House Rules
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Bills discussed (11)
| Bill | Title | Sponsor | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
|
HR1016
· 4 mentions in chapter, transcript, agenda
Matched: “HR1016 Richmond TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATIO…”
|
TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS PROPERTY RIGHTS PROTECTION … | Richmond | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HR1006
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HR1006 Schulz TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION…”
|
TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO INCREASE THE HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAX CREDIT. | Schulz | READ AND ADOPTED. |
|
HR1007
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…RIATION BILL TO INCREASE THE HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAX CREDIT. HR1007 Eaton TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION B…”
|
TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR COUNTIES USING … | Eaton | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HR1008
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HR1008 Wooten TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION…”
|
TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL CONCERNING THE ARKANSAS CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM ACCOUNT … | Wooten | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HR1009
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…HE ARKANSAS CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM ACCOUNT PROGRAM. HR1009 McNair TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION…”
|
TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO REQUIRE A DIGITAL ASSET MINING BUSINESS … | McNair | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HR1010
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HR1010 McNair TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION…”
|
TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF A COMPUTER … | McNair | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HR1011
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HR1011 McNair TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION…”
|
TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS DATA CENTERS ACT … | McNair | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HR1013
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HR1013 McNair TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION…”
|
TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO AMEND THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A DIGITAL … | McNair | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HR1014
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…GOVERNMENT WITH RESPECT TO A DIGITAL ASSET MINING BUSINESS. HR1014 McNair TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION…”
|
TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO REQUIRE A DIGITAL ASSET MINING BUSINESS … | McNair | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HR1015
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…NG OR LEASING LAND OR A BUILDING OR BEGINNING CONSTRUCTION. HR1015 Beaty Jr. TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATI…”
|
TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL CONCERNING THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES EXPANSION ACT. | Beaty Jr. | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HR1012
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HR1012 McNair TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION…”
|
TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO REGULATE THE IMPACT ON WATER USAGE … | McNair | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
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if there's anyone in the audience that wants to speak for or against the bill there's a signup sheet. I suggest you sign up and without objection I'm going to take house resolution 1016
no please identify yourself for the record and you're
Representative Marcus E. Richmond
Unverified
0:57
recognized Representative Marcus Richmond district52 and the purpose here today is uh'm presenting a resolution again asking permission to present a bill
later on that is not a a budget type bill it's not a fiscal bill we've had some of those this morning already and there's gonna be some more later on so this is one of those type of bills and mine is the Arkansas property rightstection for Sharia Law Act and let's go the purpose of this bill is to regulate certain housing arrangements where a business entity owns residential property and individual purchase and interest in that entity instead of directly owning the
home what we're trying to do is protect consumers from deceptive type real estate practices because most consumers go in they think they're buying a house probably don't read the the fine print and and end up with an interest instead of actually having control over that property we want to be sure that that's disclosed that they know what they're getting into we want to protect the religious rights of all individuals
if I buy into a certain community say that I buy in to a a Muslim community like this one is going to be and for some reason at some point I you know convert tortianity or Buddhism or some other hinduism whatever it might be other than being a Muslim I don't want to be forced out of the property that I've purchased. just want to be able to protect those rights same thing some homeowner association or white supremacist group
you know if we have that going on they're breaking the law bring me a resolution I'm happy to run that too. people should have their property rights protected and again we want to be sure that people cannot these business entities cannot circumvent the fair housing laws and we want to be sure the sura part of this is very limited the part of that is that
any type of legal matter will be adjudicated in either an Arkansas court or a federal court there will not be tribunals or other things within some organization where an individual is held to a standard other than our constitutional laws that we have in this state And again these arrangements occur these problems possibly when a company owns the residential property and a person buys an interest in the
company that gives them the right to live in the property the key protections is transparency for buyers a bill requires that any purchase agreement must clearly state that the buyer is purching an interest in the entity and not the property itself Arkansas courts only I've already covered that. Protection against discrimination.gain we want to restrict transfers you know anything that restricts transfers unfairly we don't want that to happen
anything that imposes any kind of discriminatory requirement discrimination should not be tolerated no matter where who what or where and deny participation anybody trying to deny participation or someone that's qualified what this bill doesn't do it does not stop any religious group from purchasing a house in any community anywhere to include purchasing from a development
of that it's not going to stop I know that you know when you seeharri law up there but he but he kind of panics and everything but it does not stop that mosque from being built it does not stop from them having a a center there it does not stop anybody from buying the property or purchasing the property within that community that's proposed and if it'susslim only that's doing that as long as they reveal the fact that the
individual is purchasing an interest instead of the home and the restrictions that come along with that they could do that transparency is the key and people understanding what it is that you're trying to do this is not trying to run the Muslim communities out of littlettleRock or anywhere else that's what people think when you see Sharia law but you should be concerned about harria law taking hold anywhere at any place in the state of Arkansas
or anywhere else in this country if you've never lived in that environment which I have it's difficult it's difficult on your female children it's difficult on your wife it's difficult to have men willing to put their hands on your kids and so that's my concern let's make sure we keep things in the Arkansas courts let's make sure it stays there and just make sure that anybody that buys property out there knows exactly what they're buying
And I know that you know you real estate guys I know that you don't want deceptive practices JR you don't want deceptive practices in real estate it gives everybody a bad name it's gonna hurt your business here in Arkansas so let's just you know let's keep that from happening there's some other comments but that's basically for the sake of time that that's that's the pitch on this so you know I'll take any questions that you guys have and I know that a bunch of you
have questions go ahead and let's see what we can do. I'll
answer them or I won't answer them. I'll know or I won't know I won't make any crap up you know which is a little different than some of
Speaker 22
7:10
here Representativehawk you're recognized for a question thank you from now on please refer to me as JR
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
7:15
for this umpresentative Richmond, I so I hear what you're saying and I agree with about 85% of what you're saying, right
but when you talk about making entities or or neighborhoods right now we have POAs and homeowners homeowners associations inside the state of Arkansas that are allowed with homemeowners associations they create rules for their neighborhoods no matter whatever your religious creed is or anything like that so you they like I know in my neighborhood we have a pOA that we don't allow burning we don't allow signs in yards we don't allow political signs and yards. we don't you can put a flag on the house but you can't put a
flagpole in your yard like there are rules in place, right? so if we are saying with this property rights rule that not only are we talking about a religious organization but we're also saying POAs can no longer create rules for their neighborhoods is that correct? I don't see anywhere in the bill where it says that
Representative Marcus E. Richmond
Unverified
8:12
but we're talking about property rights rules we're talking about property rights but homeowners association again the thing that we're asking for is clarification on what you're actually buying when you purchase something. we're not saying you can have
the rules whatever except again if it's a legal matter does the homeowners association do they have a tribunal of some type that determines a dispute between neighbors or between them and the homeowners association some of them might deal with the homeowners association things problem but if it's a legal matter we file a lien against homeowners if they
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
8:48
don't pay their dues and we have a we have a group that is that gets together there's three board members that get together if you violate something in the
in the in the current neighborhood there's a group of three that determines whether a lien should be placed on somebody's house and they we go through the court system to do that currently that's the way my POA does court system is it an Arkansas court
system? It is but you just said this wasn't just about Shaa law you you'd literally just all court system OK what
Representative Marcus E. Richmond
Unverified
9:19
you're describing is exactly what we're asking them to be sure that they make everybody know and and what they do that they do not have their own tribunal if they want
to have a homeowners association that says you know we're not going to allow this this this and this the same way it is with anywhere else you can't stop that not under the current laws but we can stop them from selling property or we at least we should stop them from selling property in a deceptive manner. You take somebody there they've searched you out you bring them there it's a real estate agent show them beautiful home and everything and say ok we get all the papers signed and then they come back and contact you six months later and say listen you know I got my company gave me
orders to go somewhere else and I can't deal with this property the normal way that you can deal with property because it wasn't disclosed those are the things that that we're concerned about and the things that we're trying to address in this and this is what happened in Texas with the same type of business entity and so we just want them to know from the beginning be fair be be sure that you're transparent and you're gonna be good and
that I think everybody will benefit from it Not not gonna affect homeowners association unless you're a homeowners association that I move into as artian I decided to become a Muslim and you told me to get the heck out. follow
Speaker 30
10:49
up Thank you OK, so in Arkansas we are one of I believe
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
10:52
it's 1el states that is a disclosure state. we you have you are a nonisclosure state but when you're a homeowner as a realtor,
I get if you're selling your property I say here's a a disclosure of your property but if there is a homeowner's insurance or a homeowner's association on the contracts in Arkansas it says if there is a homeowner's insurance you have to
disclose the rules of the neighborhood the minutes and the the financials of that neighborhood. So under your example that you just gave if if you're moving in you would know all that upfront because in
the contract it s it states you
Representative Marcus E. Richmond
Unverified
11:36
have to disclose that apparently not in Texas because well you're in Arkansas and what can happen in Texas can certainly happen inarkansas the same well they've got laws in place too in Texas and that's why they come in and filled in the gap with this this same type of bill to try to prevent deceptive practices from happening on this again I would think that every real estate agent would want to be sure that their customer doesn't get screwed
when he buys a home somewhere and that's what we're trying to do with this bill. we're not trying to affect anybody's bottom line we're trying to be sure that these type of business entities again they don't sign contracts they sign agreements in these type of business entities and that the transparency is what I think will keep people from making mistakes and be able to be sure that they either decide that you know what I can buy property here I'm
gonna be alright or we've come to an additional agreement on how this property's going to be sold and it's going to be my property or I'm ok with buying you know an interest in this property. that's that's where I am on this've been doing it a longpresentative hawk we have others in the queue p
Speaker 36
12:53
re s ent ative Mclowney you're recognized for
Chair
Unverified
13:00
a question. Thank you Mr Chair. just to piggyback
Representative Nicole Clowney
Unverified
13:02
off of what Representative hawk was asking about can you talk specifically about whether this
would cancel oh am I good? I hear you about whether this would cancel out arbitration clauses in contracts. I'm looking at section C on page two of the bill that says you know a purchase agreement and any other agreement shall not require that a dispute be brought before any tribunal other than a court. That as I read it means that you cannot have an arbitration clause in a
private property agreement which seems to me like we're actually taking away private property rights rather than granting them can you let me know what your thoughts
Representative Marcus E. Richmond
Unverified
13:47
are on that? my thoughts on that is that that that what the attorney general and their review they deffo they found no problem with that they that that is not gonna do take away anybody's rights it's going to enhance property rights so they said that this bill is defensible and there was nothing brought up about that being any type of problem with the attorney general's review. he
said this is a good bill or resolution ultimately Bill you recognized for a
Representative Nicole Clowney
Unverified
14:16
follow up thank you and I guess I wasn't clear. my concern isn't that it's unconstitutional. I mean I think theagG's office is probably fine with the constitutionality of that part. My concern is just is that from a public policy perspective what we want to be doing because it does in fact as I read it unless you read it differently this will do away with all arbitration clauses in contracts of this kind. Well, we read
Representative Marcus E. Richmond
Unverified
14:36
it differently then because I disagree with your conclusion on that. OK.
Chair
Unverified
14:43
Representative Moore you're recognized for a question
Representative Kendra Moore
Unverified
14:47
you Mrir. Representative Richmond I understand what you're trying to do here and I'm not against the nature of what you necessarily want to do with public disclosure in fact as a real estate licensed real estate broker myself. it is Arkansas law that I have to disclose material facts to any buyer or seller but that's neither here nor there I think this bill has some issues with it just looking at it from different
perspectives. The first one that I'd like to bring up is the last section of the bill it says it all it does not apply to acreage over 25 acres or more. and if we're trying to worry about disclosures for Shaa law I would also like to cover the white supremacists up near avvendon which I'm sure they have much more than 100 acres and I'm pretty sure they're trying to do the exact thing that you're describing here
which is you purchase into an LLc or to some sort of corporation that owns the actual real estate and you're bound by their laws or by their rules and regulations so if we're going to pass legislation that should apply to white supremacists as well would be my thought. moreover, looking at some of the language in this bill can I address one thing at a time because as you go
Representative Marcus E. Richmond
Unverified
16:07
along I'm gonna forget what your original comments were would you not agree? I'm I'm like a chicken. I wake up in a new world every
morning and I'm trying to get to the end of the day before my memory clicks off again on this but no I think that possibly and it's worth looking into that what I have here if they're breaking the law up there with the white supremacy group and and doing things similar to what you say they're doing you know are they a nonprofit organization I think there's some we could take a look at and and again from this resolution to the bill
there can also be amendments made that could possibly be sure that we address that because I'm sorry I don't I don't care if what kind of wacko you are if you're breaking the law then you need to be held accountable law it doesn't matter if you're white black, green, yellow or polka dot. I don't care but that's the way it is and so this could apply to them as well in my opinion and I will find out more about that but I think that if they're if they're trying to
do the same type of deal then they're gonna fall under this this proposed bill that this resolution is seeking permission to run again that's the other thing it's a high bar to pass anything out of the house I think it's 2/3 it's got to be 2/3 vote to pass it a new bill during the fiscal session and so if this thing doesn't have 2/3 support or whatever I just think it would be a good idea
to hear the house and what they feel about it I don't think people people are fairly smart despite what we do from time to time, but people are fairly smart. they're going to look at it and if they decide that this thing's full of holes, it's not going to get off the house floor but if it's something worth considering to prevent a problem that could very well become a bigger issue and a bigger problem and I'm not talking Shaa law on that. I'm talking
cheating people basically deceiving people then I think this bill such as white supremacists I think that it could address that again, I don't know enough about what you're talking about but if they're doing the same kind of stuff being deceptive, then this ought to whack them between the eyes too. Follow up Mr chairir. you recognize thank you for your response. I've got one more question and I think
Representative Kendra Moore
Unverified
18:44
this is what really is the main issue for me at least the way I read it and I'm no
attorney. you talk about business entities or partnerships corporations joint ventures LLCs or other business organizations and on the top of page three you talk about I cannot restrict the transfer of the interest imposing requirements to maintain the interest or refusing to grant an interest to an otherwise qualified person and I think what this does at least in my line of work being in real estate's particularly selling duck hunting properties or deer hunting
properties. there's a lot of hunting clubs out there that are owned by a singular LLc and you buy a membership into that club and you can't I mean there are rules that you have to follow and that clubhouse and a lot of times those clubs have residential properties on the club itself where people go and they stay and you have to follow those rules and a lot of times those h un ting clubs require you to offer your if you want to sell your membership you have to offer it to the club members first and I think
at least in in this small perspective I'm I'm a little nervous that your bill would negatively affect those the people at least I know
Representative Marcus E. Richmond
Unverified
20:01
in the hunting clubs I've been part of that I knew what the rules were before I ever agreed to anything do the people in most of the hunting clubs or at least some of the hunting clubs know what the rules are know where they stand as far as their rights to participate and enjoy that property
and and the fact that ok that they if they want to transfer that that there may be extra steps to take because it is a hunting club
Speaker 58
20:31
do they know that going in? I would hope that anybody would know what they're buying into before they make a large purchase yes no foul
no problem Representative McKenzie you recognize her
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
20:45
question you Mr Cha. this has gone pretty far afield this is a rules committee we are taking up a non germane
entity or issue as a resolution to be given the permission in order for us to consider a bill later as much as I'd love to talk about property rights in every committee I'm in this is not the property rights committee. This is the rules committee iss this relevant? Is this measure in front of us germane to what we need to address in a larger bill later I do have to ask I mean is this an emergent or exigent circumstance that we need to resolve immediately. I did not vote on the fiscal on the fiscal session constitutional amendment when it came through probably before my time
nevertheless we're here today it's a part of the constitution whether we like it or not we need to remain a citizen leg is la ture we need to only take up things that are germane unless it's an exigent or emergent need so can you help
Representative Marcus E. Richmond
Unverified
21:37
me understand why this is ex think it's germane right now and I and I will use this example that you're watching somebody you've had a lot of burglaries or something like that in your neighborhood and you're watching somebody scouting out your neighbor's house are you gonna wait till next week to contact law
enforcement or are you going to contact them now and try to do something before it becomes a bigger problem that's that is the premise of why I think that this is being addressed now at least I look at it and go ok we need to talk about this now we need to deal with this now it may not make it you guys may not pass it out of here and if you don't well then you know that's ok you'll deal with it later on or you won't deal
Speaker 66
22:22
with it later on you know and then our children
Representative Marcus E. Richmond
Unverified
22:26
and grandchildren will deal with whatever comes out of that circumstances someday or maybe not who knows I'm too freaking old to be worrying about too far ahead on this. I'm just happy I get around as well as I do now but that's why I think that it's something that could if we don't do it then you're gonna have victims who possibly buy into something and then come to realize that this wasn't the agreement I thought and they're going to find themselves
in a bad situation as far as how they can deal with it and and you know again over with the white supremacists the people like that you know that's could potentially be a big problem as well so it's not just one issue we may be dealing with here I don't know yet about the white supremacy state but it could be two issues that we're dealing with right now and so waiting that's ultimately up to you guys if you decide that this thing isn't germane enough but it's it it won't get easier
it's not gonna be easier next spring yeah you got a lower threshold for voting and everything but it's still going to be the same question same problem people worrying about their bottom lines
and that kind of stuff I hope you
Speaker 68
23:43
know that's about as well as I can answer your question. Yeah, thank you. So now onto the property property rights part. there's a lot of this
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
23:50
that I understand and and I'll just say from the beginning you know putting Sharia law on the title probably has gotten us a little more frothed up than it needed to be. I mean in my estimation reading the bill this is about consumer protection rights
property rights to a certain degree but it's talking about consumer protection rights at at the end of the day I mean a lot of people use property rights as like a political football down here to incorporate what they mean about it like the nimbyism of it or you know I like this in the private you know sanctity of my backyard but in reality the property rights find their root or their orthodox comes from the rights of individuals to enter into contracts so at the end of the day I don't see this necessarily hurting the ability for two individuals to enter into a contract it does hurt one
party's ability to exit after an acceptance and agreement the terms and the length of a contractor agreed to and then there are some things I think that need to be cleaned up this the 25, you know the 25 acre plus exemption I I don't understand that that then captures a lot of other I know we've got things in the news about settlements in north north Arkansas and then this west LittleRock thing we've had religious orders and organizations exist for hundreds of years in the state of Arkansas that would be inadvertently swept up into this and think that additional consideration needs to be taken into account not only to mention
you know, First Baptists the you know, second baptists of the world that have been ac qui ring land time you know time on application for the purposes of of their flock and their mission and their ministry. So I think maybe we need to take a harder look at that but in your estimation does this does this help hurt or indifferent to the standing of individuals to enter into a contract for them to clearly know what is the term what is the length what is the acceptance and what is the outcome of a contract Well I think you just stated it just then with closing that this
Representative Marcus E. Richmond
Unverified
25:35
helps to determine what that individual is actually getting into when they signed that agreement buying interest into one of these entities on this and and like so
that last 25 acres stuff like that call Texas why is this in here
and and apparently it hasn't worked in this committee but it was to to help real estate folks down there feel a little better about what was going on that that could come off
easily enough and we've talked about that and it probably we're probably going to remove it and if it's
not removed then just kill it on the house floor you're not gonna hurt my feelings yeah thank you on this Representativealubby you're recognized for a questionby
Representative Marcus E. Richmond
Unverified
26:21
you would you wouldn't take my candy offer to you today so now
Representative Carol Dalby
Unverified
26:25
I gotta ask you questions listensten I'm trying to maintain this girlish figure I have and if
Representative Marcus E. Richmond
Unverified
26:29
I keep eating that candy I just won't be able to do it. I appreciate it thank you Mr Chair.
Representative Carol Dalby
Unverified
26:38
p re s ent ing Mckenzie has already stolen some of the things that I wanted to bring up and he and and I think he's brought up some very valid points that we need to we need to be careful in this but my question to youpresentative Richmond is back in 2017 we passed Act980 of2017 and in that particular act if you move on down there because in your opening you said just a few moments ago that this is going to guarantee that they can go to court and all of
that we already have all of that in Act980 we specifically said and it passed and is in law don't think I said that going to
Representative Marcus E. Richmond
Unverified
27:16
guarantee that they can go to the court. What I said was that it would keep it into in Arkansas courts or the
federal court and the court system not a tribunal. Now I understand where you're going to some degree with this and I'll let you finish in just a second but I want to you know like I said I've gotten old in my mind I'll lose the thought and I'll be thinking about t ur ke y hunting here in just a
second but I need to to say that we all know that sometimes certain these certain organizations and it doesn't matter which religious group it is it happens in r t ian religious groups and everything that they decide they're going to handle these things internally and sometimes it is something that needs to go outside of the homeowners association outside of the church or whatever but
they have incredible peer pressure some and again it it's with it doesn't matter if it's Islam it doesn't matter if it's rtian either one of those Jewish I don't know about you know how much pressure that they can bring on this I just simply are not that familiar with it but they can do that and and and basicallybind people to their will and we want to be sure that these folks know that they have other rights and just being
Representative Carol Dalby
Unverified
28:40
clear on that sure and and I appreciate it and I appreciate you opining there for just a moment but I want to get back to act 980 which I think already addresses a lot of this and I don't think there's anybody that I can't imagine that there's anybody in this committee that disagrees fundamentally with what you're trying to do but I think we do need to tread carefully judiciously to make
sure that we have covered the bases properly but what I want to point out and I guess it's really a question but also a comment for the committee but when you look at that we have already specifically set a contract which an agreement is if somebody is in an agreement it is a contract a contractor con a contractual provision that provides for a jurisdiction for purposes other than say a canon law or or whatever that you just went through just a moment ago like a
religious law or something like that let's see I've lost my grants the court or arbitration panels of whichpresentative Clowney mentioned a moment ago over the parties to adjudicate the disputes between the parties from the contract that was mutually agreed to and let's face it people often don't read the fine print but we're not here to be their parents that's in there and they can always go back and adjudicate it if it violates the public policy of
Arkansas or the laws of Arkansas's void and unenforce able and so we already have some of those provisions and if you go on through that that act that's now our law it says if a resident of Arkansas who is subject to personal jurisdiction in Arkansas seeks to maintain litigation arbitration agency etc etc. then they come to the courts of Arkansas and the courts of Arkansas are not to
apply canon law or sharia law or any of the others and so I'm having a real hard time with the way that this is written at this time why we need it if we if where the exigent circumstances are I don't see it right now because we have laws that would cover it and come January I think there's a number of folks who had more than willingly take
this up to hone that down so that we're not not doing something unintended I think right now parties are covered by the current law do we need to strengthen it possibly so but I think that that is my concern so my question is is why do we want to eviscerate Act980 of2017 when we have
something that'll work right now and then we can come back later and take care of that for our children and our grandchildren could you please address that?
Representative Marcus E. Richmond
Unverified
31:55
Well I disagree with your big word eviscerate I think that this is going to be complimentary if anything dealing with a a circumstance that is not covered and when it comes to the real estate dealings of these these business entities that are selling
interest instead of the actual purchase of property and so the the that is such a small portion the courts of things that that we have and again the attorney general's office would be the one that would determine if something had been violated would determine if there was a need to take it to court and everything and they've come forward and and they're ok with this as it is written right
now so you know I can only rely on them. I'm not a lawyer I don't even try to play one anymore since I'm off judiciary committee and so again I am concerned that we have left a space in there where people can be misled and buy property thinking one thing and end up under a completely different situation and that if it comes down to a legal issue
and I don't see a problem with saying in our bill that that is determined in Arkansas courts or federal courts I don't see where that's a problem and causes confusion or eviscerates the previous act that was passed I see it addressing a specific problem that we have potentially people being cheated Not being cheated because they don't
understand or maybe didn't write read the fine print and no we're not supposed to be their wet nurse or mama or anything else the bottom line is though people do make mistakes they don't re the fine print and so why not make sure that whoever's selling the property reveals the fine print to them when it has such a major impact on their life when you purchase a home I mean goodness gracious congratulations to anybody that can afford to purchase a home. that's a huge investment
and I think it's worth a little bit extra caution on our part to try
Representative Dwight Tosh
Unverified
34:31
to address it I think I'm good p re s ent s you're recognized for a question you Mrir Representative just a quick question do you feel like what you're trying to do here today do you feel like it conflicts with that I believe it was 960 of217 or do you feel like it compliments Act960 of2017.
Representative Marcus E. Richmond
Unverified
34:49
I personally feel like it compliments it I don't feel like it conflicts with it that it's complimentary just reinforcing the fact that here in Arkansas you use Arkansas courts or federal courts we don't we don't come up with any special type of tribunal doesn't matter which group you are or anything and again this applies to you know anyrtian group out there as well. but I mean you'll have to each one of you guys have got to decide for yourself if it if this reaches the mark or doesn't reach the mark and I understand that
you know go ahead and and vote every how you have to vote I already don't like most of you so it's not gonna affect our friendship no no no I mean again you know there's there's good good points been made here things and considerations and stuff like that that we go back maybe take a little look before you actually see a bill and and highlight that but I think we need to address this now
Speaker 87
35:52
Represented wardlaw you're recognized for a question nope for the
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
36:00
chair you did no I didn't I got a question for you the chair So I too tend to agree with Representative Mckenzie's statements
earlier. are we voting on the bill? are we voting on the fact that we're going
to let the house in the proper committee hear the bill. We're voting on the resolution which would allow a bill to be
filed seeing no other questions
we have three individuals signed up to speak against the bill the resolution we're going to start with reverend Brittardda.
right, I guess they choose not to not to speak next individuals Dr Sherryimm, Simon Simmon no ok how about Normanhodges? so we
Speaker 102
37:08
have no one to speak against the bill? Is there
anyone out in the audience that speaks for the bill. right seeing none uhpresentative Richmond
would you like to close for your bill?
Representative Marcus E. Richmond
Unverified
37:27
your resolution OK, there we go. Been here 1el years still haven't figured out the system maybe it's time to go but again thank you thank you for taking the time and listening to my concerns and the presentation you guys got you know you have hard hard job here I'd hate to be on rules I don't like following them so I probably wouldn't be any good on it but
again thank you very much appreciate the time that you've dedicated to this and I know you have a busy schedule so please I'd appreciate a good motion do pass and a good vote thank you thank you Mr Cha. what's the will of the committee yeah I'm trying to make a motion can't make a motion of do pass with discussion
we have a motion do pass. Is there any discussion on the motion? you're recognized for discussion on the motion. sir thank you at
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
38:37
the end of the day I agree with this a lot of sentiments of this room but at the end asked this the author of the bill if you believe there's an xgen emergency emergent need to pass this resolution for the whole has to consider outside of that without any other additional direction I think that this meets muster for consideration. so just based on that us being the rules committee and not a gatekeeping committee our job is to see if this passes rules or in my
estimation allows for the body of the ho to make a determination. So without passing judgment on the merits of the bill,
I say that this should have the opportunity to at least be heard for a vote
and consideration by the whole body. all right so you no other discussion I wanna
there's a lot of nonmembers present here I would caution you not to vote we're getting ready
to call for a vote. so we have a motion do pass on house resolution 1016 all in favor say aye. oppose
sorry Representative Richmond your bill is your resolution has failed all right members
we're gonna go back to the top of the agenda and we're going to take up house resolution 106 Representative Schultz, if you'll go to the table and introduce yourself you'll be recognized to explain your resolution thank you Mr chairman and committee
can we have quiet please thank you chairman and
Representative Bart Schulz
Unverified
40:11
committee Representative Bart Schultz district 28. Representative Richmond kind of left a hard act to follow here so I'm gonna just get right to the point house resolution 10006 is a proposal to increase the homestead tax credit by75 dollars from its current rate of600 to675. just for a little history in the year 2000 the Arkansas voters overwhelmingly voted
for amendment79 which was titled property tax relief that in turn propagated a half cent sales tax which has put money into a fund ever since for this very specific purpose a few years ago we built into legislation that a report would come out in January of every year if this fund is big enough to support an increase how much would it support so in this January we got a report saying that the fund
would support the75 dollars increase as a general rule I am not a fan of running nonappropriation bills in physical session that being said this is a very narrowly tailored proposal out of a fund that is specifically for this purpose in a time when
gasoline is high, groceries are high. I was not comfortable with sitting on this for a year before we brought it to general
Speaker 87
41:41
and I would try to answer any questions Representativewardlaw you're
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
41:56
recognized for a question Representative Schultz I tend to agree with you and I think it is timely and I think this is one that we should pass out you
know that you could have done this with special language to the budget appropriation without having to come through this process we talked about
Chair
Unverified
42:12
that but the the decision was made to run it this way if it doesn't make it out here today let's talk Representative
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
42:31
Halk you're recognized for a question. Thank you Mr Chair.presentative Schultz is it my understanding that so if we do this now in 9 months when we come back for session in January we're gonna potentially have another one of these to do depending on if the
study that was was voted on let's let's hope so if we
Representative Bart Schulz
Unverified
42:46
follow trends from the last several years that would probably be the case but I can't see into the future but we in January every year we get this report
so but there there's a potential that we could do this again
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
42:58
and so it's not just like this is the end all be all we could do it again in the the regular session the past three years
Representative Bart Schulz
Unverified
43:04
we've we've made an increase each of those three years this will be the fourth so yeah, let let's hope so thank you
Representativevaves you're recognized for a question thank you just
Representative Les D. Eaves
Unverified
43:18
a quick question you know today we passed an appropriation out of the house that allows the the money to be turned back and this is going to increase that amount or do you know if there's enough appropriation for that DFA to do this. I don't think what was passed today would would solve
Speaker 140
43:34
that we that would have to be so you you plan on doing both then yeah OK.
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
43:51
Representative Mackenzie recognized her questions this an emergent or exigent need to have this resolution considered and to be
Speaker 142
44:00
passed. I don't know that I would use the term
Representative Bart Schulz
Unverified
44:03
emergent but if you filled up your gas tank lately or or you've went to the grocery store you see what's going on so75 dollars doesn't sound like a lot but I've seen the time in my life where it would have made a big difference. So I feel like it's our mission as the legislature if we have if we have the means to put that money in
their pocket maybe it is emerging follow up so one might
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
44:25
say tax relief is an emergent need. yes sir p re s ent al ub
Representative Carol Dalby
Unverified
44:42
by recognized for a question you Mr Chair. I actually have two maybe three questions none none of
Speaker 135
44:47
which are hard that's good struggle with hard questions one is
Representative Carol Dalby
Unverified
44:54
I agree with Representative Wardlaw that this could be done in special language to take care of this nine months and I'm'm I'm curious as to you said well we decided on what basis did you decide that special language because you take that up as we all know you can do special language it's that limited time then you come in January and we move forward for the next year. so my question is what was the basis for not doing special language other than we just decided we had we had several conversations
Representative Bart Schulz
Unverified
45:28
whether we could whether we couldn't how to do it whether it would work
whether it wouldn't I've got limited knowledge of how the special language process works so I was asking questions of other people and some didn't think it would work I knew if we could get the votes this was a a sure way to make this happen so
Representative Carol Dalby
Unverified
45:51
route follow up see if I can remember my second question up my second
question would be why in when we come back in January could we not take this up and make it retroactive this particular one retroactive we we do that all the time make something retroactive make it retroactive for this year because we would be in the next year make it retroactive and then also put the other one on it it would accomplish the same the same thing and give the relief I'm certainly not against the relief. I think I've always
voted through all the years and before you started carrying it what Representativelannny Fight carried it it's always been a good thing to give the money back we've got that fund sitting out there but my question is can could we retroactively pick up 2026 at the same time we do 2027 yes ma'am I I considered that and yeah that that's
Representative Bart Schulz
Unverified
46:48
a thing that could happen but in my mind if we can do it now and we have the report saying we can do it now I wasn't comfortable with withholding that money for a
Speaker 123
47:00
whole year if we could get it to the taxpayers now and then my
Representative Carol Dalby
Unverified
47:04
third question is this is tax relief have you discussed with the governor's office as to putting this on the
call for tax relief and if so is there a reason why or why not that that would be? I ran that up the flagpole and it I'd I didn't get it
Speaker 142
47:17
was no one saluted no one saluted that's a good way to put it
Speaker 148
47:23
yeah I tried that and it didn't didn't go
right seeing no other questions p re s ent ative Schultz would you like to close for your bill your resolution? close OK all right committee all right we have a
Speaker 101
47:46
motion to pass. do we have any discussion on the motion? seeing none all in favor say aye. oppposed
Speaker 150
47:57
congratulations your resolution has passed thank you committee
Speaker 153
48:12
OK all right members we're going to house resolution 1007 Representative Eaton, if you'll go to
the table Please identify yourself and then you'll be
recognized to present house resolution 1007.
Representative James Eaton
Unverified
48:53
Good afternoon thanks for having me committee. Im going I'm James Eaton district 26 ryan King,
Senator King is going to present this bill Thanks for hearings Senator King you recognize Thank you Mr Chair.
thank you members of the committee. So one of the things our founding fathers in their wisdom set
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
49:17
up when they set out in the form forming our country that is really I think
been a key cornerstone to keeping our country together even during difficult times is that our government is not just based on population alone so if you look at I just had a visit with Senator John Bozman the other day in Harrison and I knew uh, Senator Bozeman when he was just John Bozeman and running and if we just set our whole system up of government on just on population loan think how much that would change and impact Arkansas we would not
have US senators equal to New York and because of that we can keep funding and a lot of things where we're not run over just by population alone now this bill is not just about an urban versus real issue but it is about trying to look at
addressing issues in this state that is changing dramatically and what is impacting them and so basically if you look at this dollar bill that was handed out
and this is what is so important if you use this dollar bill and I'm probably sure many of you do, the first year I came in and I was talking with senator hester the other day about like in budget higher education was 16% of the budgeturn back dollars was almost5% and that's basically if you had to ask my opinion about where we should be in our RSA allotments and let me say this this is a budget bill the difference in this budget
bill it has more planning to it and I'll explain that here in a minute. So basically and I think the budget back then was less than4 billion now I think what is the proposed6.7 billion so it was5% of that budget back then
if you look at the last three years in 2324 it was only3.3%. then it was3.4%. then it was3.4% this next
proposed budget is4% of the budget not up there where5% so if you look at it what
we are turning back to cities and counties and this is more designed for counties and I can explain that later if you want to get into that why I'm only targeting them right now but basically if you look at the shorted amount like what 1.6 about 1cent is6.7 is67 million. so if you look at6.2 billion and you take 1% of6.2 billion
then you take 1.7 that's almost $100 million so I try to explain it we're not like Washington DC that just keeps spending more money and doing these programs and when things get messed up they just print more money doesn't matter what's party it is so our budget's like a balloon in this percentages when you expand in one area for whatever reason you are going to contract in other areas and that's basically what's happened the last few years and it's causing a heartache and hardship on our county's more specifically and
not just rule you can see in pulaski County where they look to be having maybe a cash flow issue coststs have went up especially over the last four years roadad graders are now $100,000 more than what they used to be you look at county personnel everything that they're dealing with with personnel cost is higher road repairs are highering is higher taking care of police everything what this bill would do would go
along the same path of what our founding fathers set up I think great for Arkansas that we're on the same level playing field at least in the senate as New York or California or Texas. so basically what this would do is to say the 1st $150 million of sales tax and sales tax generated it's sent down here then it's dispersed back and turned back. The 1st 150 million that is collected in the new fiscal year will go into the turnback fund then once it hits 150 million which would probably be
September or fall every county in Arkansas would get $2 million. doesn't matter what your population is that would allow solidifying their budgets that have been reduced I believe by the percentages if you look at that the legislature has been giving them back it would allow rural counties for example it doesn't matter if it's in the delta or it doesn't matter if it's in the Ozarks right now Newton County for example they used to get400,000 dollars tax off their timber tax
they've had a lot of situations come in and 2/3 of Newton County is in federal government land. so if you took Benton County and made 2/3 of it federal land think of the economic change that would be to Benton County so like Newton County was getting years ago400,000 because of the different dynamics of what is happening with purchasing property there a lot of people are not wanting that timbered they buy it to have a right to do that that tax is now collected is only generating40,000 dollars now you think about the cost that has
went up dramatically in each one of these counties and every one of our counties of just doing business think of roads think of repairs think of water and sewer if Phillips County for example had been getting 10 years ago $2 million a year and the reason I'm doing this in this environment instead of coming to budget if we just did a budget bill it'd only be one year if you look at Phillips County for example and some of the things that they're dealing with on the water sewer issues I believe if they had been given $2 million every year
think of what they could have been doing for their water and sewer that don't have to be bailed out with a grant necessarily in one area so I'm just trying to do something that fou that goes along with our founding fathers it's actually a budget bill but once again it will allow plan let's look at a jail expansion right now passing jail taxes is getting more difficult even when counties need them so you take a county that has a
a a jail tax or expansion and it's going to cost $14 million had they been given $2 million a year in banking that money back they wouldn't even be having to pass a tax to build a jail possibly so this is gonna greatly impact and help public safety it's going to help the roads it's going to help stabilize their budgets that are going to be critical in the next few years is going to get even worse you have50 counties right now that the economics of them is not what some of the other
counties are and because they've lost population this would help them get more road infrastructure back help them with infrastructure and allow them to budget for 10 years if they know they're going to get $10 million for the next five years in saypresentative Tos's counties well they can start planning on that if we just do a budget bill for one year it's one year and it's basically gone so you know a jail tax expansion in one county for example what they're going to do on 14 million by the time they get
that paid off will cost32 million when you add the interest into it. so if they have some type of program like this they could literally save jail taxes they could save a lot more money and we get the money as Reagan said the best government is the government closest people this is more of a Jeffersonian madison principle of getting the money back local to take care of those basic needs and give them year after year a planning that we don't right now you can look over the last 20 years these these turnback percentages have
fluctuate you can see how greatly they fluctuate and how 1% change can make such a critical difference so that's why I'm bringing
this is a nonbudget bill resolution but this is 100% a budget bill Representativealker recognized for a question. Thank you
Chair
Unverified
57:36
Mr Chair. Senator King, I like the
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
57:38
bill. I think that it you know it does a
lot. I know people in your neck of the world don't like to talk about jails but I will say that you made the example about you know jail expansion in a lot of counties and I know in Saline County we've had that issue and seeing something like this could do that but my question maybe it's in the bill and I'm just not reading it correctly but you talk about the equalization for every county so everybody's gonna essentially get the same thing. how is that calculated now? is that in the bill or is there is a formula formula for knowing like how much each county's
going to get off that 150 million when it starts let
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
58:16
me let me clarify there's a difference between jails and megaprisons so in one of my six counties has passed taxes for
county jails and Boone County passed a sunset in this next year that they don't know it's going to pass or not. so this could help them too so there's a difference between mega prisons and jails I've been around a little bit but thank you so basically what this would do is so the 1st 150 mini million of sales tax revenue that comes
in from the citizens of Arkansas will go into a fund and then it would immediately when it gets 150 million be dispersed about. so they're going to get it early in their fiscal year waiting rather than waiting till the end of the year it's like our budget you know what if we waited to fund everything we did at the end of the year you know counties they have to wait they have you know, usually they need to get a surplus going till the re revenues they operate on a little different than what we do. so this would allow even Salinem County, let's say you had a jail expansion or you say
you know, even 10% of this would be could be used could be used for community services much like emergency management it could be to you know the other day Senator Wallace has that about trying to get money to plug a hole for certain program. this just gives your Saline countuntyorm court the ability and flexibility to look at that in some other counties it's different. I'm like you know, more libertarian and more jeff f er son ian or like I don't want to be deciding what's best in in Fayetteville all the time and I don't want them deciding what's best in in green forest
all the time and it will allow flexibility to do that to meet their own needs let's say senior centers you know they may not be struggling in one area of the state but yet in another area they are struggling so this was just to get them allow back and it would allow my brother's on the corn court and full disclosure so it would be to do something to be honest like I do with him it gets the monkey off my back. they say hey why don't you help out our senior centers? like go talk to my brother. you know so it would allow flexibility back to your local government it follows Reagan's principles it
follows our founding fathers. it follows Jeffersonian madison principles if you study him so I mean like I said, pulas as ki County's different.linene County's different allows them Newton County for example. one of the big problems in Newton County that people don't realize is it's such a tourist state tourist county so all of our all our emergency management for the most part is volunteer so when you go up there hacking and we have a situation now of all the tourists coming in and bringing the money that's great. but when you only have
volunteers we literally have these I'm going to speak of my age and I'm not talking down because Iju do it these younger people got out on some logging road that was on some GPS and got lost. We got70 year olds fishing out 25 years old that got lost volunteering they're now struggling to make, I mean equipment for volunteer fire departments is getting tougher it's more expensive it's harder to get volunteers it just gets flexibility back to each county to let you do what you want and set and it sets up a more structured plan to give them that every year where they
know they're counting on it. Arkansas County for example, you know it's it's much different than what Carroll County is. thank you. p re s ent ative wardlaw you're recognized for
a question thank you I'm real slow,
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
1:01:33
Sandra King. so I need you to help me but so you're
gonna take $150 million sales tax money and put an account that's going to come off the top, correct that's correct so
on a year where the surplus is projected to be less than 150 under current services what services would be cut first if 150 is now
taken off the top so that's a good point. I mean the reality is you
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:01:59
talk about critical needs we're hitting critical right now a lot of these counties are redlining right now they really are we're I'm just trying to get out ahead of this to figure out after five years of cost and trying to get out ahead of it and actually prioritize it. I, I think if you want to look at me
and and we're gonna have to look and that's what the next bill is about learns is trying to control costs and another one. Once you expand one program, doesn't matter what it is you're gonna contract in somewhere else and that's where the debate needs to happen. The question was it was a
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
1:02:31
simple question where are we going to contract? Where what is you're taking the money from the current
programs what program are we going to lose? are we gonna lose some sort of programme medicaid or we're going to lose EFA accounts or we're going what
are we gonna lose to pay for the 150 million and I think that's what the
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:02:47
discussion is of having it when you get it in the hopper of having a discussion. it doesn't mean this bill's gonna pass. It may be at the end of the day everybody looks at it and says as you think this is going to hurt this other area I don't want to do it it's just throwing it in the mix and at least starting the process that a lot of these counties can count on that money year after year this is just an introduction to start the process the end product will be what it is and you'll be able to decide by then whether you want to vote on it or not. but to shut it off right now means that you're going to be
ignoring the fact that these counties are having critical needs that they are not meeting look at pulaski County it was in the paper. look at the counties I've talked about even in the delta to the Ozarks to everywhere else. Representative Mckenzie
you're recognized for a question think I've got the
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
1:03:42
answer but is this is this an exigent or emergent need I can't hear is this an exigent
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:03:49
or emergent need to pass this resolution I think it's clearly urgent need because you look at situations like I mentioned about Boone County that passed the tax with the sunset tax they're gonna have an urgent need you're going to look at the emergency services in counties that are getting struggled and hurting that the we want more tourists to come in and I agree it helps our economics of that so absolutely it's an urgent need because you can sit there Franklin County laid off emergency services people
so I think it's an urgent need to be discussed follow up
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
1:04:22
was there a thought or process for this not being run as special language yeah if you
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:04:28
run special language it's just a year after year it's only a one year problem this is a more sustained to allow counties to have $2 million a year to look at major projects that they can take care of. Water and sewer if you just give one time money for water and sewer projects on the front end then you know that that helps but it's not correcting the long term process to get counties out of something much like the jail tax we've got to get these
counties solidified money that they know they're going to get so they can do better longterm planning and not just keep pushing the can down the road. It's just a discussion at this point but I think it's critical. One more follow up
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
1:05:05
recognize have you ever run a bill similar to this in the past? you know I brought this up you
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:05:11
know back when we long before we even had video back a long time
ago and some of my colleagues at times wished they would have done that because some of their counties would have received a lot of money back then but it is hard to I
have not ran a bill like this. I have actually pushed this bill in the past if you look at a lot of times aspresentative Wardlaw, you know
this is going to be about critical needs and economics is the allocation of scarce resources and the reality is you're looking at our budgets when whether you're voting for learns medicaid expansion, you know all these other things once they expanded education some years ago was39% of the budget. now it's44%. so we're gonna have to balance our needs and everything but yet
these counties if we don't do something and get some sustained funding out there and prioritize it or at least have the discussion thingsings are going to get bad and worse. thank you Representativeves who
recognized for a question thank you. Does this expand
Representative Les D. Eaves
Unverified
1:06:13
what you can use turnback funds for for these counties? you know if you look at the language in the direction and
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:06:19
direction and details it's like you know the introduction and going through the process you get the details worked out the direction is for infrastructure
specifically dyess so that so they couldn't spend it on an art gallery or something. I mean that's not my envision a critical infrastructure water sewer, roads, police, debt service those type things I think need to
be critical that the we can we confine it to that Senator King, you made the statement that if we did this
as a budget bill it would only be good for one year. it would that not be a good way
to go that would get us to the regular session where you'd have the the full session to be able to
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:07:08
discuss this bet it well it would but yet if you look at the hole that a lot of these counties
are getting into they're going to have to have a long term sustained plan. This is just about a discussion about it and starting a discussion on a budget bill that allows more long term planning that is critically needed for our counties
seeing no other questions from the committee is there anyone in the audience that wishes to speak for or against this resolution. all right seeing none
what's the will of the committee I'm sorry, Senator King, would you
like to close for your bill? No, I I just want to say like
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:07:46
I said our founding fathers set up a great system in our in our country like I said that didn't balance everything on population or urban areas you know and I get the thing of like somebody asked me from Benton County here a while back I won't name names will we send more tax
dollars and money that's true no question about it but if you look at Benton County for example, where does your lumber coming from that's building your houses over there where is your poultry come from that's sold in Walmart? Where does your clothes come from? Where's your rice come from that you're eating at your sushi restaurants. Our balance that our founding fathers set up that the the urban areas and rural areas that there was at least a balance in respect has been instrumental for Arkansas because let's face it if we weren't we'd be a barren wasteland right now and our needs in our in the
Ozarks is different than the delta or even southeast Arkansas and we've got to get flexibility back to these people to work with and at least have a discussion about a long term plan to allow them to pay for critical infrastructure. you can't go in debt into a jail or sewer or something like that or water system with just a one year payment. right what's the will of the committee
Representative Halk motion to pass. we have a motion to pass. Is there any discussion on the motion?
I have some already brought up the fact that this could be done in budget that it would it may only last for a year but it would get us to the regular session where I think it
could be dealt with appropriately is there any other discussion seeing none
Speaker 178
1:09:32
all in favor say aye opposed nay sorry resolution has failed
Representative Butin if you come to the table and identify yourself you'll be recognized to explain House resolution 1008. I believe Senator King is going to be accompanying you
if you both identify yourself I'd appreciate it.
thank you members and my recog? identify yourself. Ohening uhpresentative Wooten would you please identify yourself identify yourself p re s ent
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
1:10:34
ative Jim Wooton district59 BB right thank you all right
you're recognized to present the resolution thank you Mr
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:10:42
Chairman. this is about a budget bill as well with a policy aspect to it this is
about the learns Act that was passed here a few years ago. This what I talked about how when you expand one part of a balloon, it doesn't matter what it is, whatever program it doesn't matter if it's learns or the Bryan King program it's gonna contract to other areas and we're already seeing that if you look at the percentages we did Medicaid expansion if you look at you know when I came in medicaid was 24% of the budget now it's much more so this is about a budget bill because the reality is last year learns 120 million had to be taken out of a
onetime account to pay for ongoing and new expenses just look at
this next budget it's70 million in my farm or business or anything that you do if you are continuing to use one time funds to fund ongoing and new programs it is not financially responsible to do that now I got elected
in 2006 and somehow I've become a public school defender because I did not vote for Lawre for the financial responsibility of it and not being able to pay for it in that but I will tell you I am for school choice
I am for responsible transparent school choice with accountability and if you look at in 2006 for example you couldn't even transfer kids from public school to public school without the superintendent's permission so I was not popular back then about talking about school choice if you look at this financial program it's like milk. you know if you're not financially stable right now it's certainly not going to be better a year or two now I mean you just can't you keep
using one time money in in ongoing programs it doesn't matter even if it's on my our farm a draining bank accounts to pay for ongoing at some point in time you've got to make financial corrections and that's what this is about now in a perfect world for ryaning give vouchers to every person out there no matter regardless of income, absolutely but the reality is we can't do that in the financial state we're doing if you look at the cost and the spending of what is going on in this state this can't continue whether you're a
Democrat program or Republican program and corrections have to be made so basically what this would do to to constrain the cost of it to make it more economically responsible is there's a few aspects of it. Number one is if you're in a private school and then you've went to Lawrence at least the direction not the details of it that has to be worked out but we've got to talk about the financial responsibility if you're in a private school and you've went to learns then at least right now you are eliminated and it is
only strictly because of cost and if you look at this map that you see in front of you right here right now all
the schools that private schools that are receiving over $1 million are only in 11 counties if you look at look at the whole white area that is not receiving you can see the number of learns recipients and homeschool
has exploded so the next part of it to try and address the cost part is to go to
something that was talked about way back in 2006 is
performancebased school choice basically it would work like you go in you're your college age student would go in and do ACT test and if they scored a 25 they get this scholarship. they score 28, they get this scholarship. If they score31 it gets this scholarship now I would tell you I have got text messages and awards from homeschoolers before and one of the things that they said as homeschooler is we don't
want to be associated with the people that do not do not do homeschooling right OK? And I actually think homeschooling done correctly should be celebrated it saves taxpayer dollars every point that they make is correct in my opinion but there has to be transparency accountability if you have situations where you're getting these emails where they're saying my student tests child tests well in homeschooling if they test well their funding is going to continue. Now I did
drop them out back to5000 to have a discussion about that. I think you have some learned people that are sitting there and they're doing
the learns program and then they're going and playing basketball at the local school or football. so if they're participating in those already paid, are they double
dipping or not? So I think it's just about looking at number number one making the overall costs less if we reduce
La100 million dollars that could free up money for a lot of other programs, ABC funding, enator
Wallace's program. I'm not saying this tax cuts
it could free up a lot more money and be responsibly. I mean if you look at almost $90 million has went to just these locations alone you know what I could do with $90 million? I could hire400 to600 new police officers to help fight crime. we're going to have to start getting into budget of like looking at where we're spending who's getting the money and what can we better spend it with but right now if you look at this $90 million is only going
to 11 counties right now in the top part so the homeschool would go to performancepa it would exempt special needs it would also have one standardized test. if you look at this I mean even in the public school I think they have a valid point of saying we have to go by the atlas test but yet all these other people that's not really fair I mean Milton Friedman would say competition needs to be fair at the start line. You don't need to have district different testing standards for all these different lanes in a track while
one has only one and they get to pick what lane they want to go in and testing so
you're having situations now where they're taken in the homeschool part that's probably not done correctly that they're going out and taking the money and then they're surfacing back into the public school and they're behind. so this separates the wheat from the chaff. it allows if you do not test proficient, you do not get the money and you get the money on the back end after performance now asubs they will say that is
rankled said well we want work for welfare how many times are you feel that
that position well if that's the case that's what this is about so the other part is mandatory reporting there's an aspect of that that says if if you take
homeschool money then you follow the same mandatory reporting that falls under public schools private schools because if you're getting taxpayer money we have entities out there that are dangerous. you know you have some you know you want to talk
about the the Islam thing but you also
have alblP which has had been exposed as having some serious issues with that and what if families are getting that with under IblP which has had some issues come out so the other part is to keep this thing of being trapped in
public schools if you're in adNF school and you go to the learns you get a one year voucher after that and then you go to performance standard
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
1:18:09
He's explaining to bill like we're in here to discuss and amend the bill we're not we're in here to decide whether the bill meets the merits to be moved forward for those reasons. So we should hear why the bill's emergent and why it should be brought up in a physical session and then take
a vote on that subject, not the actual merits of the bill or whether we're going to amend the merits of the bill that's easy
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:18:30
to explain because the finance the ppl the the program last year had to have 120 million out of onetime account to make it cash flow. chairman if
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
1:18:43
if I may respond to that I came here
today with Senator King mainly to to address the need for the legislature to consider this because we've heard all day long about the overspending that's occurring that's taking place maybe not overspending today but tomorrow we had a billion dollars surplus a few years ago bill.5 true it came from the infusion money from the federal government but now
that's down to over under300 million dollars so we need to be careful and it's and and as the former chief fiscal officer for the state I'm telling you we're headed for trouble the folks out here on the street are hurting gasoline is dollar a gallon more. I don't have to tell you that diesel fuels is higher than I've ever seen it and I was in the fuel business when I was coaching but we we need to address this.
We need to look at this and so it's it's a dire need that we consider what the senator has gone through and and and the dissertation and and but not only that on the testing is a lot of the private schools didn't even report but I won't get into that till later but it's it's a dire need that financially not just learns and I'm not against the private schools they've been here for I
mean for a long time let me explain in2006
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:20:19
when I came in, we had almost a billion dollars surplus on a4 billion dollars budget within two years that was gone. you think this money in3 billion dollars on that you can might as well say as I've even said that of this whatever 2 or3 billion or this, you know, COVIDun money influx is done you might as well say in the corrections part you might as well count a billion and5 dollars so you're down to a
billionion and5 sounds like a lot on a6.7 budget. I can tell you from experience we were had under4 billion budget and even he can go back farther than that and we had a billion dollars when governor Huuckabee left and Governor beebe came in, we had a billion dollars on4 billion dollars in two years it was gone. This economic climate we've got today is what Representative Wooton said with gas prices disposable income credit card debt is at an all time high disposable income going down what and look at the agriculture
part. agriculture is our number one economy right now you want to say it's critical? We got bankruptcies this is not the time to take off and spend and it's time to correct it and unfortunately this is one of the things that I think needs to be corrected because it's simply not cash flowing right now. Representative Mckenzie you're recognized for a question. Thank
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
1:21:36
to be as consistent as possible you have made the claim that this is exgen an emergent but at the end of the day
I just fail to see this would create an emergency this would throw us into turmoil. This would require almost immediately40 to50 1000 additional students to be put into a environmental an education environment not that they're currently in whether it be home school or private schools which is around400 dollars to500 million dollars however we skin the cat because there is a cost savings for children that draw down an EFA compared to per pupil funding basis but nevertheless yeah I mean if you believe it's emergent and exigent that's fine. I think this would create
a far larger emergency would you agree so if you look at most of the students
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:22:23
we're in private school, how would they be kicked out when most of them were in private school and are now still in private school so most of them would only be impacted in the amount of
money that their parents were getting. So most of them would be that so an un00 to9und government mandate what's that an unfunded government mandate we've given them a
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
1:22:40
program you now want to take it back and it is only for financial reasons
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:22:45
because if you aspresentativeoootton has been around when you go through a
budget shortfall and things get tough, somebodydy's gonna get shorted and if you look at because of the expansion of learns we are giving3 in4 years if everything stays the same percentage you're going to give350 million back less to counties and cities to operate so you're causing a hardship. Somebody's getting a hardship we decide three things who gets who gives and who profits. and I'm just telling you we have to make changes we're either shortened cities and counties and their turnback dollars that's causing hardship or
you're giving it to these entities right here and somebody's going to get hurt and somebody's gonna have to give, somebodydy's going to have a crisis an emergency I can 1000% assure you at some point in time just
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
1:23:32
if we think if we think laskaelunty's got a problem you hadn't seen anything yet when I was the trooper I used to drive one mile from my home sit there all day, drive home for lunch or dinner whichever shift I was working drive back because the state police didn't have enough money
for me to put gasoline in my car and since I've been down here in the legislature we've cut the budget's 10% 1 time Now I added my father by the end of the year we put the money back in but I'm telling you we're headed for a disastrous financial situation if we don't deal with this we cannot afford400 million a year and I give you an example arizona is started out about400 million dollars this year they
will be a billion dollars going to private schools with absolutely no restrictions whatsoever. Mississippi just voted down the the private school vouchers several states are having amendments to the law to change it either to strengthen the financial responsibility of the state or to do away with it and and if if we don't deal with it we're going to run it into the same financial problemget
about the school choice we're poor state a6 billion dollars budget when I was the director of the department of financedministration it was 2 billion 2 billion 11 billion for the state and $1 billion from the federal government that's true that's been a long time ago and I'm old and some'm trying to make it in the campaign and I admit it but I'm proud of it. I've been here
for 85 years. So I'm not worried about that part of it but let me tell you we're we're we're we're getting ready to see some real trouble and that's
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:25:35
I'm57 going on 87 with my body I quote Mickey mannoff I knew it'd lived this long, I took better care of myself but in my time that I came in medicaid budget, state and federal was not over4 billion. now it's $11 billion. that's a350% increase so once these things keep increasing it's going to expand
and contract somewhere else and we're going to have to get ready for the federal government is now cutting programs. Look at AC look at how many times they're doing it guess what you got people up here wanting more funding when you start the hardest thing you'll ever have to do up here is probably representative with you is to tell good people we don't have the money for your for your good program. I mean forget policy things but it's going to get constrained of what's going on. let's say the prison, let's say for example the megarison didn't go through. what are you looking at two or three years from now
or6 years from now to add 800 more people to your general revenue cash flow. they're not there unless we have some major expansion in the economy or something blows up this spending level cannot continue. all right see no other
questions. Is there anybody in the audience that would like to speak for or against this resolution. seeing none would you like to close for your resolution if may
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
1:26:49
if I may I'd like to read one letter that I received in among several
but I think this sums it up and I think you need to hear this I have reviewed one HR house resolution 108 and wanted to let you know I support the direction of the bill The added accountability measures tied to student performance let me emphasize performance the standardization of testing they don't they the the private schools had to have a report in on what they tested and many of them
didn't test. many of them did not test their students but let me continue this though the clarification of funding all attention to the education freedomgra accountpresentativeutin can you hold there point we have
Speaker 198
1:27:39
a point of order Representativewarddlaw which a point of order The committee rules
Speaker 197
1:27:44
are very clear that letters cannot beri
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
1:27:54
read or stated in committee without the author present to be
questioned about the subject matters of roy laww for bringing
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
1:28:02
it to my attention and I apologize.
Speaker 174
1:28:05
thank you all right members what's the will of the committee Hearing no motion, the
resolution has failed. thank you expected that
p re s ent ative Mcnair you'll go to the table. members we're going to house resolution 109. and both of you will identify yourselves for the record and you'll be recognized to explain house
Speaker 205
1:28:57
resolution 1009. Thank you Mr Chairman Representative Ron Mcnair districtive uhop present HR109 which is to
Speaker 206
1:29:04
allow senator Bryant's bills to be entered and I would like for him to enter the discussion please please identify yourself again. Thank you Senator King. I will tell you that I'm going to present
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:29:17
this first one if it doesn't make it with it don't expect, then I'm going to drop the rest of them so I kind of do a general description. These are the same but nonbudget bill resolutions that I presented in 2024 that all all six of them passed the senate with over a 2/3 vote in it. Basically we
know the 2023 bill, the data center bill crypto bill that got passed, I believe deceptively tied the local hands of what local communities should be able to do it then kicked into some changes that were made that was basically written by the crypto industry. it didn't change anything you're still seeing lawsuits in Arkansas County right now that we're in the court system every community that turned down a crypto mine in their local community did not get sued when you
start tying the local hands you start tying up local communities and court battles with federal court which takes years and a lot more money. the process in this is if you see with these crypto mines and data centers that we didn't know at the time they require a lot of electricity. they require a lot of water and if you look at the poultry industry for example inenter Texas, the data centers that went in that were promised all of a sudden it's impacting them Most of these bills are just about allowing
the local communities to be able to decide whether they want a data center or a crypto mine or not and then it puts them on equal footing and does not kick them off in a court battle. We can see now if you want to look at the China influence, most of the a lot of these crypto mines are clearly China influenced so if you're wanting to address the national security aspect of it and if you look in your handout, President Biden closed down a crypto mine out in Colorado we have not closed down one crypto mine down here
and I would tell you right now it was a half billion dollar Chinese influence company that's doing this NDwit for example, had we reverted back to the original bill we would not be in the federal court case that is now being sued it wouldn't even have happened at all so this is about looking at the water usage we know in these data centers how much water they're using in northwest Arkansas and Carro Boone we get our water from beaverlake. Everybody's getting their water from beaverlake. at some point in time we're going to run out of water in Beaverlake.
so if you have a data center coming in and it's gonna take or cryptoine it's going to take an exorbitant amount of water. it's going to continue to influence stuff. if you look at the crypto industry which I'm not into crypto. all the illegal currency to che sex trafficking, drugs, everything else is now related back to crypto. one of the exemptions that came into this was that it exempted them out of the uniform Money Services Act as a transmitter basically if you did a money order you have to go through this process to be able to know what's going on and and
have some insight into that money that could be transferred illegally. All the all the illegal activity now is found by crypto. You get on the scam sites it's all crypto. so I'm just saying I'm going to explain all of them if I could have a little leeway for a second and then if the first one f trying
to determine here whether it's something that cannot wait for the regular session so
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:32:32
think the critical aspect is the water park. if you look at this water issue
that we need to know it's not like a new auto manufacturer comes in or a one crypto or one data center,
these may be a lot more coming. We need to know in local communities how much water it may drain you know that her impacts rice farmers they need to know ahead of time and have more central planning and hin and at least have the ability to be able to say yes or no to it without us tying their local hands for that. So yeah I do think it is a critical
need that we need to address in the Chinese influence for the illegal activity influence, the water issue, look at the electricity.gy for example in 24
said oh and they said it in Harrison we're not we got plenty of capacity They set it set it in committee. we got plenty of capacity. we're not going to raise rates. Whatd they do they raise rates and they come down here and say we need a lot more capacity we do have an energy crisis right now that needs to be addressed and that's why this needs to come up
Speaker 72
1:33:37
p re p re s ent ative ward d la w you're
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
1:33:40
recognized for a question you Mr Chair. On Thursday april6,2023 at6:04 p.m. in the Arkansas Senate how did
you vote on House Bill1799 we wound up rolling the boat. let me tell you this
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:33:53
is a very simple I wound up getting voted for it it was an eighthour day. I would say this as far as a house member, I would love to have buttons over there because I would not have
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
1:34:02
voted for it roll no you know the only member in the Arkansas legislature was me and you know why because I do believe that
my local governments have rights you just sat here and told us the whole reason you filed these
bills is because of this bill that you voted for and you've seen a foresight to pass on Thursday,
Speaker 213
1:34:20
April6,2023, correct? The bill was I didn't was not in committee to hear it in the senate
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:34:26
this is a process and I would did not we did not know it was an eight hour day of continuous
bills and they changed the rules and it I wound up being roll call for it. I don't remember it at the time I would admit I did not want to know what a crypto mine was. I did not know what a data center I did not know this tied local hands we did not have enough
time to be able to make the decision. Once I made that bad boat I'll own it. I've done nothing but try to get it undone that's all you can do Every one of us will go through a process that we vote for a bill or not be told everything about it and then find out later. A lot of times down here as far as people running bills or bills you don't know it's a snake till it bites you later. so he is correct I did wind up voting for it. I owned up to it. I've done everything since then to try to rollback everything that was eals that's all you can do you make a bad bow
you own up to it and try and correct it. that's
Chair
Unverified
1:35:24
all I'm doing you want Representative Maclinon you're recognized for a question
Representative Mindy McAlindon
Unverified
1:35:30
thank you chairmansenator King, I just want to clarify I I know you talked a little bit about some of the urgency. is there something specific that says we need to run this now instead of waiting until 27 or are you just looking to be preemptive of something that you think might be coming. I'm just trying to clarify plants in in Benton County correct? I mean and know that they use a tremendous
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:35:49
amount of water ok I just mentionedenter Texas down there where they didn't know what was really going on and then these data centers came in and used an exorbitant amount of waters and impact and now it's impacting and hurting the plants of the amount of water they use.poultry growers for example, which you have those at Benton County we use a tremendous amount of water. So whenever these came in and raised the expenses we just don't know and we need more planning when they come in to be able to count local governments to say we're going to need this x amount of dollars and give them where they know because we don't want to
get in Benton County because beaverlake is so stressed right now as far as water and if the population keeps going in Carroboone we get our water from beaver Lake. You also have water generation with the dam. I mean this central water source that we have Allan Fortenberry who you may not remember as a longtime guy, he talked about water issues back all the way back to 2005. So it is critical on the water part we just had bills that raised rates you saidgy down here that promised that said we had plenty
of capacity and we're not going to raise rates and they turned around and raised rates and capacity. so it's impacting everybody and
and as long as electric process electricity prices go up gas prices yeah it's critical could get I don't want it to get worse so it's critical thank you
Representative Matt Duffield
Unverified
1:37:10
thank you Representativeduffield you're recognized for a question. Thank you Mr Chair. I'd like to direct this to Representative Mcnair. I've heard from several people in Harrison Arkansas and they have
indicated to me that this is an emergent issue specifically there due to a cryptoine being discussed before the quorum court being constructed there that the local community does not want. could you elaborate a little bit on that and why that may be emergent for us to discuss now well
Speaker 206
1:37:42
that part of the issue that they have with with the the urgency is I actually the facility that was bought and they the the folks
still own it they still own the land but it wound up being in the city instead of the county the city passed a moratorium but that is expiring so that's what they're looking at because the Chinese companies still owns the property and they're they're afraid that it you know that they're going to pursue coming back in there so that's you know the the urgency on their part and that's one reason they asked me you know to to sign sign on with the resolutions to try to bring them
Representative Matt Duffield
Unverified
1:38:22
out when does that do you know the date when that expires
Speaker 227
1:38:29
offhand think it may have expired don't know exactly. I
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:38:32
do know that every city or community that rejected cryptoine data centers for whatever reason before the law was passed,0 of them we got sued 0 we need to return it back to local people because the these things come in as representative in it and in her district it's just it may be good on the data
center part in West Memphis it may be positive, OK? we just need to know all the details of these things before they already happen. Once they happen the knots tied it's
Representative Matt Duffield
Unverified
1:39:04
over so so specifically this potential facility in Harrison it is owned by China. we know this
it is clearly owned by Chinese influence and it went even went back farther
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:39:16
than that represented Uffield when they tried to track down the office in Brooklyn, New York there's no one there. OK so
Representative Matt Duffield
Unverified
1:39:26
in my discussions with constituents in that area I asked them I said if you could pick one of the six of these resolutions for us to discuss that could specifically help their issue and help with local control across the state in regards to the building of these crypto mines upon their review they said that HR1013 they believed would solve their issue specific to Harrison do you gentlemen agree with
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:39:57
that? any other community that would allow it it would get it back to local control had this bill not been passed or repealed before the dewitt situation they could have knocked it down and would not be
Representative Matt Duffield
Unverified
1:40:09
tied up in federal court right now. OK, so final thing so if just
say hypothetically today we decided to move HR1013 Ford for discussion Representative Duffield we're not discussing that resolution right now ok sorry.
never mind thank you seeing no other questions
is there anyone in the audience that would like to speak for or against this resolution ing an you recognized the close
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:40:43
for resolution I'm close and I'm assuming unless uhpresentative Duffield wants to bring back the other one that if this
Speaker 185
1:40:48
one's not going to pass the probably the other ones are not and so there's no sense moving on unlesspresentative Duffield wants me to present that one. what is the will of the committee
have a motion do pass any discussion on the motion we're
on one thou we're on 19 yeah right so no discussion all in favor sayy aye deposed nay resolution has failed thank you committees I won't worry about the rest of them Representative Mcnair,
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
1:41:26
is it your desire to skip over the
Speaker 205
1:41:34
rest of these resolutions with the time constraint I think it would be fine
thank you thank you all right members we're going to move down to house resolution 1015 Representative beatty you'll go to
the table identify yourself you'll be recognized to explain the resolution
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
1:42:27
Representative Howard beaty district 95 here to present HR1015 basically is to amend the IDA bill that we passed last session just a little background in history as to why this is needs the attention of the committee today economic development and the opportunities that we have in the state a split second today an hour they're immediate and if you
lose those opportunities sometimes they're gone and they're gone for good so right now that's why this is important the Id IdA bill this is not to fix mistakes or errors in the bill there were concerns that were raised from members of the legislature and and their constituents that raised issues and concerns with with the legislation that we passed and and this is taking into account the concerns that were raised by those individuals and trying to to be good representatives of
of the constituents we represent to address and make those changes the tool it is a it is a great tool that can be employed to to stimulate and grow economic development. the purpose of it was not to take someone's land to seize someone prop someone's property it was for economic development to bring industry in to employ Rkansans to to pull in investment into our communities but those concerns have been raised I think it's been addressed in the bill. I'll
cover those just briefly. it it addressed the representation and accountability for board members that board members of the IDAs actually have to live in the district that they represent you know if they move away then then they need to resign and it helps ensure that local leaders stay connected to the communities that they're serving it also easier your removal of underperforming our our board members that aren't discharging their duties. so the local government that created the Id could remove a board member for
good cause with a 2/3 vote it adds another check against bad behavior or inactivity without making it too easy to politicize the board and the makeup of the board. there are more tools for recono the broader powers for rider a wider variety of of projects that promise growth, jobs and investment. the the big sticking point imminent domain. so no more eminent domain power. they would lose the ability of
imminent doma domain as far as seizing or forcing the private property for public projects even if the older doesn't like it so in short, what I would say this is just a procedural step to take a good bill that we passed last session to address the concerns raised by certain members in the community to make it a better bill that that community can employ and they need to employ it now instead of waiting till next year so that's why this that's why this resolution's before you and I'll entertain any questions
Represent Malin and you're recognized for a question thank
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
1:45:40
you chairman thank you Representative beatty. so I will say you know northwest Arkansas obviously has been very vocal
Representative Mindy McAlindon
Unverified
1:45:46
about this issue and I appreciate you taking time and you Senator Dees's taking the time to address it. It is critical. um, I guess the the point that I wanted to make was that um, taking the imminent domain out is very important to constituents making sure that the body that an unelected body is not able to take property without um, any oversight or any
transparency wouldn't you agree? I I would agree and that's why it's
Speaker 237
1:46:13
included in but that's my question. I just want
Representative Mindy McAlindon
Unverified
1:46:15
to say thank you and I was trying to give you a question to say thank you thanks for bringing it I appreciate it. Representative clowney you recognized for a question. Thank you
Mr Chair. Representative beatty, I have heard a lot
Representative Nicole Clowney
Unverified
1:46:27
from my Jps in Washington County too and one of the things that I keep hearing is this addresses some of our concerns but not all of them so I guess my question to you is pretty simple. we have
the chance it seems like to fix a few things now would you be willing to remain in talks with folks
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
1:46:45
who have concerns and come back in the future. let let let's be clear all of us as legislators when our constituents have issues or concerns about legislation that we pass I would hope that every member that's that is elected and serving would be willing to hear those concerns and try to address those concerns to make it better so most definitely I know there are there are other concerns that are out there and and we'll definitely be receptive and
Speaker 238
1:47:08
try to address those concerns next session you. seeing no other questions
is there anyone in the audience that wants to speak for or against this resolution I'd
seen none. what is the will of the committee oh excuse mepresentative Beatty would you like to close for your bill your resolution you Mr Chair I am closed and appreciate a good vote of the committee
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
1:47:29
what's the will of the committee have a motion do pass any discussion on the motion?
seeing none all of them favor say aye oppose nay I'm
sorry sir you're your your resolution has failed all right members seeing no other business we are adjourned
Agenda
Call to Order
HR1006 Schulz TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL TO INCREASE THE HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAX CREDIT.
HR1007 Eaton 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.
HR1008 Wooten TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL CONCERNING THE ARKANSAS CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM ACCOUNT PROGRAM.
HR1009 McNair 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.
HR1010 McNair 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.
HR1011 McNair 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.
HR1012 McNair 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.
HR1013 McNair 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.
HR1014 McNair 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.
HR1015 Beaty Jr. TO AUTHORIZE THE INTRODUCTION OF A NONAPPROPRIATION BILL CONCERNING THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES EXPANSION ACT.
HR1016 Richmond 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.
Motion to Adjourn
Announcements
Adjournment
Documents
| Title | Type | Pages | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agenda — HOUSE RULES, Apr 15, 2026 | Agenda | 2 | Official source ↗ |
Speakers
Representative Jon S. Eubanks Chair
Unverified
Speaker 4
Representative Marcus E. Richmond
Unverified
Chair
Unverified
Speaker 22
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
Speaker 30
Speaker 36
Representative Nicole Clowney
Unverified
Representative Kendra Moore
Unverified
Speaker 58
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
Speaker 66
Speaker 68
Speaker 72
Representative Carol Dalby
Unverified
Representative Dwight Tosh
Unverified
Speaker 87
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
Speaker 102
Representative Bart Schulz
Unverified
Representative Les D. Eaves
Unverified
Speaker 140
Speaker 142
Speaker 135
Speaker 123
Speaker 148
Speaker 101
Speaker 150
Speaker 153
Representative James Eaton
Unverified
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
Speaker 178
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
Speaker 187
Speaker 198
Speaker 197
Speaker 174
Speaker 205
Speaker 206
Speaker 213
Representative Mindy McAlindon
Unverified
Representative Matt Duffield
Unverified
Speaker 227
Speaker 185
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
Speaker 237
Speaker 238