Transportation, Technology & Legislative Affairs - Senate

Now it's on okay. Thank you Mr chairman thank you Committee I'm the invite District eighty seven and today I'm present house bill seventeen twelve. Thank you Sir so when we pass the speed trap bill a few set sessions ago There was such with need to deliver the clean up on it because if a state trooper or a county officer actually stop somebody within the city limits what we would consider maybe beyond the speed trap it counts against the city and we had a couple of cities that got audited and their numbers were too high because it was actually a tickets that were written by a county sheriff or a or state trooper so this is just trying to clean that up saying that it doesn't count against on if somebody else writes within what would be their city limits. Thank you Mr chair so representative Vaught do you think this is going to create a scenario where the city council and local work together and just keep perpetuate its speed trap. I don't think so I'll do this if it does we'll come back and we'll clean it up yet again Sir how about that. So that's not what we're trying to do more hope and that's not what happens that was just a couple of cities that had gotten audited because of it and I might follow up on what you said Sir board and and our representative what you're probably aware of the representative backs bill we had a municipality that was kind of got caught in that I hate say trapped were over use that word but the. If you got a ticket is a hundred dollars and you is failure to appear and the fine kept inching up the only thing it counted toward the the speed trap law would be the initial amount the ticket because some this particular city had a lot of low income people only gosh I just don't have the money and we we we may continue to have to tweak this so thank you for offering to do that any other questions a representative all. Okay anyone the audience like to speak for or against the bill we don't have a signed up to. Okay if not you're welcome to close your bill because I appreciate a good vote okay motion do pass by Senator board your second. Second by Senator Rice. Any discussion all in favor say aye aye opposed congratulations Mister chair for let me go first and you will committee thank you ma'am Senator English is not here she has okay for Senator board to run her concurrence in a House amendment and also for our young people present if we pass a bill here and it goes to the house and they amended they change it has to come back to this committee to be reviewed on the amendment and if everything's okay with that we approve it and then we finally pass it goes to the governor from the floor your record centreboard you're recognized present the concurrence the amendment on Senate bill three seventy six thank you Mr chair senator Justin Boyd district twenty seven here to present president this concurrence on Senate bill three seventy six so if it goes through and it cleans out division of information system and substitute division several places and and basically everywhere else is it basically says. Make sure that we are having a law that directs us to violate other state or federal law and so it's just really a clean up amendment to make it better and more functional thank you any questions Senator board about to is B. three seventy six. Okay. Anyone from the audience like to speak for against the concurrence of the original is I mean in the bill. Amendment rather. Okay if not you're welcome closed center I'm close for the concurrence and would appreciate a good vote make a motion to pass okay we have a motion do pass this second by Senator Hill and any other discussion if not what's will committee all favor say aye. Posed is passed thank you will help Senator English we got it out without even being here okay now is senator Patty here. If he's it chassis out there if he is. Okay what will keep going up. Who is which one. Let's. A lot okay I see Richmond Watson would you like to go Now watching thank you. Your. Recognized to present House Bill fifteen eighty four. Your committee members. Please identify yourself record thank you Mr chair committee members good to be here state representative Danny Watson District eighty eight. Get the bill number here fifteen ninety four House Bill fifteen eighty four committee members this bill does one thing it codifies to have the notice is posted online instead of the traditional way which was the new the news permit this is absolutely all it does in the ninety third General Assembly when I was a member of the house transportation committee we met and it was asked if we could hold up only going online until the ninety fourth General Assembly to make sure we have a transition period to have a working a website online website this is accomplished the wanted work is fact the name of the website is Arkansas lost although it is now processed over twenty five hundred delinquent notices for the customers that need to potentially try to find their a vehicle that was towed in this all it does is just codifies it to have it posted online as to the newspaper nothing else changes okay Any questions for because the representative Watson Senator Hill. Representive what's that that's one kind of clarify complains because we've had some other bills that have come for different committee including this one for the tow truck drivers to me this looks like a way that the tow truck drivers can sales on that they don't own again without publicly going for with everything how do you feel about that I've never heard of that up I have never dwelled on that as you can see the look on my face I don't know how to answer that there's someone here that can Just look around the room here I don't see anybody but I've been the got one back here we we've got his mother Bills stadium where US we in your committee let you testify Sir in just a moment after senator heels question if you can but I'll I'll have to bring to the table to do that of. Can can you take one from a representative or senator rice and absolutely absolutely. You mentioned that the the post twenty five hundred. Vehicles. But what I heard of it in. There's been twenty five hundred searches have already been done on that Arkansas lost protect the particular website and by the way I think everybody knows is the bill is a specifies non consensual towing and nobody knows what that is a state trooper runs a political season one into right away no one's around many many times these cars aren't worth the toe they leave them there something's got to happen nonconsensual neat means nobody called unless the the trooper or how we police whoever calls for the next record will call come pick it up we gotta get out the way impound lot to be involved in the parents have a due to do something to get really signals. Okay I'm going back to the deal that we've had and City council of were pulling this out of the. The. Brandt That's what I thought you should have been twenty five hundred post your standard been twenty five hundred hits it is being utilized understand the way it was going to me it's been the eleven attorney ad bill I mean is that a good number I've. Yeah here's my this led me to it I live alone. I realized times change and and in retail business I look at advertising changes have to. But I don't see our population is totally change it younger generation made it all on this. Relations to election paperwork and while I'm reading the news I read notices I'm not going to get on the website I'm just not going to go up for something if it's there in my daily routine I get it others to so that's what I call. Hard wired versus wireless and I'm hard to understand thank you senator. The representative what that's going to kind of go along with what the senator rice just said we have a lot of people and in the state of Arkansas we have not done our job is for broadband goes I know we're trying we're way behind on the internet service and everything else I just don't know if we're to that point yet to wear a different different generation look at thing totally differently still look the paper I'm I was Senator Rice as to actually read the paper I like the hard copy of it and so so that still kind of feel like there's a lot the generation I hear that do not have a access or several that do not know how to use the internet and everything else I think we're. Kind of put them in a bind that's my personal opinion on that just different generation. Of. Limit let me follow up on center hill and senator rice's comments representative. Watson I I've had two instances in my what my life for I I will call myself victimized on this once I have a car catch on fire between little rock and Conway and the Mayflower volunteer fire department quickly came and put it out in a tow company was called by somebody and they towed it to their lives. And I. Was overwhelmed I went in thinking well I'm going to win fifty Bucks or this was a few years ago seventy five Bucks tile and and get it and they had I will say pancaked on a lot of fees you know a hundred and fifty dollars a day to store my car in my flower and I love my flowers in my district but it's a little high rent you know for one day and and talent Mayflower and then the real kicker was that they added all these charges and then they added sales tax well they didn't know that I work in that realm and I went to the then Commission sister commissioner revenue and set up I didn't think they charge sales tax on this and he said no they're not supposed to that's not a taxable item at least it wasn't at that time I think we've added so you when someone pose your car you're you're you're in a weak situation they have your car and then a few years later I had another car that had been damaged and it was parked at a lot next to take the place at which haven't worked on and he was frankly he was kind of a squatter and putting it over the line on the other people's property and that will was towed and I was notified within about five days that it presents a lot and it cost me over six hundred dollars to retrieve it so I I'm I'm a little hesitant to to take away at this point in time and and I think Senator have made a point that. When this becomes the main thing to do anything then perhaps this might be a great idea but I'm a little slow to to to do that quite so soon representative so can do you want to respond to that. Totally understand of. Miljan broadband while ago in and then that's ever going it will be going on through the rest of this year as you know to to make things better for the whole state Arkansas not just inter city but where we live role and understand about the being slow to adapt I finally got to eke out from under my fingernails it took me awhile to gas I'm just say it had encouragement from younger forty one year old son dad get with the times I'm just say and so I'm going through the same stuff as far as a. A reference to what we're talking about the of the and privy of the notices and I totally understand that Okay Senator hill I think you want to hear from jail in the back of city could answer your questions it's a. A. If your questions Senator actress. Okay great any other questions for a representative Watson. I do you square two oh no I do can actually read the paper by electronic means but I still read the paper they forced us to and and your you've got a local paper that's probably not online. And that's and that's important we do and I know we're in a transition but might be loan respond as soon Senator Rice right there because of okay we'll just just just just for the record I think Senator rice's is up of time to get you can read as a paper on the old on his laptop or a computer but we have several out here that may be quite a bit older than Senator Rice is that that are pretty and. Just have not learned. At his computer over time and knows the people who are I considered part of the greatest generation that I think feel like we're forgetting about. Okay of. Any other questions for representative Watson if not is anyone in the audience that life would like to speak for against the bill. If not represent Watson you're welcome to close. Well I gave my testimony and I appreciate it I understand everybody Ali and we in with this if you have it in your heart to go forward only appreciate a good vote but I appreciate the time to be before you today in the committee thank you thank you Sir what is the will of committee Mister motion. President Watson your bills fail for lack of a motion I appreciate the work you've done and perhaps another session this might be an idea that's times come but we don't get it out today. The thank you my friend. Thank you of. Meeks of. Senator Patty your here you will go the entire we've got about four Bills you may have more than I don't know. The one for representative wing yes well you're going to have we're not going to batch that but I think we are going to batch all those from representative peers if that's okay with the committee. Let me let me. The chair will entertain a motion to batch House Bill sixteen thirty two sixteen thirty three sixteen thirty five and sixteen seventy one. motion but by Senator board to bachelor second question yes Sir or those part of the package from who. Who uses. Yes this is our state police back yes this is that's what I thought but I wanted that but thank you all right thank you senator rice and that is this is a package that the sample and we have our two state troopers here if we need a specific of questions on that real fast yes Sir they're paid in the past for motion could you just kind of briefly skim over and I say brief them about thirty minutes for all thirty seconds for all of. I'll rules. Thirty thirty so just it brief description of in order senator okay entered into by yourself for the record it was. We need we do need a second on the motion to batch. The second by Senator let's let's let's do that are are this motion referred to all favor the motion to batch the fifth four Bills. House Bill sixteen thirty two House Bill sixteen thirty three House Bill sixteen thirty five and house bill sixteen seventy one in a batch there's a motion to match those we have a second all in favor that motion say aye aye opposed. The the bills are batched and if you will go through them in order senator Patty we will. Right to go in order I have the personal overlap feel free to do but but specifically don't dwell too long on any of them that's why we're batching of. Sixteen thirty. Sixteen thirty two is clean up due to a Supreme Court ruling dealing with refusal to take blood to test. Sixteen thirty three is simply raising the property damage we know things are more expensive and currently they have to ride they have to call a police officer if there's a thousand dollars damage this raises to three thousand dollars sixteen thirty five deals with passing on the left lane when the person in front of you is signaled that they're turning left and then. When it when an individual is attempting to turn left has their signal on and it's in a passing zone and the person behind them proceeds to try to pass them on the left hand lane. Which could precipitate an accident which has precipitated many accidents and then sixteen seventy one is dealing with used car dealer licensing laws there's a variety of things that have been occurring like not providing titles in a timely manner temporary tags being improperly used and and then not giving bill sales or modifying the bill of sale. And this gives them the ability to to find for those violations. Okay a. Any questions on any specific one of the four Bills. and we also have our state troopers here if there's any specifics on that. Okay what hi we have our our current lieutenant colonel do you wanna come to the table and just address these can you all you dress all at one time and what one appearance feel do that and. Lisa. And if I yourself for the record. Lieutenant colonel J. with the Arkansas state police H. B. sixteen thirty two this is a clean up from last session we just missed it a commercial motor vehicle statutes side and so we just came back and removed blood on it implied consent okay and sixteen thirty three three sixteen thirty three we're changing it from a thousand dollars to three thousand dollars requiring a crash report just due to the expense of automobile repairs so if you have a Two thousand dollar more less damage than you don't have to get a police report that's correct okay we under this bill okay up in sixteen thirty five this is on the left are a sixteen thirty five thousand Petty explain it an individual's signal to make a left hand turn at a give that person the right away when somebody's trying to pass it. Police officers worked at crash all the time in the law is very great on who's at fault during this clarifies a lawyer so we know is a violation yes Sir all right thank and finally the this will I'm more interested in set sixteen seventy one has to do with on used motor vehicle dealer for the licensing laws how we clean that up right now there is no penalty there there's not an ability to find anybody anything for a violation so this does allow up to a thousand dollar fine. I'm. I guess since I've ensure transportation I noticed this more but when I see temporary tags I checked the date I don't know it's amazing how many or well I have if not years parts to that is you know to check on we've got of course we want people to register vehicles to be able to find but if they're not paying the sales tax that's a serious revenue hit to the state of Arkansas for one of those that we see and so we we you know we you got to pay your taxes and that's part of the that so will this affect that at all or is there more of a thing it does there's a traffic that you already in place for that okay for that violation well good because I wanted her to use what if there was a okay of any other questions for a Kerner. Okay anyone else in the audience like to speak for against this bill. If not serve. Senate pay you're recognized to close I am closed and this is for all four Bills and senator hill your motion. Or do pass on the back of that our second seconded by Senator board. Any discussion by the committee. All in favor say aye aye opposed congratulations until a representative peers we passed all four was bills just like that thank you Mr thank you. The next one the next one is house bill seventeen sixty five representative wing and centre Petty is caring that four. Thank you Mr chair this this deals as we all know electric vehicles are gaining in popularity and due to the toxic nature of the batteries in electronic vehicles we needed to establish some rules for both towing and and storage of the vehicle HB seventeen sixty five enables the proper regulatory body the Arkansas towing and recovery board to formulate rules regarding the towing recovery and and storage of electronic vehicles that is lacking these vehicles are very safe under normal circumstances but when you have an accident they become very toxic and when the battery packs are damaged they must be handled differently than other accidents and so we need to be prepared to address that and this bill essentially is is allowing them or and or encouraging enabling them to prepare rules to govern this which will come for the Legislative Council for approval which will come before the election I'm not saying I wanted to say this kind of for the record I've working on some other E. V. issues I had a bill I've sent in our study related to the vis and full disclosure must my colleagues now I drive a Tesla I'm aware of the all the good things as well as the pitfalls if you get hit just right intestate could the battery could shorten could cause a fire and you can always put it out under the same circumstance so we need to make sure our our toll operators in our our first responders know that there's a lot of things are working now to begin training of first responders how you would deal with electric car truck firing and in addition to the you don't want you we don't want to first responder tow truck driver electrocuted or anything. In either so this is a good bill but I think we'll we'll go beyond asking the board to to promulgate rules will probably add a little bit more is for an interim study so any questions or questions anyway for a Senator Petty. All right anyone in the audience like to speak for against the bill. if not hi what is will the committee motion do pass by Senator Hill seconded by Senator board and discussion. All in favor say aye hi opposed Bills pastor thank you Sir thank you Mister. Okay of. Sir board is going to run house bill twelve thirty seven by representative Johnson. With your permission Mr chairman again state senator Justin Boyd district twenty seven presenting house bill twelve thirty seven you're recognized thank you so there's a situation I know what happens in Fort Smith but as far as I know it could happen anywhere else in the state maybe does happen somewhere else in the state but what's happening is taxi cabs got a taxi cab company that has had liabilities against it and then what it does it declares bankruptcy and then it just go review it reforms is another corporation and so right now there's a requirement for it you know there there are certain requirements on what it takes and one of the requirements is a fifty thousand dollar bond so if you had an accident and someone got hurt your taxi cab you have up to fifty thousand dollars so what this bill does is it seeks to address the situation where that could happen and it increases the bond amount from fifty thousand to two hundred fifty thousand dollars niner stand as I understand it that's the same requirement we we require like those little scooters that around town you know that those kind of those things yes the that's what I understand from representative Johnson that that's the amount to that is required for that it also does increase the fine if there's a locally mandated but if the municipality requires additional insurance requirements it increases the five for five hundred dollars to a two thousand dollars so that's really what it does that's the background behind it happy to do my best to answer any any questions. Senator Rice. The make any difference to me but I noticed on the impact statement it says the required bonding mount from fifty thousand to a half million when the bill bill says fifty thousand to two hundred fifty thousand. Yes what I I'm I'm gonna be honest I read that as well my assumption was that was amended though which is does. Because it does go from fifty to two hundred fifty thousand the language in the bill is clear but I read the same thing on impact statement. So. Any other questions. I'm sorry Sir rise. Okay right we we discriminatory or or some other honest mistake when we do that but the bill is what it is yes it's correct okay I'd rather the bill be correct and the analysis have a top than the other way range and whenever I've talked to representative Johnson understand the bill he specifically said two hundred fifty thousand dollars as well so that's that's the intent hi this is not issued on the okay that's. Okay thank you okay so she's there to what was said is there was an amendment and there wasn't a fiscal a statement presented. Where it was changed to two hundred fifty thousand dollars okay and again that's amount of the bond it has nothing to do for revenue for example yes okay any other questions for senator board. Anyone from the audience like to speak for against this bill. If not was will the committee. And I'll second that the past by Senator Hill second by Senator board any discussion all in favor say aye aye opposed no bills passed thank you senator board okay we're gonna go over to the second page of. Senator Tucker has a bill and these are to act I believe these are two new bills aren't they. Whitaker Is he here is seen. Okay thank you Chris Four pages the Arkansas mention with other committees meeting at the same time sometimes Senator Murdoch's not a we have to move around and read over here do that it It that we're keeping those plates spinning on the sticks but we we I'm trying to to be a little more lame at this this time of the session because everyone is in that situation today with all the the stuff going on trying to wrap up tomorrow so What if he's not here it is there is center Penzo here or the someone that's gonna run that bill for Senator pens. We hope. Can't move on to another one. I'm glad we since. Senator while waiting maybe we are state troopers level you go tell them to apprehending that but only on different I do want to say congratulations to senator Boyd I feel like he topped Senator Hammer on the number of bills this session. That's impossible no one can top Senator Hammer. But but he actually had substantive bills. you can't finding groups. He to you text to them okay thank you Mr call of we'll we'll sit here just a moment I don't want to. Yes we we will have recess for about two minutes. Any. Senator like anything website since we have a captive audience of young people that you might can educate anything you want to say to. These are pages for today Sir Murdock and they're from course from all. I'm sorry. Okay said he can't get. Okay well this is going to have a life in okay. We're gavel back in are there any other business to come before the committee. I wanna thank everybody for being here I want specially thank our staff and just couldn't Mary for all y'all do it is just I could not dent done it without these ladies and and and it doesn't matter on the weekend or whatever if I need to text just because she responds and they make it all happen and and I had this is true of our tire staff but especially these two ladies for this committee so please help me joining given. Okay we'll fears no other business we will adjourn this committee and we'll see him maybe in two years we will have better meetings to see their we we are journey. What else might.