89th General Assembly Joint Session
Video
Transcript
Bills discussed (2)
| Bill | Title | Sponsor | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
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HB1001
· 3 mentions in transcript
Matched: “…passes. The morning hour has ended. Mr. Clerk, please read House Bill 1001. House”
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Pre-2017 bill | ||
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HCR1002
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “not, the questions before the House, the passage of House Concurrent Resolution 1002. Prepare the machine, Mr. Clerk.”
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Pre-2017 bill |
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Chair
Unverified
0:00
I invite the members, staff, press, and guests in the galleries to stand to be led in prayer by Reverend Greg Addison and to remain standing for the posting of the color guard, posting the colors by the Arkansas State Police Color Guard, and remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance to be led by Representative Deborah Hobbs. Please join me in prayer Lord
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we thank you for the privilege To come and to serve the people Of the state of Arkansas And so Lord we ask your wisdom and guidance today
As we begin to do their business Lord I pray for wisdom and clarity of thought For those who are leading For those who are serving Lord I pray you'll bless them with the wisdom of grace And excellence in what they do Lord we just pray that you will guide And protect those who are serving today And we ask for your blessings on our state In Jesus name we pray Amen.
Speaker 5
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I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation of America, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
Unknown speaker
1:51
Oh Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Flight, cruise. Flight, space. Flight, space. Flight, space.
Speaker 10
4:51
Members, please indicate your presence by pushing your yellow present button. Prepare the machine, Mr. Clerk.
Chair
Unverified
5:21
Has everyone voted? Has everyone voted? Cast up the ballots, Mr. Clerk. Let the record show that there are 93 members present. Are there any requests for leave?
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
5:51
Representative Meigs. Request for leave for Representative Barnett. Leave granted. Leave granted
Chair
Unverified
6:01
for Representative Barnett. Representative James Word moves we dispense with the reading of the previous day's journal. No objections, so ordered. Are there reports from select committees? Are there reports from standing committees? Is there any unfinished business? Are there any executive communications?
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red calendar. Mr. Clerk, please read ACR 1002. House Concurrent
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Resolution 1002 by Representative Carter, providing that the House of Representatives and the Senate of the 89th General Assembly Police shall recess on Thursday, January 17, 2013, and reconvene on Tuesday, January 22, 2013. Representative Baird, you're recognized.
Representative Duncan Baird
Unverified
7:00
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members, HCR 1002 provides that the House and the Senate will complete its work of the first week on Thursday, January 17, 2013, and it also provides that in respect to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in an observation of his birthday, neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate shall convene in session nor shall any of the committees meet on the third Monday in January of next week.
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Does anyone wish to speak against the resolution or the resolution? If
Chair
Unverified
7:48
not, the questions before the House, the passage of House Concurrent Resolution 1002. Prepare the machine, Mr. Clerk.
As everyone voted, cast out the ballots, Mr. Clerk. 93 a, 0 nays, 0 presents. The resolution passes. The morning hour has ended. Mr. Clerk, please read House Bill 1001. House
Speaker 18
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Bill 1001 by Representative Carter, an act for the Arkansas House of Representatives
of the 89th General Assembly of Appropriation for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. Representative Baird, you're recognized. Members,
Representative Duncan Baird
Unverified
8:47
this is House Bill 1001. It provides for the session expenses for the House of Representatives, meaning it pays for the salaries and benefits for the session employees, and it also pays for per diem for House members. We're going to pass a session bill for the House, and we'll have one for the Senate.
Those are supplemental bills. They're only for the session. Eventually, we'll have another House bill and Senate bill for the next fiscal year, but this bill is for the session only. Representative Baird,
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let's explain the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill or the
Chair
Unverified
9:29
bill? If not, the question before the House is the passage of HB 1001. Prepare the machine, Mr. Clerk.
Voting on the bill and the emergency clause. Has everyone voted? Has everyone voted? Cast up the ballots, Mr. Clerk. With 91 yeas, 0 nays, and 0 present, the
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bill passes. The House stands in recess until 1030.
Unknown speaker
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Thank you.
We'll be right back.
Thank you.
Unknown speaker
12:18
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Let's see.
Let's go.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I don't know.
Thank you.
We'll be right back.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
We'll be right back.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Oh, my God.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I don't know.
Thank you.
Speaker 34
28:13
the roll. Bledsoe, Bookout, Burnett, Caldwell, Cheatham, Chesterfield, Clark, Dismaine, Elliot, English,
Files, Flowers, Hendron, Hester, Hickey, Holland, Hutchison, Ingram, Irving, Johnson, Key, King, Lamoureux Lindsey Malick Pierce Riper Sample Sanders
Stubbeville Teague Thompson Williams Woods Wyatt Mr. Clark, please prepare the machine for the
Speaker 10
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roll call of the House. Members, please vote your yellow present button. Prepare the machine. So everyone voted.
Cast with the ballots, Mr. Clerk. 97 members present.
Chair
Unverified
29:37
Now we'll be led in prayer by the House Chaplain, Reverend Greg Addison, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church, Cabot, Arkansas. all. Mr. Reverend Addison, you're recognized. Please join me in
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prayer. Lord, as we come to begin this session today, we're mindful that your word teaches us that we can come to you and ask for wisdom. So as we begin these sessions, Lord, we pray for wisdom. We pray that you will guide
the governor, the leaders of the house and the Senate and the court where we pray you'll give them wisdom to define the issues, to work with clarity and to proceed with wisdom for the people of the state of Arkansas. Lord, we also know your word tells us that we are to always give thanks. And so as we approach the issues facing us this year, Lord, I ask that you'll give everyone a sense of your blessing, of the wonderful people of the state of Arkansas that you've given us as neighbors and friends and family. Lord, of their value for industry and honesty and family. Lord, we thank you for the blessings and the resources of our state.
And so, Lord, we are grateful to live in Arkansas and to see the ways that you've blessed us. And And I pray, Father, as you give wisdom to address the issues, you'll give a sense of hope and optimism as well. Lord, we ask your continued blessings on our home, our state. We thank
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you for the gift of your son, Jesus. In his name
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we pray. Amen. Now we will be led at the Pledge of Allegiance by Representative Deborah Hobbs. Please be seated.
Chair
Unverified
31:22
I'd like to take a few moments to recognize some very special guests today. Of course, we will have the Honorable Mike Beebe here shortly, to my left, Lieutenant Governor Mark Dahr, Secretary of State Mark Martin, Auditor of State Charlie Daniels, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, Chief Justice
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Jim Hanna Associate Justice Don Corbin
Associate Justice Paul Danielson Associate Justice Karen Baker Associate Justice Courtney Goodson Associate Justice Joe Hart and Associate Justice Cliff Huffman on the House of the House we extend our
Chair
Unverified
32:05
warm welcome thank you all for being here today round of applause I will now recognize House Parliamentarian Buddy Johnson to announce the results of the general election vote for President and Vice President of the United States.
The United States Congress proposed constitutional amendments and ballot issues. Mr. Parliamentarian, you
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are recognized. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Declaration of the results of the general election vote. United States President and Vice President. Gary Johnson and James P. Gray, 16,276. Jill Stein and Sherry Honkala, 9,305. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, 647,744.
Barack Obama and Joe Biden, 394,409. Peta Lindsay and Yari Osorio, 1,734. United States Congress, District 1, Jacob Holloway, 5,015, Congressman Rick Crawford, 138,800, Jessica Paxton, 6,427, Prosecuting Attorney Scott Ellington, 96,601.
United States Congress, District 2, Congressman Tim Griffin, 158,175, Herb Ruhl, 113,156, Chris Hayes, 6,701, Barbara Ward, 8,566. United States Congress, District 3. David Pangrack, 19,875. Rebecca Kennedy, 39,318. Congressman Steve Womack, 186,467.
United States Congress District 4, Senator Gene Jeffress, 95,013, Bobby Tullis, 4,984, Tom Cotton, 154,149, J. Joshua Drake, 4,807. Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 1, additional funding for state highways, county roads, city bridges, city streets, bridges, and other surface transportation for $597,215 against $428,745.
Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 2, Municipal and County Financing of Sales Tax, Anticipated Revenue Bond Projects, Unfunded Liabilities of Closed Local Police and Fire Pension Plans, and Real and Tangital Personal Property, 427,684, against 558,417. Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 5, the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act, 4, 507,757 against 537,898.
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Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Senate Pro Tem Michael Lamoureux announces following Senate committee to retrieve the governor. Senator Paul Bookout, Chairperson Senator Stephanie Flowers Senator Johnny Key Senator Linda Chesterfield Senator Robert Thompson Senator Jane English Senator Jonathan Dismang Senator David Sanders Senator Eddie Joe Williams Senator Ronald Caldwell
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Senator Missy Irvin And the following House members and
Chair
Unverified
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shall also be appointed to retrieve the governor. Representative John Charles Edwards, chairperson. Representative James McLean. Representative Marshall Wright. Representative John Burris. Representative Charlie Collins. Representative David Meeks. Representative Matthew Shepard. Representative David Fielding. Representative Tommy Wren.
Representative Andrea Lee. Representative Stephanie Malone. Representative Jeremy Gillum. Representative David Branscombe, Representative Terry Rice, Representative Alan Kerr, Representative Mary Slinkert, Representative Kim Hammer, and Representative Duncan Baird. Please go escort the governor to the chambers.
Members, we'd like to take this time to introduce the doctor of the day, Dr. Michael N. Moody of Salem, Arkansas. Dr. Moody, welcome. Thank you for being here. And our nurse of the day is Geraldine Rambeau. I don't know if I've seen Ms. Rambeau. She must have stepped out. Welcome to both of you.
Unknown speaker
37:46
Thank you.
Thank you.
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Thank you.
Speaker 17
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Mr. Sergeant-at-Arms, for what purpose? Mr. Speaker,
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admittance for the Governor of Arkansas, the Honorable Mike Beebe. Admit the Governor.
Speaker 51
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Thank you. Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen of the House and Senate, constitutional officers, Mr. Chief Justice, members of the court, distinguished
guest friends, and fellow Arkansans. There's been a lot written and
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said about how different this legislative session will be because of who you are and where we all are. Term limits and redistricting have brought in many new faces, both in leadership and throughout both chambers. There's been a lot written and said about how different this legislative session will be
because of who I am. Well, this is my 14th General Assembly as either a senator or a governor, and it will be my last regular session. However, my instincts tell me that this session will not be that different for either of us. We gather here for the same reasons that the previous 88 General Assemblies have gathered. Our fellow Arkansans selected us and gave us the task of acting in the best interest of our fellow men and women.
Our job is to show that we are up to the task, which, as always, carries with it weighty challenges, solemn responsibilities, and unique opportunities. My top priorities remain education and economic development. While we still have a lot of work to do in both areas, our accomplishments continue. For a second consecutive year, we are ranked fifth in the country for overall K-12 education. Now, there's one category in there.
Actually, there are two categories in there that we're still too
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low in. The one that's the most pressing is the raw scores of our students vis-a-vis their counterparts across the country. We've made progress, but not nearly enough. If we can bring that up, we can move from fifth, ultimately to
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first, and we can tell the governor of Maryland he can get out of the way.
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We continue to work toward bringing new jobs and investment to Arkansas,
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and I plan to ask your help to bring in one of the biggest projects this state has ever seen. Details on that project are still to come. When I was sworn in as governor in 2007, I promised to attack the onerous state sales tax on groceries. With the help of three previous legislatures, the grocery tax has incrementally fallen from 6% to 1.5%.
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This being my last regular session, there is an urge to finish the job now.
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I could propose a bill to remove the rest of this tax from our books, save the one-eighth cent put on by the voters through the Constitution. However, while building the budget, it became clear that I could not make such a proposal in good conscience. With the challenges we face, I don't see room to cut this tax at this time without endangering needed services, but I still want to plan for it.
Speaker 51
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There are monies that will become available to further cut the grocery tax.
We're just not sure when. Chief among these
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are the state's ongoing payments to the Pulaski County School Districts after the desegregation ruling of the 1980s. We know these payments will end. The only question is timing. I propose that we pass legislation to make grocery tax relief the first call on this money when it becomes available. That may not be for another year or two years or even more. But when it
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happens, this mechanism will be in place to make the final cut in the grocery tax and put that money into the pockets of Arkansas taxpayers.
Speaker 53
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While my proposed balanced budget covers a wide range of important state services, it is clear that Medicaid will receive the lion's share of attention, and rightfully so. During the Great Recession, we avoided the steep cuts in Medicaid services suffered by other states. Our ability to prevent budget shortfalls and to attract new jobs also improved our national ranking for per capita income. This
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is a difficult ranking to improve.
And while we still strive to further our progress, this accomplishment has come with a price. Our existing Medicaid programs are funded by a combination of federal and state monies. Arkansas has paid about 25 cents of every Medicaid
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dollar spent here, and the feds have picked up 75
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on per capita income. Now, our improvement in those rankings has reduced that federal match from a 75-25 split to a 70-30 split.
Every percentage point of our state share represents about $50 million in general
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revenue. When combining that with other rising health care costs, we calculated a Medicaid funding shortfall of about $300 million. dollars. Now, the size
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of our shortfall has been a moving target as costs and utilization in a program as large as Medicaid tend to fluctuate with so many components in play. Now that we're
halfway through our current fiscal year, our Department of Human Services is conducting its regular review of Medicaid programs. And after looming larger and larger, the size of our Medicaid shortfall does now appear to be shrinking. That's not going to vanish, but it appears that it will be more manageable. Because of a number of factors, including our first of its kind initiative to contain health care costs and improve quality of care, Arkansas's Medicaid program is seeing
its slowest growth in 25 years. Officials at DHS are still crunching numbers, and we will share those numbers as soon as the work is complete. We will have resources available to address this shortfall, at least in part. My proposed budget includes $90 million in new ongoing general revenue and $70 million
in one-time surplus funds. Even after we calculate revised numbers, we will still be short of our full funding for our existing Medicaid programs. The vast majority of Arkansans who currently receive Medicaid services are either elderly, nursing home residents, disabled adults, or children insured by our Kids First. There are no easy cuts to make around the margins. We will continue to fight fraud, waste, and abuse, but that battle has been fought for
years and will not provide a significant new untapped source of relief. Any cuts will adversely affect real people, fellow Arkansans who depend on that service or those services that we provide. I assigned our Medicaid officials the wrenching task of deciding where they would cut if they had to. There were no simple answers. The proposed list that they compiled is one that none of us want to see come to fruition.
It appears now that we will avoid the most painful of these cuts,
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including the level three nursing home care provided to thousands of elderly Arkansans. Those of you that provided leadership in the House and in the Senate together with our office are of one mind that the last
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thing we'll ever do is throw folks out of nursing
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homes. There's another important discussion to be had about a very different group of Arkansans
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than the elderly, the disabled, and the children who are currently insured
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under Medicaid. There are thousands of Arkansas families living in homes where one or both parents work, but where health insurance is
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not affordable. Very rarely do adults of working age qualify for Medicaid, and rising costs have led more companies to drop insurance coverage for their employees. These families and individuals are often referred to as the working poor.
And we have a real chance to provide them better access to health care. Just last summer, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act as constitutional. The benefits, costs, and insurance mandates that you like or dislike about the law many call Obamacare will continue going into effect this year and the next. That decision is made by somebody else. However, the court threw all of us a curveball.
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The law includes an expansion of Medicaid to give more low-income working Americans an option for health insurance. And so the
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Supreme Court determined that it's up to each individual state, not the federal government, to decide whether to accept this assistance for their citizens. Here's what we know about expanded Medicaid. It would provide health insurance for up to 250,000 Arkansans who likely don't have affordable coverage available to them now. For three years, beginning in 2014, the cost for insuring those Arkansans
is picked up entirely by the federal government. A small state share kicks in beginning in 2017 and rises for three more years to a maximum of 10% in 2020. Benefits for some clients who currently receive Medicaid will shift from our current 30% share to the more generous federal-state split that accompanies expansion. The result would be immediate savings in existing general revenue. That savings could be utilized to further prevent cuts in other current Medicaid services.
While the Affordable Care Act has new requirements for larger businesses to offer insurance and enroll employees, there are no such requirements for businesses with fewer than 50 employees. Ninety-five percent of Arkansas' companies fall into this small business category, and many of them do not or cannot offer insurance to their employees. This means that many Arkansas workers will have no affordable option open to them without expanded Medicaid.
Currently, Arkansas is ranked as one of the best places in the country to start and maintain a small business. I think, if memory serves me correctly, we're ranked number two in all of America as the best state in America to start a small business. Now, if we have no insurance options available for our low-income workers, while more and more other states add those options, it will make us less business-friendly in comparison.
Available health care has always been an important component in economic development. One, speaking of jobs, there are 40,000 Arkansans employed by hospitals in our state and tens of thousands more work in other areas of health care. Many of these workers are seeing their hospitals struggle under increased financial pressure, and we have the opportunity before us to ease that pressure for both our hospitals and ourselves.
If you already have private insurance, health insurance, you're paying a tax that was never approved by any government or by our citizens.
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It's the hidden tax of uncompensated care. The tens
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of millions of Americans who don't have health insurance still get sick, and they still go to the hospital, usually to more expensive emergency rooms. And hospitals don't turn them away, they help them, even knowing that the bills accrued will likely go unpaid.
Those costs often shift to other services and eventually manifest themselves in higher costs for health insurance. That you pay and I pay and everybody else who's not on Medicaid and everybody else who carries health insurance ends up paying. I chaired a hospital board for 10 years. I know they can't operate at a deficit. And it's part of what helps drive up the rest of our health insurance costs. A 2009 study found that Arkansas families with health insurance pay an estimated $1,500 in their premiums every year to treat the uninsured.
$1,500 in your existing premium. Hospitals also bear the burden of uncompensated care costs, and some are strapped to the point where their ability to stay open comes into question. And the struggle our hospitals face is about to get tougher still. Restructuring of payments of Medicare, not Medicaid, Medicare payments under the Affordable Care Act will mean even less money for providers. Somebody said, how are they paying for all this stuff? Part of how they're paying for Medicaid expansion is they're cutting Medicare.
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And that happens whether you take Medicaid expansion
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or not. Without help, some of our hospitals in Arkansas, particularly rural hospitals, could be forced to close. This would be devastating to our small towns, both for the care of their residents and for their future economic prospects. That doesn't need to happen. The money is available. It's our decision whether to use it. Expanded Medicaid can keep open those hospitals and keep them operational. It can give 250,000 Arkansans the chance to lead healthier, more productive lives.
It can ease uncompensated care and relieve the hidden tax that we all pay. It will create additional private sector jobs. We just have to say yes. Are you worried about the eventual cost share to the state? I am too. So I had our Medicaid officials do the math. They factored in the projected impact to current Medicaid services, and they looked at where the reduced uncompensated care will free up more existing funding and using very conservative calculations. They also examined how the hundreds of millions of federal dollars being injected into our economy will bolster our other revenues.
At our peak share, when the state starts picking up 10% of the cost in 2020, the estimated annual impact to our general revenue budget is less than $5 million a year. Are you worried about our national debt? I am, too. I've been talking about it for years. pining for the day when a Democratic president from Arkansas and a
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Republican Congress came together to give the U.S. budget surpluses and put us on a path to eliminate our national debt.
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Now, you talk about bipartisanship. the current president of the University of North Carolina is Erskine Bowles and at one time he was Bill
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Clinton's chief of staff in the White House the leader of the Senate was the Republican senator from Mississippi Trent Lott and the leader of the house was the speaker of the house the Republican representative from Georgia Newt Gingrich and Clinton sends Erskine Bowles to sit down
with Gingrich and Lott to work out a long-term solution to the debt that our country had incurred and our children and our grandchildren were going to have to pay for it. And for
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weeks they didn't get anything done and nobody trusted each other. And when they finally figured out that nobody was running and talking out of school, they decided maybe they could trust each other. And those two Republican leaders in Congress and that Democratic White House sat down working together in a way that led us to three consecutive years of a surplus
well on our way had things not changed to the removal of the American debt for the first time in this century. We can do things together as
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Republicans and Democrats, and they showed Notice it was possible at that time in Washington as well. So those that are
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worried about the effect of the national
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debt, I join you. I worry about it too. But that needs to be done in Washington.
You can't do it in Little Rock. We balance our budgets and we don't need to sacrifice our share of federal money to other states. Refusing money to help our people may make a statement to the federal government, but it will cost us more at home, will jeopardize the health of our fellow Arkansans, and won't solve the problems of our national counterparts. I've made my case for Medicaid expansion. I'll continue to do so, and my administration will share whatever Medicaid information we have. The final say, however, will be yours.
I hope you'll talk with your constituents and make the best decisions for Arkansas. I'm a product of who you are. I spent 20 years on the other end of this Capitol in the Senate, a body I love. I respect the legislature and the legislative process because I am a part of it. The legislative branch of government is the first branch of government for a lot of good reasons. Our founding fathers set it up that way. You're in charge of the public policy of this state, and you are in charge of the money.
Governors and presidents get a lot of ink, both good and bad, but the members of Congress and the members of the legislature are truly the people's representatives that have been given the greatest amount of power by our Founding Fathers. I am always cognizant of that. I grew up that way. My political career started that way. I don't just defer to
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you. I honor you and respect this system that's been in place for over 200 years.
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Well, besides Medicaid, there are many other decisions that we'll make this session. We'll ensure that our schools have adequate funding to continue our push toward excellence. Our recent state Supreme Court ruling raises serious questions about the long-term path of Arkansas educational policy, and it may require us to act legislatively in the short term. We've asked the court to revisit the matter, and we'll see what they decide. But we remain mindful of our men and women in uniform as well,
those protecting us at home and those abroad. And we have to take steps to help military families who find themselves stationed in Arkansas. I'm supporting legislation to join an interstate education compact to give incoming students of these families a smoother transition into our school. Not only that, many military spouses want to contribute to the workforce while they're here,
and they have professionally licensed skills to offer. We'll also have a bill to help get them licensed and ready to work in Arkansas while they're here supporting their spouse, be it
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any other place. My proposed budget reflects our economy's continued recovery. We
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were able to bring to budget new general revenue to address education and the Medicaid shortfall.
Otherwise, there are few increases in this proposed budget. There's money to restore tanker contracts for our forestry commission to help them with the next wildfire season. And we'll shore up the Department of Correction funding that has relied too heavily in the past on rainy day funds. Our goal of equity between our higher education institutions will be further addressed in a small, modest way. And I'm proposing a modest 2% cost of living adjustment for our state employees after they lost
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their proposed adjustment in the 2011 session.
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While a small number of key issues will draw the most attention, we
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must be aware that our entire state will need our continued stewardship. We continue to watch the bar move ever lower for efficient and effective government in Washington, D.C.
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Constant rancor and division show us that those who make cooperation and bipartisanship impossible only make gridlock and resentment
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inevitable. Endless Congressional budget battles result in half measures that barely address problems and delay real solutions until the next big fight.
That next fight will likely come while we're here in session. We must resolve not to let Washington's animosity seep in and poison our well of civil discourse. Arkansas cannot change the way things are done in D.C., but we can continue to set the example of how men and women with differing views can
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still come together in the best interest of our citizens.
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During my years as governor, I've spoken time and again about the intangible changes we're seeing in Arkansas, how our sense of who we are as a people continues to evolve, how our fellow Americans and the rest of the world view us in a different and more positive light. We've made progress while others have struggled just to hold steady.
Our years of fiscally conservative budgeting have kept our challenges manageable rather than unthinkable. We are no longer an afterthought for Fortune 500 companies looking to invest or to international businesses seeking a North American hub. It is imperative that we not stop now. Our investments in our state and in our people are paying dividends. You stand on the shoulders of all the Arkansans who sat in those seats before you.
They came, as you have, from every part of the state, walking in these doors with varied backgrounds and intentions. Yet, whether they were Democrat or Republican, from North Arkansas or South Arkansas, representing a rural district or an urban district, they've come together through communication and cooperation to serve our people. Their history is yours to continue. Just as the history that you make will inspire future legislatures.
We will keep our budgets balanced, remain focused on education and economic development, and give our people opportunities to find prosperity, support, and peace of mind. The legacy we build here in this capital will lay a stronger foundation on which we'll all build Arkansas's destiny. let no one doubt our resolve to do our duty to those we serve today and to remain good stewards
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The House will reconvene in five minutes. The Senate will reconvene in 10 minutes.
The joint session of the 89th General Assembly is hereby adjourned. Thank you.
Unknown speaker
1:11:17
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Speaker 25
1:21:47
Representative Baird, for what purpose? Motion. What's your motion?
Representative Duncan Baird
Unverified
1:22:04
After the announcements, reading of the bills, placing the calendars on the desks, amending members' own bills with their own amendments, members withdrawing their own bills, finalizing resolutions, reading communications, and any remaining committee reports, I move we adjourn until 1.30 tomorrow.
Chair
Unverified
1:22:19
Proper motion. All in favor, say
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aye. Any opposed? Motion carries for any announcements. Representative Wilkins, for
Representative Butch Wilkins
Unverified
1:22:28
what purpose? What's your announcement? The ASU and the Jonesboro Chamber of Commerce will hold a reception tonight from 5 to 7 at the Presidential Library. We haven't heard with the weather, but if the weather changes, that may change. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Representative Rod, for what purpose?
Representative Marshall Wright
Unverified
1:22:47
Announcement. At 2 o'clock down in room 171, the Senate Judiciary Committee is having an information session about the Arkansas judicial system and the way it works.
I think it might be particularly helpful for those, especially on judiciary. Representative
Representative Darrin Williams
Unverified
1:23:03
Williams, for what purpose? Announcement. Recognized. For the chairs and vice chairs of A and B and select committees, we're going to meet today, 1.30 to 2.30 and 3.00 to 4.00, those meetings are going to be canceled due to the weather. So if you're going to go to the chairs or vice chairs meeting today, those meetings are going to be canceled today due to weather. We're going to reschedule those meetings on tomorrow.
A committee, chairs, and select committee of joint performance review, energy, and rules will meet at 2 o'clock to 3 o'clock From 3 o'clock to 4 o'clock, B committee chairs and advanced communication and technology and retirement chair and vice chairs will meet. Same place, fourth floor conference room. If you have any questions, chairs or vice chairs, see me or see Kay and we'll get you straight. Those meetings are canceled for today. One additional announcement, all members have a mailbox in the quiet room by your district number. Every
has mail. Please check your mailboxes. Thank you. Representative Meeks, you're recognized for
an announcement. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Aging
Speaker 101
1:24:22
Youth Committee will have their organizational meeting tomorrow, 10 a.m., room 130. Representative Baird, you're recognized for an announcement. Yes,
Chair
Unverified
1:24:30
the Joint Budget Committee will meet
Representative Duncan Baird
Unverified
1:24:33
tomorrow morning, 9 o'clock, for the first organizational meeting. Representative Fielding, you're recognized for an announcement.
Chair
Unverified
1:24:43
City and County Local will meet tomorrow at 10 a.m. in the Big Mac B. Representative Meeks, you're recognized
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
1:24:52
for an announcement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Arkansas Prostate Cancer Foundation is giving free prostate cancer screening to the gentleman out front until noon, so I'd highly recommend the gentleman take advantage of it. Representative Malone, you're recognized
Chair
Unverified
1:25:09
for an announcement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Representative Stephanie Malone
Unverified
1:25:12
I'm not sure how to follow that one up.
Just a reminder that Rules is going to be meeting in room 151 at noon.
Chair
Unverified
1:25:20
Rules 151 at noon. Representative Collins, you're recognized for an announcement. Thank
Representative Charlie Collins
Unverified
1:25:24
you, Mr. Speaker. The Tax Committee is going to be having an organizational meeting tomorrow at 10 a.m. in room 151.
Chair
Unverified
1:25:31
Representative Harris, you're recognized for an announcement. Public Health, 10 a.m. Thursday. Not tomorrow, Thursday. Organizational. There will be several agencies there to present kind of an overview of what they do. Thanks.
Speaker 18
1:25:45
Are there any other announcements? Read the bills, Mr. Clerk. Senate Bill No. 1 by Senate Efficiency, an act for the expenses of Arkansas Senate of the 89th General Assembly, appropriation for the 2013 fiscal year. Without objection, read the bill a
Speaker 27
1:26:10
second time. Senate Bill 1. Calendar. The house stands adjourned until 1.30 p.m. tomorrow.
Agenda
House called to order by the Speaker of the House, The Honorable Davy Carter.
Roll Call of the House of Representatives.
Invocation by the House Chaplain, Reverend Greg Addison, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church, Cabot, Arkansas.
Posting of Colors by Arkansas State Police Color Guard. (After Posting of Colors, then Pledge of Allegiance to be led by Representative Debra M. Hobbs).
Speaker Carter recognizes Representative James L. Word for motion to dispense with reading of the Journal.
Introduction of House business.
Reading of bills.
Recess for Joint Session to begin at 10:30 a.m.
Call to order by the Speaker of the House, The Honorable Davy Carter.
Roll Call of the Senate by the Secretary of the Senate.
Electronic Roll Call of the House by the Chief Clerk.
Invocation by the House Chaplain, Reverend Greg Addison, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church, Cabot, Arkansas.
House led in Pledge of Allegiance by Representative Debra M. Hobbs.
Speaker of the House, The Honorable Davy Carter, recognizes visiting dignitaries.
Speaker Davy Carter recognizes Parliamentarian Finos "Buddy" Johnson to announce the results of the General Election vote for President and Vice President of the United States, the United States Congress, Proposed Constitutional Amendments, and Ballot Issu
President of the Senate, The Honorable Mark Darr, announces the Senate Committee appointed by Senate Pro Tempore Michael Lamoureux
Senator Paul Bookout, Chairperson
Remarks by The Honorable Mike Beebe, Governor of the State of Arkansas.
Announcements.
Documents
No documents posted.
Speakers
Chair
Unverified
Speaker 3
Speaker 5
Speaker 10
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
Speaker 16
Speaker 17
Speaker 18
Representative Duncan Baird
Unverified
Speaker 27
Speaker 28
Speaker 6
Speaker 32
Speaker 34
Speaker 2
Speaker 38
Speaker 21
Speaker 46
Speaker 49
Speaker 51
Speaker 53
Speaker 57
Speaker 58
Speaker 59
Speaker 79
Speaker 60
Speaker 73
Speaker 95
Speaker 25
Representative Butch Wilkins
Unverified
Representative Marshall Wright
Unverified
Representative Darrin Williams
Unverified
Representative Davy Carter Chair
Unverified
Speaker 101
Representative Stephanie Malone
Unverified
Representative Charlie Collins
Unverified