Senate Convenes
Video
Transcript
Bills discussed (51)
| Bill | Title | Sponsor | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
|
SR28
· 8 mentions in chapter, transcript
Matched: “Motion to Read for the Third Time and to put SR28 on Today's Calendar”
|
TO PROCLAIM APRIL 21, 2026, AS ARKANSAS LINEWORKER APPRECIATION DAY AT THE STATE CAPITOL AND … | D. Wallace | Sine Die adjournment |
|
SR19
· 4 mentions in transcript, chapter
Matched: “…s to add Senate resolution 28 to today's calendar following senate resolution 19. all”
|
TO RECOGNIZE THE EARLE HIGH SCHOOL LADY BULLDOGS GIRLS' BASKETBALL TEAM AS THE 2026 CLASS … | R. Murdock | Sine Die adjournment |
|
SR18
· 3 mentions in chapter, transcript
Matched: “SR18 R. Murdock TO RECOGNIZE THE EARLE HIGH SCHOOL BULLDOGS BOYS…”
|
TO RECOGNIZE THE EARLE HIGH SCHOOL BULLDOGS BOYS' BASKETBALL TEAM AS THE 2025 AND 2026 … | R. Murdock | Sine Die adjournment |
|
SR29
· 3 mentions in transcript
Matched: “…for mathematics Sci ence s and the arts day at the Capitol Senate resolution 29 calendar Senate resolution30 by Senator Hester to honorloyd…”
|
TO CONGRATULATE ARKANSAS SCHOOL FOR MATHEMATICS, SCIENCES, AND THE ARTS STUDENTS ON SCIENCE FAIR COMPETITION … | M. McKee | Sine Die adjournment |
|
SB75
Act 144
· 2 mentions in transcript
Matched: “…nate Bill 74, by joint budget, recommend do pass. Calendar. Senate Bill 75, by Senator Disman. To amend the revenue stabilization law,…”
|
TO AMEND THE REVENUE STABILIZATION LAW; TO CREATE FUNDS; TO MAKE TRANSFERS TO AND FROM … | J. Dismang | Notification that SB75 is now Act 144 |
|
SB77
· 2 mentions in transcript
Matched: “…or the 2026-2027 fiscal year. Senate Bill 76. Joint Budget. Senate Bill 77 by Joint Budget. Nope, sorry. Senate Bill 77 by Senator Tuc…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION DIVISION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 … | C. Tucker | Died on House Calendar at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1014
Act 69
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1014 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION OF P…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION OF PROVIDER SERVICES AND QUALITY … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1014 is now Act 69 |
|
HB1062
Act 71
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1062 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - MEDICAID TOBA…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - MEDICAID TOBACCO SETTLEMENT PROGRAM APPROPRIATION FOR … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1062 is now Act 71 |
|
HB1073
Act 72
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1073 AN ACT FOR THE ARKANSAS PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION APPROPRIA…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE ARKANSAS PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1073 is now Act 72 |
|
SB10
Act 130
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…r. Will your committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 10 by joint budget recommend due pass as amended number 1? Cal…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE - DIVISION OF WORKFORCE SERVICES APPROPRIATION FOR THE … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB10 is now Act 130 |
|
SB14
Act 75
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…r. Will your committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 14 by joint budget recommend due pass? Calendar. We are commit…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE ARKANSAS STATE GAME AND FISH COMMISSION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB14 is now Act 75 |
|
SB19
Act 76
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…ndar. We are committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 19 by joint budget, recommend you pass. Calendar. We are commi…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF INSPECTOR GENERAL APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB19 is now Act 76 |
|
SB2
Act 74
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “Will your committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 2 by joint budget recommend due pass?”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION - ASSESSMENT COORDINATION DIVISION APPROPRIATION FOR … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB2 is now Act 74 |
|
SB21
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB21 #1 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION O…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION OF AGING, ADULT, AND BEHAVIORAL … | Joint Budget Committee | DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR. |
|
SB22
Act 77
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…ndar. We are committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 22 by joint budget, recommend you pass. Calendar. We are commi…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB22 is now Act 77 |
|
SB23
Act 133
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB23 #1 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION O…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION OF YOUTH SERVICES APPROPRIATION FOR … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB23 is now Act 133 |
|
SB24
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB24 #1 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION O…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES SERVICES APPROPRIATION … | Joint Budget Committee | DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR. |
|
SB26
Act 78
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…ndar. We are committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 26 by joint budget, recommend you pass. Calendar. We are commi…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB26 is now Act 78 |
|
SB32
Act 79
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…ndar. We are committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 32 by joint budget, recommend you pass. Calendar. We are commi…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS - COURT PERSONNEL APPROPRIATION FOR THE … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB32 is now Act 79 |
|
SB36
Act 135
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB36 #1 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE APPROPRIATION F…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB36 is now Act 135 |
|
SB4
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB4 #1 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH - LICENSING AND REGU…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH - LICENSING AND REGULATION BOARDS APPROPRIATION FOR THE … | Joint Budget Committee | DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR. |
|
SB42
Act 80
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…ndar. We are committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 42 by joint budget, recommend you pass. Calendar. We are commi…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB42 is now Act 80 |
|
SB51
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…ndar. We are committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 51 by joint budget. 61 by joint budget recommend you pass cale…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE AUDITOR OF STATE - OPERATIONS AND UNCLAIMED PROPERTY PROGRAM APPROPRIATION FOR … | Joint Budget Committee | DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR. |
|
SB52
Act 81
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “We are committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 52 by joint budget. Recommend you pass. Calendar. We are commi…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE ARKANSAS PUBLIC DEFENDER COMMISSION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB52 is now Act 81 |
|
SB53
Act 82
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…ndar. We are committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 53 by joint budget. Recommend you pass. Calendar. We are commi…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE AUDITOR OF STATE - DEPUTY PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB53 is now Act 82 |
|
SB55
Act 137
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB55 #1 AN ACT FOR THE ARKANSAS SUPREME COURT APPROPRIATION FOR…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE ARKANSAS SUPREME COURT APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB55 is now Act 137 |
|
SB59
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SB59 #1 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - EDUCATIONAL TEL…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION DIVISION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 … | Joint Budget Committee | DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR. |
|
SB60
Act 83
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…ndar. We are committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 60 by joint budget. Recommend you pass. Calendar. We are commi…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE ARKANSAS PUBLIC DEFENDER COMMISSION REAPPROPRIATION. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB60 is now Act 83 |
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SB62
Act 85
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…alendar we your committee on joint budget whom was referred senate bill 62 by joint budget recommend you pass”
|
AN ACT FOR THE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION REAPPROPRIATION. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB62 is now Act 85 |
|
SB64
Act 86
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…alendar we your committee on joint budget whom was referred senate bill 64 by joint budget recommend you pass calendar we your committ…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION REAPPROPRIATION. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB64 is now Act 86 |
|
SB65
Act 87
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…alendar we your committee on joint budget whom was referred senate bill 65 by joint budget recommend you pass calendar we your committ…”
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AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF SHARED ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES - OFFICE OF STATE TECHNOLOGY REAPPROPRIATION. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB65 is now Act 87 |
|
SB66
Act 88
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…alendar we your committee on joint budget whom was referred Senate Bill 66 by joint budget recommend you pass calendar will your commi…”
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AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF SHARED ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES - BUILDING AUTHORITY DIVISION REAPPROPRIATION. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB66 is now Act 88 |
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SB68
Act 89
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…lendar will your committee on joint budget whom was a third Senate Bill 68 by joint budget recommend you pass calendar will your commi…”
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AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE - DIVISION OF WORKFORCE SERVICES REAPPROPRIATION. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB68 is now Act 89 |
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SB69
Act 90
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…lendar will your committee on joint budget whom was a third Senate Bill 69 by joint budget recommend you pass calendar will your”
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AN ACT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS - DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB69 is now Act 90 |
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SB70
Act 91
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “committee on joint budget was a third Senate Bill 70 by joint budget recommend you pass calendar will your commi…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH REAPPROPRIATION. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB70 is now Act 91 |
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SB71
Act 92
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…lendar will your committee on joint budget whom was a third Senate Bill 71 by joint budget recommend you pass calendar will your commi…”
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AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE - STATE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT REAPPROPRIATION. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB71 is now Act 92 |
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SB72
Act 93
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…ndar will your committee on joint budget, whom was referred Senate Bill 72, by joint budget, recommend do pass. Calendar. Will your Co…”
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AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE - ARKANSAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION REAPPROPRIATION. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB72 is now Act 93 |
|
SB74
Act 94
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…dar. Will your Committee on Joint Budget, whom was referred Senate Bill 74, by joint budget, recommend do pass. Calendar. Senate Bill…”
|
AN ACT TO MAKE AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE PAYMENT OF APPROVED CLAIMS. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB74 is now Act 94 |
|
SB76
Act 142
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…and to declare an emergency, Senate Bill 75. Joint Budget. Senate Bill 76 by Senator Dismang. An act for the Department of Finance an…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION - DISBURSING OFFICER APPROPRIATION FOR THE … | J. Dismang | Notification that SB76 is now Act 142 |
|
SR10
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SR10 B. King TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION…”
|
TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS DATA CENTERS ACT … | B. King | Died in Senate at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SR11
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SR11 B. King TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION…”
|
TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO REQUIRE A DIGITAL ASSET MINING BUSINESS … | B. King | Died in Senate at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SR12
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SR12 B. King TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION…”
|
TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO REGULATE THE IMPACT ON WATER USAGE … | B. King | Died in Senate at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SR15
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SR15 Crowell TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION…”
|
TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO INCREASE THE HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAX CREDIT. | Crowell | Sine Die adjournment |
|
SR16
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SR16 B. King TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION…”
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TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL CONCERNING THE ARKANSAS CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM ACCOUNT … | B. King | Died in Senate at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SR20
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SR20 Dees TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BI…”
|
TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL CONCERNING THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES EXPANSION ACT. | Dees | Sine Die adjournment |
|
SR21
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SR21 B. Johnson TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIAT…”
|
TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS PROPERTY RIGHTS PROTECTION … | B. Johnson | Sine Die adjournment |
|
SR30
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…he Arts Day at the Capitol, Senate Resolution 29. Calendar. Senate Resolution 30 by Senator Hester to honor Loy Bailey upon his retirement f…”
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TO HONOR LOY BAILEY UPON HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. | Hester | Sine Die adjournment |
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SR6
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SR6 B. King TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION…”
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TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR COUNTIES USING … | B. King | Died in Senate at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SR7
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SR7 B. King TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION…”
|
TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO AMEND THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A DIGITAL … | B. King | Died in Senate at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SR8
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SR8 B. King TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION…”
|
TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO REQUIRE A DIGITAL ASSET MINING BUSINESS … | B. King | Died in Senate at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SR9
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “SR9 B. King TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION…”
|
TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF A COMPUTER … | B. King | Died in Senate at Sine Die adjournment. |
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Unknown speaker
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Senate will be called to order. Are there any requests for leave at this time? Senator Letting, you're recognized. Thank you. Any
Speaker 5
7:29
other requests? Madam Secretary, please call the roll. Boyd, Bryant, Caldwell, Clark, Crowell,
Chair
Unverified
7:34
Davis, Dees, Dismang, Dotson, English, Flippo, Flowers,
Gilmore, Hammer, Hester, Hickey, Hill, Irvin, Blake Johnson, Mark Johnson, King, Letting, Love, McKee, Murdoch, Peyton, Penzo, Petty, Rice, Scott, Simon, Stone, Sullivan, Tucker,
Speaker 5
7:49
Wallace. Thank you, Madam Secretary. Excuse me, if everyone in the chamber and
in the galleries would please rise. And for the prayer, which will be led by Senator Ron Caldwell, that will be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
Senator Ronald Caldwell
Unverified
8:08
Senator Caldwell, you're recognized. Thank you. Let's pray. Father, we're just thankful we can come together today representing the people of the state of Arkansas. We ask you to bless us with your grace and your peace. Watch over us. Give us the wisdom and knowledge to make good decisions that would represent our people and represent you well. We ask you to be with our president in the decisions he's making, trying to seek world peace. We pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ.
Chair
Unverified
8:39
Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation and our God,
Speaker 18
8:50
indivisible with liberty and justice cross. Thank you, Senator
Caldwell, for those uplifting words. Ladies and gentlemen in the galleries, welcome to your Arkansas State Senate. It is our expectation that each of you will exercise proper decorum and govern yourselves accordingly during today's proceedings.
Without objection, the rules will be suspended, and the Senate will dispense with the reading of the journal. The morning hour has now begun. Are there any announcements or introductions at this time? Madam Secretary, are
Speaker 23
9:33
there items at the desk? Yes, Madam President.
Chair
Unverified
9:37
Will your committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 2 by joint budget recommend due pass?
Calendar. Will your committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 10 by joint budget recommend due pass as amended number 1? Calendar. Will your committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 14 by joint budget recommend due pass? Calendar. We are committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 19 by joint budget, recommend you pass. Calendar. We are committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 22 by joint budget, recommend you pass. Calendar. We are committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 26 by joint budget, recommend you pass. Calendar. We are committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 32 by joint budget, recommend you pass. Calendar. We are committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 42 by joint budget, recommend you pass. Calendar. We are committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 42 by joint budget, recommend you pass. Calendar.
We are committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 52 by joint budget. Recommend you pass. Calendar. We are committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 53 by joint budget. Recommend you pass. Calendar. We are committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 60 by joint budget. Recommend you pass. Calendar. We are committee on joint budget to whom was referred Senate Bill 51 by joint budget. 61 by joint budget recommend you pass calendar we your committee on joint budget whom was referred senate bill 62 by joint budget recommend you pass
calendar we your committee on joint budget whom was referred senate bill 64 by joint budget recommend you pass calendar we your committee on joint budget whom was referred senate bill 65 by joint budget recommend you pass calendar we your committee on joint budget whom was referred Senate Bill 66 by joint budget recommend you pass calendar will your committee on joint budget whom was a third Senate Bill 68 by joint budget recommend you pass calendar will your committee on joint budget whom was a third Senate Bill 69 by joint budget recommend you pass calendar will your
committee on joint budget was a third Senate Bill 70 by joint budget recommend you pass calendar will your committee on joint budget whom was a third Senate Bill 71 by joint budget recommend you pass calendar will your committee on joint budget, whom was referred Senate Bill 72, by joint budget, recommend do pass. Calendar. Will your Committee on Joint Budget, whom was referred Senate Bill 74, by joint budget, recommend do pass. Calendar. Senate Bill 75, by Senator Disman. To amend the revenue stabilization law, to create funds, to make
transfers to and from funds and fund accounts, and to declare an emergency, Senate Bill 75. Joint Budget. Senate Bill 76 by Senator Dismang. An act for the Department of Finance and Administration dispersing officer appropriation for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. Senate Bill 76. Joint Budget. Senate Bill 77 by Joint Budget. Nope, sorry. Senate Bill 77 by Senator Tucker. An act for the Department of Education, Educational Television Division Appropriation for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
Senate Bill 77. Joint Budget. Senate Resolution 28 by Senator Wallace to proclaim April 21st, 2026 as Arkansas Line Worker Appreciation Day at the State Capitol and to commend the men and women who serve Arkansas as utility line workers, Senate Resolution 28. Calendar. Senate Resolution 29 by Senator McKee to congratulate Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts students on science fair competition accomplishments and to observe
Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts Day at the Capitol, Senate Resolution 29. Calendar. Senate Resolution 30 by Senator Hester to honor Loy Bailey upon his retirement from the Arkansas Department of Health, Senate Resolution 30. Calendar. Thank You Madam
Secretary. Any further business to come before the body in the morning hour? If not, the morning hour has expired. We will now start the business agenda. We
Speaker 37
13:47
will begin with Senate Memorial Resolution 3.
Speaker 38
13:53
Senate Memorial Resolution 3 by Senator Letting. In respectful memory of Senator Uvalde Rex Lindsey and in recognition of his contributions to the state of arkansas and his local community senator ledding you're recognized thank you madam president colleagues i ask lee for
members of senator evaldi lindsey's family today as they can join us on the floor for the presentation of this resolution Come right on down, yeah.
Sure, wherever you look like that. Colleagues, with us today, we have Senator Lindsey's wife, Joe Lindsey. His daughter, Roy Beth Kelly, is here with us. His daughter, Suzette Noble. His son, John Lindsey. stepdaughter Nora Hall and granddaughter Lauren Hanson. I'm glad that they can be here with us today. Growing up in Northwest Arkansas, it was impossible not to have heard about Evaldi Lindsay, but I unfortunately didn't really ever get the chance to come to know him until I joined the
Arkansas legislature in 2010. He quickly became a mentor and someone whose counsel I often sought. I really appreciated his calm presence, and I loved watching his mind at work. No matter how thoroughly you think you had considered a certain subject or issue, he could always show you at least one other perspective, or maybe 17 other perspectives. He was just that good at his job. And running for this body was never an aspiration of mine, and I would have certainly left the legislature long ago had he not encouraged me to run for the Senate seat.
And I have forgiven him for that. But it has been an honor to literally hold the seat that he sat in there on the back row there next to Senator Flowers these eight years that I've had the honor to
Chair
Unverified
15:56
serve in the Arkansas Senate. And we miss him. Madam Secretary, I would ask that the resolution be read in full. Whereas former Senator Uvalde Rex Lindsey of Fayetteville, Arkansas passed away on Saturday, July 19, 2025. And whereas Senator Lindsay was born on January 17, 1940, in Harrison, Arkansas, to Uvalde Roy Lindsay and Otis Sue Lindsay.
And whereas Senator Lindsay graduated from Harrison High School in 1958, where he was student body president and voted as most likely to succeed. and whereas Senator Lindsay attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity, and from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and whereas following the unexpected death of his father, when Senator Lindsay was only 23 years old, Senator Lindsay took over and ran his family business, Continental Auto Supply,
which he then successfully expanded to 18 stores across three states before selling the business to O'Reilly Automotive Incorporated in 1982. And whereas Senator Lindsey served his nation in the United States Army Reserve from 1962 until 1972, ultimately rising to the rank of first lieutenant and serving as company commander. And whereas Senator Lindsey's storied history as a public servant began in 1972 when he was elected to the Harrison City Council,
and where Senator Lindsey would serve for a decade, including three terms as budget chairman, and whereas Senator Lindsey also served as budget officer for Governor Bill Clinton and worked on the 1984 re-election campaign of United States Senator David Pryor, and whereas in 1985 Senator Lindsey became executive director of the Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District, where he helped to secure federal grants for rural transportation, aging services, and economic development, and whereas Senator Lindsey played
a key role in the designation of the U.S. Highway 412, was a founding leader in the Northwest Arkansas Council, where he served until retiring in 2004, and advocated for major projects to benefit the region, including the Northwest Arkansas National Airport, Interstate 49, and the Two-Ton Regional Water District. And whereas in 2013, Senator Lindsey took office as senator for District 4 of the Senate, where he served until 2019 and whereas during his time in the senate senator lindsey served in a
variety of leadership roles including chair of personnel subcommittee of legislative council chair of personnel subcommittee of the joint budget committee chair of the arkansas legislative task force on autism and chair of the legislative task force on the best practices for special education and whereas senator lindsey was widely known and respected especially for his expertise and state budget matters, and for his strong advocacy for children with autism and other disabilities. And whereas Senator Lindsay was a dedicated member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and served on the vestry, and as a senior warden at St. John's Episcopal Church in Harrison, Arkansas. Whereas Senator Lindsay is survived by his wife, Joe Dodson Lindsay, by his children, Roy Beth Lindsay Kelly, Suzette R. Lindsay Noble, Matthew B. Lindsey, Michael G. Lindsey, and John Mark Lindsey, and by his stepdaughters, Nora Hall and Linda Wallace, and by his 12 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Senate of the 95th General Assembly
of the state of Arkansas that the Senate remember former Senator Uvalde Rex Lindsey and recognize his many contributions to the state of Arkansas and to his local community. Thank you,
Speaker 50
19:50
Madam Secretary. All those in favor of Senate
Memorial Resolution 3, in respectful memory of Senator Uvalde Rex Lindsey, and in recognition of his contributions to the state of Arkansas and to his local community, please signify by saying aye. Any opposed, ayes have it. Senate Memorial Resolution 3 is
Speaker 50
20:07
adopted. Thank You Senator Letting for bringing this
and at this time I would invite Mrs. Lindsey if you would like to say a few words
Speaker 57
20:28
or any other members of the family. Thank you so much for this honor. Uvalde was very very proud to serve in this in this body and I'm really proud
of all the things he was able to do during his lifetime to help Northwest Arkansas and Arkansas in general and the autism and handicapped communities. Thank you all so much for remembering him. He was a great man. Thank you. Madam President, if it's appropriate, I
would request just a very brief recess just for
a few photos and so members can say hello to the family. Absolutely. Senate will stay in the recess. Thank you.
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Senate will come back to order. This time, I'm going to recognize Senator Wallace for a motion. Madam
Senator Dave Wallace
Unverified
34:10
President, I move to suspend the rules to add Senate Resolution 28 to today's calendar following Senate Resolution 19. All those in favor of
Speaker 63
34:18
the motion, please signify by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? Ayes have it. Motion carries. Thank you,
ma'am. Thanks, Senator. Next, I'd like to recognize Senator Love.
Speaker 65
34:30
to introduce our doctor of the day. Good
afternoon, colleagues. One of our doctors of the day is Dr. Prasad Padala. He's in psychiatry in Little Rock, and I will let Senator Tucker take care of the rest. Senator Tucker, you're recognized. Thank you, Madam President. With us, as always,
we have Lee Fazio as our nurse of the day. You know it's a special situation in
the Senate because we have former representative Andy Davis lurking up in the gallery which lets us know
something's happening. Our other doctor of the day is Dr. Lowry Barnes who many of you may know as a legendary orthopedic surgeon in Arkansas but his current role of course is he recently was chosen by the board of trustees to be the chancellor of UAMS. So y'all
Speaker 71
35:17
please join me in giving a hearty welcome to our
UAMS chancellor. Thank you, Chancellor, for being here. As I told Andy Davis, you're the doctor of the day every day.
Speaker 74
35:38
So thank you for being here. Senator Mark Johnson?
Senator Mark Johnson
Unverified
35:41
Senator Tucker's already left the well, but I was going to ask you if there was something significant about bringing Dr. Piela, a psychiatrist, as the doctor of the day. Is that an identified need, or was he just taking care of it? I don't think he's taking me too seriously on that. But I'm grateful for both of these gentlemen and for everything Dr. Barnes does for our whole state. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you. Thank you all.
Speaker 80
36:09
Next, we will move to Senate Resolution 18. Senate Resolution 18
Speaker 5
36:16
by Senator Murdoch to recognize the Earl High School Bulldogs boys basketball team as the 2025 and 2026 Class 1A state champions. Senator Murdoch, you're recognized.
Senator Reginald Murdock
Unverified
36:49
Thank you. Could we, could I please
have leave for the Earl Boys and Girls Champions and the administration that's present? Please. Thank you. Bring them on this side where they can face the members all the way back. Let's give these
champions a hand as they come in.
Thank you Madam Chair. Again, colleagues, I'm so happy to be here
today to recognize a great group of young people, boys and girls, champions. Also, we have here the superintendent and the coaches for these great teams
and want to make sure we recognize them. Raise your hand, please, coaches and superintendent. So the leadership is here and we have these champions among us and these memorable, memorable time when a boys and girls team wins state champions. that don't happen very often. Now I can go back to 1982, '83 in Mariana, it happened. I was on that team. Our boys and girls won the state championship.
Just a known fact. So, but these champions at Earl, they've done, this school district have done this three times. Let's give them a hand, three times. So that's a credit to the community, the school district, the coaches, the parents, the student-athletes, that's a credit to them, and that they continue to be excellent in what they're doing, so I want to commemorate them today.
Speaker 80
38:56
And I ask you for a good vote. Thank you, Senator. All those in favor of Senate Resolution 18 to recognize the
Earl High School Bulldogs Boys Basketball Team as the 2025 and 2026 class 1A state champions, please signify by saying aye. - Aye. - Any opposed, ayes have it. Senate resolution 18 is adopted. - Thank you.
Chair
Unverified
39:31
resolution 19. - Senate resolution 19 by Senator Murdoch to recognize the Earl High School Lady Bulldogs girls basketball team as the 2026 Class 1A state champions. Senator Murdoch, you're
recognized. We'll do it again. Actually, I did both
Senator Reginald Murdock
Unverified
39:44
of them at the same time because we wanted both of them to enjoy the glory together. But 18 and 19, those resolutions both do the same thing. So join me again with a good vote, please, for this resolution. Thanks, Senator
Murdoch. All those in favor of Senate Resolution 19 to recognize the Earl High School Lady Bulldogs girls basketball team as the 2026 Class 1A state champions. Please signify they're saying aye. Any opposed? Ayes have it. Senate resolution 19 is adopted. Congratulations athlete. Thank you. Madam Chair, if I can have just 30
Senator Reginald Murdock
Unverified
40:24
seconds to take a picture or two with them here on the floor.
Speaker 100
40:28
Absolutely. We like having winners here. Thank you.
Unknown speaker
40:35
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Senate will come back to order.
We are now going to take up Senate Resolution 28. Senator Wallace, Madam Secretary.
Chair
Unverified
42:47
Senate Resolution 28 by Senator Wallace to proclaim April 21st, 2026 as Arkansas Line Worker Appreciation Day at the state capitol and to commend the men and women who serve Arkansas as utility line workers. Senator Wallace, you're recognized.
Senator Dave Wallace
Unverified
43:06
Thank you, ma'am. Members, when we have those storms and our lights go out, these folks, our linemen, the men and women, our neighbors and our friends, they go out. They go out in the rain, the cold, the sleet, the mud, dealing with high-tension wars and bringing power back to all of us. God bless them for what they do. And with that, I'm going to ask for a good vote. Thank
Speaker 63
43:36
you, Senator Wallace, and thank you to all of our linemen who are in our galleries today.
We appreciate you all very much and putting your lives on the line to keep Arkansas running and keep our families safe. All those in favor of Senate Resolution 28 to proclaim April 21st, 2026 as Arkansas Line Worker Appreciation Day at the state capitol and to commend the men and women who serve Arkansas as utility line workers, please signify by saying aye. Any opposed? Ayes have it. Senate Resolution 28 is adopted.
Speaker 20
44:18
Thank you, Senators, and thank you all again for being here today
at State Capitol. Madam Secretary, we are going to take up the budget calendar. first senators so that way we can have the amendments and have those sent to engrossing the amendments that are adopted and we can work on those before we get to
Speaker 65
44:48
the rest of today's business calendar senator dismaying you're
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
44:51
recognized thank you governor we've got a number of items that were bills that we just need to adopt amendments on we'll move through those and then we only have three bills at the bottom and so we'll vote those individually. Okay. Amendment 1 to Senate
bill 4. All right members make a motion to adopt amendment 1 to
Speaker 63
45:12
Senate bill 4. All those in favor please signify by saying aye. Any opposed? Ayes have it. Amendment 1 to Senate bill 4 is
adopted. Please send to engrossing. Amendment 1 to Senate bill 21. I move adoption of amendment 1 to
Speaker 63
45:25
Senate Bill 21. All those in favor, please signify by saying aye. Any opposed? Ayes have it. Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 21 is adopted. Please
send to engrossing. Amendment 1 to Senate Bill
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
45:37
23. I move we adopt amendment 1 to Senate
Speaker 63
45:40
Bill 23. All those in favor, please signify by saying aye. Any opposed? Ayes have it. Amendment
1 to Senate Bill 23 is adopted. Please send to engrossing. Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 24. I move we
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
45:52
adopt amendment 1 to Senate Bill 24. All
Speaker 63
45:54
those in favor please signify by saying aye. Any opposed? Ayes have it. Amendment 1 to
Senate bill 24 is adopted. Please send to engrossing. Amendment 1 to Senate bill 36. I
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
46:05
move we adopt amendment 1 to Senate bill
Speaker 63
46:08
36. All those in favor please signify by saying aye. Any opposed? Ayes have it.
Amendment 1 to Senate bill 36 is adopted. Please send to engrossing. Amendment 1 to Senate bill 55. I move we
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
46:19
adopt amendment 1 to Senate bill 55. All
Speaker 63
46:22
those in favor please signify by saying Aye. Any opposed? Ayes have it. Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 55 is adopted. Please send to engrossing.
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
46:30
Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 59. I move
Speaker 63
46:36
we adopt Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 59.
Speaker 126
46:39
All those in favor, signify by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? Ayes have it. Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 59
Chair
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46:48
is adopted. Please send to engrossing. House Bill 1014 by joint budget, an act for the Department of Human Services Division of Provider Services and Quality Assurance Appropriation for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. Senator Dismang, you're recognized.
Happy to take any questions. Any questions for Senator Dismang? Anyone wish to speak against or for? Senator
Speaker 5
47:14
has closed. Any objection to rolling the vote? Seeing no objection, Madam Secretary, please roll
Chair
Unverified
47:20
the vote. Boyd, Bryant, Caldwell, Clark, Crowell, Davis, Dees, Dismang, Dotson, English, Flippo, Flowers, Gilmore, Hammer, Hester, Hickey, Hill, Irvin, Blake Johnson, Mark Johnson, King, Letting, Love, McKee, Murdoch, Payton, Penzo, Petty, Rice, Scott,
Speaker 5
47:36
Simon, Stone, Sullivan, Tucker, Wallace. Any senator wish to
change his or her vote? Seeing no one, please cast up the ballot by a vote of 34 yea, 0 nay. House Bill 1014 passes and the corresponding emergency clause is adopted. Please return to the House. Next, we'll take
Chair
Unverified
47:57
up House Bill 1062. House Bill 1062 by joint budget, an act for the Department of Human Services, Medicaid, Tobacco, Settlement,
Speaker 38
48:05
Program, Appropriation for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
Senator Dismang. Happy to take any questions. Open. No questions. Anyone wish to speak against
or for? Senator has closed. Any objection to rolling the vote?
Speaker 5
48:24
Seeing no objection, Madam Secretary, please
Chair
Unverified
48:28
roll the vote. Boyd, Bryant, Caldwell, Clark, Kroll, Davis, Dees, Dismang, Dotson, English, Flippo, Flowers, Gilmore, Hammer, Hester, Hickey, Hill, Irvin, Blake, Johnson, Mark Johnson, King, Letting,
Love, McKee, Murdoch, Peyton, Penzo, Petty, Rice, Scott, Simon, Stone, Sullivan, Tucker,
her vote? Seeing no one, please cast up the ballot. By vote of 34, yay, zero, nay. House Bill 1062 passes and the corresponding emergency clause is adopted. Please return to the House. House Bill
Chair
Unverified
49:08
1073. House Bill 1073 by joint budget, an act for the Arkansas Public Service Commission appropriation
for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
Senator Dismang, you're recognized Happy to take any questions Any questions? Seeing no questions Anyone wish to speak against or for? Senator has closed Any objection to
Speaker 5
49:35
rolling the vote? Seeing no objection Madam Secretary, please roll the vote Boyd, Bryant, Caldwell, Clark Crowell,
Chair
Unverified
49:41
Davis, Dees Dismang, Dotson, English, Flippo Flowers, Gilmore, Hammer Hester, Hickey, Hill Irvin, Blake Johnson, Mark Johnson, King, Letting, Love, McKee, Murdoch, Peyton, Penzo,
Speaker 5
49:52
Petty, Rice, Scott, Simon, Stone, Sullivan, Tucker, Wallace. Any senator
wish to change his or her vote? Seeing no one, please cast up the ballot. By vote of 34 yeas, zero nay, House Bill 1073 passes and the corresponding emergency clause is adopted. That concludes the budget calendar. We will
Speaker 37
50:21
now return to the business agenda, beginning with Senate Resolution 6.
And reminder that all of these resolutions will require 24 votes. Senate Resolution 6
Chair
Unverified
50:37
by Senator King. to authorize the introduction of a non-appropriation bill to provide additional funding for counties using certain state tax revenues and to create the Equal Distribution County Turnback Fund. - Senator King, you're recognized.
- Thank you, Madam Chair. So these resolutions failed in House Rules.
As we know, House Rules is a,
let's just say, a very funny business committee a lot of times. So, basically, if these pass, it's still got one more day in the House. So, basically, members, this resolution, this non-budget resolution, is a budget bill. It basically sets a policy on budget. If you look at our RSA amounts, and you look at the dollar bill graphs that you see here, when I first came in, turn back was about 5% of the budget.
Now, it's fluctuated some during the years, but it's 5%, I always felt like, was a pretty good return as far as percentage back to city and local government of locally generated tax dollars that come to Little Rock and then redistributed back. So basically, what this would do is this would give $2 million to every county. It would take the first $150 million of sales tax that came in, and then it would go into a fund. And once that fund hit $150 million, then every county would get $2 million.
Let me tell you why that's important. And the policy in a lot of our distribution needs to change. Because our founding fathers set up a great system in our government where urban areas didn't rule over rural areas. If you looked at the states, we have two senators. It puts us on equal footing with every state out there. Arkansas has two senators. We're on the same footing as New York or California or Texas. Can you imagine if our system and the distribution of everything that we did in this country
was just based on population alone? Senator Tucker back there has been, you know, mentored by Senator Pryor. We would have no Senator Pryor if we didn't have a United States Senate system. We'd have no U.S. Senator John Bozeman. And our system and our country would be dramatically different and devastated if we didn't. Arkansas and Kansas would probably be run over. But it sets up an equal distribution that every county in the state will get $2 million probably by September.
If you look at what has happened in the budget part, and it's one of the frustrations I see of revenue stabilization that it is voted on and rubber stamped a lot, If you looked at a percentage of the last three years, it was 3.3, 3.4, and 3.4. Well, a percent and a half doesn't seem like much, but when you look on a six-plus-billion-dollar budget, that's a lot of money. If you look at 5% compared to 4% in what's in this proposed budget on a $6.7 billion budget, that's $67 million.
That's almost $1 million that could go less out there that is being distributed if we were more on 5% turn back instead of these anemic amounts that keep getting approved. And these are locally generated tax dollars that come to Little Rock and returned. So our state budget is like a balloon. If you look at education, those percentages have changed. When I came in, Medicaid was, I think, 24% of the budget. It got up to 32% of the budget. You know, I keep talking about the crime problem.
Since Republicans came into office, if revenue stabilization, if corrections had been 8%, instead of 8%, been 10% of the budget, corrections of public safety would have received $1.4 billion since 2012. That's how much a small percentage makes out there and where it goes. I think that when we're doing this, you look at the total amount in the next four years, If this percentage gets approved, there will be over $350 million less returned out to local governments to operate.
Local governments are struggling. It doesn't matter. Look in Pulaski County. You have a debate. I don't know who's right. But you look at the debate in it, there's a cash flow problem. If you look in a lot of these counties out here today, they're having cash flow problems, and it's fixing to get worse. We've had five years of COVID expense costs. Road graders cost $100,000 more than they did pre-COVID. You look at a rural county that has to buy three of them, that's $300,000 less out there that they are going to be for essential services.
Now, 90% of this money could be used for critical infrastructure, roads, water, sewer, police, jail, you look at even jail expansions. We're having jail expansions fail and fail out there. One county, for example, is going to build a 150-bed jail for $16 million. By the time they get it paid off with interest, it's going to cost $32 million. With $2 million to these rural counties, they could bank that money back and pay for a jail expansion without raising taxes. And we could give flexibility back to these counties and local government.
This is nothing more than a Jeffersonian-Madison principle about allowing local governments and local people to decide more of their money than a central body down here that only meets every year. The impact that has happened and devastated has dug a hole in our local cities and counties in far as operating. Several of these places are losing personnel. They're having to make cutbacks and switch road departments to make payroll work. This is not going to get better. It's going to get worse. If you look at our economy now today in the rural counties,
the number one economy in Arkansas is agriculture. Let me just tell you, in my almost 60 years, It's the worst I've ever seen it and not getting any better. You look at tourism, for example, our number two economy, it is dangerously, it is mostly in the rural areas. That is the economic engine of tourism is in the rural areas. Our rivers and streams, outdoor recreation, those are in rural areas. What do they need? Roads to make it work? So 90% could be critical infrastructure needs.
10% of it could be more for community services. Give the flexibility back home for senior centers, real fire departments, paid fire departments, police. This could actually allow counties to do planning with $2 million every year, like in Senator Wallace's district or my district. You give them $2 million every year that they can do planning with right off the top. Guess what? They can do some real planning with this. One-time money helps a little bit, but it's only temporary.
Like I said, the cost of everything has went up. It's not going down, and it's starting to devastate local people. There seems to be an absence out there. What's going on with the regular people out there struggling and what seems to happen at the Capitol and what everybody thinks the economy's doing? We need to get an infrastructure bill and a county turn-back percentage that's going to be every year to every county. Allow them to do future planning. this is just a resolution to introduce this bill and have a debate but if you look at these
percentages and what has been devastated 350 million dollars less going out there for local governments to be able to operate it's hurting and we've got to correct that if you dig a hole in something you got to find a way out of it and you got to have a sustained plan and this will get back a lot of these rural counties these county judges tell me this is a game changer for them you look at the rural water systems that were sitting there and do a band-aid sometimes on grants and stuff if these counties had been having this
they wouldn't be in a lot of those situations so with that if you look at something else i want to tell you something we're talking about joe perfuri if you look at what happened in the well path contract and it got derailed by the time it got done it cost taxpayers to do the same contract 350 million dollars You look at the big money special interests like Deloitte that is winning the day down here. Since 2016, in the next contract, they're going to get $700 million. Folks, that's a billion dollars out there.
We need to get back to Reagan, who said the best government is the government closest to the people. Start letting them manage it and get the money back where they can solve their local problems and take care of things and do future planning, especially with the ditch that they have been thrown into by not returning back the money as I feel like it should have. And with that, I'd
take any questions. Questions for Senator King. Senator Payton, you're recognized for a question.
Senator John Payton
Unverified
59:38
Thank you, Madam President. Senator King, do you believe that the quorum court and the county judge could maybe find more efficiencies as they seek to spend this money and make it stretch further?
I mean, you can see some counties that
will, but if you look at how much money has been wasted here, I mean, look at the return on investment that this one graph shows. You look at the amount of money that's being wasted down here, absolutely, I think it could be better spent back there in the counties. And people have more collective ways of changing government and their influence and their tax dollars at monthly meeting at a quorum court
than they do every year's cycle down here. I tend to agree. Thank you. Other
Speaker 68
1:00:20
questions? Senator Tucker, you're recognized. Thank you, Madam President.
I'm sorry if you said this, Senator, and I missed it, but where is this money coming from? Is it new money, or what's funding?
What would fund this? The sales tax collected would go into fund, and then once that fund from local, that sales tax that's
sent down here, it would go into a fund, and then once it hits $150 million, $2 million would be
distributed to every county. Okay, but the sales tax revenue is currently spent, it goes either into general revenue,
or some of it goes to the Arkansas Department of Transportation. the GR would still get their money after that
$150 million has been done? No, the sales tax would go into this fund out of general revenue, and then once it hit $150 million, it'd be back distributed. Okay, thanks. So basically, if you want to know the problem that was brought up in rules, that's a fair question is, as I always say, when you expand part of the balloon down here, you're going to contract somewhere else. When we expanded Medicaid, I'm not getting into that debate, it impacted all other budgets. When you expanded LEARNS and you do new spending, guess what?
it's gonna make other areas contract. Senator Hester, in budget the other day, was complaining about his local college getting money back and not getting the money back. Well, if you look at higher ed, when I first came in, was getting 16% of the budget. It's 12% now. 1% of that is, and I'm not debating this, I'm just giving you the facts of everything, when the percentages change, it's over $250 million less that's going to higher ed. I think, rather than spend the $150 million down here, we need to get it back to our local citizens to take care of things
like either a senior center. And get back flexibility. You know, get back. They have the fires that pop up. If we're down here as a central body deciding everything, that's not the right way to do it. That is more socialist than it is democracy. Reagan certainly didn't preach that. Get the money back to the local people. They need it. We are going to see county governments continue to struggle. You look at ag culture, I'm in the poultry business around here. It's tough. It would allow industry to do roads, water, sewer, improve life back home for our industry
and be more flexible than being a central body down here, turning everything over to the governor to be able to decide it. It will be a game changer for our rural areas. Every county judge that I've talked to says this will
be a game changer for them. No other questions? Anyone wish to speak against or for? Senator, you're free to close. I'm closed.
You know, our founding fathers set up a great system in our country that allowed us to be on an equal footing with populated areas. And this, as you look at Pulaski County, may be having cash flow problems. These counties and local governments are going to be epidemic of cash flow problems without the economy turning around and going gangbusters. If we don't do something to at least present a path to them to be able to be able to flexibility, take care of the issues and do things out there to improve Arkansas, this will improve every county in Arkansas.
This will greatly improve our agriculture industry, which is our number one industry. It will greatly improve our tourism industry. In Newton County, for example, what do you got to have to get back to the hiking trails? Roads. Do you think they're state roads? They're not. You look at the floating, kayaking, everything you do back there. Guess what? They're not state roads. They're county roads. This will allow them to get money back and be able to take care of our citizens and allow them to be able to solve our problems.
And I appreciate a good vote. Senator has closed. Any objection to rolling the vote? Objection noted. Madam
Speaker 170
1:04:14
Secretary, please call the roll. Boyd. Bryant. Bryant. Caldwell. Clark.
Speaker 132
1:04:22
No. Kroll. Kroll. Davis. Davis. Dees.
Dismain. Dismain. Dotson. Dotson. English. English. Flippo. Flowers. Gilmore?
Speaker 173
1:04:37
No. Hammer? Hammer? Hester? No. Hickey? Aye. Hill? Hill? Yes. Irvin? Irvin? Aye. Blake
Speaker 176
1:05:00
Johnson? Blake Johnson? Mark Johnson? No. Keene? Aye.
Speaker 173
1:05:08
Letting, Love, McKee, Murdoch, Peyton, Penzo, Petty, Rice, Scott, Simon, Stone, Sullivan, Tucker, Tucker, Senator Wallace, aye.
Any senator who did not vote, who wishes to vote? Senator Crowell, yes. Senator English, yes. Senator Tucker, no. Any other senator? Please
check the board. Seen no other. Please cast up the ballot. I vote of 18 yay, 10 nay, 6 not voting. Senate Resolution 6 fails.
Speaker 80
1:06:14
We will now take up Senate Resolution 7. Thank you,
Madam Chair. This is basically, if you remember, the six bills of non-budget resolutions. Senator King,
Chair
Unverified
1:06:25
just a moment. I'm sorry, the Secretary is going to read it. Senate Resolution 7 by Senator King to authorize the introduction of a non-appropriation bill to amend the requirements for a digital asset mining business and to amend the authority of a local government with respect to a digital asset mining business. Senator King, you're recognized.
Thank you, Madam President. This basically follows the six resolutions that passed out of this body two years ago. As we know, the 2023 crypto
data center bill that got passed, there was a lot of things happened with that that we just were not told and didn't know. You know, I can tell you right now, there was a crypto mine put in, tried to put into Harrison. And it was going to use a tremendous amount of water. And I'll probably talk more on this bill, where I'll talk less on the rest of them. And basically, this repeals it back to local control.
This crypto mine data center, we need to get it back where local communities be able to decide what they want instead of tying their hands. Every time in the bills that passed two years ago, didn't do anything. They only were a lawyer's dream, as I said. You can sit here and look. We're still in federal court on it. Every local community that turned down the crypto mines before this law, bad law, took place, guess what? None of them got sued in court. Every one of them ties up everything in court, and you're in court with a half-billion-dollar company.
We need to get it back to where local people be able to decide how they want to live and what they want to do. We do not need to be tying their hands. That's what a socialist government does. If you want to look at, for example, the crypto mine in Harrison was all Chinese influenced. You could sit there and look. Look at the Harrison Daily Times. Everything was about Chinese influence on it. Senator Caldwell and I got a hit with all kinds of lying postcards that we weren't tough on China.
Reality is, we're not being tough on Chinese crypto mines. Do you know who he is that is better? Joe Biden. Joe Biden, at least, if you look at it, shut down a Chinese crypto mine out near an Air Force base. Senator Hill tried to do something similar to that. Why is Joe Biden tough on Chinese crypto mines? I can't figure it out how this governor and a bunch of people are real tough on the Chinese growing soybeans, but when it comes to crypto mines, they look the other way.
Nothing about that is even close to adding up. If you look at the data center debate, we're driving the lead for a lot of data centers. But guess what? They use a lot of water. I'm in the poultry industry in East Texas right now. You talk to some of the poultry industry people. The data centers came in. Now they're using up tons of water. Guess what? It's hurting the poultry industry. In Beaver Lake up there, we're all getting our water in Northwest Arkansas out of Beaver Lake. The crypto mine in Harrison was going to use a tremendous amount of water,
Enough power for 8,000 homes, employ two or three people. We just need to get back and let local people be able to decide. Like I said, when it comes to this Chinese influence, what is going on that we allow Chinese crypto mines to operate in here and all we did was pass, was drafted by the crypto industry. What did it do? Look at it. You're back in federal court again. Do you think local communities have the money to fight something in local court? They don't.
They can't beat the bank on these big companies. This just allows flexibility and allows local control back, which I thought was a Republican principle that was taught by my grandfather, which seems to be absent down here. There is big, huge money behind these things, and there's a lot of things that don't add up. And when it doesn't add up, there's something going on every
time. With that, I'd take any questions.
Any questions for Senator King? Senator Mark Johnson, you're recognized for a question.
Thank you, Madam President. Senator
Senator Mark Johnson
Unverified
1:10:29
King, I'm not sure I was for or against your last resolution. I voted against it because I just didn't think it was something we could tackle in this venue, in this fiscal session. This one's a little different. I'm with you on—I feel like we got fooled once, and I thought maybe we partially fixed it, but the resolution doesn't describe some of the requirements you're going to place on these crypto miners, which I support.
But before I vote on whether to proceed and perhaps tie us into something that maybe we need to take up in a regular session, could you give me a very short description of the additional level of restrictions that we would be putting on these guys? Because I definitely want to reign them
Speaker 193
1:11:17
in, but I don't know what's possible. Well, first, on your first comment
about my mother, it actually was a budget bill that we needed to do for cities and counties and actually allow them long-term planning. If we do something this budget session, it's just for one year, Senator Johnson.
These counties and cities have been so devastated and less of turn-back dollars, as I said, that if you dig a hole for them, we've got to get a ladder to get out. Well, that's a move right now. On this, this is about a direction to repeal the bill. You were right. We were fooled the first time. You were fooled the second time. The crypto industry wrote the end, but we're back in court again. Every community that rejected the crypto mines before that terrible law that we got misled on passed, zero, zero are in court.
You know, let your people decide, we got on the wind turbines and it's different up in my area than it is other states. Let's let local control, let's follow
Senator Mark Johnson
Unverified
1:12:16
that. But specifically, what changes in the bill that you have to accompany this resolution? I just want a bit more detail. It's about direction,
not details in these resolutions. And it's about the direction to get local control, change
ordinance, where allow a city and county to be able to do what they were able to do before this terrible law, misleading law got passed.
That's the direction I'm going, is allow them, whether it's Worcester up there, Dewitt down there that we're in federal court over now, Had we repealed that terrible law, we wouldn't be in federal court right now. You set up more regulations, you're just allowing lawyers and big law firms. And let me tell you something, these crypto data centers, they're hiring the top lawyers. It's not a street corner law you're doing $50 divorces either. This just allows local, the direction is allow local communities to do ordinances to be able to make the decisions for
themselves before this terrible law got passed.
Speaker 129
1:13:11
Okay, thank you for taking my question, Senator. Any other questions for Senator King? Seeing no other questions, does anyone wish to speak against
or for? Senator, you are recognized to close. Yeah, I'm closed, and I'll be brief on the rest of the other ones because I can see with the room, with the people's left,
where this is going. So I'll be brief in describing on the rest of them and won't be as long on the rest of them. Thank you, Senator, for that.
Any objection to rolling the vote? Seeing no objection, Madam Secretary, please roll the
Speaker 176
1:13:57
vote. Boyd, Bryant, Caldwell, Clark, Kroll, Davis, Dees, Dismain, Dotson, English, Flippo, Flowers, Gilmore, Hammer, Hester, Hickey, Heal, Irvin, Blake Johnson, Mark Johnson, Keene, Letting,
Speaker 173
1:14:18
Love McKee Murdoch Payton Penzo Petty Rice Scott Simon Stone Sullivan
Tucker Wallace Any senator wish to change his or her vote? I'm going to begin on this side. Senator McKee. No. McKee. Senator Bryant, no.
Senator Kroll, present. Senator Gilmore, no. Senator Davis, no. Senator Petty, no. Senator Murdoch, not voting. Anyone else on this side? Senator Blake Johnson, I'm sorry, Senator Johnson, no. Senator Hammer, present.
Anyone else on this side?
This side. Senator Hickey,
Speaker 20
1:15:26
no. Senator Dismang, not voting. Senator Hester, no. Senator Irvin, present. Not voting. Senator Stone, no. Senator Penzo, present. Senator
Simon, present. Senator English, present. Senator
Please check the board. Senator Davis, not voting. Any other senators? Please check the board.
Seeing no other, please cast up the ballot by vote of 17 yea, 8 nay, 4 not voting, 5 present. Senate resolution 7 fails. Next, we'll take up Senate Resolution 8.
Chair
Unverified
1:16:24
Senate Resolution 8 by Senator King to authorize the introduction of a non-appropriation bill to require a digital asset mining business to pay a fee for extraordinary electrical energy usage and to implement oversight procedures. Senator King, you're recognized. This is probably going to
be about the same as the other one maybe, so I'm going to be very brief we
have to pay fees to be able to for an industry to take responsibility the agriculture industry farmers we pay fees for a farm plan that just basically follows that so
Speaker 129
1:16:58
appreciate a good vote any questions for senator king senator hickey you're recognized
Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr
Unverified
1:17:10
what did you say about the farm plan you said it's going to The fee's going to fall to that directly, or what's the fee going
to be? Is it a percentage, or how are we doing that? Yeah, so we're in a nutrient surplus area, so we pay a fee, and then we have a farm plan. So it would be like a license fee. You pay a license fee for Game and Fish to be able to fund them to regulate them. You know, this is just fees can be over-regulated and overdone,
and they could also be responsibility to an industry. And with the amount of power and water that's being used, there has to be something. Because if we don't force them to pay for it, it's the other taxpayers are going to have to pay more out of their pocket to regulate it. So is it a set fee, or is it based on a percentage of the usage? It's percentage. It's just basically a direction, Senator Hickey, to have a discussion. At this point in time, I don't know what the end would be. But it's just a direction to discuss them taking responsibility to have to pay to regulate them
rather than everybody else come up and they get a
Speaker 129
1:18:10
free ride. other questions senator tucker you're recognized thank you madam president i'm
i'm just looking at the fees in here and i'm four people paying their their way you know but i'm just curious how they were calculated uh you know how the
numbers were put together in terms of how many megawatts they produce and what the fee for that is and that sort of
thing yeah i mean if you look at some of these data centers are 100 megawatts i don't know what the little rock one is i mean i know it's tremendous
down here. If you look at some of the crypto mines, they have a lot of megawatts. It's just throwing out a starting point on discussion. I'm not saying it's an ending point, but at
some point in time, you've got to throw something out. As I say, these are about a direction, not
details yet. Senator Sullivan, you're recognized for a question.
Senator Dan Sullivan
Unverified
1:19:00
Thank you. So you say you had to have a starting point. So this doesn't
show a starting point. It just says you want to start a discussion, but there's no starting point for what that discussion is.
Why wouldn't you wait and run legislation that has specifics in it instead of asking us to vote on something we have no idea what the starting point is? Well, I think
if you look at a lot of these data centers, we don't know what they're using until they already pop up. And I mean, there's just a lot we don't know. And I'm sure this is going to follow the other bills, but I'm just saying we've got to have a discussion starting point. I mean, obviously, if it's an exorbitant amount, well, then we debate that. If it's a minimum amount or any amount, but there has to be a starting point in having
a discussion about how much—we don't know. These data centers, some of them are using unbelievable amounts, and some of them on the crypto mines are not using as much. The one in Harrison was going to use enough power to power 8,000 homes, yet only create two jobs. So why do we need this to have to start the discussion? Well, I mean, you have to
Senator Dan Sullivan
Unverified
1:20:02
have a starting point to try to say— Why can't you just bring it up in a committee and start that starting point and have those discussions in committee? Well,
I think if you talk about, like, what is the amount?
I mean, I think you need to hear from the industry. I think you also need to—there's a lot of things we don't know. It's like I'll give you the perfect example of how bad we were misled. Energy in the Harrison debate came up and said, we got plenty of capacity and we're not going to raise people rates on crypto mines. Guess what? They raise rates. I mean, they sit there and promise all this stuff, and yet what gets delivered is not what gets promised. I mean, the energy sit there and said, in testimony, we've got planners here a couple years ago.
We're not going to, we've got plenty of capacity. What'd they do? They came back this last session, said we don't have enough capacity. We've got to raise rates, and we've got to make people pay more for a new generation. Two years ago, in 2023 and 2024, they weren't saying that. So how do you believe any industry when they can't be straight with you? I just didn't want to hogtie myself into something before you even get started in it and to have a narrow scope is just allow it to start. Because like I said, energy already said, we're not going to raise,
these are not going to cause rates to be raised. They also said we had plenty of capacity. Said that down here in testimony. That never happened. Any other questions for Senator
King? I see no other questions. Anyone wish to speak against or for? Senator, you're recognized. Close. I'm closed. We'll just get to the
vote. Senator has closed. Madam Secretary, please call the roll. Boyd. No. Bryant.
Speaker 132
1:21:48
Caldwell. Aye. Clark. Aye. Kroll. Aye. Davis. Davis. Dees. No. Dismain. Dismain.
Speaker 173
1:22:05
Dotson, Dotson, English, English, Flippo, Flowers, Gilmore, Hammer, Hammer, Hester,
Speaker 176
1:22:22
Hickey? Hill? Irvin? Blake Johnson? Mark Johnson? Keen?
Speaker 224
1:22:36
Let him? Love? McKee? McKee? Murdoch?
Speaker 177
1:22:46
Murdoch Payton Penzo Penzo Petty Rice Scott Simon Stone Sullivan
Speaker 173
1:23:03
Tucker Tucker Wallace Wallace any senator who did
not vote or who wishes to change his
or her vote beginning on this side
senator hammer no any other senator please check the board seeing
no other senator please cast up the ballot by a vote of 11 yay 12 nay 11 not voting senate resolution 8 fails Next, we will take up Senate Resolution 9. Thank you, Madam President. Senator King, I'm going to ask the Secretary to read the
Chair
Unverified
1:23:47
resolution real quick. Thank you. Senate Resolution 9 by Senator King to authorize the introduction of a non-appropriation bill
to prohibit the use of a computer manufactured by a covered foreign entity in digital asset mining and prohibit the use of
certain software in digital asset mining. Senator King, you're recognized. Thank you, Madam President.
Basically, in the 2023 bill that was buried in that, and understand that day was an eight-hour day, it was amended out of committee, suspended rules, no one knew. They exempted themselves from the Uniform Money Services Act as a transmitter. Basically, they basically exempted themselves from following the same rules as a money order.
So if you look at cryptocurrency, what we know now is that cryptocurrency is used in every type of criminal activity literally out there. Drugs, sex trafficking, everything. Extortion, blackmail. I talked to a Justice Department person, and once it gets into the money, it goes to a location, it's automatically transported out of the country. There is no way local law enforcement has the resources to track a lot of this blackmail.
If you looked at blackmail, the situation here a while back, guess what? They wanted it in crypto. This just exposes and makes everything go to the Money Services Act. We don't know what these entities are doing. There is a lot of off-exchange crypto going on with a lot of drugs, illegal activity. They're not transporting cash anymore, as one law enforcement told me. And this makes them just follow for them to accept their self in the Uniform Money Services Act as a transmitter. As some of the experts I've talked to said, they just don't want you to know and follow where they're going.
That right there is dangerous and known with all the drug trafficking that's going on. Everything is being paid in crypto. What we're seeing in the stock market is not what's going on in the legal activity world out there and what they're transporting, how they're paying for everything. This just makes them follow the same thing as a money order. The idea that they've exempted themselves should be dangerous alone with all the illegal
activity going on out there with crypto.
Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr
Unverified
1:26:01
senator hickey i don't know if you're thinking nine
or ten or if it's or if we've reversed it somehow but the
uniform i'm sorry yeah okay well i won't have to talk on the next bill so basically i'm sorry i must have got my things mixed up on a i got it over here okay so nine okay nine basically if you look at what is going on i mean we're banning chinese from mowing in farmland and growing soybeans.
All these crypto machines, the biggest percent of them is made by Bitmain, a company out of China. Even a New York Times article had something about these computers were run, had a backdoor issue that they're reporting it back to China. If we really want to be tough on China, why are we not addressing all these computers? Representative Ray, two years ago, sat there on the house floor and said something not correct. He said a lot of these crypto computers that run 24-7 and use this were made in Malaysia and different companies.
Well, Bitmain owns those companies. I don't understand how we are sitting here and not taking on the China influence with crypto mines and computers running and all of a sudden want to tackle soybeans. And I'll be able to talk about
the next bill and just not say much about it. But thanks for
Speaker 234
1:27:27
clarifying that, Senator Hickey. Any questions for Senator
King on Senate Resolution 9? Seeing no questions, anyone wish to speak against or for?
Senator, you're recognized to close. It's just time for the vote. Okay, Senator
Speaker 170
1:27:47
has closed. Madam Secretary, please call the roll. Boyd, Boyd, Bryant, Bryant, Caldwell,
Speaker 132
1:28:02
Clark, Clark, Kroll, Davis, Davis, Dees, Dees, Dismaine, Dismaine, Dotson, Dotson, English, English,
Speaker 173
1:28:14
Flippo. Flippo. Flowers. Gilmore. Gilmore. Hammer. Hammer. Hester. Hester. Hickey. Hill. Hill. Irvin.
Speaker 176
1:28:36
Blake Johnson. Blake Johnson. Mark Johnson. Mark Johnson, Keene, Letting, Love, McKee, Murdoch,
Speaker 177
1:28:55
Paton, Penzo, Petty, Rice, Rice, Scott,
Speaker 173
1:29:13
Scott, Simon, Stone, Sullivan, Tucker, Tucker, Wallace.
Speaker 129
1:29:27
Any Senator wish to vote, who did not vote, or wish to change your vote?
I'll begin on this side. Senator Bryant, no. Senator Dees, no. Any other Senator on this side? Senator
Speaker 20
1:29:40
Blake Johnson, yes. Senator Mark Johnson, yes.
Senator Hill, yes. Senator Rice, yes. Senator Filippo, yes. Senator Hester, no. Any other senator wish to vote or change your vote,
please check the board. Seeing no other, please cast up the ballot
Speaker 80
1:30:04
by a vote of 15 yea, 8 nay, 11 not voting. Senate Resolution 9 fails. senate resolution 10 madam secretary
Chair
Unverified
1:30:18
senate resolution 10 by senator king to authorize
the introduction of a non-appropriation bill to amend the arkansas data centers act of 2023 and to amend the uniform money services act senator
king you're recognized well thank you senator hickey for pointing
that out and basically i explained the uniform money services act there's I don't need to explain any more. I'll take questions and we can move on
to a vote. Any questions for Senator King? Senator Hickey, you're recognized
Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr
Unverified
1:30:47
for a question. Do you remember why that was exempted or what the argument was whenever we did that?
You'll have to ask the crypto people, but the experts, national security experts, I were told, just said they want to hide and not cover up where they're
going. Well, that wouldn't have been our reason down here, so I guess you don't know. So that's fine. I just wondered if there was any reasonable explanation that was
presented in committee, because I just don't remember that. Well, I mean, they need to follow the money
order. I mean, that's why money orders had the Uniformed Services Act was to transport. I
Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr
Unverified
1:31:16
don't disagree. That's why I was wondering if there was some reasonable explanation whenever this was done. Well, they don't talk to
me, so, I mean, I'm not going to let them get away with it.
But, you know, the experts I talked to, the security
experts said that with all the criminal activity going on With crypto and extortion, blackmail, everything, it's just to cover their tracks. And there's a difference between honest people using crypto and obviously the criminal element. That's why we had the Uniform Money Services Act to try and track down and catch the criminal element of it. But I appreciate
a good vote. Any other questions? Seeing none, Senator, have you closed?
I'm closed. Just get to the vote. Thank you, Senator. Madam Secretary, please call roll. I would ask the senators to please speak up and clearly so
Speaker 170
1:32:09
that way we can record votes properly. Thank you. Boyd. Yes. Bryant. Yes.
Speaker 172
1:32:19
Caldwell. Yes. Caldwell. Clark. Clark. Clark. Kroll. Yes. Davis. Davis. Dees. Dees.
Speaker 132
1:32:29
Dismaine. Dismaine. Dotson. Dotson. English. English. Flippo?
Speaker 173
1:32:37
Flippo? Flowers? Aye. Gilmore? Gilmore? Hammer? Hammer? Hester? Hester? Hickey? Aye. Hill, Irvin, Blake
Speaker 176
1:32:58
Johnson, Blake Johnson, Mark Johnson, Mark Johnson, Keene, Aye.
Speaker 177
1:33:09
Letting? Love? Love? McKee? McKee? Murdoch? Murdoch? Payton? Penzo? Penzo?
Speaker 173
1:33:29
Petty? Rice? Scott? Simon? Simon? Stone? Stone?
Speaker 129
1:33:40
Sullivan. Tucker. Wallace. Any senator which should change his or
her vote or vote who did not vote previously? Senator
Speaker 20
1:34:01
Dees, yes. Senator Mark Johnson, yes. Senator Caldwell, yes. Senator Penzo, yes. Senator Simon, yes. Senator Filippo, yes.
Senator Stone, no. Any other senator? Senator Hester,
no. Any other senator? Please check the board. Seeing no other, please cast up the ballot by
Speaker 80
1:34:29
vote of 21 yea, 4 nay, 9 not voting. Senate Resolution 10 fails. We will now take up Senate Resolution 11. Madam Secretary. Senate Resolution
Chair
Unverified
1:34:43
11 by Senator King to authorize the introduction of a non-appropriation bill
to require a digital asset mining business to provide notification before purchasing or leasing land or a building or beginning construction. Senator King, you're recognized. So, members, I've already touched
on this before, but just briefly, We know these data centers and these crypto mines use a tremendous amount of power and water. And you can see in other parts of the country, whenever they come in and they're taking up water and they're raising rates and we don't have availability, they're causing environmental problems.
These things are not like an auto plant. They're not like a poultry plant. They're not like anything in the normal things that we think of. This just says that for future planning, because the impact you see, I mentioned East Texas and what's going on. Our number one industry is agriculture. What happens if these come in and they litter northeast Arkansas or the Delta area and suck all the water out of the aquifer while rice farmers have to compete with that? We need to know ahead of time. And even for citizens, you look at the Beaver Lake situation,
all the growth in northwest Arkansas, the water, we just need to know what is coming with these things and have a heads-up where we have an
Speaker 129
1:36:04
informed decision on them. Any questions for Senator King
on Senate Resolution 11? Seeing no questions, anyone wish to speak against or for? Senator, you are recognized to close. Appreciate a good vote. Senator has closed. Madam Secretary, please call the roll.
Speaker 170
1:36:25
Boyd. Bryant. Caldwell. Clark. Kroll.
Speaker 132
1:36:39
Kroll. Davis. Davis. Deez. Deez. Dismaine. Dismaine. Dotson. Dotson.
Speaker 173
1:36:50
English, English, Flippo, Flippo, Flowers, Flowers, Gilmore, Gilmore, Hammer, Hester, Hickey, Hill, Irvin, Blake
Speaker 176
1:37:12
Johnson, Blake Johnson, Mark Johnson.
Speaker 177
1:37:18
Keene. Aye. Letting. Aye. Love. Love. McKee. McKee. Murdoch. Murdoch. Payton. Payton. Penzo. No. Petty.
Speaker 132
1:37:40
No. Rice. Rice. Scott. No. Simon. No. Stone.
aye. Sullivan. Aye. Tucker. Aye. Wallace. Aye. Any senator wish to vote who did not vote or change his or her vote? Senator Flowers, yes. Any other senator? Please check the board. Seeing no other, please cast up the ballot by a vote of 12 yea, 9 nay, 13 not voting. Senate Resolution 11 fails. Senate
Resolution 12. Members, I won't go into a lot. Madam Secretary. I'm just ready
to get this over with, I guess. It's
okay, Senator. It's all right. Well, we know the vote,
Chair
Unverified
1:38:34
so we'll just go with it. Anyway, go. Senate Resolution 12 by Senator King to authorize the introduction of a non-appropriation bill to regulate the impact on water usage and the electrical grid by blockchain networks, and digital asset mining.
Senator King, you're recognized. I talked about the poultry industry, how it's impacting our other industries, the data centers and the obscene amount of electricity they're using and water. It just means that we need to find out some way about looking at these things that's ultimately, as we've seen around the country when these things pop up, how they are impacting everything else. any questions for senator
king anyone wish to speak against or for senator you are free to
close can basically tell by these crypto data centers where we got to work on for the next session and and it gives a good test i can say so we'll see how the
vote goes senator has closed Madam Secretary, please call the roll. Boyd. No. Bryant. Caldwell. Clark. Clark.
Speaker 170
1:39:43
Aye. Could you repeat, Senator Clark? Aye. Kroll. Yes. Davis.
Speaker 173
1:40:09
Dismaine. Dotson. Dotson, English, English, Flippo, Flippo, Flowers, Gilmore, Gilmore, Hammer, Hester, Hester Hickey
Speaker 176
1:40:28
Hickey Hill Irvin Irvin Blake Johnson Mark Johnson Keane Aye Letting
Speaker 177
1:40:53
Love Love McKee McKee Murdoch Murdoch Payton Payton
Penzo Penzo Petty Rice Scott Simon Stone Sullivan Tucker
Wallace Any senator wish to vote, who did not vote, or wish to change your vote? Senator Hester, no. Any other senator? Senator
Penzo, no. Any other senator? Please check the board. Seeing no
other, please cast up the ballot. By vote of 16 yea, 7 nay, 11 not voting, Senate Resolution 12
Speaker 35
1:41:46
fails. We will now take up Senate Resolution 16.
Chair
Unverified
1:41:51
Madam Secretary. Senate Resolution 16 by Senator King to authorize the introduction of a non-appropriation bill concerning the Arkansas Children's Educational Freedom Account Program.
Senator King, you're recognized. Thank you, Madam President. This one deals a little different on education. As you know, the LEARNS bill that was passed in 2023, some of us ask about the financial cash flow of this thing, and we were told then we didn't know how we were going to pay for it in year three. Right now, as a long-time Republican, when you don't know how to pay for a program, you shouldn't implement it. It doesn't matter if it's the Brian King program. We were told that we didn't know what the costs were going to be. Now we're finding out.
Last year, $120 million was taken out of a one-time account to keep this program cash flowing. You look at the next budget, they're estimating $70 million more. If you've got a program in the red, it doesn't matter what program it is, and it's underwater, it's not going to get any better. In a perfect world, I would love to say every education voucher out there should be paid no matter what income or anything, but our budget doesn't allow it. And I was talked about with cities and counties. Basically, instead of rob Peter to save Paul, we're robbing the amount of
money that turns back to cities and counties to pay for learns. This has to be overhauled, overhauled. It is not cash flowing. It is in the red and it's underwater. And anytime in business, if you keep going in that regard, you cannot, you have to cut losses and you have to make it financially responsible and cash flow. That is the number one goal of this. I actually, a lot of public school people like me now. When they, 20 years ago, they didn't care for me. And it's only
because I actually believe in school choice. But you can't have choice without responsibility. You can't have freedom without responsibility. So if you look at just simply trying to roll back and the cost, because we were told most of these students that signed up on it are in the private schools. If you look at this map, 17 counties are receiving $100 million. There's only 47 schools receiving $100 million, okay?
Most of them are the elite private schools. Now, as I said before, I would love to be able to give them their education dollars to spend like that, but our budget doesn't allow it. If you look at the percentage of education budget, it just went up. Like I said, we're just squeezing other parts of the budget. Governor Mike Beebe, when I came down here, and I would say was the most physically responsible governor I have seen, I'll give him credit for that, would always ask down here, what can you pay for?
Lawrence basically was like selling somebody a seven-day all-inclusive vacation, but you only get a one-way ticket, and now in three and four, you've got to come up with the money, and now we're using one-time money to cash flow this? That's just not responsibility, not budget responsibility. So number one, as far as the direction of it, is that if you were in a private school before, say Little Rock Christian or Shiloh Christian, and you went to Learns, you would now be eliminated,
at least the starting point in it. If you look at these schools and we're $100 million, and let me just tell you what $100 million would do. You want to talk a better use, $100 million when we don't have the money? $100 million would hire 400 to 600 new police officers out there. Now, you can sit there and say, I want these people to have money. We decide three things. Who gives, who gets, and who profits. When you start talking about the profit part of this, there are some people actually making out with this, learns, as we see with a lot of other programs, that shouldn't be.
If you want to look at what we can pay for, I would rather use $100 million, even though I'd like to do this, to hire 400 to 600 more police officers and actually lower crime out there. actually do what's effective out there in lower crime would be actually more budget-friendly in the long run. I would really give $100 million back to the counties that have now been shorted in the last three years, as I said with a turn back, to over $350 million has been shorted of people's tax dollars being used.
You can't expand one part of the balloon without contracting somewhere else. So if you look at it, if you're in a private school, you then went to learns, you would now, just for budget reasons only, to make it more constrained to try and cash flow it, you would be eliminated. That's at least the direction right now. The second part, if you were homeschooled, for example, we see the homeschool numbers starting to explode. I actually think homeschool is one of the noblest cause and one of the best cost-effective ways.
If you look at homeschool, they're educating their kids and not providing a building or busing or everything like that. but we have to have performance standards. 20 years ago when I was talking about this, there was a move around the country in far as Republican circles that I was a part of that talked about performance school choice. It would work like this. It's pretty simple. Just like your ACT. You don't get the money on the front end. You walk in and get a 25 on your ACT, you get this scholarship. You make a 28, you get this scholarship. You make a 30, you get this scholarship.
Having performance-based school choice would separate out those in homeschool that are doing it correctly, that we need to fund and are actually beneficial to our state from the ones that's not. When you have homeschool that is basically legalized dropout and they're taking the money and then they're putting the system back, we've got to separate the wheat from the chaff in the homeschool area. And a lot of this learns money for budget reasons only and go to performance base. A lot of Republicans, you want work for welfare, work for Medicaid requirements, then why not work for education dollars?
Make them perform and test. If they test 87%, write the check for them. You start giving it on the front end, then you have a lot of room for race, fraud, and abuse out there. And that is what's happening. If you looked at our GIF funds that we used to have, that a lot of us used correctly, and then we sent money, this whatever of them sent money to this Ecclesia College up there, unaccountable money. Look what happened to that. You start having unaccountable, non-transparent money out there any tax dollar, you're going to have
waste, fraud, and abuse. It's not going to be turning out right. So it would go to performance-based. Basically, like I said, instead of getting the money on the front end, guess what? You'd have to produce to be able to get the check. The third part that I think is a fair criticism of LEARNS is to have one standardized test. On LEARNS, you have several tests, and in schools, public schools have to have the Atlas test. We need one standardized test. Now you can debate whether we need a standardized test or work or not but we just need one standard if you're getting learns money you ought to be fair
and make the public them go by the same ones public schools do you know the difference of basketball and football the private schools have whatever rules they want to if their touchdowns count eight points and public schools only count six what's the fairness in that so that's actually a fair point if you look at the numbers out of the thousands of students on the learns only like eight or nine hundred went from a dnf school to learns that's it so in at least in my direction if you're in a dnf school you get a voucher for one year and then you go to performance test
the other part is about sexual assault and reporting we have mandatory reporting in our public schools you have mandatory reporting the private schools that needs to be extended to the home school if you look at the situation up there with iblp and some of these organizations you know what? They don't need to be trusted with public tax dollars and not have mandatory reporting on them, like public schools. If you want to protect kids, that same standard needs to be applied to all of them. It's just wrong to make public schools, private schools, even in this,
have mandatory reporters and homeschools in those situations. Now, most of homeschool situations are great situations, but not all of them are. So, it would actually, like I said, make the same rules apply across the board. You cannot, in Milton Friedman's world, you cannot have true competition if you do not have fairness at the starting line. This program is not cash flowing. And it is already impacting all of state government and all the business. Look at the turn back percentage. That's a glaring example
that you're turning back less out of your cities and counties to work with to pay for learns. If you can't be financially
responsible It's not financially responsible now. What do you think it's going to be a year or two from now? It's going to be worse. And sometimes you've got to make the tough decision and back out of it. Me and my brother at different times, we've lost money on different things. You know what the best decision we made, even though it was a hard decision? To reverse it and get back to financial responsibility. Any government program under Republicans should be financially responsible
and financially cash-flowing to begin with. And when it's not, you need to take corrective action.
Chair
Unverified
1:51:24
Questions for Senator King. Senator Sullivan, you're recognized for a question. I thought when
I listened to your presentation, you said we were funding private schools. I thought the actual track of the money was to
Senator Dan Sullivan
Unverified
1:51:35
the student and then to the school. Am I wrong? Well, ultimately, I mean, look at the private schools you're winding up with.
I mean, ultimately, it's in the private school. I'm just asking about the legal transfer of the money. That's right. students the money who
give it to the school. That's right, but ultimately it's winding up in the private schools. Did you look at this right here? Yes, I did. That's where $100 million is winding up in only 17 counties. Yeah, I understand that
you just said that we're funding schools, and that's not quite accurate, and you've been pushing hard for accuracy. So, the other question would be, it sounds to me what I took from your comments, that we ought to be merit funding public
schools. No, we should be merit funding learns money we are
constitutionally mandated to fund public schools and if public schools are failing academically or financially the state can take those over so there's a different lane for them it's like a public highway versus a private drive i mean in in my perfect world you know we have to apply by lakeview any of us maybe center of flowers remembers lakeview but every law that we had to pass after when i first came in had to comply with lakeview and we go through this
long process of whether it complies with Lakeview or not. I just tried to ask a simple
question. I know. Are you advocating for merit pay for public schools based on
success? You have merit pay out there for some teachers, but yet we can't because we have to follow the Constitution, Senator Sullivan, in
the public school area. I understand that. I'm just, I'm hearing what you say about local control and rewarding merit. So are you advocating that schools be tested and they
be compensated based on their test scores? Yes
or no? If you receive learns money,
which is outside of our constitutionally mandated duty to fund public schools, this is an extra program on the side, much like a private road. And I'm just saying on that, it needs to be, for the most part, needs to be merit-based. I mean, are
you for work for welfare? Work requirements for Medicaid? Before you get a Medicaid check, you have to prove
Senator Dan Sullivan
Unverified
1:53:48
you're working? I didn't know that they could ask questions of me. I choose, that's not on the topic.
It's not before the body. And he's asking a question that has no basis for what we're talking about. Thank you.
And I agree, Senator, and you're not required to respond in any form. Any other questions for Senator King? Senator King, you're recognized to close. I
basically presented this bill. I apologize. I'm sorry. Anyone wish to speak against or for? Senator Clark, you're recognized to speak.
Well, Senator Mark Johnson was in line, Senator Clark. And so, all right. Well, Senator Clark, you're recognized to speak against.
Senator Alan Clark
Unverified
1:54:37
I appreciate Senator King's concern about the budget. I sincerely do. and I apologize that I have not prepared ahead of time. I have believed on school choice. One of the reasons I have told people I support school choice,
the main reason I support school choice, is I very much believe in the selfishness of parents. Parents will make the best decision on education for their kids and on about everything for their kids better than the government and public school is government. I say that as someone who attended and graduated from a public school, as did my wife. My dad taught at a public school. My mother-in-law taught at a public school. All of our parents and grandparents went to public schools.
My kids went to public schools, except for two years for one of my kids. But I believe the money ought to follow the kid. We ought to do the same thing for everybody. That's what adequacy is. That's what the court said. Is, doesn't matter what your tax base is locally, you got to do the same thing for every kid everywhere. And as one of the few people in this building that understands adequacy, we look at the total cost for principals and nurses and everything,
and we come up and we say, this is how much per kid we're going to give each school. And then we can't tell them how to spend it. They can put
turf on the field. They can do all kinds of things when we think they ought to be doing something else. But as I look here at page 2, line 20, an amount allocated under subdivision 1A of this section is a participating student who is a homeschooled student
It shall not exceed $5,000 during a school
year. My first problem with this is it's not, it has, it is not indexed to inflation. When the amount that we're given a public school per student is $15,000, it'll still be $5,000. Can't go with that. And let me say to homeschoolers, I, let me back up.
The conversation that I had with administration three years ago was different from Central King's. When I said, I see budget problems ahead, they said their projections was not because they said we didn't know. I didn't hear anything like that, that they didn't know. Their projections for three years out, I thought were low. I said, I think there's going to be more people participating than what y'all project are going to be participating.
Turns out I was correct. I would have liked to have seen it rolled out a little slower. Now, saying that, I'm not sure I'm right. I appreciate the boldness of the governor. As somebody who really likes school choice, I don't know if we'd have rolled it out slower if we'd ever got there. And I appreciate that this governor and this legislature got us there in a bold way. I would put more guardrails to homeschoolers who may like what I'm saying.
I would put more guardrails and are already there. And just because the money's there doesn't mean that you have to spend it. It doesn't mean that you ought to spend it. We ought to have pretty strict rules for what education is and how it's defined. But we shouldn't say that you're going to get this much less because you chose this type of education over this other type of education. Page 2, line 33.
A disbursement to a participating student's account under subdivision B1A of this section shall be made only after the participating student achieves at least the minimum score established by the division under subdivision B2AI. Well, no, but, you know, I could have been
a yes. The first time that family council and Jerry Cox and I got crossways
was when I was the only Republican senator on the education committee that voted against stopping testing for homeschoolers. I believe in accountability for everybody, And I said, homeschoolers ought to want to be tested to show how well they're doing. And I also told Jerry, you're dealing with the best homeschoolers.
Superintendents and sheriffs know about some others that aren't doing so well. So I get that argument. But I haven't seen a bill like this ever. and I would have cheered Senator King or anyone else. You know, we had a Little Rock school a few years ago that 85% of 11th graders, public school, 85% of 11th graders were not reading at grade level.
Now, if we want accountability, I want accountability. But I'm not going to start. Now that we're where we are, not going to start there. Let's come back and do it for everybody. I tried to have accountability and became famous worldwide. Because the press, instead of reporting what I really tried to do, is spend the money on reading, spend the money on actual education,
and they said I tried to stop school lunches. The press wasn't even for accountability. for public schools. But I'm for accountability for home
schools, Senator King, as long as we have the same accountability for public schools.
I think we should have been slower in rolling it out to those who were already in public schools. Now, in fairness, we should roll it out to everybody. Because all these, because the dirty secret was all these kids that were homeschooling, all these kids that were private school, we weren't paying a dime for their education. And now we are. And that's what the complaint is, is now we're going to have to pay for their education, just like we were paying for public school kids' education.
I can't make an argument for why we should pay for one kid's education and shouldn't pay for the others. But let me tell you about private school, because I said all my kids went to public school, my wife and I went to public school, our parents went to public school. I sent my son to private school for two years. We sat with my son, and
Speaker 279
2:02:21
we cried, and he cried. He didn't want to go to private school.
Senator Alan Clark
Unverified
2:02:28
He didn't want to be pulled out of the public school. But after three years of not being able to change anything, in a school that my wife and
I both graduated from, we had to do something for our school. And I'm glad we did.
We're not poor. We may be poorer than a lot of people in this room, but we're not poor. And we didn't send our kids to an expensive private school.
A lot of people think that, I won't name some of the names, but a lot of people think those are the only private schools there are. I want to tell you, there's some private schools in Arkansas that are fairly inexpensive, comparatively speaking. They were still expensive. It was still expensive for us. And four and five years later, we were still paying back the loans for those two years. So, no, I can't even back that.
Because I believe in the selfishness of parents. Now, did I see a budget problem coming? I did. Was I necessarily right about doing it slower? Not necessarily, because, again, I think sometimes pulling the Band-Aid off and getting it done is the only way in politics to get it done, especially when you have the resistance to school choice that we have. and let me say also the reporting thing you know i'm the dcfs guy
i will as long as i'm here and after i'm here you'll do what you do i do not want to make home school or private school public school testing equal yeah i'd love to have one test and the kids take nothing but one test and everybody take the same test I would love that. But I do not want homeschoolers and private schoolers subject to every rule that public schools are
because if we do that, we have then defeated the purpose of starting private schools and pulling kids out to homeschool them to begin with. Because I don't agree with some of the things that were done before we had to make laws that said that girls shouldn't have to compete with boys. That they shouldn't be in the same bathrooms and I could go on and on and on.
I don't think they should be all go by the same rules. I want private schools to be different. I want homeschool to be different. So, while I don't doubt your heart, and anyone else that disagrees with me, I don't doubt your heart. I've been committed to this way before I was ever a state senator. And I am glad to see us so far along this pathway, and we've got to stay on this pathway.
Not that there was any danger that we wouldn't be, but somebody has to
keep saying it. Thank you. Anyone wish to speak for, if not, Senator Johnson? Mark Johnson, you're recognized. You speak against.
Senator Mark Johnson
Unverified
2:05:58
Thank you, Madam President. You know, you always learn lessons when you serve in the Senate. I just learned one. I won't yield to Senator Clark again. Who wants to follow that? But he did save you all some time because of hearing what he had to say.
I can just say ditto for a lot of things he said and let it go. I want to point out a couple of things important. And I also want to thank Senator King for all the resolutions he brought us today. Some I voted for, some I didn't. I think they're good issues that when we have the time and a regular session can flesh out and consider these tough choices. I just don't think we could do it in the constraints of a fiscal session.
But I thank you for stepping forward and doing that, Senator. When it comes to this one, though, it brings back so many things in my life that I thought of. First thing it brings back is people saying, well, that's public money. It shouldn't go to private schools or anything else. When I was in grade school, I don't know what grade, but it was the sixth grade or younger I was in, at Ellen Smith Elementary School in Conway. And our school bus that took me home in the evening would pick us up at my grade school
and it would drive a couple of blocks over and pick up two girls at St. Joseph's Catholic Elementary School, Conway. And then we would go to the high school, junior high area, and pick up those kids and then it would take us all home out in the country. I complained to my mother once. So I said, well, Debbie and Sandy, we go by and pick them up, and they're not even in our school. Oh, I've had some tongue lashes from my mother in my life,
but that one was one of the most memorable ones. And she laid in to me about how their parents were paying taxes just like my mom and dad were the vast majority of which as y'all all know goes to the schools and then they were in turn turning around and still paying so their daughters had a Catholic education which they didn't complain it was just their right but it
made me open my eyes to the fact that you know every one of those parents for the last Lord knows how many years who've been paying both the private school tuition and they didn't get a tax credit for having taken care of their own children's education costs. They didn't get any tax break for that. They just paid for everybody else's. And that was a system we had, and that's fine. So when I started getting involved
in things related to school choice, one of the first issues I got involved with is something that most people call the Tim Tebow law. And I worked with, somebody mentioned Jerry Cox. I worked with Jerry. I just had a strong feeling about, you know, if somebody were an athlete, but their parent wanted to be homeschooled, you know, for personal reasons, religious reasons or whatever,
I thought, well, why would they be denied? Like my friends that rode the school bus, why should they be denied an opportunity there? And, of course, everyone points to Tim Tebow, and certainly that's a great example of how that could work out. Didn't seem to destroy everything in schools in Florida. But in that experience, I met a young man from Monticello. He was up here with his family trying to lobby to get the Tim Tebow bill passed in Arkansas.
And I think Jerry had the votes. I could name the person that flipped on him. There was a member of the House committee that had told him they'd vote for it, and he took a walk. If he'd stayed there, they'd have got the bill out of committee, and I think it would have passed. Of course, eventually that happened. But Jerry said, well, we're going to go to lunch at— I remember we went to Whole Hog down in Riverdale. And this young man from Monticello, I think he was in the 8th or 9th grade, maybe going into the 10th,
he ended up sitting by me. And I said, well, I'm sorry things didn't work out the way it
Senator Mark Johnson
Unverified
2:10:36
says, well, he goes, I don't get it. He goes, all I wanted to do was play football with my friends that I played baseball with in the summer. And I'm thinking, out of the mouth of babes. He just, he summed it up. He wanted, not an accommodation, He wanted to be treated as an individual that wanted, in this case, to play football.
Now, a few years later, several years later, I'm elected to the Senate. I come in here. I'm sitting right over here. And we get a summons from the floor to come down to the governor's office and talk about school choice. And I was very excited about it. This was Governor Hutchinson. And we got in there, and he had this great idea. for a 500-student test program in Pulaski County.
Test program. And I thought, that's hardly what I call a bold move toward parental choice and school choice with the kids. It didn't get to first base. I don't necessarily think he wanted it to get to first base. He was probably checking a box with someone that was a supporter of his. I could hazard a guess, but I won't. And I appreciate, you know, that was at least some kind of project. Governor Sanders comes in with probably the boldest move
of addressing a problem and an issue that I've ever seen. And you all know I've been an observer of the state of Arkansas politically for a long, long time. Even if you disagree with her on the LEARNS Act, it was bold. And a lot of work went into it. Senator Davis, thank you for the work you did on it. And Representative Keith Brooks on the other end of the Capitol. But a lot of people worked on it.
But we've got to treat kids as individuals. We have to respect their parents and their rights. And we started doing that. And if we set education as the most important thing that we fund in this General Assembly, then everything else is secondary. I mean, that's why education appropriations only need a simple majority. I guess just about everything else only needs,
has to have 75%. I'm looking at Philip. I think that's correct. There may be a couple others I missed in there, But that's a policy thing in our Constitution. We fund education. We don't educate entities. We educate people. When they're young, hopefully, some of us takes it a little while later in life to get it. I appreciate that Senator Clark covered so many of the things I was going to say. But let me wrap up, and in gratitude for him,
I'll wrap up by saying we need to, in this session, send a resounding no to those that would have us go back to all the things that we've done wrong in the past of treating children as commodities, as head counts for a school district or a superintendent. We need to treat them as individuals. Most of the families, young people in this state, go to public schools.
Some of it's geography that we can't do a whole lot about, But we can allow within that limited geography some choice that lets those parents and those students have an option when maybe the status quo wasn't quite working for them. So I ask you all to please vote down this resolution. Let's redouble our efforts to extend choices to all our families and young people in Arkansas
and continue the education freedom accounts because that's what they're
about. Freedom. Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Senator Mark
Johnson. Any other senator wish to speak on, against, or for? Seeing no other. Senator
Chair
Unverified
2:15:05
King, you're recognized. Close. Well, thank you, Senator Johnson. Thank
you, Senator Clark. That's what the debate's all about. But this is really not in this drive.
And I can see the absence in the room today about where this is going. But this is really about financial responsibility. There is a difference. my dad and my grandparents taught me between making payments and what you can pay for. This whole thing is really not about school choice as much as it is being able to pay for it. I talked about Governor Mike Beebe who came down here and said, what can you pay for? And that was the starting point of what you did.
And I want to tell you right now, I have to give him credit. He is the most financially responsible governor I have served with or been down here by far. And I want to tell you, you look at other states, when you let the genie out of the bottle, as they say, look at Arizona. You look at these impacts that's happening in our cities and counties and everywhere we're getting squeezed. Like I said, do you want to spend $100 million for these schools in 17 counties? Or would you rather hire 400 to 600 more police officers and lower crime here in the state?
That's what we're getting into. This days of COVID funny money and all this flooded money has inflated where we've got bailouts. And it is not taught budgeting down here. And this thing of continued, this is not as much about school choice or the freedom. I do think if you're taking the money, you ought to have accountability and transparency with taxpayer dollars. So I can see where this is going with the few of people who's in there. But I feel like right now, you're going to sit here a year from now and you look at these other states.
when you get into budget trouble, guess what? Then you're going to be in a bigger mess. If you're underwater right now in a program, guess what? You better turn around and go back because
it's not going to get any better. Senator has closed. Madam Secretary, please
Speaker 170
2:17:15
call the roll. Boyd. Bryant. Caldwell. Caldwell. Clark. Kroll.
Speaker 132
2:17:30
Dotson, English, English, Flippo, Flowers,
Speaker 173
2:17:39
Gilmore, Gilmore, Hammer? No. Hester? No. Hickey? Aye. Hill? No.
Speaker 176
2:17:56
Irvin? No. Blake Johnson? No. Mark Johnson? No. Keene? Aye. Letting? Aye. Love? Aye. McKee?
Speaker 177
2:18:08
No. Murdoch? Aye. Payton. No. Penzo. No. Petty. No. Rice. Rice.
Speaker 132
2:18:20
Scott. Yes. Simon. No. Stone. No. Sullivan.
Speaker 173
2:18:26
No. Tucker. No. Tucker. Aye. Wallace. Any
Senator wish to vote who did not vote or change your vote?
Senator Gilmore? No. Any other Senator on this side? Senator on this side. Senator Kroll? No. Hester? No. Any other Senator wish to vote or change your vote? Please check the board. Seeing
no other, please cast up the ballot by a vote of 8 yay 22 nay for not voting Senate resolution 16 fails Senate resolution 15
Chair
Unverified
2:19:21
Senate resolution 15 by Senator Kroll to authorize the introduction of a non-appropriation bill to increase the homestead property tax credit Senator Crowell, you're
Senator Steve Crowell
Unverified
2:19:35
recognized. Thank you, ma'am. This Senate resolution 15 is about the homestead tax credit. It is to raise it from 600 to 675. A couple years ago, we put a report together that comes out every January that tells us what we can and cannot do, and it gave
plenty of room for this, so I'd ask
it for a good vote. Any questions? Anyone wish to speak against or four. Senator has closed. Any objection?
Speaker 35
2:20:06
Rolling the vote. Seeing no objection, Madam Secretary, roll the vote.
Speaker 132
2:20:16
Floyd? Bryant? Caldwell? Clark? Kroll? Davis? Dees? Dismaine? Dotson?
Speaker 173
2:20:25
English. Flippo. Aye. Flowers. Aye. Gilmore. Hammer. Aye. Hester. Aye. Hickey.
Speaker 176
2:20:37
Aye. Hill. Irvin. Yes. Blake Johnson. Aye. Mark Johnson. Aye. Keene. Aye. Letting. Aye. Love. McKee. Aye. Murdoch. Payton. Yes.
Speaker 177
2:20:55
Penzo, Petty, Rice, Scott, Simon, Stone, Sullivan, Tucker, Wallace.
Any Senator wish to change his or her vote? Seeing no
one, please cast up the ballot by a vote of 34, yay, zero, nay. Senate Resolution 15 passes.
Speaker 80
2:21:31
Senate Resolution, rather, Senate Resolution 15 is adopted. We'll now take up Senate Resolution 20. Senate Resolution 20
Chair
Unverified
2:21:39
by Senator Dees to authorize the introduction of a non-appropriation bill concerning the Industrial Development Authorities Expansion Act. Senator Dees, you're recognized. Thank you, Madam
Senator Tyler Dees
Unverified
2:21:51
Chair. Members, we passed Act 576 about a year ago, almost to the, or getting close to the day. We passed it 30 to 0 in this chamber.
It's related to industrial development authorities. What we found out, this was a tool for opportunities for, at the local level, for counties and cities to look at, to bring opportunities and jobs, creations, and recruiting in their hometowns and their community. And as cities started to look at this here recently, especially in my district, my area, there were some concerns raised by citizens. And so we wanted to make sure we took that up. I think that's the most important thing of why now, why are we looking at this now in
fiscal? And I do think it passes a threshold of concern that we need to look at this now because communities are trying to look at that tool at local level to create these authorities. And so what this resolution, this bill would do would eliminate the biggest concern, which is eminent domain powers. We took the same language that was out there for regional port authorities. We cocked it down for industrial development authorities. And while eminent domain power is rarely, if ever, used for port authorities, it had citizens concerned about what we're doing in our local level.
So we listened, we adapted, and we are bringing this today to address those concerns to eliminate eminent domain powers for IDAs. It also put a few other things in there where if you're a part of the board, you have to live in the city or county that you're working on. So some things that just make sense, we've
listened and reacted to the feedback from constituents. So happy to take any questions on
Speaker 129
2:23:33
that. Any questions for Senator Dees? Seeing no
questions, anyone wish to speak against or for?
Senator Tyler Dees
Unverified
2:23:41
Senator, you're recognized to close. Thank you, members. Whether you're for or against IDAs in your district or in the state, I believe this resolution is healthy for us to take up because it does listen to the people that have showed concerns. It takes away the risk of eminent domain powers from this board, and so I would appreciate a good
Speaker 20
2:24:04
vote on that. Thank you. Senator has closed. Any objection to rolling the vote?
Speaker 182
2:24:09
Seeing no objection, Madam Secretary, please roll the vote.
Speaker 172
2:24:15
Boyd, Bryant, Caldwell, Clark, Kroll, Davis, Dees, Dismaine, Dotson, English, Flippo, Flowers,
Speaker 176
2:24:27
Gilmore, Hammer, Hester, Hickey, Hill, Irvin, Blake Johnson, Mark Johnson, Keane, Letting, Love
Speaker 173
2:24:50
Petty Rice Scott Simon Stone Sullivan Tucker
Wallace Any senator wish to change his or her vote? Senator Clark, not voting. Any other senator? Senator King, no. Senator Petty, not voting. Any other senator? Please check the board. Seeing
Speaker 80
2:25:18
no other, please cast up the ballot. By a vote of 31 yea, 1 nay, 2 not voting, Senate Resolution 20 is adopted. We will now take up Senate Resolution 21.
Chair
Unverified
2:25:34
Senate Resolution 21 by Senator Johnson and Senator Dotson to authorize the introduction of a non-appropriation bill to create the Arkansas Property Rights Protection from Sharia Law Act and to regulate certain residential property interests controlled by certain entities. Senator Blake Johnson,
you're recognized. Thank you, Madam President. Members, I appreciate your indulgence at this late hour. So, the resolution is imperfect.
I'll begin with that. The bill, whenever introduced, will be amended immediately. But I want you to look at some portions of this on page 2, lines 22 and 23. And those residential agreements and that exclusive possession in that, that's not under what everybody considers most of these things on the House end that was talked about.
Exclusive possession is not a party where in these agreements it is. Also, lines 30 through 34, those disputes have to be handled without any other tribunal other than courts established under Arkansas law or the United States.
That's different than what's happening in situations. is the uh is this immediate or is this pressing is stage two cancer immediate or pressing would you want it
Chair
Unverified
2:27:46
This is pressing and imminent. This enemy that this is trying to address, since the foundation of this nation we have fought and is advancing. And it's advancing greater than the foundations of what our country was built on.
I appreciate a good vote. Anyone wish to speak against or for? Senator has closed. Any objection
to rolling the vote? Objection noted. Madam Secretary, please call the roll. Boyd?
Speaker 132
2:28:58
Yes. Bryant? Caldwell. Caldwell. Clark. Clark. Kroll.
Speaker 173
2:29:05
Kroll. Davis. Davis. Dees. Dismaine. Dotson. Dotson. English. English. Flippo.
Aye. Flowers? Gilmore? Hammer? Hester?
Speaker 176
2:29:26
Hickey? Hill? Ervin? Blake Johnson? Mark Johnson?
Speaker 177
2:29:40
Keene, Letting, Love, Love, McKee, Murdoch, Murdoch, Peyton, Penzo, Penzo, Petty, Rice,
Speaker 173
2:29:57
Rice Scott Simon Stone Sullivan Tucker
Wallace Any senator wish to vote who did not vote or change your vote Senator Davis, yes
Senator Love, no Senator Murdoch, no Any other Senators on this side Senator Caldwell yes. Any other senators? Penzo yes. Any other senators? Please check the board.
Seeing no other please cast up the ballot by a vote of 25 yay, 6 nay, 3 not voting. Senate Resolution
Speaker 22
2:30:53
21 is adopted. That concludes the business
agenda. Any announcements? Senator Crowell, you're recognized for an
Senator Steve Crowell
Unverified
2:31:07
announcement. Everybody, whoever does not want to be a co-sponsor on the homestead bill that we're drafting tonight,
please come see me. whoever does not want to be a co-sponsor. Senator
Tucker, you're recognized. Thank you, Madam
President. Members, Hunger Caucus is meeting in 309. As soon as we adjourn, the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance
is there to visit with us about how we can lower hunger as a need in Arkansas. So please join us in 309.
Senator Matt McKee
Unverified
2:31:46
Senator McKee? Thank you, Madam President. Members, you'll have received an email from me. The Arkansas School for Math and Science will be here tomorrow for some recognition, for some incredible research and things that they're doing. They will be in the old Supreme Court between 10 and 1. This school is composed of students from all over the state. So make sure and go down and see some of the things they've been doing and find out if you've got some kids there from your district. Thank you. Any other announcements?
If not, the Senate will stand in adjournment subject
Speaker 126
2:32:20
to the clearing of the desk until 1 p.m. April 22, 2026. Thank you.
Agenda
Call to Order
Roll Call
Prayer
Pledge of Allegiance
Doctor of the Day
Items to be Read Across the Desk
BUSINESS AGENDA
SENATE MEMORIAL RESOLUTIONS FOR THIRD READING AND ADOPTION
SMR3 G. Leding IN RESPECTFUL MEMORY OF SENATOR UVALDE REX LINDSEY AND IN RECOGNITION OF HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STATE OF ARKANSAS AND TO HIS LOCAL COMMUNITY.
Recess
Reconvene
RESOLUTIONS FOR THIRD READING AND ADOPTION
SR18 R. Murdock TO RECOGNIZE THE EARLE HIGH SCHOOL BULLDOGS BOYS' BASKETBALL TEAM AS THE 2025 AND 2026 CLASS 1A STATE CHAMPIONS.
SR19 R. Murdock TO RECOGNIZE THE EARLE HIGH SCHOOL LADY BULLDOGS GIRLS' BASKETBALL TEAM AS THE 2026 CLASS 1A STATE CHAMPIONS.
Motion to Read for the Third Time and to put SR28 on Today's Calendar
SR28 - TO PROCLAIM APRIL 21, 2026, AS ARKANSAS LINEWORKER APPRECIATION DAY AT THE STATE CAPITOL AND TO COMMEND THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVE ARKANSAS AS UTILITY LINEWORKERS.
RESOLUTIONS FOR THIRD READING AND ADOPTION
SR6 B. King TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR COUNTIES USING CERTAIN STATE TAX REVENUES; AND TO CREATE THE EQUAL DISTRIBUTION COUNTY TURNBACK FUND.
SR7 B. King TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO AMEND THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A DIGITAL ASSET MINING BUSINESS AND AMEND THE AUTHORITY OF A LOCAL GOVERNMENT WITH RESPECT TO A DIGITAL ASSET MINING BUSINESS.
SR8 B. King TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO REQUIRE A DIGITAL ASSET MINING BUSINESS TO PAY A FEE FOR EXTRAORDINARY ELECTRICAL ENERGY USAGE AND TO IMPLEMENT OVERSIGHT PROCEDURES.
SR9 B. King TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF A COMPUTER MANUFACTURED BY A COVERED FOREIGN ENTITY IN DIGITAL ASSET MINING AND PROHIBIT THE USE OF CERTAIN SOFTWARE IN DIGITAL ASSET MINING.
SR10 B. King TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS DATA CENTERS ACT OF 2023 AND TO AMEND THE UNIFORM MONEY SERVICES ACT.
SR11 B. King TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO REQUIRE A DIGITAL ASSET MINING BUSINESS TO PROVIDE NOTIFICATION BEFORE PURCHASING OR LEASING LAND OR A BUILDING OR BEGINNING CONSTRUCTION.
SR12 B. King TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO REGULATE THE IMPACT ON WATER USAGE AND THE ELECTRICAL GRID BY BLOCKCHAIN NETWORKS AND DIGITAL ASSET MINING.
SR16 B. King TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL CONCERNING THE ARKANSAS CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM ACCOUNT PROGRAM.
SR15 Crowell TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO INCREASE THE HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAX CREDIT.
SR20 Dees TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL CONCERNING THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES EXPANSION ACT.
SR21 B. Johnson TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS PROPERTY RIGHTS PROTECTION FROM SHARIA LAW ACT AND TO REGULATE CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY INTERESTS CONTROLLED BY CERTAIN ENTITIES.
Bills to be Amended and Re-referred to Joint Budget Committee
SB4 #1 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH - LICENSING AND REGULATION BOARDS APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.
SB21 #1 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION OF AGING, ADULT, AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.
SB23 #1 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION OF YOUTH SERVICES APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.
SB24 #1 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES SERVICES APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.
SB36 #1 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.
SB55 #1 AN ACT FOR THE ARKANSAS SUPREME COURT APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.
SB59 #1 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION DIVISION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.
Bills and their Emergency Clauses to be considered which have been introduced by Joint Budget Committee
HB1014 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - DIVISION OF PROVIDER SERVICES AND QUALITY ASSURANCE APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.
HB1062 AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - MEDICAID TOBACCO SETTLEMENT PROGRAM APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.
HB1073 AN ACT FOR THE ARKANSAS PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2026-2027 FISCAL YEAR.
Announcements
Adjourn
Documents
No documents posted.
Speakers
Senator Bryan King Chair
Unverified
Speaker 5
Chair
Unverified
Senator Ronald Caldwell
Unverified
Speaker 18
Speaker 23
Speaker 37
Speaker 38
Senator Greg Leding Chair
Unverified
Speaker 50
Speaker 57
Senator Dave Wallace
Unverified
Speaker 63
Speaker 65
Senator Fredrick J. Love Chair
Unverified
Senator Clarke Tucker Chair
Unverified
Speaker 71
Speaker 74
Senator Mark Johnson
Unverified
Speaker 80
Senator Reginald Murdock
Unverified
Speaker 95
Speaker 100
Speaker 20
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
Speaker 126
Senator John Payton
Unverified
Speaker 68
Speaker 170
Speaker 132
Speaker 173
Speaker 176
Speaker 193
Speaker 129
Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr
Unverified
Senator Dan Sullivan
Unverified
Speaker 224
Speaker 177
Speaker 234
Speaker 172
Speaker 35
Senator Alan Clark
Unverified
Speaker 279
Speaker 283
Senator Steve Crowell
Unverified
Senator Tyler Dees
Unverified
Speaker 182
Speaker 306
Speaker 22
Senator Matt McKee
Unverified