Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development- House

Producers cattlemen farmers and ranchers and I appreciate you being here the beautiful ladies for Republican late from Marion county's back there on the back it's good to see you girls and there's just lots of here and I appreciate you being here and thank you for coming we're going to go ahead and get started we're going to change the order just a little bit. We're going to have a representative McElroy president his bill first because he's got another committee he needs to go to represent McElroy. The device so for the record and you're recognized to present your bill. I'm representative Mark McElroy from district sixty two. I'm Marty Ralph director of legislative affairs for the department of the parturition tourism. Mr chairman and the committee have H. B. fourteen eighty two and this is real simple bill that deals with the delta cultural center in their board members is so simple that I met this man in the restaurant this morning and I said I bet you can run this bill without me and he's the best me five dollars he couldn't so we'll see. He's that he's a brave man but I want to thank a represented by or for a sponsor billboards and you over here and it basically the delta cultural center is part of our division of heritage is located over and Helen Phillips County and the they have an advisory board and we had a hard time the building this advisory board and they have a message twenty nineteen and the the route couple reasons but like for example if the current make up calls for two members to come from main street Helena which is always Asian doesn't exist anymore and and in a good culture a couple of academic advisors with the with a background in Delta folklore and there's not that many people out there is a base we brought in the pool we're it's people who have demonstrated a concern or or or knowledge of the Delta culture and heritage and brought it took come from all twenty seven counties the delta region not is limited to just Phillips County and so basically it we think it makes a a book. An advisory board that can service purpose and function and and help us in advisory capacity over there. Okay. Each committee have any questions for. Representative Beatty recognized just just one question with the reorganization of the board you said that you say they haven't met since twenty nineteen are you having any continuity from the old board with folks State overseas going to be a full reappointment of the entire board with these changes all right now there are every person who's on the board right now term is expired but courts are allowed to continue to serve until replacements pick so right now under five members of the eleven they can continue to serve until the replacement is not picked but in the meantime we can go ahead and fill these next six did at least get a quorum where they can meet and then of course if the if the governor of those five or they stay on or whether they're replaced eventually. Thank you. Are there any other questions from the committee. Is there anybody in the audience that we wish to speak against the bill. For the bill. Seeing none the less pleasure to committee. We have a do pass all in favor. Any opposed. Congratulations your bill is passed thank you Mr chairman thank you Committee and I thank you for the stranger come back. All right we'll move on to our regular agenda representative Kurt per year are you. Are you ready to present. Entered it identify yourself for the record. Please. Hi I represent representative Chad per year from district twenty five I'm here to present the house bill fourteen seventy nine. And this bill will simply prohibit the Capcom Chinese Communist Party from purging agricultural land in Arkansas as subtitle prohibit the purchase of or acquisition of title to agricultural land by government entity of the people's Republic of China or certainties connected with the people's Republic of China. Committee have any questions yes president helpful. Per cent per year I like the bill I do have a question is a real estate agent House commission forced like you know one thing that I know I've had some of the real estate agents go you know we're not in the business of of looking to profile somebody so after the fact how's it going to be enforced I agree at Chatham will simply not bill to require legal title at the title companies will catches during the transfer of ownership and then that will halt titles. Thank you yes Sir. Committee other any other questions represent what you're recognized. Thank you Mr representative of the us soon the major acquisitions of. Certain segments the land all cross Arkansas has spurned this song is that correct it is can you elaborate just a tad on this I can elaborate a law just a tad but basically Well you know in the the short version in the last decade Chinese holdings of agricultural land is told more than three hundred eighty thousand acres across the U. S. and basically Arkansas doesn't need to add to this total. That's a short answer but I've got a page of the rest of the state six. That that's agent yes Sir thank you. Any other questions from the committee. Is there anyone in the audience would like to speak against the bill. Four of the bill. Good under the. The last down there in identify yourself for the record please. It will give you a chair and by the way while while the seventies being seeded for the audience this is your right as a citizen of Arkansas at any committee meeting to come and speak for or against any bill that you're right as a citizen I would encourage all of you to do that very thing but the trick is the civil and be succinct and from you follow those of you from the outlying areas that need to be brief. Identify yourself and your. My name is Libby they're gonna farm and ranch in Pulaski County I have land in Arkansas county and Jefferson County as well. I can speak to this because my husband and I wore farming and ranching in Pulaski County in the eighties when we had the big government payments in the good old days and a Swiss doctor bought a whole bunch of land and he had people here in Arkansas that were. Drawn government payments huge government payments a school teacher that didn't even know where the rant the place was stuff like that and so my husband got them on the phone and recorded that and we were able to. Force that they'd give the money back and they had to sell the land to an American. This is with doctor and I kind of trust Swiss more than I do the Chinese and I can tell you it's going on. And in my opinion as an old lady that farms and ranches that's not good and that's all I have to say thank you the thank you what committed you have any questions. Thank you for your testimony. Is there anyone else there anyone wishes to speak against. For the bill. You're recognized go to the end of the table indemnify yourself. My name is Kayla Bailey of the Baxter County farm bureau. I did not grow up on a farm everything I know through agriculture and farm bureau comes through what I learned in the FFA. And that dedication is from that. But as a young man and someone that likes to study history study our nation and study everything that comes before this knows of this bill something that is essential for our state because I believe that in my personal opinion that China does not want to get a hold of the United States militarily but I want to get a hold of it economically it can hold more those economic lands hold more those economic assets US companies US lands it can hold an economic gun to our head whenever we try to do anything against them in the political realm in the military real. John is making it were we it would be too costly for the United States to go out and argue against those things that is going and doing and it's tearing. I for one believe that China's going out and doing in the humanitarian things and trying to become the next world power. And we can debate about that all day but I can also not but one thing we can confirm is that they are trying to increase their influencer out the world specifically economically it's happening in Africa it's happening in Europe it is happened is already dominating in Asia and it wants to gain its foothold in south and North America and once the whole of the United States at gun point because of that it wants to influence it wants to take out the Monroe doctrine and wants to take out our influence in the Pacific and by holding US companies and US lands by that at. Economic a cold they can do that that's why I believe that this bill should be passed. If we can't do it on the national level than least maybe in our state we can hold up a hand against it and try to stop Chinese imperialism. Okay thank you committee have any questions for the young man. Seeing none. Excuse is there anyone wants to speak against the bill. Is there anyone wishes to speak for the bill. Seeing none what's the. We have a motion to pass all in favor. Any opposed. Congratulations your bill is passed thank you Mr chair thank you Committee is there anyone in the audience of prepared to present Senate bill are not in the audience skews me is that a good. Is there anyone here to present Senate bill two forty six I. Representative Gonzalez you're recognized. Please identify yourself for the record. Representive Gonzales District eighty nine. You're recognized thank you Mr Committee this is this is a bill that doesn't change a whole lot it just prevents. A minor. Air and and property from for blocking a timber sale so let's say if you if you have eighteen twenty airs on a on a piece property sixty percent of them want to sell timber and you have one that shows up that says no they don't want to sell it it prevents that one pair from blocking the rest from timber sale even if the the timber sold they still get the same share as as other heirs and doesn't cut them out any money or anything like that. Reasonable assault us. Committee are there any questions. Vice chair lance you're recognized representative twenty Joe picks sixty percent you know the on that that was already in law that sixty percent have to agree to sell sell land or timber and like that so that we can change that that's already existing law. Are there any other questions yes represent hawk so all we're still we're changing is the the rule to say that one person one person can hold the whole thing ransom right related stuff so one thing the bill does for a living that's correct okay let's thank you. Any other questions. Seeing none is there anyone in the audience that wishes to speak against the bill. For the bill. We have a motion to pass all in favor. Any opposed. Congratulations your bill is passed a committee thank Mr all right looks like that's all the business and from the Committee appreciate y'all come and I know a lot of you have many places you had to be and I appreciate the audience being here will look forward to seeing you will to go into session I would suggest if you want to set the gallery get there early because they fill up fast. We are Jr.