House Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development Committee Part 1
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Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
0:00
So it's just kind of old hat for us. One announcement, we will meet today from 10 until just before 1 o'clock. The committee will recess at an appointed time for 15 to 20 minutes to have lunch. Committee and staff only. I'm sorry I cannot feed the multitudes. We will reconvene upon conclusion to lunch, like I say, until just before 1.
Then I will tell you that we will reconvene this afternoon at the speaker's pleasure. We will go into session up on the third floor at 1 o'clock. At appointed time, the speaker will recess us. We will come back for an hour to hour and a half of AGRA meetings to continue our fun. And then we will go back. He will tell us when we will come back into session. That is our daily schedule.
I hope my, what I would like to do today is get through our agenda. So here's my plan. When we get to some of these items that are high profile, I want everybody that has signed up I would love to hear you all speak there's no way in God's green earth that's going to happen we may have to limit debate so many minutes aside I'm sorry that many of you have come such a long way and not be heard
we cannot physically do that but for you that do get to testify if you've got new information for us that's great we'll listen to it But what's the old saying? Let's don't go over plowed ground, okay? If you've got a well somewhere that's not doing you proper, I don't hear about your neighbor's well that's not doing well either. You understand where I'm coming from, and I will correct you. Like I told my committee the first day, we'll follow Robert's Rules of Order,
but I also have Brown Rules, and I'll let you know what those are on an as-needed basis. Do we understand? Thank you. we will be fair the first item on the agenda today is house bill 1913 by speaker robert moore mr moore if you'll have a seat at the end of the table and recognize yourself you may begin thank you mr. chairman members of the
Speaker 3
2:36
committee i'm robert moore i represent robert's rules of order mr moore if you Excuse me. I believe you have an amendment. Yes, sir. I do have an amendment and agreed upon amendment by staff will hand that out the stakeholders in this bill.
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
3:12
Seeing no discussion on the amendment, do I have a do pass on the amendment, all in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Like sign. The amendment is
Speaker 3
3:29
adopted. Speaker Moore, you may begin, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm going to be very brief. This was a program that was started in the 87th General Assembly, an agreement between Game and Fish Commission, Parks and Tourism, and Department of Rural Services to utilize
some of the monies from the Fayetteville shale revenue that was acquired by the – through property owned by the Game and Fish Commission to be used for a trails funding program with Parks and Tourism and a recreational facilities program with the Department of Rural Services. This bill is merely to continue the pilot program that was established in the 87th General Assembly. Because of funding issues created by the lawsuit, the program hadn't been in effect long enough
to really be evaluated as was intended in the original legislation. Parks and Tourism is here. Rural Service is here to testify that this is a good program. Game and Fish Commission is here, wishing they had more money to put in the program. now they don't but this basically is just a bill that will continue that program between the parties involved and I appreciate a good vote we have questions about the committee representative
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
4:44
love motion or proper time I also
do hear other questions anybody in the audience
will speak against this bill for the bill represent your love your motion Recommend do pass, Chair. We have a motion do pass. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed like
Speaker 3
5:07
saying. Thank you. Speaker Moore, that was a tough sell, but you did. Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. I hope this sets the precedent for today's
Speaker 4
5:19
business. Amen. Just like this one. Committee, next we have House Bill 1955, Representative McCrary.
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
5:31
Representative, if you would have a seat at the
Representative Walls McCrary
Unverified
5:41
end of the table and recognize yourself, you may
begin, sir. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have another good bill here that shouldn't take very long. Everyone should be for this. It's Bill 1955. It's an enabling legislation of Amendment 82. And what this bill deals with is implementation language concerning economic development about
Act Amendment 82 that we've already passed. It does two things. It takes out the language that requires investment by an industry of more than 500 million and that creates more than 500 new jobs, the super projects. That language comes out, and what it does, the language is more flexible. It lets the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and the Arkansas Development Finance Authority have more flexibility in entering an agreement with a prospect.
Mr. Chairman, I have Gene Eagle, Vice President of Arkansas Development Finance, with me
and would like, with your permission, for him to have an opening statement. Mr. Eagle, if you would recognize
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
6:52
yourself for the record, we are being recorded. You may begin, sir. My name is Gene Eagle, Vice
Gene Eagle
Unverified
7:01
President for the Arkansas Development and Finance Authority. I'd like to thank my representative. He did a great job explaining this. I don't know that I have a whole lot more to add to it.
It pretty much was self-explanatory. I would be happy to answer any questions that the committee may have with regard to the changes that are
Representative Fredrick J. Love
Unverified
7:27
the committee? Representative Love. Thank you, Chair. Just possibly
a couple of questions. Number one, how many projects do you believe you missed out
Gene Eagle
Unverified
7:40
on by having this standard in place? This was originally adopted in 2004. We were competing for potential for an automotive
assembly plant in Arkansas. Since that time, the economy has changed. There's probably not going to be an assembly plant built, but there are a number of other good projects that Arkansas could have competed for around the region, and I would say that there's been as many as 20 or 30 that the State Economic Development Commission responded to, identified that they were interested in, but couldn't quite come up with the public investment in the infrastructure that was necessary to land the job-creating projects.
Representative Fredrick J. Love
Unverified
8:16
Okay. Also, Mr. Engel, tell me, do you think that we shouldn't have any standard there? Because
I'm pretty sure that this standard was in place to ensure that there was a maximum investment. And, you know, job growth is important, don't get me wrong, but do you not think there should be any standard
Speaker 11
8:42
that we should meet for projects? That's a
Gene Eagle
Unverified
8:44
good question. The thing that when you look at the $500 million investment, the 500 jobs, that was all going
to be based upon a rate of return to the state, an economic benefit analysis. There were several other projects that were less than that in capital investment, less than that in terms of jobs, but still created the same type of economic benefit to the state. That's going to be the major determination, is will the project pay for itself and pay for the debt service on the bond issue? If it doesn't cover the cost of this investment by the state, then it won't be done.
This is all going to be a very open process. The legislature is actually going to be the body that makes the decision to authorize the two agencies to move forward. would never be issued for
Representative Walls McCrary
Unverified
9:38
a project unless you tell us to represent just love may I add to that if you put say say your district or your area had a 200 million dollar project and 200 employees well if it hit right under that you've
lost it we can't do anything the whole purpose of going to the people and getting this amendment changes so there would be flexibility so that everyone in this room regardless of what city what county what district you're in have the opportunity to
Agenda
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Speakers
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
Speaker 3
Speaker 4
Representative Walls McCrary
Unverified
Gene Eagle
Unverified
Speaker 20
Representative Fredrick J. Love
Unverified
Speaker 11