City, County & Local Affairs Committee- House

Speak today sign up sheet to my left over here I ask you to sign up if you'd like to speak for against any bill on the agenda today. If without objection I'm going to pull them out of order today. Of SP three oh five representatives more would you approach the table. Please identify yourself and any guests you have and you may proceed. Thank you Mr chair thank you Committee my name is Jeremiah more representative district sixty one and today I have with me Alicia Austin Smith who is of the Revenue Division of. First Senate bill three of five. And miss Austin Smith is with Arkansas Department finance administration. So this is a a clean up bill from the FNA under current law county assessors and full time employees of County assessor's and other state employees who actively work with ad valorem taxes are eligible for professional development recognition payments currently the certifications earned during one fiscal year and then paid in the following fiscal year and a CD of the FNA authorizes payments and issues a ten ninety nine for this employee so what this bill does is it would transfer that payment that would go directly to that employee and I would go to their county offices that way the FNA in the state wouldn't have to issue a ten ninety nine tax payment and it would just roll right into the counties usual form of payment and the county would do that with holdings there is no revenue impact and as far as I know no one's no one's oppose the bill. If you have any questions be happy to come. Okay committee do you have any questions. Seeing none I have no one signed up to speak for against the bill what's wishes of the committee. Motion me would you like to close for your thank you that is all I would appreciate a good vote. Do you make a motion to pass no you're not in here are you you better not make one. On. Okay John represent right you made a motion to do pass any discussion on the motion. Seeing none all in favor say aye. Those opposed say no graduations your past your bill. UP next will be house bill twelve oh seven representive Underwood. I understand you have an amendment. Let everyone get the men in their hands and knowledge present the amendment. Okay identify yourself in and present the I'm. I can Underwood state representative district sixteen this amendment I worked with Municipal League on a few changes to the bill I have previously the bill stated that a permit had to be approved or denied within sixty days upon request municipally I have changed that to approve or deny or request revision within sixty days and then in addition there's a change that if if the applicant consents there can be an extension for a longer period of time to the permit process. That's I think that's all the changes that the amendment does. I have a motion all in favor say aye. Those opposed say no you may present your bill I think it's chair and in a moment I have a guest here with me and I'm a production and Anderson South in our yeah please introduce yourself. We go right next day a visiting fellow at opportunity solutions project and most of you would know me and my usual capacity as VP of comms at foundation for government accountability. Sure so this bill I called the the fast track permits bill essentially creates a shot clock for local permits to be approved and established the deadline of sixty days to be approved denied or with the amendment that I just mentioned the city or the local government requesting revision the bill does not require the city county or political subdivision to approve any permit and the reasons why we should pass this bill as it speeds up projects for entrepreneurs and builders I cuts red tape and just government doesn't run on time that means homes are built businesses in apparent open workers are hired I just wanna know as well that I believe in two thousand twenty one Florida under governor run to sentence passed a similar type mechanism they sing good results with that and with that I'll let Nick if he has any additional comments sure yeah. Sure I'll just be very brief all right now conversation with a lot of you know that with inflation out of control you'll realize there's kind of there's only so many things you can do in Arkansas because some of these things are happening at a federal level but you there are some things that can be done to help middle class families and who are frankly hurting right now and this bill is one of them. there been some studies that show that regulations can make up to twenty five percent of the final price of the new home and that delays can drive up costs for people building homes as well as for renters and ultimately local regulations shouldn't be the reason the family can't afford a home moved wanted ever hood or start a business basically this bill is three things it creates a sixty day shot clock for local permits in practice that means that a city or county would have to review a permit application and approve or deny it or ask ask for that change within sixty days the shot clock starts once the application is complete and assuming that there are no things outside of the city or county's control like the frequency that committees meet environmental permits and things like that and then finally it allows electronic communications which would make it easier and cheaper for cities to send notices a communicate with folks applying for permits and what represented Underwood said it's been implemented in Florida it's also been done in Minnesota so bipartisan reform good common sense legislation that should help drive economic growth. And we're happy to try to answer any questions. Committee do we have any questions. Seeing yeah usually. Represent college you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman Kerry says bipartisan who is the. The Democrat on the bill. And I believe what he was saying aye and other states that this is passed it was bipartisan legislation in other states okay now this one could be bipartisan and if you're happy to join I'm happy to add you to. A representative Dalby you're recognized thank you Mr chair I just wonder what's the position of the Municipal League or the association of counties the question I have not heard from associations association of counties like I mentioned the Amendment that I made was in by request of Municipal League I just spoke Mr Wilkes in a moment ago and I do not believe they signed up to speak against the bill. I'm committee I appreciate your time and close the bill. That. Congratulations you passed your bill thank you thank you committee for time. Hey. UP next is representative trainer and house bill thirteen forty one. Please introduce yourself for the record and you may proceed. Representative painter District three Baxter County in western Fulton County. H. B. a thirteen forty one it's really kind of a simple bill I in my. AS spect On yours tax statements that you get from the county you look in the box and it says worse my tax dollars go you have the taxing unit in the tax dollars you have the military rate which is real personal then you have a call on this call the effective tax rate real and personal you look at that percentage. that it is on some county tax statement and it's not on others like for Baxter County for example that last call has not been on a tax statement since two thousand and five. The tax collector's association the counties association come to me and say we would like to make all counties the same. With the collectors that I've talked to they come and see our constituents ask us what is that last column mean we have no idea nobody knows what it means so they would just like to have that taken off the tax receipt of my tax collector had had on two thousand five she's had zero people ask her about where that's been. So we're just trying to make all certify the same. And then the second part is is the collectors have told me. Yeah we get constituents to come in our office and say look we don't want a tax receipt bill the canceled check is good enough for us so they would like to they liked the building there is says upon the request of the taxpayer they can get a receipt the taxpayer can still get a receipt all I gotta do is ask for it no different than if you're doing are as or anybody else or you go to a restaurant sometimes you don't get a receipt let you ask for it and so they're looking at it say the county some the county some taxpayer money by only giving those receipts to the people that ask for it's not being less transparent stock keeping anything away from them it's just giving them when they when they ask for. That I'll be glad to take any questions because I know there are some. Okay. yes representative rye you're recognized yes Sir thank you thank you Mr chairman of representative painter it sounds great of but I just wonder no one ACT one little question here yes of you know like when they perform re appraisals and that valuation goes up this will not affect this does not affect any of that this does not just taking this one column off does not affect what we always fight over the millage rate. And also does not change your tax dollar amount on there it's that that column doesn't mean really doesn't take away from anything. Represent Collins rector. Thank you Mr chair well I mean you say that it doesn't affect transparency in information being provided but it really seems like it it does I mean we're getting rid of some information on the tax bill calculations in the sum of the militarists and then were not providing receipts is this a market or not to answer questions I represent Collins were not taken the millage rate or way not the millage rate but the calculations and three and four under this first section we're we're striking that's right we're we're striking that out yet because in the code it doesn't even tell you when you look at the code it just says it doesn't even tell you what those mean what those percentages supposed to add up when you look at your own bill it doesn't even add up to a hundred percent. I'm not understanding what you're saying so on there on the effective tax rate they're having the collectors are having people come in so what does this even mean we I don't want while we would have this is nobody can explain it to us we just want to know our tax dollar amount where it's going in the military that's it. Maybe some people don't want any more information but some people might and we would be taking information off the bill right. We could you be taken apart but it's all but if you requested information you could still get it the all seventy five counties are not doing it the same that's the aspect of this bill is just trying to make sure like Mike Baxter County for example had had that information since two thousand five and according to my collector she's had nobody ever asked her about that information. So they're not following what's in law and I'll get that I I know there's other questions but I you're just saying that they're not doing what's already in the law and therefore you want everyone to do what they're doing. Not necessarily set not just them there's a lot of counties that are not doing it I'm just trying to make sure everybody's on the same page and it's easy to read. Thank you. Representative Cavenaugh you're recognized thank you Mr chair. DO not spoke about the issue that I have with this yes ma'am and the concern I have is that you've got it so that if you want to receipt you have to often. You have to ask that correct would it not be more fair to people that need receipts that it would be you want to opt out if you don't want a receipt the default should be receipt should be given because you have to use those receipts for many different things whether it's for to file for taxes whether it's to have proof and litigation that you paid it rather than rather than saying Hey I want my receipt why could it not be. I'm going to my Walmart my receipt until I opt out. I think from the collector standpoint they told me it's easier that they just have the taxpayer asked them upon the request according to them I don't know if they need to make a database upon themselves for who doesn't want it you know for your way they told me it's just easier for them for a constituent two Hey I want my tax receipt follow up Mr. Follow up. And if we can get somebody from the county to come up here because as somebody who pays a lot of taxes. With a lot of different receipts and a lot of different counties it's going to be hard at for me to be able to make sure number one if I'm not the one paying if I send an employee to actually do the plane that day. To remember to ask for that receipt where it would be easier bill recall insight on these I don't want you know if it's on by Cavenaugh don't send us our state right. Mister chair. I have Josh Curtis from the Arkansas county situation please identify yourself for the record thank you thank you Mr Josh Curtis Association county at thank you for the question represent Cavenaugh I think the collectors do you is there going a lot of online in their produce emailing receipts this is for just people walking in and they have to give providing with the receipt even if they don't want one that's where it came from. Is does that answer your question not really because I know several states one of the counties I pay one don't let us pay online anymore they took that ability away so we have to walk RCN and if we have to go in there each time and say give us a receipt where it's easier if you're not gonna wanna receipt to be able to call and say Hey don't give me or state just like they're building that database they could really easy say they don't need a receipt so you're saying often end rather than often now yes Sir we we we had thought of that we the I'm just saying for a taxpayer that needs that receipt that's a lot easier to do than to remember that that's all I'm asking. Mister chair can I pull the bill down to make an amendment without objection you may put the bill that thank you thank you thank you Committee. Okay and we're gonna need to back up your little bit I made a mistake believe it or not but on house bill twelve oh seven the vote should have been as amended. And represent under woods so I'll asking for a motion at this point. Okay I have a motion do pass as amended any discussion. Saying none all in favor say aye. Those opposed say no. Thank you pass. All right up next to his house bill thirteen fifty eight representative Johnson. Please identify yourself for the record and you may proceed. Thank you Mr Lee Lee Johnson representative District forty seven I have with me Matt Stafford with the professional firefighters association if you could come to the table. Yes. Please identify yourself for the record if you would. Thank you Mr chairman Matthew Stallings Arkansas professional firefighters. You may proceed thank you and I to press hard and wanted to be here today to use with the professional firefighters chiefs association this is a compromise bill is worked on with the chiefs and the firefighters to change a few things in code some of these are cleanup thing some of these are compromises to make a concessions to both firefighters in the cheese one thing we're doing is we're changing the age from thirty two to thirty five for firefighters with experience this is consistent with other places and statute with the ages thirty five from the firefighters we're also changing the hiring time frame to six months if there's a hiring list available removing the probationary time frame from twelve months to eighteen months we're changing that right now it's Chief SR of the top three if there's a hiring list or change that top five and Rossow clarifying the time frame if there's a promotion list to happen within a sixty day time frame I believe that summarizes most of the things in the bill and Mr song to be happy to answer any questions after questions from the committee. Okay maybe have any questions. Representative dobby you're recognized thank you Mr chair representative Johnson on I believe it's Pitsch to that paragraph D. seven through eight what happens if a position can't be filled within six months because it says shall be filled. There's a shortage of firefighters and it can't be filled are we setting we're setting these cities up for failure of this bill yes ma'am the that only applies if there's a current eligible list so an eligible list. that would be people who have applied and taking the test and they have their eligible for higher so there's not an eligible list and then they're not handcuffed by that at all that is that is people sitting on a list just waiting to be hired. Represent offer you three yes okay. Questions Senator questions okay. I brought him here for a reason. Thanks for. All right C. N. N.'s inviting should. Okay representative Cavenaugh you're recognized. Thank you Mr. Just for knowledge I guess what they have to be thirty five years old to be a firefighter. Good. It's it is kind of an arbitrary number but you do reach a certain age where you know far findings very physical job the I guess the higher up in age you go the higher the rates of disabilities so thirty five generally is an agent makes sense and just cleaning it up here is just it's it's to match other places I think I think the point is that that's the age at which if you've never if you've never had any experience as a firefighter and you want to start being a firefighter you can't be older than thirty five so basically the same look at and if you're gonna start this process to start the training in your older than thirty five that that's probably hard age to start down that road of learning everything you need to learn this this clarifies it for those without it with experience to correct the H. back down to thirty five it used to be thirty two and then moved back to thirty five to make a concession for the fact Hey you know there are some thirty five girls out there probably ready and fit the thirty two was probably a little too young as we get better with medicine that we moved that to thirty eight at some point back to forty but for now thirty five as the age they settle Law. Follow Mister chair. Yes so if they don't have experience it's they can't be over there aged thirty five but if we got a military personnel that it is it can be in there over thirty five we're going to say you all can't be a firefighter no so I believe last session I believe is represented wing and maybe Senator English pass the bill that extends the age for retired military I'm and I believe it is above I think it might be thirty eight. Consent how come we're not making this coincide with that why we just pick thirty five like I said what like you said we were making the exception for military because that generally would be somebody who probably is prefect and thirty eight I believe it is the age that they would have retired at if they got in when they were eighteen. I think that was the background on that legislation but was it was last cycle so. Okay but why did we choose thirty eight here rather than thirty five as one of thank you senator is there that this is for people without military experience at your point I don't I wasn't aware but I guess if you had military experience the minimum age the maximum age thirty eight if you don't have military experience to prove that you benefit in doing things the maximum age other places thirty five so this is coinciding with that based on experience so if you've had two years experience in your thirty seven you subtract two from thirty seven to get you to the thirty five is that correct yes or any county for experience yes are also together this is this applies to people who have previous fire experience so if you're going from one department to another basically it did make a whole lot of sense that you know if the fire department age maximum is thirty five so as before this you can have a thirty four year old with no experience and hire them but if you had a thirty seven year old with two years experience and I didn't get a blow to the thirty two year age mark you would be able to higher than that in making a lot of sense so this this applies to people who have previous experience as a firefighter and the other thing we're trying to like I said it is it is a very physical job I believe the average age for for late for life you disabilities it's fifty three with roughly a dozen years and so you're talking about your older hires. Vaught Mr. Yes go ahead so if this is for firefighters with experience who should already be fit where we can put the cap on it when we're in desperate need of firefighters began with why are we saying because you're a firefighter with experience you can't. Work because. You're over a certain age if they're if they have to take a test and they show that they're physically fit where we put in a number on that I guess is what I'm asking of weird I I believe we're just going out that's practices and then you know they'll for this that it's not saying that. you know somebody's forty I guess and their years of experience get them below thirty five threshold of you know you could you could hire that person. I guess I'm just looking at somebody's fit somebody's fit it doesn't matter the age they can do the job market we hire them I think it's a fair comment you know I mean I think with the intended this piece of legislation is to match with what we have things another statute certainly I think it's worth the conversation to address and other places is this an appropriate approach to firefighters you know if we have an statute currently which I understand we do that thirty five without experiences that age. We have thirty eight for people with military experience and we will have a discussion on a separate issue of moving that for thirty five to thirty eight across the board certainly we want this to match that a right now is this bill as it currently stands this is correcting it from thirty to thirty five so removed and in my opinion in the right direction towards a better age bracket and certainly I think you're making good points of you know about the conversation where is an appropriate time to start coverage of our person I'm sure I don't know but I'm sure there are limits military and other physical professions I don't know where you draw that line and I think it's always open to have a discussion about it but in this bill with what we're doing here I think it makes sense with what we're doing in this specific area. Okay representative Richardson you're recognized. I so I'll do this in a question form are you aware that the maximum age for enlistment into the US military's thirty five. I was not thank you for clarifying that thank you. Okay any other questions from committee. Okay I don't think I have anybody signed up to speak for against this bill or anybody in the audience of like to speak for the bill or against the bill. Seeing under your clothes your bill this. Okay. What's wishes of the committee. I have a motion do pass any discussion on the motion. Seeing none all in favor say aye. Those opposed say no. Congratulations your question thank you. Okay next to his house bill fourteen forty by representative cozaar. Please identify yourself for the record you may proceed. Thank you Mr chairman Bruce Cozart representative Bruce Cozart from district ninety one. I am here to present house bill fourteen forty. This is a bill that will amend the. Prohibitions or limitations you certain refrigerants and the two men the powers of the municipal corporations to have H. B. a license board relations to the regulations or refrigerants. This will change will be low to Sorry powers municipal corporations is to regulate or to reduce take regulation out except as prohibited in subdivision of this section regulate the erection construction reconstruction alterations of repairs building. the municipal corporation shall not profit or limit the use of refrigerant design is acceptable for the use of accordance with of forty two USC subsection of this seven six seven okay anyway you know how those go so it is existed on January one of twenty three two thousand twenty four if the quick but containing the fridge was listed as a stall in accordance with the safety standards and conditions established in those with the same code they existed on January twenty first of twenty three what this basically does it allows the new refrigerant that the. The president has the. In two thousand twenty president signed the American in the. Innovation manufacturing act into law AM in it directed the environmental protection agency to issue rules to phase down the use of hotter for Carmen's and require benefactors to begin producing equipment that we use a substitute refrigerants. And this them out actions affected the benefit of the economy as well as the environment this is creating a least thirty three thousand new jobs in US manufacturing instances of stained broccoli hundred thirty eight thousand four hundred existing jobs between now and two thousand twenty as you know in Arkansas we have three different manufacturers of HVAC equipment screen training Lennix so we want to keep them working so with this new refrigerant of the bill will make way for those new recruiters to be used it does not in any way take away anything that's already in place and make you have to change your units out so if you've got units that are there that are in place are doing good and working with those systems you do not have to change those out this just opens up the the legalities to allow wilderness penalties to use this new system when it comes available as it is coming available so that's basically what the bill is a big let try Texan questions. Do you have any questions. Twenty nine his or anybody in the audience would like to speak against the bill or the bill. President Cozart I'll close or. Okay I have a motion what's good wishes of the committee. Okay I have a motion to pass any discussion on the motion. All in favor say aye aye those opposed say no. Solutions to pastor thank you Committee. Are the House Bills fifteen fifteen we're going to pass over that today. House Bill of. Fifteen nineteen representative pops. All we apologize. We have seventeen people to sign up to speak. Of for the bill we have one to speak against the bill so this might get a little link these. We will proceed with your bill identify yourself and see with your bill representive RJ hawk District eighty one Mister chair I I do have a guest if we could I could have him come with me as well. I do I yes yes yes to. Please identify yourself for the record and who you represent you may proceed. Thank you Mr chairman members I'm Erik Swofford representing best friends animal society. Mr committee I bring to you today house bill fifteen nineteen this is a a bill that would not allow for municipalities to ban breed specific animals right now in the state of Arkansas we have cities that are or creating ordinances that are banning. What's most commonly seen in the news is dogs because of their breed but it can be for anything I mean it could be a a bird it could be anything of that that nature and so what what this bill is going to do is rather than you know what banning a certain breed it It allows for cities to create an ordinance and you should have a hand out that was passed out earlier of what the ordinance would look like for dangerous animal ordinance and what this dangerous animal ordinance would do would would be for if a is an animal work to have an incident whether it be a body or something like that it would be specific to that animal rather than going across the board with the entire breed and saying that entire breed is is banned. I'm currently twenty two states including our neighbors in Texas and Oklahoma do not allow bands and certain breeds of animals breed bans been found to be constitutionally suspect and that is why the American bar association's support this bill this bill has been endorsed by the national in Arkansas and the control social ation the American veterinary medical association the American Kennel Club and the international municipal lawyers association and really the simple truth of it is law abiding citizens in the state of Arkansas should be able to be free to choose whatever animal they want I understand there there's some committee members that that you know you may have had an incident with an animal I hate we hear all the time especially on the on the guns out of things you you hear people say don't be you know the A. R. didn't shoot anybody don't be afraid of the A. arts machine war will the same thing is with this dog bill don't be scared the dog don't be scared to breed just because you have one or two incidents incidences so with that I've also got against it has some come here thank representive. Thank you Mr chairman members here along those lines see you know everybody want safe communities but the simple fact is Bree bands do not make community safe they actually do just the opposite studies show over and over one just I published three weeks ago roughly I believe it was three weeks ago by the American animal hospital association calling own cities counties state governments the federal government to repeal all breed specific restrictions and legislation and and all breed bans because breed has very little to do with the animals ability or desire to be aggressive or to be dangerous and having breed specific legislation breed bans gives a false sense of security when what we need is comprehensive dangerous animal ordinances like the one that that represent hawk passed out from the international municipal lawyers association you as he mentioned twenty two states have already done this we hope Arkansas is is the twenty third you know the the the specific animals that we're talking about oftentimes they're the same animals that are used by our military they're the same animals that are used by our law enforcement agents and you know to to think that that these animals are used in in a line of service that our service men and women whether it's with the military or or our local law enforcement works with these animals their their their partners and when they're getting ready to retire some governments are saying well you can retire and you may be able to adopt an animal but you can't live here because we don't like the way that animal looks not the way that it acts the way it looks and the and the other thing that I want to say is this legislation says breed or perceived breed these ordinances are often enforced by someone driving a. Railed and looking and saying I think that animal looks like an X. wires the the foremost experts in the world are wrong more times in the rights with visual appraisal again we all want safe communities we are are here in in in lock step to help do that we we train of folks on how to do this we work with local governments all across the country every single day to adopt a local ordinance is that makes sense that will keep communities safe the like we all want but breed specific legislation does not do that breed bans do not do that and the and that's what we're here asking you to Embry bands of all animals in the state of Arkansas with that I'd be happy to take any questions. Sir. Representative college you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair so I understand what you're doing here I think with respect to the dogs and the animals that we kind of think of as pets but this does apply to all types of animals run so minute the city could not restrict you from owning a coyote. Ourselves I I mean I guess is a colony consider breeding I don't think I read what what is a breed of interest and the difference is that only a type of dog or cat or breeds and types of insurance to a German shepherd dog a Hartford council a Suffolk sheep up Hampshire hog. okay so I'm trying to figure out then are you would you allow species to be regulated this doesn't address that so that would be allowed continue continue to be allowed to regulate species under this yes I think the game and fish already has some regulatory guidelines in place for say reptiles because I know that there were this was just a month ago in Jonesborough as a guy had a cobra in Jonesborough that was not allowed I mean because it is a dangerous animal if it were to get out on people you really hurt by it by having the clover and so they put guidelines in place of the game and fish for species and things like that. Representative Cavenaugh you're recognized okay thanks I'll make sure I understand so we're going to say that they can't ban chickens. So I'm trying to figure out what this. What this procured of banding that's going to cover its going to cover equine is going to cover just K. nine fe line just specific breeds it doesn't say local governments can't regulate. Chickens but they wouldn't be able to to regulate a road I say you can have you could have chicken which can have a Rhode Island red because we or something that we think looks like a Rhode Island red so that they can speak regulate those things just can't regulate by specific breed. Can't single out a single breed that's basically what the the bill is doing is we're we're not allowing for any breed whatsoever to be called out said you that breed is being you know if that's the case you can go through a whole list of of animals that you wanted to either banner get rid of follow up Mr. Yes okay so with that being said. Why are we taking away the local control to make that decision why are we saying that on the state level we need to dictate to the cities and the counties what their citizens. Should be doing local government the government closest to the people who use the always the best so why are we trying to put a blanket across the state an or not for the record I don't like breed bans myself but you know we're not and that's that ordinance not passed out to you guys so we're encouraging cities that want to ban an animal like a breed specific were encouraging saying instead of doing the band of that specific breed the ordinance that you guys have right now we're is saying adopt this because now you instead of doing the breeding if if an animal if you have a bite you can you can ban that one animal USMS and like it's on a case by case situation rather than just on a blanket you know I I know that if you can explain what you mean by the Austrians dog bites you yeah I in France called you if if there's a sooner if it's serious stuff like to go to the city council or whoever and say you know that don't need to be banned because of an incident right I know that in the dog needs to be put down because it but somebody. Yeah that's not a that's not a probation so I I guess. Where I'm confused is we're trying to take local control way and I said I'm not a big proponent of breed ban and I don't think it works either but I'm also proponent for local control and I'm looking for a city council member look I'll say this we hit we see in the news a lot of times that you know you'll see a a pit bull ban right let's just put it out You'll have an incident also the city council come there and say we want we'll have one incident and you'll have a discount okay okay we're a band holding remain every bit bill and in the city what I know for a fact that my neighbor has a pit as to pit bulls and the sweetest dogs in the world I let my kids go there play with them all day every day but it's not right to that property owner that lives in that city this done nothing wrong that has to well trained dogs to have their dogs being from the city because of one incident on the other side of town that's what I'm saying like I I get what you're saying I understand not taking well and I don't feel like with this bill you're taking local control way we're providing a solution to to in so doing the band passing an ordinance for it a dangerous animal ordinance. Thank you. Okay representative very you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman the up missed capital flows question or follow up this kind of a motor same question we're at I don't really understand why we need to help state law I mean that's just looked Health in our cities are cities are all different they have different needs a local control person of this just like Taylor sees that they they're not doing the right thing of what works for one city. Doesn't work for the next or it could but they're all different and I guess is just statement just a little elaborate a little bit more own wine we need to state law instead of local law once again I will say that I don't think we'll take any local control away all we're doing is giving people liberty to own the animal that they choose. If if it's a law abiding animals so if it's a dog that is not having instance of biting they should be allowed or people of Arkansas should be allowed to have those animals and the ordinance that was passed out to you guys is allowing for the cities to still say if you've got animal with breaking the law by biting or causing mischief you can get rid of that and that's the one not the whole breed itself and so that's why when I say that were you know I don't think that we're taking local control is because a lot of times when you take local couldn't control way you don't provide an option for them to have an alter your ordinance we've given that we pass we give the minister Belleek and said Hey passes out your cities if this passes I I know that we've talked with this fully about doing some training and some other things if this were to pass on that ordinance I just don't see that this is a losing of local control when they can still pass ordinance on a case by case situation with with the dangers sample at the end of the day for me it's allowing for our our people in Arkansas only animals that they choose as long as they abide by the law with those. Representing Collins you're recognized thank you Mister just want to follow up so earlier I was asking you about other types of animals besides dogs you mention that cobra situation in Jonesborough but so that's the breeder snack right means of that band the Jones were have would not you can do that under this. The. This would apply to or doesn't apply reptiles. Help me understand again I'm not I'm not seeing where it's limited it's looks like it's referring to any animal so help me understand why the and by reptiles. But the. Literally the definition in. I can't quote that's my kid to sexual code when we when we work with legislative service to have this drafted for things wanna make sure of. That that if it does not it does not interfere with reptiles it does not And it does not impact what the Your wildlife resource agencies regulate and I believe that is in Arkansas code title fourteen chapter fifty one subject eleven which is number twenty one on the on the bill that is where it talks about you know all those cats things like that reptiles are once again under the Arkansas game and fish Sir can you start follow up please. Can you please tell me the species that this does apply to you said dogs and cats any other ones. I would imagine that we would say I mean and I've got a look to the Khan had to code seeing where this was done to be a large for the code but dogs cats birds any household pet that they might have like a normal household that I mean that I'd have to look to code up to and get a bill or dogs cats and pets well snakes can be parents so you couldn't have found that is a band I mean falcons you know heard other people's pets you couldn't be in a falcon and once again that falls into the game and fish regulatory you just said burns I'm sorry I'm just trying to understand I get what you're saying yeah I mean are. okay I'll look around thank you. Okay representative Richmond you're recognized. Richardson sorry what thank you Mr chairman appreciated so let. I'm just kind of yours have a couple questions for you and let me a little attitude how are mark most pets dogs cats House so pets require. whether be animal shelter or a. That's store or so you agree that a lot of this is purchased animals that are coming through I mean I I ASA I mean I want to circle back to local control voter versus state control and and. Follow up Mr. Okay so my follow up is is who's responsible for regulating commerce purchasing thanks the state by state not the local so this would follow at in your opinion that the state should be regulated these kinds of things yes okay thank you. Okay representative Ryan you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman representative. Two years ago I saw this happen in a town. And they passed an ordinance against pit bulls. I'm telling you they're going to a mass mail if they are to have something like this in place. This state. Would not be going through this but what they've done they've banned one worried if you've got some some good jobs that actually are our playful roles within once you knock that out you still got a bunch of dogs that run the day on that are going to have pre dolls that'll just run after you children so I mean I think if. Trumann if we had that we would be going through this right now. I would agree with you and and once again the the ordinance that we've passed out beforehand would eliminate the bad actor dogs. Representative Cavenaugh you're recognized. Okay I'm gonna go back and beat a dead horse. So in the. Service which is prohibited yes so. Yeah so. When you talk about breed specific but you're saying it doesn't apply to reptiles. Then apply to birds. The White Rabbit. Yes it would it would apply to specific breed of rabbit I know but I'm trying to find out what you what type of animal that it applies to because you're saying it should be pets I'll be honest with the I know lots and lots of people have reptiles for PS they have lizards and everything else they have snakes pythons I go through a list of it they have birds all different kinds of birds and yes some people do have Hawks this path it's not a wildlife thing they have an actual hall is a bit because they do falconry different things like this so. I guess I'm getting confused on what what we're trying to cover what we don't cover because you're saying that what does really didn't cover the rabbit I mean didn't cover the cobra. But I don't see that in the bill. So I'm so the line twenty nine says this subchapter does not want any manner of the power of municipality or other political subdivision to prohibit dogs cats or other animals so I you know I mean at the end of the day I. I get what you're saying I do I mean I can't name all I can't name a different breed of rabbit but at the same time I can my friend has three okay well that's great I I I mean I'm just of I look at this and and. I'm going off of what the Arkansas Code is right now for an animal through bill or and and so I get what you're saying at the end of the day most of these these bands are against dogs and cats then why don't we say that. Rather than animal because I'm telling you that that's a very vague and we go down a slope we start talking about it doesn't apply to reptiles it doesn't apply to birds but with the I had a sister parent that you will not be around because I thing would get yeah I mean I understand I mean it but I do they also I mean if you want to just take it to animals. We're just saying that no matter what across the board if you want to say animal cross border reptile fish whatever you can't ban the breed of that animal so you can't ban the cobra or the black mamba or you can't ban the whatever money This law is saying you cannot name in the band a brief. That's at the all when you when you create an ordinance you cannot put the breed of said animal in your ordinance and that's all right so I mean I guess now thinking more you know you get this hot so you don't think we're was sometimes of but you of not thinking about it no matter what the animal is if you say the breed that's what we're trying to say what we're trying to in. Putting a I As a label on set and one saying this specific breed is not allowed no matter the the animal so if you say a German shepherd or a black mamba cobra we just labeled the animal. Representative Dalby you're recognized thank you Mr chair representative hawk under Arkansas code annotated twenty dash nineteen dash four oh eight Syze local regulations are not prohibited to construe prohibited local regulation to the ownership breeding confining seating of wolves or wolf dog hybrids. And so you know. We have a law that that local. Municipalities local control can regulate the ownership breeding confinement or feeding of wolves or wolf dog hybrids and so if we pass this bill. Are we now saying that that's doing away with Arkansas Code twenty nineteen four oh eight. I mean it's like that we've got no ma'am because. Because the against only a specific breed. There are there more than one breed of walls. Okay so my question my that this would not impact that whatsoever I have a follow up Mr. Yes go ahead so my second question would be have you run the conflict list as to where this law is going to either conflict with laws we already have on the books or where they're it and are where it's going to then take laws that we have on the books already off have you run that conflict. I asked when we ran this last bill or if there was any conflict with this and they said no but as far as actually having of sheet of paper I don't have that she just the the draft writer said there was no conflict so when one more follow up yes go ahead so we're not sure whether or not by passing this then we take off some laws that have already been passed I was just told by our draft writer that there was no conflict that's all and that's all she told the appears there may be one thank. Representative Richardson you're recognized. Thank you Mr just to follow up on what she was saying this this bill specifically pertains to. Arkansas Code title fourteen subchapter fifty four so she's me chapter fifty four subchapter eleven so it it's it's not applying anything in here. Two. Anywhere else is that correct or is there other named specifics the same address is not the not that I know of which is it strictly says in section one that had chapter okay thank you. Observing the claim that you're recognized thank you chairman so just to kind of bounce off the property what representative Dalby said it the wolf or the wolf dog hybrid would be considered a species so that could still be a ban. But German shepherd would not be me as I that's correct or not conflicting on that okay yes. That's exactly right represent thank you. Representative Dalby you're recognized thank you Mister chair I just want to point out in section two it refers to Arkansas Code twenty dash nineteen dash three oh three and section twenty dash nineteen dash four oh four would be with in that section so it does apply thank you. Okay anymore questions. Seeing none. will open up the audience we have eighteen people who would like to speak during this bill. First up to speak for the bill is skip landers. Please come up to the table and identify yourself. And who you're speaking for and you may proceed. Would you would you turn the microphone on there please. Thank you Sir. My name is couple owners of I'm representing the citizens of Little Rock. I have a five and half years as a coordinator at the little rock animal village of over five years of volunteering their. And also two years working with the SPCA and relocation. Of in that time of working for the little rock animal village we have a ordinance here in Little Rock this state if you want people you must registered as a potentially dangerous animal. The average football is going to live six seven maybe eight years. Which means a citizen Little Rock is paying an additional nine hundred dollars. To own an animal over its lifetime even though it is never done anything aggressive. We were allowed to adopt the chill what will. From that shelter back in two thousand ten. Who she had some aggression issues. Shall I was are well known for that many of people that see and will crash of animals they will put you Wallace at the top of the list. We were allowed to take any animal at the shelter bring it home. And for the next six months I work with that animal day. To get her to where she was no longer aggressive she actually loves jumping in the laps of little kids and getting petting after a law. I say this because show you it's really not the animal that is aggressive. My breed it's aggressive by how it was treated prior to that situation. In the my time working in little rock animal village. We had a young boy four years old mauled by two dogs. It was not on the news at night. Are the next night or the next night. I can tell you why because it was not a pit bull. If it had been two pit bulls that mauled a child who have been on the news. Bills two German shepherds. And it's a shame that we look at that and say. Well it wasn't aggressive breed. So so ashamed that as Dalby catchers since the beginning of time for dog catchers they have been known for creating source of income. They are great at making the early days of dog catching. In America. They were known to take dogs out of somebody's yard go back later leave a note that your dog got out. In in charge a fee to return your daw. This is not here say this is written down actual facts also happened in England. If you don't believe me look up any material under ASPCA an SPCA they'll tell you. In my time in the rocking will Village I assess dogs for behavioral assessment going transports all over the country. We could not other than bringing in a husky. There was no certainty that the dog would pass or fail until the assessment was done settlement consisted of about nine different items that literally just tried to see if the dog responded aggressively at any point in time whether it be to petting touching in a certain manner feeding toys and just general dog dog behavior. Huskies by nature because are so high strung and sole active they're really not me to pass that test so but we did actually have some it did pass. We we passed several. Pit bulls based on. The fact that they did a great job the bad part about it all was because of the national view on the spring dogs. Most shelters would not take unless they scored an a plus. We can send the. I have been scored a C.. But not a pit bull. Now that's all fine and dandy. But whenever we really come down to it we want people to get dogs that are part of their family. I know my dogs at home right now they're allowed on the bed they're allowed the you know anywhere is in that house they want because their family. My time at little rock animal village I saw several Then that happened. Family. It should be allowed. The solely say that a pit bull or a man can cat should be a part of the family because we think it might be aggressive is wrong. There are hundreds of the dress of dogs. Out there and catch to. Catcher tried to write staff members at any animal shelter in town. And are not always fitting those parameters of those restrictions I've seen people who adopt cables and they say they're the best most loving dogs ever. Also in the process of volunteering at the shelter my wife and I have fostered hundreds of puppies. And I mean hundreds. We had one pit bull puppy who really worked hard to learn how to use the steps at six weeks of age. He wanted to get on the couch because he wanted to snuggle he wanted to get on the bed because he wanted to snuggle. No other dog worked as hard as he did it didn't matter how many times he fell down he kept wanting to snuggle. So to say that every can be bad is bad to say that we have probably have some humans it's probably should not own dogs. Is a good thing the thing because people are what is the contributing factor to dogs and cats being aggressive or not aggressive. You can take a dog and put it in the right environment and it can be a great animal are you can put it in the wrong environment it can be very dangerous also time we see kids who are hurt by invokes its due to unsupervised time with those animals I see pet owners all the time who allow their child to jump on or call and it makes me cringe every. A party every time because it's not going to be based on whether or not the dog is aggressive but if we suddenly heard or check Kasson fearing that animal they will lash out and they don't have words to say please stop the only way of doing it is it using our mouth and are not really always intending to buy as much as they are trying to get you back up and give them a little room I learned that a long time ago in working with the aggressive dogs in the shelter so does king and labeled as aggressive. I had a bad habit of I want to prove this wrong or right one way or the other I will go in the kennels with these animals go down with them talk to them and give them a little respect and space and sometimes those that were considered extremely aggressive could be in my lap in five minutes. The only time I was ever actually charged by a dog aggressively was a three pound Yorkie mix. So if you want an aggressive dog that was aggressive. I will say though three days later that day I was on my best looking my cheek while I was trying to type of the transport list to send off to the SPCA. My only point is let's look at the real true danger the danger is whenever we treat dogs wrong we created press of animals we should be tracking those animals if they do apply we should be tracking those animals if they are aggressively chasing kids and their neighborhood. But to say that the dog is potentially dangerous solely because of its pre. Is missing so much of the point we have had animals as pets like this for thousands of years. They have feelings just as we have feelings they want to be loved just as we want to be loved. They want to be Pat they want to be a part of the family. And after five and half years of working in the animal services there Little Rock I had to step away from it because of the stress. Not knowing that you failed every time one of those dogs were put to sleep. Another point I'd like to make about that is that point. Unfortunately animal shelters are allowed to. Fudge out there live release rate number based on that. Thank. Really euthanize an animal because it falls within that aggression. Category it doesn't count against. So having a breed then in the City of Little Rock. Whether or not that people has ever shown a minute of aggression inside that shelter. Two weeks later could be euthanizing called aggressive. We're lying to ourselves and that is wrong. Let's have accountability to our animal shelters let's have those okay that accountability from whom do the right thing for every dog not based on whether or not it's a certain breeder not based on his behavior while it's in the shelter you have those songs are long enough you can see when you know dogs that just are not gonna make it in all we had dogs that would drag every volunteer to try to take it out and let. A dog like that. Does it need to be walked. You need to be euthanized especially when you have four or five other dogs next there going to be euthanized solely be because their pickles. I have sought a what should happen way too many times and it just pour my heart out. You want to know why people don't working shelters for twenty thirty forty years that's why. You'll find most shelters have a high turnover rate because if you truly love animals you sit there any watches kind of bands because animals to be put to sleep solely based on their pre. It just tears your heart out and it makes you sick every day that happens. That's all I have to say thank you for your time. Thank you be willing to answer any questions yes Sir. Casting on at this time I appreciate your testimony. Thank you for your testimony thank you. You're dismissed. Okay speak against the bill is John Wilkerson. Please identify a divisive for the record who you represent you may proceed. John Walker center accounts of a municipally on the loan per se so um I want to start really quickly with saying that I I've had great conversations conversation with representative Hart in the the person was here my seat earlier talking about what this bill does and what the intent of the bill is the model the model ordinance that the international municipal lawyers association has risen a hot had I sent out to our members and the I. the concept is that if this is a great conversation starter if there's a better way to deal with with dangerous dogs and perhaps this model ordinance is the way but some bills have a bigger impact on a remote control than others and this one in particular I impacts by our count thirty eight different cities in the state that have breed specific regulations as opposed thirty cities are automatically going to be preempted from having a breed specific regulations or ordinances that they passed at city council meetings with you hopefully members of the public being part of that discussion a lot of this by the way is being driven from what I'm hearing from citizens themselves and what they want again is there better ways is this dangerous dog ordinance model ordinance the better way perhaps it is and so what we have I vowed to do representative Hawkins regardless of whether this bill passes or not that I will continue circulating this and hopefully have a training or summer convention we can educate our folks that maybe if you don't want to have a breed specific ordinance you can have this one but I think that that really is going to be up to each of the city and up to each town in every city and town or being driven by the constituents or citizens have every specific regulation ordinance and that should be the will of the that city or town again is a really big swipe local control but again we are dedicated to continue the conversation we appreciate having such conversations representative Haak but again this is a big swipe of local control and with the municipal league as opposed to it. Any questions. Representative college. Thank you Mr chair thank you this will percent so I'm wondering if you have any insight into the question I was trying to ask earlier about the scope of this read ban it doesn't just apply to dogs cats and other animals I mean is limited in any way that you're aware of I don't know it but I've was talking some new friends in the back of this and and I believe that it is limited I don't know that it is or is and I thought a lot about it but I will say this the model ordinance that was sent around was only for dangerous dogs so it's not like we have another model ordinance for other animals that could be in place and I don't know the statute well enough to to be able to answer the question but I do see your point other animals based on the specific breed I'm not sure if that means snakes but cobras are okay are covered or not okay to pop funds are okay I don't know the answer to that question I wish I did thank you that may be part of the conversation as we go forward. A. Representative Richardson. I thank you Mr thank you for your testimony here today so want to circle back to a question I kind of an answer asked earlier and I'm kind of curious do most of these Breed bans in the municipalities do they currently prohibit the selling of the breed as well and within the city limits hi I haven't I've been a campus of all the the statute ordinance is to know but the ones I read or just can't have one in the cities so can't have one or can't only one in the city yeah I don't I don't know I don't I don't have one in front of me when orders from its time okay. Thank you sorry. Representing the recognized. I have a motion of the appropriate okay I'll check the motion mention for through questions any other questions. Representative right you're recognized. Okay any other questions with this. Rejection testimony thank you. The and I'll take your motion thank you I'm thank you chairman I make a motion that we limit our speech to three minutes per person just to keep things moving along. Any discussion on the motion. All in favor say aye at those opposed say no. Motion passes. Next up is hi I apologize I'm having trouble reading that last name but the Shelli stretch. I apologize. This Parcher riding park my pronunciation okay. please identify yourself for the record you may proceed. And we under three minutes now okay I'll be under immense you am I on yes I'm shelling sites I live in Little Rock and I am here on behalf of myself. The dogs at the shelter and my dogs I'm kind of emotional office I have been walking dogs at animal shelters for well over fifteen years now. And when I say welcome I mean I how come a roll around on the ground on the sit in my lap. And the dogs that I walk more than any other or pit bulls. I can confidently say that I've walked over a thousand people's easily over a thousand pit bulls with unknown backgrounds. They're good dogs with the pad wrapped. My favorite term to describe them is eager to please. I've lived with adopted pit bulls for almost forty years. And when it comes time to adopt a dog I inevitably choose a pit bull and fortunately I am in the position to pay the one hundred and fifty dollars per dog per year to have a pit bull in little rock because of the ordinance because of BSL a lot of really great responsible owners are not in that position so. Amazing dogs and responsible owners are currently suffering under BSL. I can't tell you the number of times I've been helping people at the little rock animal village that our city shelter when they're coming there to adopt a dog because I volunteer so long I'll help them walk through and so many times they'll see a pit bull that want to adopt and then they'll it'll turn out to live in North Little Rock or Jacksonville or somewhere where they can have one. And so often also will I'm sorry you can adopt a dog because it's not legal to have everyone there in they say but my neighbor has one for I see people all the time in my neighborhood. So Beyens clearly don't stop people from getting these dogs they do prevent responsible adoption and they help keep the shelters full. And. Something I've seen is that the kind of people that so many folks are concerned gonna get pit bulls these bad people that get on are gonna get regardless of any kind of law that is in place they're going to get the dogs they're just not getting a responsibly they're gonna get on the going to breed them in a question earlier was is it illegal to breed them it is not at least not in some of. The current the current PSL you just can't have them and you can't have them or own them and keep in mind please that when you lift bans and allow pit bulls to be legitimately adopted from shelters you're ensuring that they're being spayed and neutered before they go home. Because that's what shelters do your time is up you can and I'm done okay. Thank you thank you and everyone we have from this point forward is speaking for the bill. Chet garner. Thank you Mr chairman thanks to each of you for your time to hear this bill today my name is Chad Gardner and I'm a council member for the city of Maumelle so I'm all about local control and I'm proud to represent local control as it relates to our our local government Maumelle after I was elected into twenty eighteen some residents in Maumelle reached out to me and asked if I'd be willing to sponsor an ordinance that would overturn my mails ban on specific breeds of dogs I'll be honest my first question to them was what is a breed ban I've never heard of this before and actually had to do a little digging into this to see what actually was I didn't know that cities in Arkansas could actually banned specific breeds of dogs based simply on their parents or their breed and that was the case in Maumelle after spending many hours learning about breed bans I concluded that there is an inherent flaw with bands and that they don't actually address the root causes of dog attacks in fact when I first began looking at this in my city of Maumelle I asked her animal services department to to to provide me with a list of the breeds that have bitten the most in my mail at that time Labradors and German shepherds were two of the breeds credited with the most dog bites a Maumelle while we were discussing this at the city council one evening when we're repealing this I suggested that if we truly believe breed bans prevented bites then we should immediately ban all Labradors and German shepherds in Maumelle and that's of course an interest of public safety but that also quickly mention that that will be the laughing stock of the nation in the city state because we just banned the two most popular dogs in our country so this just goes to show that breed is not relevant when it comes to dog bites there's been a lot of questions about local control and on a personal note I came to the conclusion that read bands were a lazy way of elected officials and I'm referring to myself here elected officials talk telling the public that we're keeping them safe I could not promise someone in Maumelle that I would be if they would be safer if we outlaw dogs based on how they look I'm a complete propone. For local control I appreciate the powers that shall give us in cities to regulate things and I appreciate my colleague from municipal league Mr works and speaking about this I completely support local control and I want residents to have local control over what kind of breed that they have in the city another issue that we had a Maumelle is that breed specific laws are difficult to enforce we saw this day it's hard to accurately identify dogs breed especially if it's a mixed breed this could lead to confusion and mistakes and these laws can be expensive to implement a requiring resources to enforce and track compliance most importantly breed specific laws simply did not work instead of reducing dog bites and attacks these laws often lead to unintended consequences such as forcing responsible dog owners to give up their pets or to drive that those folks underground and this can make the problem worse by encouraging irresponsible ownership so what was the alternative for Maumelle in twenty twenty one re we repealed our law targeting specific breeds instead we choose to focus each day on promoting responsible dog ownership and educating the public about how to prevent dog bites I'm proud to see other cities across our state who also repealed their breed bans in recent months and I look forward to seeing Arkansas take that same step but numerous other states have taken in preventing bans on address based on their time is up to you you make your finish your thought if you live that was my last line Sir thank you for your consideration all right thank you. Okay next up is Courtney mixin. Please state your name for the record and who you represent. Hi my name is Courtney mix and I'm from North Little Rock represent a group on Facebook called repeal BSL and an alarm which we founded in six years ago if anyone says one dog breed is more likely to kill that's not based on scientific data Julie Gilchrist from the CDC said that over twenty two organizations oppose BSL include the Humane Society of the United States. Animal veterinary medical association animal law politician animal farm foundation and best friends animal society there's zero scientific peer reviewed studies that conclude that not any one breed of dog or dog type are inherently more dangerous than the others according to the latest American temperament testing society the breeds that are classified as the modern pit bull type dogs continue to achieve excellent temperament towards their scoring in the twenty three percent of all breeds and higher than the hundred breeds of the hundred and thirty tested not only are these are the selling of the American temperament test as a society they're successful service dogs therapy dogs K. nine police dogs and more importantly family pets. According to other studies were liable identification was only possible in eighteen percent of these by incidents which is why the CDC doesn't track breeds they found that it wasn't a factor in these things we are here today to say BSO's ineffective fear mongering barbaric and downright unconstitutional. Yes doesn't do anything for the community's safety or help with dog bites the only things BSL does is waste resources from the shelter and take away dogs from their responsible owners all dogs are individuals and should be treated as such BSL gives the community a false sense of security we should be banning dogs but instead on focusing on responsible pet ownership and developing methods to identify and respond to owners whose dogs or risk we could do this by education programs about their responsibility in by prevention I want to leave you with one last thing legislation should not be enacted to say what dogs people cannot have but which people cannot have dogs. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Michelle Herrera. Please identify yourself for the record you represent you may proceed. My name is Michelle Carrera I'm very nervous I apologize I represent I live in southwest little rock I'm I've on my current job for ten years he is a pit wall we are currently looking for a house but there are a lot of options that are closed off on to us based on the pit bull ban my husband works in lone oak and it would be nice to be able to move to that particular area closer to that area and you know we do you page just like the other person said he's registered microchipped and we do pay every single year for him I'm not against against that but as a taxpayer I should be able to move to whatever city I deem that I want to move to and that's pretty much all I have to say other than the responsible dog owner. Thank you. I appreciate your testimony thank you. Up next is a Christine Henderson. Please identify yourself and you may proceed my name is Christine Henderson I'm from Jacksonville Arkansas I'm just here representing myself I am a volunteer with the Jacksonville animal shelter up and volunteer and that for about ten years now before that I was the board president of HSBC. I would like one of the the other ladies here volunteers I have walked literally hundreds maybe thousands of pit bulls at the shelter I treat them as any other dog I open up decades they don't know who I am I go in with this let leased it looks like a news to them someone to keen on coming out I have to call in gently the absolutely wonderful dogs I have seen families broken up because a BSL I've seen dogs taken from homes because the neighborhoods reported them the person who owns the dog could not come and get the dog because as a fine or they told that they have six months they have to leave the conduit so the dog sits that in the shell to taking up space so other animals euthanized the dog a copy and of being euthanized because unfortunately. The shelter is always full and pit bulls on the euthanasia list is going to be the payables first Monday awesome amazing dogs. I'm a registered nurse I have worked to children's the thirty years of what in the **** and sent to. I could tell you some horror stories about what people can do to people I won't because it's not appropriate here so I just want you to be aware you're going to be able bodied. With emails from dog bite Dog giving you information that's not substantiated is not scientific I ask you please please just give the the weight it deserves everybody spoken about the reputable organizations the against BSL and I ask you to consider those. And that's basically all I have to say thank you for listening. All right next the speaking of before the bill is. Tony. I'm I'm not gonna mention name of just please come on up road blacks. Try. Which which will get you the chair doesn't matter that yeah. Yeah just please state your name for the record in who you represent hi my name's Tony Ron Caddo I live in North Little Rock which my wife could be here to see that there are some people keep me for three minutes to speak because it's never been done before. A. Living in North Little Rock. A I can have a sex offender moving next door to me. But I can't have a family with a pit bull. So I've I've heard and I agree with local control I agree with everything you said there but there might be some cases were local control might get it wrong and that's when you guys have to step in and do something about. A. There's probably something in everybody everybody in this room something in your drive way there's something in your medicine cabinet there's something in your safe that can harm people. So laws are made to protect this but we also have personal responsibility. You know I can't let somebody come into my house if they take stuff out of my safe and they commit a crime there's there's responsibility on my part. And that's what I think it all needs to boil down to when it comes to this breed specific legislation thing and that's all I have to say. I appreciate your testimony. Next up to speak for the bill is Matthew singer. Please identify yourself for the record and who you represent my name's Matthew saying I'm representing myself and really for the sake of brevity and that to try to avoid redundancy and many of my time. Thank you. Appnexus Maria gills. I like you know like times well okay thank you. Becker Johnson is up next. Speaking for the bill. Please identify yourself for the record we represent you may proceed hello I'm backing Johnson I live in north rock and I'll be very brief but what I wanted to say is where I live should not determine what kind of dog that I own so many times I've told my husband I wish we could moved to little rock for the sole purpose so that I can own a pet bowl because I love the breed what is wrong with that picture I don't know of anyone who has said I want to move to north rocks of that because I feel safer there because they don't allow pit bulls so what I ask is you know hold the owners accountable don't punish the dog for the breed they were born as thank you. Thank you for your testimony. UP next is. Clara green. Say please identify yourself for the record you may proceed know who your represent also I'm clear green and I'm representing myself and I at first learned about breed specific legislation when I was twelve or thirteen and I was so upset by it that I wrote this whole report that I center city councilman unfortunately that didn't create change I think there's some things that we all agree on today one of those things is the science of pre Pacific legislation and bridge Pacific bands not is that they're not effective and that they don't really do anything to help the problem of dog bites of what does help is things like looking at the individual behavior of animals like spaying and neutering those animals and what breed specific legislation ends up effectively doing is distracting from the real problem now to kind of look at a couple comments that were made in the earlier discussion this bill one of the things what about things like a falcons and pipelines no falcons of pythons just my basics to all across our species of animals so what this legislation is actually addressing would be breeds of animals other Blake parents there are several breeds of parrot now you could ban parents but you couldn't be in one of those individual breeds of care and what's actually sex is mostly dogs and cats because that's where our city legislation tends to be focused. And also kind of on the notice local idea what should legislation be based on legislation should be based on things like facts and science he's like a count ability in creating positive change also consistency within our government and passing this would it create those things sometimes statewide legislation is necessary When it comes to things like this let's just with breed specific legislation because they tend to be based on peer on fear of C. councilman and by passing this you could increase accountability and focus on making our legislation truly based on science because the science is clear today in the sciences that these breed specific legislation doesn't work it's not effective I urge you to support this legislation to make our government based on principles of science accountability and creating real change to deal with the issues of aggressive and violent animals thank you. Thank you for your testimony. UP next I can't tell of this Jan mixin John John okay sorry I'm a lucky. The. Thank you for trying to date county members anyway I'll be real quick I know everybody wants to go home I just wanna bring please please state your name for the I'm sorry representing John maximum represent myself okay a lot of people brought up local control and both twenty and clear brought up the local control doesn't always work and I promised myself I wouldn't bring up politics or any third time on your heart strings or anything but let me tell you about a dog and cat game was a dog in North Little Rock that got a distance the animal control said that this dog was a pit bull type dogs so in order to the BSL they went ahead and gave the dog how to saying it was a violation well see our friend paid the money adopted the dog out apparently the dog got back out and went back to the shelter so the shelter was going to put a down per that's how the law works unfortunately that dog was put down before the day before the court date so she did have a chance to rescue that dog I'd like to say that I dog would still be alive if not for politics thank you for your time. Thank you I appreciate your testimony. Of up next we have the. The Shawn Bryant. A mission and up correct all right. Please identify hi Shay Bryant hello Mister chairman thank you Committee I am a local resident and former Lee lived in North Little Rock enough to businesses one in Little Rock in one and sure would and I am for this bill. Thank you. Appreciate your testimony in up last the Natalie Shelton. If you would please identify yourself for the record who you represent my name is Sally Shelton I am a resident Little Rock and I am also a staff member of best friends Northwest Arkansas Arkansas is our priority state for the national organization this fiscal year I am on the shoulder partnerships team I am currently at me my team are working with eighteen Arkansas shelters. We are not just pulling animals from the shelters but we are also providing sustainable solutions for the shelters as well as empowering the community to be part of the solution not the problem. Part of this is that we also point dogs into our program into a rescue program to adopt out or put on transport. We pull from eighteen shelters all across the state of Arkansas different breeds they have to be dog friendly people friendly and we found that in every breed no pre to step we know that that based on the appearance of an animal it doesn't tell us what their personalities going to be like. At this bill is very important for our work here in Arkansas we dressed up open up our pet resource center in Bentonville and and. We need this bill to pass thank you. Thank you for your testimony that's the last person I have signed up here speak. Ma'am. Person signed up after. Okay would you check that she. We have two more people here to speak some after Boyd. Sorry on the wrong bill okay I have no one else signed up for this these. Please someone will speak please come forward. Please state your name and who you're representing you. May proceed yeah my name is Betsy Robb thank you for allowing me the chance to speak of for the sake of your time I'm gonna cut out most of my comments I am here on behalf of Arkansas taxpayers I am a resident of little rock I have been almost my entire life I am a volunteer at our city animal shelter here have been for over ten years I've interacted with thousands of dogs I've hosted probably hundreds in my own home I'm in support of bill fifteen nineteen in the interest of public safety and in the interest of protecting property rights and in the interest of ensuring responsible use of taxpayer dollars the question of local control has come up several times I do think it is appropriate for the state to step in here as it does involve public safety when you have a breed ban. Those dogs do not disappear they're still in the community some people may make efforts to re home them which is very difficult but they continue to live in the community the effect that has is they stop taking them to the vet they stopped taking them out on outings to get socialization so you have dogs were not being kept up to date on vaccinations are getting the appropriate socialization and that can be dangerous tipples hot dogs which is for the most part what we're talking about here are my absolute favorite type of dog they are cuddle monsters they all want to be snugly and loyal to you and I've never had a single issue with one and so it makes me very sad to see our of the residence Arkansas suffering from these pretense and I support H. B. fifteen nineteen and ask for your vote. Thank you S. thank you we appreciate your testimony. Okay seeing no others of. Representing all curated close. Thank you Mr chairman thank you Committee I'll before I go on my closing remarks I want to address a couple things representative Dalby you are correct when it said to the conflict with any other laws so while the testimony was going on I want to be a lark to ask in section one fourteen fifty four eleven of six that only deals with dogs in this kind also goes with what representive calls asking about and in section two twenty dash nineteen two or three that deals with animals the state required to be vaccinated for rabies and right now the state requires dogs and animals and cattle to be vaccinated for rabies so when we start talking about Bonnie's and reptiles and everything else according to this current statute the state requires three Anil animals to be vaccinated for rabies and that's what they just told me I in the interim so with that being said I appreciate everybody that came and testified also appreciate the municipally because as Mr Wilkinson said he he and I have had conversations about this to to trying to find what was best for cities that the other day this was a constituent lead bill this was somebody a constituent and someone counties came to me and asked if I would run this legislation so that we could you know not have this income to sewing sewing county because it's been talked about at the end I think by the testimony that you heard we as lawmakers want to do right by the people I understand local control and I get that I one hundred as a former city council member I I get that one hundred percent I don't think in this case we are we are doing away with local control we're providing a solution to help with that that ordinance took to work no dangers animals out of our cities all or asking is that we don't want to put a band we don't want a stereo type animals so is. Some may see that is local control I don't and that's why I want I want to get behind this with that being said I would appreciate a good. Okay what are the wishes of the committee. I have a motion to pass any discussion. Discussion on the motion yes represent college recognized yeah I just well I do want to speak on the motion I I thank you representive hawk I I'll I just want to correct because I don't I don't think that it's accurate to say that section one refers to dogs only section one is a new section of code it's fourteen fifty four eleven oh six is that is this subchapter court regulation of animals fourteen fifty four eleven one is about livestock fourteen fifty four eleven oh two is that dogs then taxation auctions and then working animals so it's a lot of different kinds of animals there's no limitation to dogs in here but that said I've tried been wrestling with this you know me and trying to understand that the scope of it. I do think that breeding is something that's really again this is definitely not my area but my understanding is that it applies to domestic animals and that might be where you get your limitation you don't get breeds you could because there's no breeding of wild animals you don't have specific breeds actually thank even though I ask the question and I think you said that it was I don't think that a Kober is a tie is a breed I think it actually is a species and I you know I apologize for not being educated on this but I'm just trying to get to what it does but I don't think there a whole lot of breeds of wild animals and and for that reason I think it would be pretty limited to domestic animals and and I'm okay with the bill thank you. Any other discussion on the motion. Seeing none all in favor say aye. Those opposed say no so. Is haven't. Resolution passed your bill thank you may. Law thank you. Okay up next is Senate bill two ninety. Okay representing the that's what you may proceed please identify yourself for the record and also your guest representative Jimmy Gazaway represent district thirty one. Chris lines executive director association of Arkansas counties. May proceed thank you Mr chairman members before you have Senate bill two ninety which is a very simple bill. as you may know the quorum court has the duty to set salaries for all county officials including per diem so. Arkansas Code fourteen fourteen twelve ten sets the minimum and maximum salaries for each elected office in this range increases annually by three percent for both the minimum maximum salaries a county elected offices are the only non state positions that have a range set by the legislature. Because of the high inflation that we've seen during co but I think all of you likely are well aware of that All you have to do is check your bank account and as I've said everything from the cost of a hamburger to at your cut has gone up exponentially This has of course cause an issue with just a three percent cap on the raise in salaries given the inflation that has has occurred and so because of that what this bill would seek to do would be in order to keep the wages competitive allow one time only that cap to be bumped up to ten percent to keep up with inflation and. after this one time it would fall back down to the three percent and I just wanna be clear that I think this is very important at this does not mandate that the quorum court set the salaries higher is simply allows them to if they were to so choose up to but not exceeding ten percent so the decision but ultimately still rest with the quorum court's as to whether or not they could it just allows us we just allow the quorum court if they so chose to go beyond the current cap of three percent one time so that's what the bill does again this applies to all county elected officials and then also to justices of the peace that's what the bill does I'm happy to answer any questions of course Mr blinds I'm sure can explain in more detail I have a not much to add other than to say I'm saving up for my next hair cut myself so it it really has impacted us and we certainly appreciate your consideration of this bill. Okay committee is there any questions. Okay. Representative. Right right you're recognized. Yeah so obviously this is not state revenue but how much is this going to cost taxpayers across the state to do this so that we it may cost us nothing I think we've got three counties in the state that are at the bottom that are popping up that three percent every year I think that's about right we're we're working on pulling in the latest data from the counties on their budgets but as representative Gazaway said this only establishes the range within which the quorum court can set that salary so we won't know until we know if they want to go up higher than the than the salaries that they've already got okay. Okay any other questions. Okay what's. There's no one nine here's signed up to speak for against the bill. Would you like to close for your bill thank you Mr chairman I'm close for the bill and would appreciate a good vote. With the wishes of the committee. I have a motion to pass any discussion on the motion. Seeing none all in favor say aye those opposed say no. Congratulations your bill has passed. Okay up next is House brown I think I think a representative McKenzie is not here to hear this the you'll stay there okay representing Gazaway your house bill fifteen seventy one. Thank you Mr chairman I do have a witness here from legislative audit they be allowed to join me at the table Kevin if you would please identify yourself the record in the represent. Thank you Mr chair Kevin White with Arkansas legislative audit. No may proceed. Thank you Mr chairman members house bill fifteen seventy one concerns private audits that are conducted by municipalities some of you may know cities have the authority to. conduct their audits by private audit including Certain divisions of the city's Water and sewer particularly what this bill would do is say that if a city conduct has a private audit conducted and not through legislative audit that they have eighteen months to disclose that audit and the findings from that audit to legislative audit for to be reviewed. And if they refuse to do that then they would be. They would be subject to the withholding of turnback funds. Once again you know with cities being allowed to do private audits it's possible that. You know pretty egregious errors could be withheld from public knowledge and so one way in order again to increase the transparency is to require that those be submitted within eighteen months and then if the again if they refused to do that or haven't done that then the state could withhold the turnback money. my understanding is is that forty one of the five hundred cities currently utilize private audit Seven cities were out of compliance in twenty twenty forty eight our water and sewer for twenty also for twenty twenty and I'm sure Mister white can give you more details on that but that's essentially what the bill does is about transparency it's about transparency for cities ensuring that they can't hide things by by using private audit. Thank you Mr chair just to kind of clarify a few points explained it's like was mentioned in a legislative audit we conduct the audit for roughly four hundred and sixty the five hundred it said discretionary decision on the part of it is a palette to to choose to utilize a private auditor where the forty eight water and sewers come out is that what you will legislative audit does not conduct the audits of the water and sewer departments so it's forty one for the financial audits but then for the water and sewer it's all those who have a corresponding water and sewer two Parker three things I'd like to make sure it's clear is one of this is discretionary on the part of L. Jack based on the individual situation a municipality and other thing I'd like to clarify his wallet eighteen months the turnback funds are withheld that would be placed in escrow for an additional twelve months which is a total of thirty months before they would actually lose those funds completely the last thing is section four actually has an implementation date of the end of June twenty twenty four to give some time for the municipalities to get caught up in that's all have Mister chair. You're ready for questions. Okay representative prior you're recognized yes Sir thank you Mister chairman representative Jimmy I can honestly say the how this could happen you know of a private owner would be paid for. By the county so they probably don't find sometimes is many things is. Could be possibly out there so I think this is a great idea. Thank you. Thank you any other questions by the committee. Seeing none we have no one signed up to speak for against the bill. would you like to close for your bill thank you Mr chairman close for the bill would appreciate a good vote. What's the wishes of the committee. You have a motion to pass any discussion on the motion. Seeing none all in favor say aye. Those opposed say no. Congratulations you're patched your bill. Thank you Mr chairman thank you Committee thank you all right not up next we have a house bill fifteen ninety one representative right. I apologize is your last bill of the day. But somebody had to be that's okay I'm last on the agenda so good was identify yourself for the record and you may proceed. representative David Ray House District sixty nine colleagues I appreciate everybody hanging in there after a long meeting I'll try to be as brief as possible this bill a House bill fifteen ninety one is legislation that would prohibit local ordinances that limit the sourcing and selling of dogs and cats sold at retail pet stores. So the reason we would do this is because this area of law has been under the purview of the state for at least thirty two years in nineteen ninety one the legislature passed the Arkansas retail pet store consumer protection act. that law covers the state's interest in regulating commerce in the area of retail pet stores it covers how retail pet stores are to be regulated and it does a whole lot of different things it ensures that there's a high level of standards that are pet stores must abide by the insurers humane treatment care and disposition of animals sold at pet stores it requires that they be sound healthy and fit when they're sold it has very strict record keeping requirements for each specific animal it protects the rights of consumers to know exactly what type of breed of animal they're buying it protects it includes consumer protections to ensure that the animals that they're buying are healthy it prohibits the unlawful disposition of animals it provides for oversight of retail pet stores by the the Arkansas department of health law requires registration subjects into inspections and also all other sorts of protections for public health and it gives the state board of health the ability to promulgate rules and regulations regarding retail pet stores so this act that we passed in nineteen ninety one. Provides that the read the regulation of retail pet stores falls squarely under the purview of the state. not local government local governments obviously prohibited from enacting laws that are contrary to the laws of the state in this bill makes that crystal clear by adding some some very narrowly tailored preemption language the reason that that's necessary is because unfortunately some cities don't want to abide by state law or want to go even further and so they make up their own to go around it we saw that last year in the city of Fayette bill they passed an ordinance that prohibits a retail sale of dogs and cats unless their first obtained from the city's animal shelter or from an animal shelter approved by the city. Now I don't begrudge anybody I don't have a problem with anybody wants to obtain an animal from a shelter I think that's a great thing my own dog might our family dog grizzly that we have had for over ten years is a rescue dog. We we treat him like a member of our family but telling a retail pet store that they can't source their own animals that they're selling when they're already being regulated extensively by the state is a ridiculous form of government overreach it would literally be impossible for retail pet store to follow of both the ordinance that was adopted in Fayetteville as well as the state law and regulations regarding retail pet stores because of all the reporting requirements that they have to have they have to document the chain of custody of the animal from birth until it sold in the store and the animal shelters simply do not keep all that information or have all of that information. These the you know this this pet store in particular in Fayetteville that's affected by this this is a a national chain with over a hundred locations stores nationwide. And they're investing in our state how often do we talk about how we want jobs to come to our state we want commerce in our state we want to create jobs well that's what's happening here and you have. A local government is stepping in to try and drive that business in the commerce away from our state. so again this bill is very narrowly tailored I think it's a common sense thing to do and would be happy to answer any questions about. Committee have any questions. Representative college you're recognized. This thank you Mr is represented rate if this is already a matter of state law or and that local ordinance is preempted it seems like it would be pretty easy to challenge it why is that ordinance not been challenged in federal. It has been it's currently being litigated. Thank you. Any other questions. Seeing none we have two people signed up to speak for the bill. Samantha bowl. Roll the rolls my husband Ryan okay you're going to come together all right they'll be great. Please identify yourself correct represent you may proceed. And I'll be brief my name is meant the oil. And thank you for the opportunity to testify today I'm with my husband Ryan and that we are the owners of two locations in Northwest Arkansas we have one in Rogers and one fate bill we have had stores and we also have an additional location in Joplin that land is a small family business that has operated in Arkansas since two thousand nineteen our four children work in our stores. We are all committed to contributing to the business community and working with all local and state authorities to uphold the best animal care protocols possible the pet land experience is special and must feel that way for every single customer that walks in our doors. We employ over seventy five amazing employees in total fifty in Arkansas alone we have contributed nearly one million dollars in sales tax revenue. Just to the state of Arkansas at that land we strive to provide a safe and clean environment with the highest standards of the animal care Bentley works very hard to hold our partner breeders accountable just like our department of health here in Arkansas hold us accountable to regulation our breeder families are all license with United States department of agriculture each individual state's department of agriculture for health department and war are responsible professional hobby breeders we have been working to improve breeding standards for over thirty five years collectively we do not purchase any animals from anyone within reported violation our stores will not purchase any animals from anyone with violations we hold our readers accountable to only provide the highest standards of animal care possible for both moms and dads in the puppies that we're sending to their forever homes. We are here today to protect our business because we experienced animal rights activists are trying to close our business by spreading misinformation to local officials about who we are. Two weeks before we opened our cable Arkansas Pat land location we were blindsided by the city with proposed legislation that would have immediately put us out of business we have over one million dollars invested in our small businesses in Arkansas alone we are terrified we could lose in an instant because local elected officials were misinformed about how pet stores operate and the strict laws that we follow. Ordinances are pushed on purpose to cancel our enterprise and stop our primary business of selling healthy. You will hear animal after this year what that they want to shut down puppy mills however Penzo B. hands do the opposite by banning the sale of puppies for regulated and licensed pet stores more people buy from I'm regulated breeders who sell flea markets and online websites such as Craigslist these are the real unlicensed breeders and puppy mills. We are here today in support of house bill fifteen ninety one to proactively protect our community pet store from operating when we comply to all of state and local and federal laws in protecting us from animal rights activists who stated stated goal is the elimination of all private animal cells including pet service dogs and cattle in closing purchasing an animal from Kelly and is a special experience and our customers rely on us to have a state regulated licensed and inspected pet store to come to a purchase a pet that meets their families particular needs customers deserve to have a clean and healthy environment to bring their spouses and children to when making the most important decision to add a pet to their homes there is no better and more regulated place to complete their pet search journey that adequately in store we invite you to please visit us at any time and we request you please support house bill fifteen ninety one thank you for your time and we're happy to answer any questions. Any questions. Seeing none appreciate your testimony thank dismissed thank you. The representative right would you like to close for your bill. College appreciate have patience and it's been a long afternoon you know our our retail pet stores are upstanding businesses they employ people in our community they pay their taxes and they serve their customers they're already subject to a wide variety of. A regulation by the state they have been since nineteen ninety one that will continue nothing in this bill would would prohibit cities from from licensing businesses are engaging in animal control or licensing pets or anything like that all it would do is again it's very very narrowly tailored to prevent them from dictating where they source their animals at that they sell at their business with that I'm close for the bill and I make a motion do pass we have a motion do pass we have any discussion on the motion. Watson Whitaker you're recognized thank you Mr chair of just as a preface in these matters I usually listen to constituents of. Both. Every day citizens and elected officials and I have to tell you on this on this in this case I received no guidance for many elected officials back home so in that case I'm going to put my own conscience on this bill and I'll be a yes. All right any other discussion. Seeing none all in favor say aye those opposed say no congratulations you have passed your bill. Thank you Committee okay let me say that that is the last bill up for the day. Wednesday we will meet at nine o'clock not ten but nine o'clock and we will be hearing Senate bill one ninety seven I thank you all have got a few emails on that one. All right we are adjourned.