Senate Convenes

Yeah. The. Yeah. The. The. The. On this monday september eleventh two thousand and twenty three they sent it will be called if to order are there any requests relief senator hester I wouldn't believe for a certain chester that also replies to the remark thompson thank you. Madame secretary please call the wrong bond branch called well chest fair clark crawl davis days this may dotson english flipper flowers gilmore hammer hester hecky hill arvin blake johnson mark johnson king ledding love mckey murder patent pinso petty rice stone stabberfield sullivan tucker wallace thank you madame secretary and before I ask senator hamer two legacy prayer average at like for this body and those watching to take a moment of silence to remember today september eleventh we're thousands of american lives are lost in the grace attack on democracy in american soil lights last including sarah low of my home town a debate swap and so if the senate would please join me in a moment of silence for those lost nine eleven. Thank you sender hammer. Which join me in prayer please. Follow god we come before he thrown today and we are thankful just for the opportunity to be physically present here being mindful of fact that they are families that mourn today is a remember the loss of their love ones and a significant event in our american history. And father to quote those that have said it before the less we forget may it got us in our decisions made god is in our thoughts to their union to protection freedom at all cost. The father we pray for the deliberations that will happen over the next few days father we will have some iron sharping our moments and we pray we do it seasoned with love and that fall before any determination is made it would be measured against the in result whatever decisions are made that father it is to privilege of freedom to debate and father to discuss and to arrive at what we hope is advancing those in a more perfect union we have father should be honored in quarified and everything is set and done and the father above all we would go by your name to our actions both in word but also lord and expression of our words we thanks for the privilege to serve the great people of our console and to be appointed because follow you point all people to their position you can take him out as well and we thank you that you've appointed us to serve and we just pray lord we would do your honor and we ask all these things name which is as crisis to save you a minute thanks sender hammer and now the honorable bar history president protempt and the senate will lead us in the pledge of allegiance stupid interesting to the republic from which is standard one underground individual with little teenagers from ladies and gentlemen in the galleries welcome to your console states in it is our expectation each of you will govern yourselves with proper the core on during today's proceedings sender hester you'll be recognized as the president protempt the senate. We're gonna be sitting senator original murdoch in senator jim dots into notify the house that we are ready for business and senator gary stubblefield and senator missy irvin to notify the governor we are organized and ready for business thanks and hester and secretary where you read the governor's proclamation. Trial to whom these presence come greetings whereas an extraordinary occasion has arisen making necessary to convey in the many fourth general similar into extraordinary session whereas with the state's financial stability increased economic growth health and reserve accounts and conservative spending policies they should have reductions can be worried can be enacted to further provide tax relief during this period of height inflation under by marmicks whereas the right some privilege use of our consulted citizens should not depend on their decision to vaccinate themselves or their children whereas I write to a normal education and last time is imperative to the growth and development of our children and communities prayers on september eighteen twenty twenty two present joe bad and declared that the covered map tain pandemic is over whereas it is the position of my ministration that we should protect our students safety freedoms and right to receive an education and our public schools and educational institutions as well as the rights of citizens across the state or as it is critical to protect the safety and security a students instead of a present on school campuses or as there is a height in need to protect the safe are to crack the city security and efficiency of constitutional officers and state executive branch agencies for as there is a need to secure the attorney client and liberative process privileges within state government for as there is a need to amend the freedom of information act of nineteen sixty seven as amended to prevent abuse of its attorney fee provisions and brands there is a need to provide clarity and the law and constitutional protections to those. Senate under arkansas code sixteen many one twenty now therefore as sarah had been sainted acting under the authority vested in me as governor of state of arkansas to hear my call and extraordinary session the general summit to convene in little lock on september eleven twenty twenty three at eleven am and I do hear mass are specified at the general assembly is convenient such session to consider and if so it based in akla laws for the following purpose one term in the individual income tax brackets and taxes to tops are tax rate of four point four percent effective january one twenty twenty four and the following tax years to amend the income tax brackets and rights for domestic and foreign corporations to a top tax rate of four point eight percent effective january one twenty twenty four and following tax years to provide a non refundable income tax credit for tax year twenty twenty three up to a hundred and fifty dollars per individual tax payer and up to three hundred dollars for married spouses failing jointly two to create and transfer existing surplus funds to the arkansas reserve and set aside in the restricted reserve firm three to prohibit arkansas public entities for main diving covered natine exclamations back seeing up a backsame variance or engaging and are related a course of actions to require the arkansas department of health to maintain perpetually available information on the risk of covering that team back seems to provide an exemption to certain cases if approved by the argument sandwich like council for temin the freedom of information act of native sixty seven to protect the security of the governor the lieutenant governor the attorney general the secretary of state. The auditor of state the treasure of state the commissioner site lions members of the general assembly justices are the supreme court or judges of the court of appeals to amend them information act of nineteen sixty seven to a protections for the deliberative process and attorney client privilege of state level entities to me and arkansas code twelve eight one oh eight c to extend the freedom of it formation act of nineteen sixty seven exemption and confidentially requirement of all duties of the state police and section twelve eight one eight a two amend the ward of attorney's fees for require state police devil I quarterly report to the architecture like council categorizing everybody expenses fave to amend arkansas code section twenty twenty two one o eleven a to provide clarity for public schools private schools and educational institutions to keep in exterior doors closed and locked during school hours apart from transition pams is required under arkansas code six twenty one one twenty one to men the uh investment in public arkansas kids program act in the arkansas children's educational freedom account program to provide for the provisions of edge cash on services and access to additional funding for children with disabilities and the finance in in investment in arkansas kids program act that succeeds scholarship program and the arkansas children's educational freedom account program seven to clarify arkansas code sixteen nanny one of one o two e one applies to offenses committed own or after july two twenty one seven but before january one twenty twenty. For an arkansas coat sixteen nanny one one twenty g applies to sinner sing for offenses committed on or after january one twenty twenty four to confirm give notorial appointees as required by arkansas code t and t one thirteen and to provide for payment of expenses and predement of the house of representatives and senate for that for this extraordinary session further this cow is subject to amendment prior to the date and tam and which the general assembly should convene in testimony for of a have here and two set my hand and cause the states great seal the state of arkansas to be a fixed this eighth day of september in the year of our lower twenty twenty three there have to be sanders governor thank you madame secretary are there items at the desk cinema one mass centre hickey to create and transfer funds to the parking sorry sarah fine set aside in the restricted reserve and to allow that additional funds may be made available for a state department's agencies in instructions and further purposes senate bill one revenue and tax cynic bill too by san tradisman to reduce the income tax rates apart to individuals trust the state in corporations to create eight and inflammatory relief income tax credit for certain taxpayers and clear an emergency senate bill too revenue and tax central history this is the one you want to withdraw from consumer please withdraw it from consideration citizen without a jack sheet or two without objections senate bill two will be withdrawn. Senate will three best centre bright to prohibit the governor from main dating of exclamation or amy is action for covered that teen or any severance of covered nineteen or both and declare an emergency bill three public health senate bill for my soon for english to clarify the arkansas law concerning the locking of school doors and declare an emergency cynic buffalo education single fan of central data to men the fine investment in arkansas kids program act and the architects are children's educational freedom account program and declare an emergency central fab education single six month century gilmore to clarify the cynicing for a felony with farms and it was six judiciary st both seven by central flipper to men the freedom of information act of lapting sixty seven there and a margin of seven state agencies sent by eight percent redismant to reduce the income tax right at all to individuals trust a states and corporations to create an inflammatory relief tax for credit for certain taxpayers and clear an emergency central eight revenue tanks. Send her history or recognize okay members just just for an update just what probably going to happen today as we're not going to adjourn at this time we're going to recess till one o'clock and uh which I expect us to just be in here briefly at one o'clock then we will go into public health revenue and tax and education at one o'clock uhm state agencies and or judiciary will be a call of the chair as we go to the issue what was the four year bill read to it was a sand tuesday it was a sign of state agencies so we're going to recess until one o'clock will come back in here if there's no business to be done at that time then we will go immediately into into our intercommittee meetings so we will. Sorry I judiciary will be we one o'clock so as soon as we finish you we will go see here senator go more still that right that's correct that's right we'll meet in here at one o'clock we'll have a plan that everybody knows but my my expectations will be in here briefly and then move on to our committees at one o'clock it is. II guess we we never know if we have the votes to be going committee or not center king that's what that's the purpose of the committee so we'll meet back in here at one o'clock or recess until one o'clock and at one o'clock we'll get further instructions my expectations will be in here one o'clock briefly and then move on to our committees into the shirt I don't know that's part of this discussion right now i'm i'm talking about what we're doing it was just sound a state agencies are you wanting to move it to judiciary center king we we have a bill that was a sounded due to judiciary okay if nothing further said it was fan and recess until one pm. The. The. The. Members of the wood present you see a center we called over the honorable is about to take the change thank you. Senator hester your recognized pay members I move that we suspend rule seven point two r for the duration of this special session rule seven point two eyes the intervening day role normally bill cannot be heard in a committee until at least one intervening day transpires between the day of the referral a day of the committee meets to conduct business suspending this rule allows committees to consider bills sooner we always suspend this role that started special sessions or this body's typically always done that anyway with that I move we suspend rules seven point two for the duration of this special session thank you sender there is motion to spend the rules of those from favorably significant machine I need opposed as heaven rules or suspended senator has through your record and as I discussed earlier i'm going to move that we recess to go have all of our committees that have bills and i'm right now with the acception of state agencies so all committees with the acception of state agencies will go here and then we will recess until three o'clock any questions or I guess i'll be there with them send spains and recess until three pm. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. The. I. The. The. Senate will be an order matter secretary or their answer to the desk yes where your committee on education whom were so hard though for best century english recommend the pass calendar committee on education home is for send off a provider recommended calendar committee on judiciary to whom was foreseen will six by central gill more recommended can be the on public health to him recently for its own authority by central brack recommend repairs committee on revenue tax to whom was the first one mass center he keep recommending pass calendar committee on revenue and tax towers first to go eight messing for dismang recommend departments as amended number one are there announcements sender history or recognized members I think we are very close to a draft that I think is agreeable at least two majority of members on the fore bill and so I could say we're going to come back in three thirty or four or I could just say whole tight uhm and will have that out as best quickly as we can we're waiting on one final small thing from belar in them would have have a draft so that's kind of where we are but I anticipate as soon as we have that having uh having committee committee on that bill alone these other bills and then go to committee on this other thing are we going to go to committee and involved all these meals we don't the bills that were just read a cost that those will be tomorrow at so are our business and far as in this chamber is virtually complete today other than reading a new bill across the desk there will be still up and areas I mean it's economically transferred to committee that be transferred today if you're going to do something that tried yeah so whenever I get a draft out to all the members will have it read across the desk see what committee goes to. And it will hold that committee edit a senator flowers you're recognized to solve the original wheel he say is being a million well we could amend the bill we're just file a new bill haven't determined which one of those were which one of those two options were going to do yet but it's probably better if we follow the brand new bills will be clean for everyone you haven't made that they termination network you're sung whether it's going to be an amended vehicle are a bright new deal since I fully expect that we will follow brand new bill but we have both of those are still an option and it's a subject matter is for you and it goes to the same community that was a fire earlier today I suspect that our parliamentary will send it to state agencies and I would make a request that we hear that in committee tomorrow that is not likely that we'll hear tomorrow I think I planned here that bill today were you know the till have the bill nobody read the deal we don't know what committee might go to and you don't know whether you have evidence it could not members of a committee can be debate in the bill well I hope that members have read the bill now we will problem with some even do you want you to argue to meet answer questions center flowers i'm happy to do have read the bill is that would you say I hope members have read the current for your bill the new bill will have some slight changes to that bill so if you've read the original bill. It will not be much change on the amended bill or the new bill but I fully expect for us to follow new bill going to committee in debate that bill today sended live here recognized and fall about sender tucker and then single king still couple of questions so I would have this afternoon we're going to have committee well I suspect there's only one committee meeting left that tried in the committee to debate the four year bill assess a plan to have a committee to debate the for your bill today okay and then secondly you did since we're on the pool your bill so what which will make it change to where it would go to another committee and that's a state agencies to me could that I am not under that concern with senator plous didn't bring up is it what would change within the the the load of bt you sell so they change to send it to another convenient instead of the student maybe a we'll see whatever eighteen members want to do and here's what eighteen members do we we refer bills and not routinely but it happens a dozen times a year and if eighteen members want to re refer a bill to another committee that was as other than what was the time we we have the option to do that yeah I think every member's family with that process the senator tucker thank you madame president I understand the subject matter is going to be the same and the language might be similar I just want to make sure that the members of the committee for whatever committee goes to and the members of the public have an opportunity to review the legislation before we just mark straight into the committee and start hearing you know how much time I have well I mean I think that that's up to this body I mean if we you know if we say we want to you know if we have that available in thirty minutes or an hour we want to wait an hour I mean i'm i'm comfortable with that but again if you've read the current. Language in your for me with that it is it is not a a big leap to to understand the changes are being considered right now center king so we don't know what time frame on this bill we don't know the changes to me spontaneous read the bill it's one thing to have a process and everything like that and so you don't know of said access meeting at six seven eleven o'clock what we don't have any time frame at all you're correct. This is up only center flowers is this going to be posted online for the public to view it all are the amended vehicle it is the process that every time of bills foul that is available for public absolutely what length of time test repairs before the community here is what we suspend of the rule of require an intervening day so that would be at the call of the chair in ultimately my discretion we can be posted one minute and the next minute will be in committee device is at the same well II guess that is possible but it's not feasibly logistically to do that suggests tomorrow with the better time to debate the bill whatever it's going to be with it's going to be a new learn amendment in it as you say at I can give direction this body will do what eighteen members say we're going to do tonight or i'd like to make a motion to jan until tomorrow morning so that we can have time to build as posted online this evening to read it and for the public to see it and to have their input in their participation in whatever committee here's it let my motion matter president yeah second I don't I don't believe a motion can be made I don't want i'm in the well I could could be wrong what animals have talked to them president protein of the senate I would hope that she would agree that was the motion is fair there to the members. It's there to public I think I have responsibly to be fair to the majority of members majority members who are expecting a three day session which may not be it may be for it may be fourteen but a majority of members had scheduled their counters to be here for three days where you know we are not an unreasonable time right now we are you know where it you know what is it now three fifteen it's not like we're laid into hours members have had these bills for you know days at this point to read him and understand that what is the thing that concerns me but I appreciate your concern but the membership here but what about the public the citizens that the state of arkansas i'm concerned about the and I think it would be appropriate after this really are amended to have the debate tomorrow in whatever committee well I appreciate that and a full expect that we will have debating committee today we will have public input I think as we see that many public are here today to to hear the debate in this unfortunately it hadn't happened on the house and hasn't happened yet on the same and I think it would be unfair to the citizens that adjusted their day to be here to be heard that we not give them that opportunity today and so that that would be my expectation that we will do that and members will have until tomorrow to be prepared to debate it on the floor if it should get out out of committee today and i'm pretty good at the appropriate time i'd like to make a motion and which then center flowers add senator hester is in the well and so the motion is not in order at this time. Any other questions for center hester. Okay so members that to what I am i'm gonna i'm gonna say that we are going we're going to recess not a time certain but as soon as we get a bill that i've just mentioned to the members that were in here something we put in your hands then we will hopefully have something that we can read across the desk so I just ask that you hang tight and as soon as we can as soon as we can move forward we will. Okay a synergist main you had a minute to your bill do you want to suspend the rules to get that amendment done some of this main your right add like to make a motion to spin the rules to dot amendment number one sin bill aid is to add a singer mark johnson's coasponsor a memo wind sell it by all those in favorably significant I any opposed as have it unlike mega motion to adopt a minute once in a bill eight we just suspended the rules right well I didn't hear that without objection then doing grossly send her high school you're recognized so members that that's where I made I asked that we we stand in a holding pattern we're not going to ask that we recess for not a time certain and I hope that is thirty minutes away but we will see as soon as I have something to put in your hands which we understand could be very close i'll get that done and hopefully we'll come back in but just stay close more notify you there is that motion to research all those in favorably significant eye opposed as have it sent it to them to recess. The. The. Yeah. I. The. The. Senate will come back to order madam sector either items of the desk yes madam president were you committee on grass bills him was first and it will age percentage man have up the reports that we compared the engrossed copy of the rich on band signed for a claim gross calendar sender has through your recognized thank you members so here here's the plan i'm gonna go ahead and ask after a few things that we adjourn until tomorrow morning it uh nine o'clock but here's what the current plan is that I hope by six o'clock uh we have a foyer bill that will read across the desk in go to state agencies of which we will not take a vote tonight but I would very much like state agencies to meet and have public information for people that are here here and set there all day to be able to speak to the bill the substance of the bills exactly what it was before with some changes to it but the same subject matters right each section is is the same subject matter. And so just out of respect to the people to set here all day I would like state eight state agencies to meet around six o'clock let the public that are here that want to have input we will meet again tomorrow morning at eight or eight thirty at call the chair will know tonight and we will finish that debate tomorrow morning in state agencies does that make sense i'm happy to answer any any questions questions send your live you're recognized thank you thank you matt president so senator what I understand is that you won't take a vote on the build tonight but you you are going to just your testimony that we're going to start testimony their I think that's the most respectful thing we can do for people that have been here waiting around all day but we will not take a vote on it tonight committee the the committee would need convenience with after weekend out of the recognition tomorrow morning before we come into session what were common assert a trade at said that the chairman would make that call tonight at the end of uh at the end of session so at eight or eight thirty in the morning uh se- stay there to see it would reconvene and then once they are finished sometime around nine or nine thirty we we would we would come back in the session I hope that she would be concerned the fact that you know eight o'clock is normal business hour or so I think the nation conveniently urban eight clap thank you it's fair center king so the look at this process not building it out to where you got it out tomorrow this three day price they're staying in sharp pieces no i'm not saying that shot a pieces of the other way would be to something about their boat to pull it out of committee boat to sin in another community suspend the rules complete circus and then bring it up tomorrow which still may be voted on on the floor to for not the. It is mountain to vote on it on the floor tomorrow going to be suspended at rules and maybe pull it out of community if it doesn't happen in the because you have to put me in your suspender rules for our commendations your men are you running the new bill right now or maybe the there'll be there will be a new bill we can still count on that something's going to happen tomorrow that it's going to be voted on the floor tomorrow bit of bad rather than that's the plan I mean several times in the past four five years we've had special sessions and we decided to take votes just on the floor and committee the whole and that is my intent to do that tomorrow just take a vote on the floor of that bill. Senator recognized of course typically when we hear bill that those parts of presents the bill and then we have committee number questions and then testimony I hit what you're saying about taking public input tonight from people who have been around here all day that makes sense but we just have that part tonight we also have but we traditionally have where the bill sponsors are presenting the bill and then we have committee members questions and then public testimony well maybe we can ask center bike john to the stand up after this name to that but that seems like a very reasonable thing that we might do those in different order allow public input tonight maybe member questions in the morning or at least in that order sounds reasonable but the the chair will make that decision any other questions for center hester. Clinic have I don't anything out of line there like you can we can follow bill tonight even if we're not for them. Attract members I move we adjourn subject to clearing the dash just just at a little bit unrelated but it's okay we're sitting one calendar is the one that we just read across the dash of course was the tax cut was that ready cross because of the amendment I just want to make sure that senate may build one got calendar thank you very much thank you now and and I will say earlier I said we would vote and committee the whole we can't do that but that term but we can bring a vote bring a bill to the floor to just vote on on the floor but it wouldn't be considered committee of the whole sender paying and send her tucker so this one so we meet in stay eighties it's six the quarter is going to be six markets externally in and it's gonna be seven fifteen you're probably right it could be seven o'clock could be. Send your taco yes center flowers at a following center to just one quick follow up given the hour today I anticipate that there were some members of the public who here that says father who have left so we will have public test money in the morning as well for the for the folks who had a weed and got home yeah II certainly hope so I hope I really understand our intent here is we're not doing it just tomorrow or just today we're doing it both times out of nothing but courtesy to the public is is the intent yes send a flowers to recognize so we still don't have a vehicle that is correct me that is correct and you say that it'll be done by the whole body do we have the subspin the rules to do that I mean we have a community process and we discounted. Overall where I mean we just constantly change in the rules there were we suspended the rules a few hours ago it's certainly possible because it's been the rules for to come and involve it on that in the committee but in this whole bike the winter is for a letter I don't know that center flyers we did not suspend the rules to bring that bill to the floor we have not even debated that but we certainly could choose to suspend the rules to do that twenty four members can suspend the rules and do what they would like to do from all from your home speech and whatever this is your declaration here sounds like it's already been determined I just want to know he doesn't I don't have this calendar time to wait when you're steady changing the rules sure so that the outcome is like you want it to be with no except no input from anybody don't even know what the bill looks like it's given the agencies does not have a form tonight because i'm going on to my right now if there is no forum they still go to me senator flyers we hope at a respect to the public that's waited around all day that we would be able to meet and and and take their input some of them may be back to more so that may not be able to be back but the hope is to meet and uh if this was just exactly what I want to we devoted this morning at nine o'clock but we have taken input and feedback from members all day long worked very very diligently on this all day long that's the reason we're still you know we're here at five five thirty because it matters what every member and here's input is the reason why sending it to committee is because you're input matters. What you have to say matters that that's why we're going to go or we could just bring it straight to the floor you know there's twenty four voter to bring in straight the floor but not going to do that at a respect to you as a member at respect to the general public on there and II do already determine the new twenty four vote and if that's the case I don't need to be thank you very much for that input any other questions senator I believe you've made emotion to to journal so subject to clearing of the dash. So the senate will adjourn until lan am tomorrow morning subject to a claim with it called the chair yep we stayed agencies stated she's called the chair and we expected to be around six o'clock but.