for the department to be responsive to the counties to this legislative body and as they help their constituents that I believe i've been intentional in doing that. One of the first things that I noticed in arriving. As the secretary is the lack of prison bed space. Upon arrival there were approximately two thousand individuals that were remanded to state custody that were in county jails across the state of arkansas the ripple effect of that is misdemeanors who were being engaged by law enforcement didn't have the ability to be booked into county jails or remaining county jails pending their initial appearance and potential sentencing to county jail. The. I endeavoured very quickly to. Scam our infrastructure within the arkansas apartment of corrections that identify opportunities to for bed space I developed a very quick plan with regards to what I have referred to is immediate action intermediate action in future action the future action if I go backwards as associated with what you all did in the ninety four session which is to prove funding for the construction of a three thousand bed facility which we began immediately upon the signing of that particularly piece of legislation in the finance coming to bear additionally with regards to the immediate solution while we're pending the bridge to the three thousand beds to identify opportunities to bring people from county jails to create capacity for our shares across the state was to place temporary beds and reactivate backs that were taken offline within the arkansas apartment a correction so we could bring that capacity from county jails to the prison system where it belonged um we were able to do that and. April of this year with the activation and temporary assignment of new beds within facilities across our inventory to nearly a thousand are beds since then we have also made the request for additional five hundred bids which as you may be where was denied and i'm hoping that they are approved in the in the coming days so we can add some additional beds to our mentor that denial came at the hands of the board of corrections and we're going to reask and i'll ask every month until make record with regards to their position on bed management within the architects our apartment a corrections. I think what's most important to know with regards to these editions of beds is upon taking the helm of the arkansas apartment a corrections I put a stop to the use of the epa the epa is emergency powers act which allows the board of corrections to authorize the early release of prisoners when the capacity the department of corrections achieves ninety eight percent for thirty days or more that process has been the strategy for bed management within the arkansas apartment cracksheets for decades we haven't used it since I became secretary last year calendar year twenty twenty two dark saw department of corrections released early over nine hundred inmates that had not completed their. Since of incarceration as per the courts through the emerancy powers act i'm proud to sit here before you today and say that we have stopped that to my intent to never to use that it would absolutely be the nuclear option I believe that undermines the legislative body in the laws that they passed I believe that undermines the judiciary and the digital body in the sentences that they give for me to use if you will as an excuse that I don't have capacity in then asked to release prisoners early so we've that done that we're not going to do that and we've been able to through the addition of beds. And not using the emergency powers act which we released nine hundred last year i've been able to maintain the county deal back up at under two thousand as I sit here before you today were about nineteen hundred and ninety if you will sell through the addition of beds rather than the release of prisoners early we've been able to manage carriage your backup if I get am able to do you additional temporary beds then I can further manage that county jail back up hopefully reducing it to a level that all house for misdemeanor offenders to actually be harrested in carcerated pending their initial appearance as well as any sensing that might occur it's a result of the crime that they've committed in addition to they so that that will then bridge us to you the construction of the three thousand birds that was approved last session like I said that process began immediately upon a authorization we have engaged with our a consultant who is assisting with the writing of a procurement action as well as a program associated with the particular beds that we can then put out two industry for them to bid on for the design and construction of a three thousand bed facility some place in the state of arkansas with respect to the prison construction in those three thousand beds arkansas history of prison construction has been through the use of donated land often donated land within the state of arkansas to build prisons is not at a premium that costs the light to improve that land to make it suitable for an infrastructure to go on top of it additionally it's not in the most right location to allow for a work force that can immediately staff that prison as well as a sustainable work force that can maintain the facility over the long call as far as having appropriate staffing levels so i'm deviating from that past behavior as the status quo I did not believe a s. Serve the state of arkansas well with regards to the locations of prisons in the state of arkansas I have specific criteria associated with where that prison should be constructed and it has to do with like I served a sustainable work force it's got to be within a certain proximity to a level three trauma center I have to insure quality work life for those employees that work at that facility which means that the commute has to be reasonable from their homes and that it has to be close to highways and them end the land has to be suitable for construction of such a facility in addition community has to embrace the fact that a prison would go into their community or near their community so are those factors will be associated and written into the procurement action that the thender who proposes to build the facility will have to inform us of the location and community buy and with regards to where the prison will be located that prices is under way we're hoping to issue an rfp sometime in the beginning of of the new year again that has to go before the board of corrections for review and approval and i'll stand faster with regards to what their position will be when we have the package together for them to review you with regards to staffing numbers i'm very proud to report to you that since taking the position the secretary corrections we've reduced our vacancy rate within our prisons in arkansas by ten percent that is the massive undertaking hats after my staff for their recruitment for the training officers in our academy for director pain and his leadership and then direct radshaw with regards to leadership and community corrections to create an environment and culture where are kansas want to come to work for the architect apartment of corrections to reduce our vacancies by ten percent has been huge with regards to maintaining safe prisons and ensuring that we are providing the resources. In the opportunity it's necessary to the offenders that are custody to achieve the greatest success procedure to two weeks ago we graduate and care me with over a hundred individuals we had an academy but we could go gradually with approximately seventy and we have one getting ready to start with ninety officers that will be going in at those sizes classes and those numbers. Or use it to my years with regards to our ability to maintain safe prisons as well as reduce over time which comes out of physical gain to state of architect selling department corrections as a general rule or also in the process of implementing the protect act that is going extremely well with regards to what we're able to accomplish with the protect act in in our process associated with that we have a sign of quality improvement team and a program evaluation team that the ever algorithm all existing programs within the division of corrections and the department of corrections and the communications division to insure where it compliance with best practices we've also met with leadership and professional contractors to develop individual corrections plans. Is what I call them for each other finder into our custody we're putting tools in place with regards to um determining through proper assessment tools at intake there risk needs and responsivity with regards to the individual person coming into the customer department corrections and how we can best serve them aligning our programs accordingly to meet their needs and so they're the the best version of themselves upon release from prison which is what I call the opportunity of incarceration to take the time that they have removed from society to invest in them to try to make them the best version of themselves in hopes that they don't reoffend and the day of opportunities that they may not have had prior to and conservation we've developed draft rules to ensure family considerations associated with female prisoners in any pregnancies that there were in proximity to family as well as their children were coordinating with edh and dherson the eva to ensure finders have proper identification the work for documents to assist when they re enter society and they they leave with the virtual wallet if you will or a virtual folder of all of their accomplishments why they been at prison as well as those things that they may not have upon entering prison that are impediments to their success post release such as burst certificates and drivers license if there ultimately eligible um per sense and commission has also been working hard to separately sell eligible thresholds associated with the protect act at a twenty five or fifty percent for those offenses not set by statute at either eighty five or hundred percent those changes will become effective on january first of twenty twenty five additionally ever have engaged in what I refer to its safer person's initiative we are currently in the process of issuing to our entire correctional work force stab professed um that will provide them greater protection just last week we lost it off sir in texas who was murdered. The line of duty of three weeks prior to that we lost it officer in the state of georgia who was murdered in the line of duty and the same week we lost it officer and car right who was also murdered in the line of duty so through that process of issuing vests to all personnel and what's my hope to make them safer than ensure that they have awareness that we care about their safety in prisons additionally we intend to issue oc to those officers so they can respond to any event necessary with appropriate level of force to neutralise that scenario then additionally provide them dark and i'm in the event that they in common partner in the overdose scenarios within the prison system that they might be able to render saver life and with that I will stay in fast and open myself to any questions that this party may have. Thank you summit for your report for being here could you just describe the emergency powers act as that state legislation and as their language in there to allow you to suspend that. Could you just describe that for me real quick so but mister chairman senator to your question the emergency powers act is statutory I don't have the ability necessarily to suspend it but I initiate it so I won't ask for it I see so it's something that it would be initiated through the department not through the board we would ask the board as the representatives of the agency and then the board would approve the ask oh okay okay so that would be an action that you're agency would take in your choosing not to take it that's correct I see thank you for the clarification yes ma'am. Representative bear you recognize thank miss chairman and not missed by service think for being here but why why is the border corrections denying the beds request I see it as an impediment progress into the mission of the department of corrections of me about provide safety and security citizens of our community so why what what's the deal I couldn't agree with you more. Representative I don't think in this last denial that you know in all fairness april I appeared before the board and I asked for hundreds of beds across the enterprise that were approved so when my team went back to the board last week to ask for additional beds I anticipated that I would be met with approval for those beds as well them I was not to answer your question I did not get inadequate answer as to their rationale for not approving those beds other than a rest just I statement or spontaneous utterance if you will buy a board member that they just had a good feeling. Didn't well qualify the feeling or otherwise express what that feeling was but the answer was resounding no on approving over those beds but craziness is running rampant i'll tell you that so hopefully it get approved here pretty soon and one follow up question mister chairman of my may so we you know we visited one time you said recognize. Thank you so we visited one time before about you know substance abuse in the in our are prisons and we had spoke about the usage and being able to obtain dogs that can snip out self phones have have you meeting you progress in that arena if you have it you know it wouldn't be quite as hard as secretary hager's request for a half a million dollars but if you send us a request for about hundred and fifty thousand dollars a bit we could buy ten dogs to help alleviate law the problem with sell phones which directly contributes to substance abuse and narcotics getting into our prison system is that correct mr chairman represented that is correct and and you can stand by for that request it will be forthcoming as part of my safer prison is desire to add to our key nine inventory of what I call pointing your dogs they're narcotic detection dogs as well as cell phone capable dogs than they can sniff out cell phones initial inquiries indicate that those dogs are about twelve thousand dollars a piece and then some finalized training once they get to the institution I have to create a space for those dogs at institutions with kettles which we are evaluating currently and own pricing out what is going to take us to build proper generals for our dogs with the investment that we make in them they're part of the cadry of of officers if you will they just happen that four legs and and yellow do different things but we'd have to have proper space for them to make sure that they're safe and that the investment that we make in them is maintained through that way we maintain them but I intend to put them in play a very soon and addition to that we're exploring technology that in forum serve jamming of cell phone devices as well as rendering them if you will dead through technology that can just shut them off once they're particularly identified. I will tell you that I was in washington dc talking to the arkansas congressional delegation congressional delegation with regards to cell phones in prisons approximately two months ago and the challenge is associated with themselves ones in prisons and currently the fcc has specific rule requirements that restrict us from jamming cell phones within prisons but they do allow the bureau of prisons to gm cell phones within their prisons just not state so it's interesting that we don't have a level level of equal equitable reciprocity with regards to state and federal agencies by the federal government fcc and I were happy to say that one of our members of our progress for delegation mr carton has dropped a piece of legislation federally to request that we are able at the state level to use cell phone jamming technology it has not made it out of committee but i'm hopeful that it will and we will work robustly to use that technology in arkansas princess to jam sell for thank you and thank you for your service in a very difficult profession thank you mission thank you sir. So we took a number of members down for commons and you made some suggestions for upcoming budget for the department you might go in through some of that and and I think that alluded to some of the carriers haven't been returned that if maybe we were able to change that so you guys were able to keep that for maintenance and for different kitchen projects you might talk in through some of that glad to uh chairman thank you for the question yes so we routinely provide opportunity for the states elected officials to come into the institutions and see what we're doing see what we're doing well and see what we can improve apart and have some candidate conversations I am grateful that you came and that you brought other members of this body and during that time we talked about some of the challenges associated with maintaining some of the largest real estate under the department of the state's umbrella no nerves the department of corrections we have hundreds of thousands of square feet of a facilities that are designed to be hardened they're designed to keep a bad actors away from society and often times the requisite maintenance budget associated with maintaining those facilities that we spend a lot of money on doesn't follow the the initial construction money or not at a rate that effectively informs the need for the improvement so capital improvement in building renewal of our state prisons is always on top of mine for me and maintaining those one of the ways that were suggested during that two or two allowance in easier opportunity to maintain that is we have a large number of vacancies despite the headway that we're making in billing positions we have a large number vacancies we use a lot of that money to cover for overtime to innocent supplement and fill those vacancies and post officers accordingly but we additionally have salary savings at the end of every fiscal year from those they can see is that we. Often returned to the the general revenue it would be my recommendation that we create a system and I believe there are a couple of their state agencies that either have special language or this has been legislated to allow them to do it to carry over in a budgetary monies that may be remaining at the end of the year to apply into the next fiscal year and instead of me coming to this body or or to seek funding for capital improvement building renewal I could fund it through my own budget through salary savings and i'll tell you were in the process of doing kitchen equipment upgrades and understand that and some institutions I have fifteen hundred in maidstone were cooking three times a day for those guys were the only kitchen in town and when the kitchen equipment doesn't work and the food doesn't get served it's a bad day and corrections and so to ensure that we have the proper equipment and the equipment works as an example in our kitchens is hugely important into that end where were looking at spending approximately two point six million dollars in some of our in our kitchen and overall to upgrade and replace equipment that needs to be replaced in to be able to do that upgrade with our own budget vs returning it to the general revenue or and that having to come and I ask for two point six million dollars using for a capital improvement or building renewal would be amazing. Thank you members I will remind you we still have one more secretary with that sender hickey you are recognized yes sir i'm overheard you're left just there was one comment about possibly bringing a request for restricted reserve and this is much for you is is probably the rest of body you know if we're talking about dogs and things to that nature of course there's something that i'd be inadvertent over and be supportive of however first thing is as I would want to see that that was not available within your current budget and then that would need to be factored into your into your own going budget because as recurring phones because I know those downs it had to be replaced that had to be trained i'd have to have care takers and thanks to that nature. Those restricted reserve phones or more and I heard what you said and appreciate on your capital projects there was later in your conversation. You know those restricted reserve phones are for just specific things that are not going to be recurring in the future so I wanted to be very careful with the way that we do that of course we have many parts of restricted reserves and some that we have allocates specific purposes however that's also one of the things with our tax cuts that we've been doing down here is that we're make although we've been real aggressive on our tax cuts I personally want to keep doing that as I know the rest of this body does but we do use that as a insurance policy ahead you know in the event that we have economic downturns that we could you know cover us to three four years so again I do believe that things like that are good that we need to look into it one hundred percent agree with that but that should be done within the within the budget process thank you sir thank you matt in my opinion thank you I respect your opinion. Send your history recognize thank you we've heard a lot of discussion does anyone from the board of corrections happen to be here or. Chairman magness. I did that personally notice anyone today sir okay well. Yeah that's okay I mean i'll just tell you like we've we've had a lot of discussion on this part eighty three eighty three percent of this body so that we want to we want to increase beds think the people of arkansas won't increase beds clearly use the person with a most information know that we need increased beds we hear about it i'm inconstantly from our county from our county sheriffs from accounting judges the need for increased beds and I think the message started out today but it can be very very clear to the board of corrections that they can either act or we can thank you yes sir. Representative back you recognize that in this chair and that and thank you for your service I want to mention. Parts of the mine was yours talking about better preparing in mates for their re entrance society so with that I would ask you to could you help me maybe quantify given the citizen rates that we have now in our system in in the planning that you're doing are you including like and discuss all numbers here for you like a ten percent reduction in the resources is brand twenty percent therefore that young mac in the associated adjustments related to that because as you well know if we can work on that fact that we can eliminate the needs for some of the yesterday er mister chairman representative I think that's a great question I appreciate you answering it that you've heard we talk about the opportunity of incarceration the corrections plan if you will and II truly do believe. Being in prison is the punishment if you were what we do in prison is. Not the punishment at the modification in the rehabilitation if you will of the person while they're being punished in prison so to insure that we won know who we have through a proper assessment to all in understanding whether their literature illiterate whether they have a school diploma ged if they have substance abuse issues if they have you know trauma of some sort that we can somehow inform to a solution or resolution during the term of incarceration all impacts re injury then in their success at reentry and then channeling the behaviours in the rehabilitation processes that we engage with what with those individuals on an individual basis why they're in prison in an end. Designing an executing a proper rental strategy for those individuals upon release to insure that they have what I would call a soft landing if when you incarcerate an individual for for a piece a speller time and then you just open the door and let him out their chances or success are not real good they've been disconnected from society they've been disconnected from family they have been disconnected from a lot of things while they're in prison so you have to reactivate that person to community which means community needs the lean in two corrections at the proper point time to receive the returning individual to community it's up to me to create that environment to invite community into our prisons at the proper point in time to create those wrap around services to receive the individual my intentions to do that I have a particular piece of property in pine bluff that used to be the south east community correction center that has been abandoned for about the last ten years we're in the process of rehabilitating that and it is my intent to turn that into a reentry center where individuals of the property custod level go to that location prior to release and they receive services and community as there to hail help with job placement resume building family reunification that all those maintaining providing creating a doctor patient relationship because I have been providing their health care for the last five ten or fifteen years why they've been in prison while they don't have a relationship with the doctor so connecting them with the doctor so they can make sure that they stay on their medication and not have lapses which potentially could result in two citizens so all these things need to start occurring in prison also one of the things that I think is very important was with our education system in prison currently I have an education system which i'll see what again is administered by the board of correction that operates on e. Free world school schedule. Prisons don't operate on a free world school schedule I am a twenty four seven three hundred sixty five day institution and there's no reason why my school needs to shut down during the summer so I intend to push my school system to be a year round school system within the prison system cause I have men and women in need of education all your long which informs outcomes specifically receive as an outcomes when we talk about residentials and that means another victim so if I can take the opportunity of incarceration to reduce your citizen through education courier technical education vocational training year round that nine months out of a year and when I operate my in all year long I think we're better outcomes into land my claim I hope to reduce the arkansas citizen rate significantly if I gave you a number i'd have to you know own that in some way but I think something in the high teams are are low twenty percent tile is is reasonable and within the standards nationally then I fully believe that we can achieve that and architects are by doing the right thing with regard to programming and taking the opportunity in front of us yes sir. Members are remind again we still have wine more secretary in the as i'd do that I will recognize some or hammer for a quick question thank you miss chair where you came from previously you are pretty successful did you operate under the structure that you're operating under here in arkansas with regards to heaving to work through the board system unlike where you came from before and what would be your thoughts mr chairman representative hammer no senator hammer know I did not this body is my board I have responsive to you in in in in you hold me accountable for my deeds in my actions and that's the way it was where I came from them there wasn't an intermediary between me and the legislative body with regards to my outcomes good or bad or is the successes successes or failures of the department of corrections it was I and I alone and the members of my team there were sex successful based on our performance and our deeds and actions not beholden to the border corrections we were beholden too the legislature am a more bored and my more beds open up and like one question. Thank you mistake for your port thank you for the job you're doing you're doing now you're doing a break very good job my opinion and would appreciate it thank you representative thank you that sooner I mean sender sector hagger for the department of public safety make your way to table. Sector if you would introduce your separate recognition recognize to begin thank you mister chairman members of managed my caker secretary department public safety and director of architects state police I feel like the past should have just walked up to the appropriate after the twelve o'clock our distruct I don't have a chance here so. Having said that about twenty five twenty six years ago I was asked to speak to a rotary club and prepared for days because I was very uncomfortable in doing that presentation I walked in and I hit every mark that I had I was so proud of myself I thought i'd really knocked it out of the parking in dean of a little low lady walked up to me she said you did not talk about a single thing we care to hear about yeah what we really want to know was AB and c so it's come a loft lesson for me so i'm gonna be extremely brief on this presentation and opened up to answer questions for the membership of whatever you would like to ask for me I think i'm an I am okay so in late august we prepared annual reports in it to you guys i'm sure that every member has read it every page of it but this is just a very brief snapshite of the department of public safety and just want to go through real quick and have just touch on the different agencies and again open it up for a questions and I do want to take the time to do this because it's important as the dps mission of the department republic safety smishes to enhance the safety and security of all our kansas through ethical character driven behavior that promotes professionalism clear communication accountability wants to read the states are premier public safety agency that's something that we try to take so hard every day. And dps our review it's it's comprised of six so we have the arkansas crime information center. Or it's all division of emergency management so stay crime lab state police crown victims reparations boards and the commission on law enforcement standards and training. You can see the breakdown on the employees there state police being the large and is it is you're aware that the transformation model eating see hazard director and is that tall people all the time warned through the short strong is also the secretary so have the every director that we have is within department of public safety as new at the exception of one and i'll talk a little bit more about that when I get to each agency this is a breakdown of the flow chart of our um departments. The. Not going to go through there to read so. Well just real quickly go through the agency's argue so crime information center one thing that's been important to me the position of secretary is to honestly have the opportunity to learn more about these proof the lane season support law enforcement arkansas acrc is definitely one of those and we did have a change in leadership we have a new director steam is jeff long he is here with this today to answer any questions if there are a few little gas like the medium before after the fact the gift is doing an outstanding job as simply ask our directors of all the ancients with an apartment of public safety to be as passed through about their adc as I am mine and jeff it's done that uh t and fold I mean he's gonna jumped in neck deep he's learned it from the bottom up done an outstanding job you know one characteristic that you'd like to see of a leader is for his members that want to follow and i've spoken in acc conference recently and I made the joke that I hope or i'm glad yes doing a good job because we try to remove you my believe that his employees would stand the door and engage me in a not fart of necessary to which all of his employees gave us standing ovation so apparently at to say they are bought into j f historic leadership in his vision moving forwards and under statement were very lucky to have him there he went i'm sorry some of the things that were in progress throughout the years we have moved in this situation distance center that took place back in the spring and we're currently working with the bureau looking towards the possibility of being about tricking system but with everything they were doing in DPS we're going to make sure that our mission comes first with that and we're trying to find that balance between efficiency and and and capitalising our mission so. And I did not mean to do that okay around. Are directors again he is the only director that is deal with this it's a hold over from the past administration which is absolutely attestable to he's get so much institutional knowledge erm of adam he a literally sleep better not knowing that is there that's something that you have to get rid in adam h a nose it inside and out and we're very blessed to have him he's also of course with this today and could answer questions specific item if you have any. We right now have a live and open federal declared disasters for an estimated five hundred million dollars. And again i'm not gonna ret you can see the slide and if you like to refer back to any of these activity case we glad answer any questions. Or it's all state crime web you should be aware that we just hired a new director of the crime labor's names doctor ted brown i've had the opportunity interview doctor brown for this position I came open and I was amazed that his passion for the crime lap is getting very clear future or i'm sorry but clear it very clear vision of where he wants to go in it it's good to have some my like doctor brown because he knows where they've been given a very good idea where they need to go and how to get there so he's very energetic very passionate about this and in I know that he's going to do great things there are the most obvious thing that jumps out with the crime labels a new project to build the new crime lab physically the new building of the crime level now which has been appropriate for two hundred million dollars we are very early in there were in the embassy stages we're trying to find land at this time we just came and received our first draw sort of speak of ten million dollars we're in architectural fees to get these plans up and running and we're as fast as we can removing forward that process so. State police this is something I could talk about day would have getting the impression from german word law that he does not want me to talk about that all day someone be extremely brief that is my passion it's where i've come from with my service to stay government couldn't be more proud of the minimum women that I work with every day they are absolute he rose they were so much better this job and I ever was and it's an honor to work with them we've we started out there when I took this job having four hundred ninety troopers and in two thousand and twenty three we had six hundred and eight i'm sorry in two thousand we had six hundred and eighty so as you can see where a hundred and eighteen less today then we work twenty three years ago thanks to add the sport of this body and our governor's office we are working to get those numbers back to where they should be we currently have a troops school in place of fifty three. That are in class or about week five which is to certify class almost halfway through. We graduated class a twenty nine this summer. And we're staring another class and have certified officers in february and try to get those numbers back up obviously and when you had that much or that many match personnel you there's a lot of additional things they have to go with it in the way of cars equipment it's very expensive is this body knows so it's not often I get a chance to speak to this member or this many members of the body at one time and I don't want to miss the opportunity to thank you so much I am on the behalf of the state police for what you guys have done for right so not only the verbal show of support that you give us every day the you guys have always been so gracious engineers with that in the in the encouragement that you showed us but also physically by your action supporting as I can't tell you how much it means to my agency down to the trooper it's not lost on the most certainly not lost on me so thank you so much for that support we greatly appreciate it. In return we've one of the things that we want to do is state police is show your constitution once what the return is on their investment we've been very intentional about building our communications group if people know what the arguments are state police actually they were never bark had a single penny that's been given towards our department I could sit here again and talk for hours about what are meaning women do people honestly have no idea that that's been our fault we've never expressed that we've never communicated that to the public to the people that are paying our salaries and are funding our agency so we're trying to be very intentional and about telling the story to take the state police telling what we're actually doing for the community and showing them based on what the return is on their investment and so I hope that you've seen a difference in that and we've just had a two more in our communications department and sorry at the first the year hopefully you'll even see more ever have the I guess the effort to try to get that story out so her crown dictates reparations board again we have a new administratively set young or yang i'm sorry very energetic very passionate we were blessed to find her and she's come over and once again she jumped in active she's done a great job they paid over two million dollars in awards of crown big simpsons two thousand twenty two and there was a backup through trying to work through their doing a great job of doing that and we have a a board in place now where we have a corn that were able to get through the the awards that we need to get through and always history and outstanding job in be glad answer any questions that you guys have about that commission and law enforcement standards and training of again director chris chairman came and he's on the first people that was hired once that I took the position in public safety can't say enough about creasing the job he's doing the passion he brings to that a and c and there's not a more important mission and arkansas to get these guys trained up to the way the grissy is. He's embraced that he's identified a lot of issues there and it's important to have somebody from christ's background because he's been a customer sort of speak of class for many years the prior to directors of class came from the ranks of state police two of my favorite people in the world very accomplished people they did a great job but sometimes you you really need to be a a customer of them of the product to know what that agency needs increase is is a former chief he's came in he's done an outstanding job and couldn't be happier to having and with that chairman were law i'm going to shut up. I will operate up to any questions you may have. Send void you recognize thank you mister chair last week I had the opportunity to meet with visit with a health commissioner from tennessee and somehow the limit new madrid fault came up and he assured me tennessee is adequately prepared and ready when a nurse quick happens just was wondering if you could provide me a little reassurance I haven't heard discussion since i've been in legislature fifteen on that issue could you just provide me a little reassurance that we're prepared in arkansas thank you yes sir that's something that could probably speak to more intelligently than I have or if you would like to come over we do have a group that is intently focused on that issue and his continue to be so vj would like to address that. They currently gary the director locks on the vision of emergency management enanched your questions we are very much active in uh preparedness for a new manager type of been we have earthquake planner that spends a lot well all of her time especially up in north east arkansas working on educational planning to prepare this piece of that we also within our agency have our our planning and preparedness section. I sold work throughout the state they are working with the local emergency managers in those counties for the for the preparedness to handle their I am also on the particular board of suitable united states earthquake consortium so we meet quite frequently in fact the chair of that committee is patrick she had from the state tendency I am the vice chair this year of that and been very active in that for the last time we're going on eight years in this position we also do exercises around a new major event and so in those exercises are you on the national guard other entities are involved in those so I think no matter how well prepared we are if we have a new matter to enter size of eighteen eleven eighteen twelve event it will be catastrophic uhm but I think that we're doing all that we can to prepare the state and be people to respond to their through the central united states earthquake consortium and through my other counterparts in in feature region six. We have discussions about where resources would come from two support arkansas during a new matter. Representative you recognized thank mister chairman i'll make a quick day up great piece last night on the news of about your interstate interditch and are folks in the accomplishment that they're making our question is or you getting the funding that you need an order to support that because it's a tremendous opportunity for us to alleviate a lot of the narcotics that are coming into the state of arkansas in if you have seen the recent news just west of the state of arkansas over there in oklahoma there was seventy thousand pounds of marijuana found in all of this is contributing to the criminal activities and in the state of arkansas because a lot of that what you catch on the interstate stops here in arkansas so are you getting what you need an order to support that mission. Yes sir thanks to this body we are so just real quick on the acp team they that's a group that has kind of a dual summit they work highway patrol but they try to primarily focus on that and thanks for the. Funding that you this party is given us by getting our numbers back up for actually going to be able to dedicate that team for time we just put our first series of advertisements out and story in january that's going to become counted the thirteenth troop out of the state police and they're going to work full time and that effort just to brag on that rcp team is a little bit in a part time status i'm an executive member of the board of uh the gold cost harder and we went down to belexy this year and our team received they had their uh their awards banquet for the lack for better term and besides the individual awards that our members received on seizures and we are team won the team award this year just for the sheer amount of narcotics that in any legal currency it was taken out to street and to give you an idea that includes arkansas mississippi alabama florida through six days total just that the basic south these conference if you can think of it like that and our team was recognized number one and when the team worked very proud of the work they do and they do a great job and I know they've been recognized nationally also for for their efforts and and everything that they do so the crime left you have twenty nineteen sessions somewhere back in there there was a rape kit we were back logged in rape kits and you may not have this answer because I recognize it's probably a director of the chromeland a question but we didn't get the resources at that time that john needed an order to you know a resolve lie the issues with the backlogs on rape kits and it ended up doubling and do you know are they making a good progress on processing those rate yes or in the course that's a priority if you would like to speak to that to answer any specific questions you have he'd be able to but change your request and yes or I think they are making significant progress and have that's absolutely priority a doctor brown in his team. You think i'll stay in a cheapest after department of public safety and that is a priority for the crime latter the backlog in getting the rate kits examined obviously as a critical juncture for law enforcement in in for the victims of those crimes the issue is hiring the people training the people to get them to work back on the backlog and get then moving forward and they're doing they're doing that as we speak but I know it's population in the state of arkansas growth so you know criminal activity but being able to hold people accountable to to law enforcement for a rapes is critical just as it is for our medical examiners to to get are deceased back to their loved ones so they can lay damn at reso if you can put as much priority on that I would appreciate it in the final question I would have is in relation to our details we better tran mendous problem with our drug task forces and funding so do you have any oversight as secretary over our I know they're funded down to the prosecutors in but there's no real structure to our drug task force and they're really the only boots on the ground that can the investigate drug activities in our communities this are DTF and you know we need to take a serious look at how we're finding those dtfs and provide general revenue stream to ensure that those people have they don't know six months from now they're going to have a paycheck because the way that it's funded in it all the prosecutors insurance cheaper police are managing those programs so it would be great to have a a structured program like they have an oklahoma the bureau narcotics or in mississippi because we can afford not to have those guys out there find in the middle of split specially in the rural areas like new. In county and and so forth because it's insurance terrible problem amy and everything you just said the short answer is no sure I do not have any oversight of that they are fall under their proscutorial districts but couldn't agree sir. You you use that use that that was the last question. I'm having to honor your words. Members and I would be glad you see enough other questions i'd like to think sector for his time in his report and I would like you members to give it representative a hand because without his bill we wouldn't have this and I do want to say this this is very important. It's very important these sectors do come in as committee they do be recognized for the members to understand what they do what they oversee i've looked at that act this morning. That act has a october deadline we've we've almost never been able to hit that deadline due to scheduling conflicts so I think the adjustment will be that we we open that up for a year this next session with the support of the legislature obviously but I will say that it is very important that members stay here be able to hear these things that way when you get questions for you because that's what you know where to go and I think that was representative barries point when he passed this bill was did you guys knew where to go who to call and and I do want to recognize their by still here's a champion of council to stay this long time so with that see enough for the business we are.