House State Agencies and Govt'l Affairs Committee
Video
Transcript
Bills discussed (5)
| Bill | Title | Sponsor | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
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HB1298
· 3 mentions in chapter, transcript
Matched: “HB1298”
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Pre-2017 bill | ||
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HB1797
· 3 mentions in transcript, chapter
Matched: “Rep. King, if you're ready to explain your bill, House Bill 1797.”
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Pre-2017 bill | ||
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SB304
· 3 mentions in chapter, transcript
Matched: “SB304”
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Pre-2017 bill | ||
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SB315
· 2 mentions in chapter, transcript
Matched: “SB315”
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Pre-2017 bill | ||
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HB1889
· 1 mention in chapter
Matched: “HB1889”
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Pre-2017 bill |
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Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
0:00
Is Representative Roebuck here? We've got someone to run Senate Bill 304. Which one's your? 315? We have someone to run 315. Mr. Steele, Representative Steele, if you'll take the seat. We'll get that out of the way here.
If you would, explain what you're trying to do down that end to the committee, and we'll
Representative Nate Steel
Unverified
0:40
try to move you out. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is Senate Bill 315. It probably looks familiar to everyone that's not a first-termer because it's been done, I think, in several sessions. Basically all we're doing is we're extending the sunset clause on the Homeland Security bill that uh... that keeps private information in terms of uh...
plans for four natural disasters or any other kind of attack or anything like that uh... outside of at a lot i believe uh... senator salentary this in the senate originally proposed to just make this permanent but uh... i thought of the better policy is going to extend another four years and so all we've done here is we've extended the sunset provision to twenty fifteen it's a it's been done several times in the past we've extended it two years by two years i think
three times maybe uh... and so this is just a another example of that i got a
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
1:37
quick question in several questions you're yours you're saying you want to extend it for four years that's correct this body
is only elected for two years can we can we have the we have the authority to extend something like that for over the length of our Election cycle? Certainly so. I think we can put
Representative Nate Steel
Unverified
1:54
a sunset provision on any bill for any period of time. I don't know of any problem with that. Representative Tyler, you have a question?
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
2:04
Motion at the proper time, sir. Any questions from the committee? I recognize your motion. Oh, wait a minute. Is anyone from the audience far against this bill? If not, Representative Tyler, for your motion. Motion do pass. We have a motion do pass. All
Speaker 15
2:23
in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed say no. You've
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
2:27
passed it, Representative Steele. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We've got a couple more quick ones we're supposed to take care of here. Representative Roebuck on House Bill 1298 on a concurrent Senate amendment.
Are you ready? Representative Roebuck is ready to present
Representative Johnnie J. Roebuck
Unverified
2:54
her bill, her amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Members, this is an amendment to House Bill 1298 that you passed out, and it's with agreement with my Senate sponsor, Senator Salmon, and we had to correct
the title. We found out that the Arkansas State Police now has a link to the database with the Missing Person Information Clearinghouse and the Arkansas Crime Information Center. So that will be an automatic notification. So we're very, very pleased to be able to amend this bill so that it's automatic. Any questions from the committee?
Speaker 22
3:30
What's the will of the committee? Representative Wilkin? Do pass, sir.
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
3:38
We have a motion. Do pass. Does anyone from the audience like to speak against the amendment for it? All in favor of the amendment, concurrent amendment
from the Senate, say aye. Aye. Any opposed? You've passed your concurrent amendment, Representative. Thank you. Very quickly, is anyone here on Senate Bill 304, Representative Rogers? You have an amendment. Is this what we're running, an amendment on Senate Bill 304? Do you have the, are you ready to run your, explain your amendment?
Representative Tiffany Rogers
Unverified
4:14
Yes. And I guess they're handing out copies as we speak. What the amendment does is just delete section one of the original bill in its entirety, and then
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
4:37
renumbered. What does section one of the bill say?
Representative Tiffany Rogers
Unverified
4:45
It was the issue of the on-call contracting. Okay. Any questions from the
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
4:51
committee? What's the will of the committee? We've got a
motion to do pass. Is anyone in audience who would like to speak against the amendment, for the amendment, all in favor of the amendment? Say aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? Say no. Aye's have it. You've passed your amendment,
Representative Rogers. Thank you. Now we're heading into our special order.
We have Representative Hoosh. You just did the bill. I mean the amendment, not the bill. It was the amendment, 304. It was the amendment. Did
Speaker 39
5:38
I say a bill? Yeah. Mr. Chair, I believe we
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
5:42
adopt the amendment as presented. we have a motion to adopt the amendment that was presented I thought we did all in favor say aye I think everybody was reading because we went through this process
you've adopted your amendment are you ready
to run your bill now I'm sorry we're trying to get the horse before the cart down here I'm just trying to go with the flow. I feel like we're in a
Representative Tiffany Rogers
Unverified
6:12
catacomb. We've got four pages of bills we've got to get out
Representative Tiffany Rogers
Unverified
6:23
The bill as amended before you eliminate Section 1 starts with Section 2. I have Ann Laidlaw with
me that is with the Arkansas Building Authority, and she will give us some further explanation of how it is presented at this point in time. You would state your name and who you're with. Please,
Ann Laidlaw
Unverified
6:50
name is Ann Laidlaw, Director of Arkansas Building Authority, and the amended bill now
strictly addresses the use of insurance proceeds for emergency contracting purposes and also restates current law regarding all subcontractors who must be licensed if they perform work for over $20,000. Those are all the changes at this time.
Speaker 22
7:15
Any questions from the committee? Representative
Representative Linda S. Tyler
Unverified
7:20
Tyler? Representative Rogers, a mislaid law. I'm not sure which one would
be proper to answer, But why did we eliminate Section 1, on-call contracting?
Ann Laidlaw
Unverified
7:36
Yes, ma'am. We found that in addressing that, that currently is a process that ABA is not utilizing in the contracting process because of the discrepancies that we were trying to address with the bill. But we found that there were some differences of opinion of the use of the on-call contracting. and so that we were asked just to leave it as
Representative Linda S. Tyler
Unverified
7:58
it is. So striking the entire paragraph doesn't leave it as it is, it eliminates it. No,
Ann Laidlaw
Unverified
8:04
ma'am, actually that provision of the law will stay there.
We were only changing one small portion that was going to be addressing a discrepancy regarding subcontractors having to be bid twice in order for a contractor to get a job order contract or on-call contract. So it's already currently in law, and that will remain in law. the change that we were trying to make to correct a discrepancy will continue to stay in the law. But it does not change the entity's ability to use the on-call contracting through job order contracting.
Representative Linda S. Tyler
Unverified
8:38
I'm going to try it one more time, and maybe it's just because I'm dense, and I know that is. It's Friday. So we've deleted Section 1 of the bill in its entirety. So we've deleted existing law. No, ma'am. We're just
Ann Laidlaw
Unverified
8:55
saying there are no changes in Section 1 of the existing. I don't think that's what your
Representative Linda S. Tyler
Unverified
9:01
amendment says, Representative Rogers. But if that's what you're trying to do, that's fine. But I don't think that's what your amendment says.
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
9:09
Are you through, Representative Tyler, or are you still in
Representative Linda S. Tyler
Unverified
9:20
a discussion? No, sir, I'm through, but I just don't think it's the bill, the
amendment is written, is accomplishing what she's trying to do. I'm just trying to be helpful here.
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
9:30
That's what we're here for. Representative Rogers, do you have a response to that, a clarification?
Representative Ed Garner
Unverified
9:39
Well, Representative Garner. And this may be a question for the Chair. If Section 1 of the bill is deleted, does that mean that perhaps Section 1 of the code remains? Yes. Thank you for
Representative Tiffany Rogers
Unverified
10:01
that wonderful explanation, Representative Garner. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Speaker 64
10:09
That would be my interpretation also, but we're going to get this clear. Rep. Nichols?
Speaker 71
10:25
I think the way the amendment reads, it would strike out this language in the code. What did you say? I guess the amendment says
Representative Jim Nickels
Unverified
10:37
delete Section 1 of the bill in its entirety.
If we are deleting Section 1, then we're deleting it from the code. When you do
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
10:54
it, this does not change the code. Clarification, we just have
been in contact with those on the third floor, and that Representative Garner's line of thought is correct and that it does not impact the... It does not...
Speaker 70
11:22
I just hope the co-revision people agree with Representative Garner. We always have
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
11:28
hope. But Representative Tyler, would you like to take up that question again based on the information we've received? No, sir, I think I have been satisfied.
Representative Linda S. Tyler
Unverified
11:40
Thank you, if that's correct. Still not quite sure, but if that's correct, that'll be good. Representative Tyler, it would have come
Representative Tiffany Rogers
Unverified
11:47
back with strikethroughs through the language that would have been with the intentions of deletion if it was going to delete it from
the original code. That's how it would have come back to us. us, but it doesn't. I would, what I
Representative Linda S. Tyler
Unverified
12:02
would have expected would be that line, the strike-throughs in line 29 through 32 would have been deleted, but that's okay. I assume we'll have it engrossed before we vote on it on the House floor? So that we'll
see how it's engrossed? Yes. Okay. Yes, ma'am, it will be.
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
12:26
Any other questions? Representative Nichols, are you through, or do you have other questions? I'm just glad it's going to be engrossed
Representative Jim Nickels
Unverified
12:32
so we can see what it will actually look like when we vote on the floor. Representative
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
12:38
Cheatham, did you have a motion? Representative Garner, would you like to make this motion? With the understanding that
Representative Ed Garner
Unverified
12:48
as engrossed, it will begin with Section 2. I move to pass. We have a motion. Anyone in the
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
12:55
audience would like to speak against this bill, Father Bill?
All in favor of the do pass motion, say aye. Aye. Any opposed, say no. You've passed your bill, Representative Rogers. Thank you very much. Now we're going to Representative King. We have a special order. And ladies and gentlemen, this will be most likely our special order
for the session. and our agenda is getting crowded, and we've got to move forward. So,
Rep. King, if you're ready to explain your bill, House Bill 1797.
Representative Bryan B. King
Unverified
13:35
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I would certainly, if we want to run this bill as fast as the two previous ones and get them out of here, I'm all for that too, you know. But thank you, Mr. Chairman. With your permission, I have a handout that needs to be passed out to the committee with your permission.
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
13:53
Well, the staff will pick it up, and we'll look at it and make that judgment call. Okay. Thank
Representative Bryan B. King
Unverified
14:04
you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, members of committee.
House Bill 1797 is the photo ID requirement to vote. We know that photo ID is not a new procedure. We have to use a photo ID to rent movies, board an airplane, even students and my daughter have to present a photo ID of who they are when they have to take some of the college entrance exams that they have to take. This session, a bill was passed to show a photo ID for pseudoephedrine, ephedrine products. Past sessions, we know that photo ID bills have been passed to sell even very minimal amounts of scrap metal.
This bill is about protecting the integrity of the voting process. In my county, the veteran poll worker who knew everybody in a polling station is a dying breed. I mean, and those people were very good at preventing what could be voter fraud in those because they knew everybody. But as my county has changed in bigger precincts, we know that that's going to be an issue.
The reality in most neighborhoods is that anyone can walk off the street, sign the voter registry using any name on the roll, and cast a ballot. From past headlines from the 2000 and 2004 elections, it was discovered that thousands of people were double registered. Not just a few people, but thousands were registered in North Carolina and South Carolina. In 2009, when presenting this bill, when they were talking about voter fraud, when we tried to get this bill passed, we were surprised to hear skepticism
that some committee members about whether voter fraud really took place. And we knew that it did. Larry Gray, a Quorum Court member in Phillips County, pled guilty to numerous offenses involving voter fraud. And in 2006, a unanimous bipartisan committee in the state Senate alleged that the 2006 race for Senator Crumley's seat had fraud in it. Critics say, what about the elderly? And that's addressed in the photo ID and answered by saying, it's not hard to get a photo ID.
And I'm going to talk about that a little bit later, how we're going to work with the Secretary of State's office to be able to provide those situations where they can get a photo ID. If someone does not have a photo ID, their vote is cast as a provisional ballot, And that person then needs to present an I.D. before the provisional ballots are voted or counted by the Election Commission. Critics also say the bill will disenfranchise voters and decrease voter turnout. This is not true. Indiana originally passed this bill in 2005.
It then went to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court upheld what Indiana had done. And as you can see, if, Mr. Chairman, was the graph passed out? Yes, it was. If you look at the graph, you can tell that voter turnout actually increased in the elections after this law went into effect in 2008 and 2010. in. In trying to address the elderly question, as I was stating before, I've worked with the
Secretary of State that will, number one, try and work on coming up with the funding to provide the technical equipment for county clerks to be able to give photo IDs, much like the photo ID I'm sure most of us carry when we go down to the Capitol Hill Police and they take our picture to be able to put on a card. I mean, technology today, it makes it very easy to provide photo IDs and at a minimum cost. Let me say that this law can help determine evildoers' intent on
getting their way when they want to thwart the will of the people. It makes no sense, however, to resist the most obvious and easiest fraud protection requiring voters to show an ID. Isn't the security of our election system as important as these other standardized tests to present an I.D.? With that, I'll answer any questions, and I know the Secretary of State, Mr. Kelly, is here to help answer questions as well. Representative Kelly. Thank
Representative Larry Cowling
Unverified
18:25
you, Mr. Chair. You're not saying that we have to have a special voter I.D.
We can use our driver's license like we have now or anything
Representative Bryan B. King
Unverified
18:33
that's got a picture on it. Correct. Well, what I'm saying is it has to have an expiration date. I believe it has to be a valid photo ID with an expiration date, and I'll have to look up the language. But most people have a photo ID. I'm sure everybody, as some of the members I've talked to, when you go in to vote, they ask for your ID, and I show them my driver's license. And to address the people like the elderly people that do not have an ID, you know, they can go to the clerk's office and get a photo ID,
and the process would be much similar as we go get down to Capitol Police to get a photo ID to be able to come in and out of this building.
Representative Larry Cowling
Unverified
19:11
I know last election when I went in to vote for myself and all, well, they asked for my ID, you know, so they was asking IDs then, but this is just an updated deal on, I guess, the expiration date would be the biggest thing, wouldn't it? Well, I mean, the expiration date, but they
Representative Bryan B. King
Unverified
19:24
asked for it. And when I come in to vote, I mean, most of the poll workers know who I am. They ask for my photo ID, and I provide it, but I don't have to provide my photo ID to be able to vote.
If you cannot provide that photo ID, then you just cast a provisional ballot. Motion in a minute.
Representative James McLean
Unverified
19:51
Representative McLean. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to kind of echo what Representative Cowan was saying. I typically early vote, and that takes place at the Independence County Courthouse in Batesville, Arkansas. Everybody in that courthouse knows who I am.
The poll workers know who I am. And every single time, they ask for my driver's license. If I don't vote at the early vote, I go to the Calvary Baptist Church, which is my precinct polling location. They know me there. And for years, they have asked for my driver's license. And I was always under the impression that that was the law anyway. So I guess, Representative King, my question would be, historically has this been left to the discretion of the local election commission
to essentially ensure the integrity and the propriety of local elections? I mean, I'm kind of shocked that this wasn't in law anyway. i think a lot of those election workers
Representative Bryan B. King
Unverified
20:51
in counties like mine and yours when they ask for photo id i've seen situations where that person actually got offended and they tried to do that but you know you don't have to have a photo id to be able to vote in arkansas this would just make it a requirement and if they can't vote then if they don't have a photo id then they would have to vote provisionally it's not denying them access to vote if they do not
have a photo ID or you happen to forget it. It would just mean that your vote would be a provisional ballot, and then you would have to verify who you were
Representative James McLean
Unverified
21:23
to allow that provisional vote to be counted. I've always been under the impression if I did not provide an ID, I was not going to vote. And they've made that kind of clear to me in a nice way. But I'm just, I think this is a good piece of legislation. I'm going to support it. I'm just surprised that it's not currently codified. And I appreciate your comments,
Representative Bryan B. King
Unverified
21:43
because there are a lot of people that I talk to, they say,
well, I do have to require my ID. And I say, well, no, you don't. You cannot provide your photo ID and still
Speaker 108
21:55
sign in and vote. So I appreciate your comments.
Representative Donna Hutchinson
Unverified
22:01
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Representative Hutchison. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have two parents who can no longer drive, but you're correct. it was very easy to get a photo ID of them. It's not a huge requirement. And wouldn't you agree that it's better to stop fraudulent voting before it happens
than after it happens, which is what this would accomplish? I agree.
Representative Bryan B. King
Unverified
22:25
I mean, you know, we do know it's easier to get photo IDs. The technology is very low cost, and the Secretary of State is willing to try and come up with the funds to help county clerks make this possible. And I do think if certainly situations that we have out there that if I walk in and I know that I cannot, if I have scrap metal to sell and I don't have a, you know,
if somebody, not me, I haven't done this, but if somebody has stolen scrap metal, as we know has happened, and they go in to try and sell it, they're going to have to provide a photo ID and show who they actually are. And Representative Williams, and I helped him get that passed, did something that cut down on a very serious problem. So I think most definitely
Representative Jim Nickels
Unverified
23:16
this is going to help. Representative Nichols. Yes, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Representative King, I'm supportive of your legislation,
but I would like to know if this legislation requires some education of the election officials that, like Representative McLean was saying, he was afraid he couldn't vote at all if he didn't have a voter ID, that I'd like to see some posting at the polling locations that if you don't have a photo ID, you are allowed to do the provisional ballot.
I just hate to see people leaving the polling place without being informed that they do have the right to cast that provisional ballot, and I'd like to see that as part of the posting that may be at the polling place. Does your bill allow for that?
Representative Bryan B. King
Unverified
24:16
It does. It doesn't address directly, but what I will say is, as somebody that did serve not a long time on the Election Commission, I agree with being able to inform voters about possible things coming.
is helpful, and that's why the Secretary of State's part, they're going to promulgate the rules to be able to do this, so it will come through rules and regs, I believe, later, and they also have to come up with the funding to help the county clerks. So this law at the earliest would go into effect in 2013 because with the budget cycle, the Secretary of State's next budget would have to be allowed to have the funding, and once they come up with the funding, they would promulgate the rules and regs, and in my understanding, the Secretary of State's office can answer for themselves, they would be very helpful and do what they could to educate voters on
Representative Jim Nickels
Unverified
25:05
the new requirement. I know you won't be in the House in 2013, but if for some reason that's a notice requirement that you are eligible to cast your provision on the ballot, is not in some rule or posting you'd be willing to come down and speak in favor of that type of legislation? Yes, I would. But if you already know,
Representative Bryan B. King
Unverified
25:24
I'm not going to be here in 2013. That's why I said that. That's why
Speaker 126
25:28
you'd be willing to make it. Do you know something I don't know? Is something about to happen to Brian King?
Representative Jim Nickels
Unverified
25:36
No, just your term limited status is what I'm referring to. I'm
Representative Bryan B. King
Unverified
25:40
sorry. I know that I'm on the popular
Speaker 97
25:43
list of a lot of people down here, and they would hate to see something happen to me. And, you know,
Representative Jim Nickels
Unverified
25:50
I was just. But that's my only concern about it is that I don't want anybody disenfranchised
from voting. and sometimes how we interpret rules can have the effect of disenfranchising somebody. So as long as the Secretary of State understands my concerns, you understand my concerns,
and hopefully in whatever rules they adopt, there will be a proactive requirement that the folks without a photo ID will be given the opportunity to cast a provisional ballot and told how they would have to do to get their votes
Representative Bryan B. King
Unverified
26:22
counted. Yeah, and you had my word, Representative Nichols, that educating the voters would be a
priority, and I would keep my word on that, as you know. And I can tell you that we will have an election cycle to go through that would be allowable to help educate these voters.
And before that election cycle that came up, I think there's ample opportunity and certainly willingness on the Secretary of State's part to my part to educate
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
26:52
the voters. Representative Steele, did you
Representative Nate Steel
Unverified
26:57
have a question? Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have two quick questions. Are you aware of this being the law in other states, surrounding states?
Representative Bryan B. King
Unverified
27:07
That's correct. Indiana was the first state to require this in 2005.
It was challenged, and it went all the way to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court then upheld what Indiana was doing, And as you can tell by the graph, that, you know, voter turnout actually increased after this law went into effect in 2008 and 2010. My next question is
Representative Nate Steel
Unverified
27:27
how quickly can a voter get an ID? If an elderly voter were to go to the polls and try to cast a vote and find out that they're required to have a photo ID, could they go to the other end of the courthouse and get a photo ID that day within a few hours?
Representative Bryan B. King
Unverified
27:42
Oh, I'm sure so. It would be just as easy as you or I walking down over to the Capitol Hill office, proving, you know, looking at who we are and then going through the process and getting our ID much like we go in and out of the Capitol. So that process could be done. And then their ballot would be cast provisionally, and when the provisional ballots were counted, they would have their ID to prove who they are. So it would be very easy. Thank you very much. Thank
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
28:09
you, Mr. Chairman. I've got a quick question, Representative King, if you may. You raised the issue of the cost.
Being very familiar with the operations of election commissioners in our county, what cost are you referring to or referencing here on the increase of cost to just have a fair and equitable election? I mean, I think everybody in this table would like fair and election. So what cost are you referring to and how much? Do you have any ideas? You know, I don't have an exact dollar amount, and
Representative Bryan B. King
Unverified
28:41
we can work with the Secretary of State to find out that cost.
But as you know, when you go sit at the Capitol Hill Police and use a camera or much like, you know, I go to Jim Daly's fitness center and I have a photo ID, you know, the cost is minimum today, but we can find out the exact cost about providing the equipment to the county clerks to be able to use this. I don't know the exact price of the cameras and
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
29:13
that kind of thing, but it's not that much. Is this a reference to letting the county
clerks provide a photo ID for those who do not have another means of identifying themselves?
Is that what you're referencing to? That's correct, Mr. Chairman. I must have been reading some offline when you said that. I apologize. Representative Hobbs, do
Representative Debra M. Hobbs
Unverified
29:35
you have a question? Oh, I was just going to comment on the
Representative Linda S. Tyler
Unverified
29:41
photo ID, if it would be helpful. Representative Tyler? I was just going to ask
Representative Bryan B. King
Unverified
29:51
Representative King how often he went to Daly's Fitness Center. Not as much as I should have, should, as last session when everybody, you know,
Steve Harrelson was the Democrat leader, I was the Republican leader, and they ask a lot of times, what similarities do we have? And I said it was both our intense desire for physical fitness. And, you know, as you know, he runs marathons and he's triathlons and stuff, and I told people, they said, well, they would look at me and say, well, how are you two similar? And I'd say, well, I'm committed. I play fantasy football. So that's
Speaker 129
30:22
how committed I am to physical fitness. Representative Kaling for a motion.
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
30:29
We have a motion to do pass. Anyone in the audience would like to speak against
this proposal? Representative, would you set a table and state your name and who you're with
Speaker 141
30:50
and... Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm Graham Catlett, an attorney in Little Rock, and I've been asked by the ACLU to speak on the bill today. is more fundamental to our democracy than the right to vote. Voter photo ID impinges
on that right. The effect is to disenfranchise older, poorer, and minority voters. For instance, census data in Arkansas shows that 20% of the African American households do not have access to a vehicle so that they could travel to get a voter ID. Although the avoidance of fraud is a noble and important function of our election laws,
I believe we have enough laws already to prevent voter fraud. The examples that were mentioned by Representative King earlier show that people who commit violations of existing law are charged and can go to jail. The disenfranchisement of people in Arkansas extends not only to the elderly, the minority, and to those who are poor and can't get a voter ID, but it can also extend to people
who have recently come to Arkansas because this bill requires that the ID be issued by the United States government or the state of Arkansas. So an out-of-state driver's license would not be sufficient. There are a couple of other points that I want to ask the committee to consider. One is that the procedure for voting in person is different from the procedure from a mail-in vote.
You'll see in the bill that in order to vote in person on page 8, the voter ID is the only thing that is allowed to identify oneself. But when voting by mail, there are several other ways that a person can identify themselves in addition to the voter ID, including a copy of a current utility bill, a bank statement, a government check, a paycheck, or other government documents. So it is much broader if people vote by mail than if they vote in person.
Finally, let me say that if we were to enact a voter ID bill in Arkansas, I think it would be incumbent on us to do two things. One is to ensure that there is some state agency that can easily and readily issue these voter IDs throughout the state. This bill does not provide for that. It suggests that the Secretary of State on page 11 can issue a rule, but it says that
the rule may include the purchase of cameras and other equipment necessary to generate a voter identification card in the office of the county clerk. So there is no requirement that we issue voter identification cards in every county clerk's office throughout the state. And finally, in those states that have been challenged on this kind of a bill, the courts have held that there should be a voter publicity campaign so that people know that first, they
must have a voter ID, and second, where they can get it. And those costs are not addressed in this bill, and although Representative King states that he would work toward that, those are not in this bill as
Speaker 142
34:45
it's written. Therefore, I suggest that the bill do not pass. Thank you. Will
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
34:52
you take questions, sir? Yes, sir. Representative Garner. Thank you, Mr.
Representative Ed Garner
Unverified
34:58
Chairman. Mr. Catlett, is the ACLU your client?
Do you appear here as the attorney for them? I represent the ACLU and other clients. Thank you. Have you ever worked as a poll worker in an election personally? No, sir. Would it surprise you to know that while working several election cycles ago, I worked as a poll worker and was confronted by a man who insisted, who had a bill, a utility bill, and he insisted that he did not have to show photo ID,
and he was ruckus enough that they sent him over to me to verify his address, And he finally said, well, I do have a photo ID. And he produced that photo ID, and he slammed it down on the desk in front of me. And I asked him, does this represent your citizenship? And he said yes, and it turned out he was a citizen of Jamaica trying to vote in a presidential election. Is it the opinion of your client that by simply having a utility bill that we should allow citizens of other countries to vote in our elections?
Apparently it's the view of Representative King because that's what he would allow for mail-in votes. No, that's not answering the question. He had a photo ID of his home in Jamaica. He had a utility bill trying to present it in the polling place. to vote and became belligerent and when pressed easily solved the problem if you have a photo ID with your name on it and what he produced was a Jamaican driver's license and admitted
he was a citizen of Jamaica so my question again is is it the opinion of the ACLU that this man should have voted in our election if he's not a citizen or a registered voter he's not entitled to
Representative Donna Hutchinson
Unverified
37:02
vote. Thank you, sir. Representative Hutchison. Thank you very much for coming. I know many people say it's hard for those in rural areas. How would someone in a rural area get a passport or a visa?
Speaker 141
37:16
The passport process is, as I recall, through the post office. and so you can appear at a post office and obtain an application and then it's mailed in to the passport agency. Would that visa or passport then
Representative Donna Hutchinson
Unverified
37:29
be an accepted United States government ID? Passport would be an acceptable ID, yes, ma'am. Right,
Representative Donna Hutchinson
Unverified
37:37
10 years? Yes, ma'am. So just going to the post office would accomplish this requirement? Well,
Speaker 141
37:45
there's a fee for getting a passport.
They're not free. Right, but it would be good for 10 years.
Speaker 15
37:57
It would be good for 10 years, but it would require the voter to pay money. Thank
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
38:01
you. Any other questions? Is this a witness before the committee? Thank you, sir, for your testimony. Anyone in favor of this bill, speak in favor of
it, against? Representative Cheatham, you have a motion. You did not.
Representative Cowling is not in here, and he had asked for it. Representative Slinker? Do pass. We have a motion. Do pass. All in favor of the motion, do pass. Say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Say no. No. Motion passed. Representative King, congratulations. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, committee. Representative
King, while you're here, are you going to run House Bill 1298? Which bill is that?
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
38:51
remember. That's the bill. I mean, 1834. I'm sorry. I'm looking at 1834. The promote fair and competitive bidding practice by amending the bidding procedures and
Representative Bryan B. King
Unverified
39:02
requirements for state agencies. No, Mr. Chairman. And you
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
39:04
can move that to deferred list. Okay. Representative Slinker on House Bill 1889 is next. Ladies and gentlemen, we have about 15 minutes left before we go into session. Is this an amendment? You have an amendment.
They're passing out to amendment members as Representative Schlenker goes to the end of
the table. If you will, Representative Schlenker, explain your amendment
Representative Mary L. Slinkard
Unverified
39:42
briefly. Thank you, Mr. Chair and committee. This is amendment. As you may remember, you had requested several changes
as we discussed the bill of House Bill 1889. We've made several amendments, or excuse me, changes to that bill to include when the community college district contains one or two school districts within the county. The amendment also answers the questions about
that when there's only one candidate and the question of the rate of millage is not on the ballot. Also, in the last section... Representative Schlenker, you're talking on the bill. We need to talk on your
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
40:40
amendment. In fact, let's just hold it. Do I have a motion to approve, do
pass on her, Senator Slinker, Representative Slinker's amendment? We have a motion to do pass on the amendment. All
in favor say aye. Any opposed?
Now you can talk. Your amendment has been
Representative Mary L. Slinkard
Unverified
40:59
adopted. Now you can speak on the bill. Okay. This amendment, that's what it does, is to. As amended. Thank you. And this bill does so that it will, the community college will only consist of one or two school districts in the county. It also then says for those elections held at that annual school election that if there is only one candidate on the ballot and no millage question to be levied,
that the community college can request the county board of election commissioners to provide no polling places open on election day so that the election can be conducted by early and absentee voting only. And if that election is held at the annual school election, then the election shall be conducted on a separate ballot from the annual school districts and then that the local board of the community college will reimburse the county for the cost of that election.
I'll take any questions. We have discussed this with the other community colleges in the state, and for those who are elected countywide, they have no problem with this. Are you ready for questions? I am
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
42:34
Does anyone from the committee have a question to reference Lanker? No questions?
What's the pleasure at will of the committee? We have a motion, Representative Hodge. Yes, motion do pass, sir. We have a motion do pass. Is anyone in the audience? As amended. As amended. Is anyone in the audience want to speak against this bill? For this bill? We have a motion to do pass on House Bill 1889. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? You passed your bill as amended. Thank you, Representative. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. We'll go down the list. If there's anyone in the audience that has a bill that they'd like to try to run here in 10 minutes, is anyone on the list? We have 15 minutes. Do you have another one? You're on a roll today now.
I don't have my minutes. Could I pass a shell bill, maybe? All in favor of a shell bill being passed. The one that
I have, say aye. No, that didn't work. Ladies and gentlemen, there's nothing else on the agenda. No one has brought up the attention of any bills. Therefore, we are through for the day. We will see you all. Listen, before you leave, we're going to meet at 1130 Monday in this room to hear the last and one and only constitutional amendments,
and then we're going to vote on them. Then we're going to meet on Tuesday morning. The request of the Senate is to meet Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. on room 171 71 to hear a joint constitutional amendment meeting. Try to make it. Unfortunately, we've got a special language. There's going to be a conflict here. We've got several conflicts going on, but if
we can get a majority, we certainly would appreciate it.
11.30 Monday in
Agenda
Call to Order
SB315
HB1298
SB304
HB1797
HB1889
Documents
No documents posted.
Speakers
Representative Clark Hall
Unverified
Representative Nate Steel
Unverified
Speaker 15
Representative Johnnie J. Roebuck
Unverified
Speaker 22
Representative Tiffany Rogers
Unverified
Speaker 39
Speaker 42
Speaker 43
Ann Laidlaw
Unverified
Representative Linda S. Tyler
Unverified
Representative Ed Garner
Unverified
Speaker 64
Speaker 71
Representative Jim Nickels
Unverified
Speaker 70
Representative Bryan B. King
Unverified
Representative Larry Cowling
Unverified
Representative James McLean
Unverified
Speaker 108
Representative Donna Hutchinson
Unverified
Speaker 126
Speaker 97
Representative Debra M. Hobbs
Unverified
Speaker 129
Speaker 141
Speaker 142
Representative Mary L. Slinkard
Unverified
Speaker 155