House Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative & Military Affairs
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Bills discussed (7)
| Bill | Title | Sponsor | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
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HR1034
· 3 mentions in chapter, transcript
Matched: “HR1034”
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Pre-2017 bill | ||
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HB1790
· 2 mentions in chapter, transcript
Matched: “HB1790”
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Pre-2017 bill | ||
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HR1035
· 2 mentions in chapter, transcript
Matched: “HR1035”
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Pre-2017 bill | ||
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HB1709
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…t this time, we have Representative Edwards here to present House Bill 1709. Representative”
|
Pre-2017 bill | ||
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HB1971
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…Harris. Thank you, Mr. Harris. I apologize, we'll now go to House Bill 1971 by Representative Edwards.”
|
Pre-2017 bill | ||
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HR1005
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HR1005”
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Pre-2017 bill | ||
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HR1030
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “you're recognized to present house resolution 1030 for”
|
Pre-2017 bill |
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We need to take a motion to suspend the rules and do that, so I will entertain that. Representative Walker has a motion to go ahead and do that. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Any opposed, no. Motion carries. At this time, we have Representative Edwards here to present House Bill 1709. Representative
Representative John Charles Edwards
Unverified
0:24
Edwards, you're recognized to explain the bill. Thank you, Madam
Chair. Here on House Bill 1790, I have an amendment that I'd like to introduce.
The purpose of this amendment, this is an amendment that I have worked with the DF&A contracting official, Jane Benton, and one of their attorneys, Ray Pierce. Okay, we'll go ahead and
pass that amendment out. Thank you. Thank you.
Representative John Charles Edwards
Unverified
1:22
Thank you very much. What this amendment does, again, Mr. Pierce is one of the contracting attorneys with DF&A and Ms. Benton works that program. I've had several meetings with them and Arkansas, and this actually goes back to my first visit to this committee and Mr. Walker, Mr. Walker challenged me to do more for veterans and this is my attempt to do so. currently has no specific language that deals with service-connected disabled veterans.
And so what this bill with the amendment, what this amendment does, it sets permissive language for the state to set goals for our service-connected veterans that have a disability rating of at least 30 percent and that's the crux of the of the amendment members you've
heard an explanation of the amendment are there
any questions seeing no questions is there anyone in the audience who would like to speak for the
amendment against the amendment representative Benedict you're recognized yes thank you representative Edwards
Chair
Unverified
2:42
I think this is the very least we could do for our service-related disabled veterans, I'm honored to make a motion that we do pass. MS. We have a motion to do pass in the
amendment. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? No. Motion carries. Representative Edwards, you are recognized to present your bill as amended. MR. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Representative John Charles Edwards
Unverified
3:04
And at the appropriate time, I
would also request that the gentleman seated with me, Colonel retired Mike Ross. Ross was my brigade commander in the 39th Infantry Brigade, and I think it's kind of fitting that Colonel Ross is here with me today, as well as Representative Walker, because we were all together at a Memorial Day service out at the State Veterans Cemetery, and I was very pleased to see John Walker there that day, because there weren't a whole lot
of us in public office that were there at that event, and it goes to my point as this. This nation hasn't had a draft in a very, very long time, and the burden of protecting this nation is on a very small number of citizens and their families, and as Representative Benedict noted, I don't think that we do nearly enough for our veterans.
There are stories, and I'm not going to go into here because I am going to stay on the bill, but Madam Chair and members of this committee, I mean, this nation, these service-connected veterans, and I'm not talking about just veterans. I'm a veteran, but I would not qualify for anything under this bill at all. I've had the good fortune to come back in one piece. I don't have any kind of service rating at all, and I hope it stays that way. But there are a lot of people who come back, and because of the frequency of the deployments that we have today,
they have had a really difficult time in finding their employment. Some people, and we have many members of our Guard and Reserve that have been self-employed, And I think what this bill will do, it will establish a framework that if you are a service-disabled veteran, number one, and you have a qualified business, number two, is the business of a service-disabled veteran, and it has to be 51% owned and operated and with daily business operations, and this is very important,
and someone who's actively engaged in the operation of the business, then the state of Arkansas can make every attempt to establish contracting goals for individuals who meet these criteria. I don't think it's a whole lot to do. We currently have absolutely nothing in this arena, and I think this bill would be a positive start. And if I could, again, I know time is short. We won't belabor the point, but if I could just ask Colonel Ross just to say a couple of words
about how this could help our returning service-connected veterans. Colonel Ross, if you would, go ahead and state your
name and who you're with for the record, and you're recognized.
Representative Tim Summers
Unverified
6:10
I'm Colonel Mike Ross. I'm retired from the Arkansas National Guard after 37 years of service and working full-time for the National Guard. I commanded the 142nd Field Artillery Brigade and I also commanded the 39th Infantry Brigade.
I served in combat with John Nicole, that's the governor's liaison over there, one of our members. But I want to take just a second and say thank you for the work that you're doing and for recognizing our veterans. The Nick Bacon Remembrance Act that y'all passed and has been signed, I serve as president of the Arkansas Veterans Coalition. And when we put that message out to our 260,000 veterans here in the state of Arkansas,
that didn't cost very much at all for the state to implement. But I want to tell you, it sent a very strong message to our veterans and our veteran population. Calvin Coolidge once said that a nation that forgets its veterans will soon be forgotten. And I'm asking that everyone in here continue to remember our veterans and think of the sacrifices that they go through. The 39th Infantry Brigade, when we deployed in 2003 through 2005, we lost 36 soldiers over there.
We had 350 combat-related injuries. And I want to tell you, when we came back home, it didn't get any easier. Nick Bacon, a great friend of mine, Nick told me that, he said, Mike, you know, it's tough training soldiers for combat. He said it's even tougher fighting in combat, but the biggest challenge that you're going to face is taking care of these soldiers when they come back home. And if you'll look at what our Vietnam population went through and are still going through,
We don't want to make the same mistakes that we made with them. So, again, we work hard for our veterans out there, making sure that they readjust. They're having readjustment problems. I lost five soldiers immediately after we got back from Iraq to suicide. Suicide is the highest rate right now that it ever has been in the military and higher now in the National Guard and the Army Reserve and our reserve forces than it ever has been.
And people are just having trouble readjusting. And it's important that we continue to send strong messages out there to take care of our veterans, to let them know that we're taking care of them. Many of our veterans gave up their businesses, their practices, and lost everything to go serve their nation and come back. back and that readjustment was just extremely hard and a lot of them may not have physical wounds but they may have unseen scars and it is it's a tough adjustment I tell everyone
you know I went over there I came back a different person but I came back to a lot of different people again I want to thank you for what you're doing for our veterans and thank you for the support of this bill thank John for the hard work that he's doing here and a high school friend of mine right there Gary Stubblefield we're both County Lyon high school graduates Gary good to see you thank you Colonel Ross members
you've heard an explanation of the bill representative makes you're recognized for a question
Chair
Unverified
9:57
thank you madam chair Colonel Ross let me say thank you for your service as a fellow veteran I kind of know what it's like and I appreciate your many years of service to our state and to our nation my question would probably be for representative Edwards do you know of any other group that receives a preference in state contracts and if so how would this bill I mean if you have two groups that have preferences how would they determine or
how would they make that determination as to who's awarded
Representative John Charles Edwards
Unverified
10:26
and that's a very Very fair question. This is one of the issues that Mr. Pierce and Ms. Benton raised, so that's the purpose of the amendment was to make it a goal, to have it to be a goal so we would not
have to deal with that conflict. Thank you, and I would like to make a
Speaker 27
10:45
motion at the proper time. Any other questions?
Representative Gary Stubblefield
Unverified
10:54
Representative Stubblefield, you're recognized. It's good. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It's good to see
you too, Mike. It's been a long time since I've seen my friend. You know, I was thinking one of the symptoms, when you study all the great civilizations that's ever existed, one of the symptoms that brought those civilizations down was their failure to recognize their military, their war heroes. And we don't need to do that. But, I mean, I have the utmost respect, and I hold these guys in the highest respect.
I was there when the veterans came back from Vietnam, and I saw how they were treated. And had I not been in college, I would have been there myself. But this is a good bill, and I think we need to pass it. Seeing no
other questions from the committee, is there anyone in the audience who would like to speak for the bill? against the bill not record up representative Elliott you met oh thank
you madam chair motion is proper time thank you we have one from representative meeks so I will go ahead and recognize him for a motion it's
Chair
Unverified
12:06
my honor to be able to make a motion of do pass on this bill recommended
do pass as amended so I'm sorry do pass as amended we have a motion do pass as amended all in favor say aye any opposed no motion carries congratulations representative Edwards you passed your bill
members at this time we will hear house resolution by representative Tommy Baker represent Baker
you're recognized to present house resolution 1030 for
representative baker you're recognized thank you madam chairman and there are amendments to the bills, although the
amendments are engrossed in the bill. It's already in there, so you can go
ahead and begin explaining it. Thank you, Madam Chairman. Members of the Committee, I am presenting House Resolution 1034.
This bill was filed in anticipation of a high school basketball team in my area that had a perfect sit record, but we thought that they were going to end up state champions, and so they did. This is a high school championship basketball team, and we want them to get the proper honor that they deserve, and we're trying to coordinate this with when they can come and receive that recognition. I'd ask that we pass this resolution.
Members, you've heard an explanation of the resolution. Vice Chair Powers, you're recognized for a question.
Representative David "Bubba" Powers
Unverified
14:17
My question, Mr. Baker, is were you confident enough to file this bill prior to the state championship game? I filed it in anticipation and hoped that it would happen. I understand. Apparently, you were right. Congratulations. Thank
Chair
Unverified
14:33
you. Representative Harris, you're recognized for a question.
Representative Justin T. Harris
Unverified
14:37
Thank you, Madam Chair. Baker, do you think I should support this bill since you beat my team, West Fork Tigers?
Well, there can only be one number one, so we just happen to be
that one. I'll give you that one. Thank you. Representative Sanders, you're
Representative David J. Sanders
Unverified
14:57
recognized for a question. Isn't it also true that the Rivercrest Coats also won their high school championship in football this year as well? That's right. I had a little experience playing against, and John Hubbard has a little experience coaching against the Rivercrest Colts way back in the day. Okay. Good bunch of athletes over there.
Yeah, and I think that's going to be the next resolution that we're going to
Representative David J. Sanders
Unverified
15:21
ask for. There we go. Well, we should have just put them all together. Okay. Are they planning on winning a baseball championship, Mr. Baker? And have you already filed that? Well, I can't
see that far, but they did win the track championship last year, so we couldn't count that in this year. We can amend this if we need
to. Thank you. Seeing no further questions from the committee, is there anyone in the audience who would like to speak for the resolution, against the resolution?
Representative Justin T. Harris
Unverified
15:50
I have a motion in my pocket
if you'd like. Representative Harris, you're recognized for a motion. Since River Crest beat West Fork, I make a motion that House Resolution 1034
Speaker 15
16:21
All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed, no.
Motion carries. Your resolution passes. Next, we'll go to House Resolution 1035 by Representative Baker. You're recognized to present the resolution. Same school, many of the same
players, same results. And we'd ask that you pass this resolution
so we can have that team down for recognition. And I believe they beat Cersei, so. Members,
you heard an explanation of the resolution.
Representative Elliott, you're recognized for a question. Thank
Representative Efrem Elliott
Unverified
16:56
you, Madam Chair. A motion at the proper
time. Do we have any other questions from the committee? If not, is there anyone in the audience who would like to speak for the resolution? Against the resolution? Representative Elliott, you're recognized.
Representative Efrem Elliott
Unverified
17:16
Thank you, Madam Chair. My motion is do pass.
We have a motion. Do pass. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed?
No. Motion carries. Congratulations, Representative Baker. You passed your resolution.
Thank you. And Madam Chair, I advise your vice chair that we wanted to consider Representative motion resolution house memorial resolution all right members at this time we will
hear house memorial resolution one zero zero five representative Baker you're recognized to present the resolution thank you
madam chair and committed this gentleman that represented claim is recognized and happened to be in my district but he was one of her elementary school teachers and a lifelong citizen of that area and did some tremendous things along his way to better the condition. As a matter of fact, he was one that expanded education in some communities from 8th grade to 10th grade and eventually to 12th grade.
And Representative Clemer got contacted by many of her fellow students and asked that we give this guy the proper recognition members you've heard an explanation of the resolution are there any questions
seeing no questions is there anyone in the audience who would like to speak for the resolution against the resolution seeing then what's the will of the committee have a motion be passed by
representative Benedict all in favor say aye any opposed no motion carries Thank you very much. Thanks. Congratulations. You passed your resolution. Thank you. And thank you for your
Endurance Committee. That's it. Thank you, Mr. Harris. Thank you, Mr.
Harris. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Harris. Thank you, Mr. Harris. Thank you, Mr. Harris. I apologize, we'll now go to House Bill 1971 by Representative Edwards.
Representative John Charles Edwards
Unverified
19:43
You are recognized to present your bill. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll call this a companion piece. It adds service-disabled veterans as designated by the United
States Department of Veterans Affairs to the meaning of minority under the Minority Business Economic Development Act. Members, you've heard an explanation of the
bill. Are there any questions? Seeing no questions, is
there anyone in the audience who would like to speak for the bill, against the bill?
If not, what's the will of the committee? We have a motion due passed by Representative Benedict. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed, no. Motion carries. Congratulations.
You passed your bill. If not, we stand adjourned until Wednesday.
Agenda
Call to Order
HB1790
HR1034
HR1035
HR1005
Adjournment
Documents
No documents posted.
Speakers
Representative Stephanie Malone Chair
Unverified
Representative John Charles Edwards
Unverified
Chair
Unverified
Representative Tim Summers
Unverified
Speaker 27
Representative Gary Stubblefield
Unverified
Representative Tommy Lee Baker Chair
Unverified
Representative David "Bubba" Powers
Unverified
Representative Justin T. Harris
Unverified
Representative David J. Sanders
Unverified
Speaker 67
Speaker 15
Representative Efrem Elliott
Unverified