State Agencies & Govt'l Affairs-Senate

The. General berry thirteen nineteen. Is recognized yourself you're welcome to. President Mark Perry rep state District twenty six. And thank you Mr chairman Mormon senators this bills or rather simple bill that it really means a lot to a segment of the Arkansas state police and and in the House Committee on I had a dog there with the its handlers name was rhino and rhino is Belgium Madam all this eight eight and a half years old and it was is retiring and the typical working life I think it's important understand that typical working life of the a state police canine is between two and nine years and after that they they can no longer worked roads keep their certifications the typical life expectancy of one of these dogs is ten to fourteen years so what happens is it the end of the working dog's life because they are not adoptable animals there's essentially two choices you can either use a nice the dog or the handler can adopt the dog that's been his partner for the past ten years or so is going to work with him every single day forty hours a week and lives in our home becomes a part of their family so in the past two years date the canines with Arkansas state police is seized over eighteen and a half million dollars so they're very you know they earn their keep if you will so that what this bill is due it will give you it will it will allow an officer to take that canine home in the State continue to pay for it while it is in the home until it dies typically you know you're talking about two years we normally have about one dog in in retirement at any given time so they're on a constant rotational cycles so is a very minimal cost takes that burden off the state trooper so. The state police already have a program in place to pay for food veterinarian bills flea and tick treatments this would just carry on with the with the handler and it's not that the trooper gets the money the the bill is paid by DPS so with with that being said I am not I will tell you how important this is to detain canine community in Jonesborough if you recall about two years ago we lost a canine the state police canine that the actually save the life of two troopers up in in Jonesborough when they had that dog's funeral there is probably more people that showed up as his funeral and more flowers and would been at mine and it was a a very heart breaking occasion so these dogs means a lot to their handlers they've served their time is state employees as I call them working for the for the state to get drugs and and assist the state police so with that being said I'll be happy to take any questions. Questions for members. I think you may have touched on this I guess part of my question is whose budget is it coming out of exactly where is the money coming from it's going to do this and then also. I had a question about how many dogs at any given time and I think if I heard you right that would only be like one or two that would be qualified for this that is correct typically just one or two in retirement and the GPS it'll come out of their budget there's no physical impact statement required in this just a way for the troopers to take that partner home with them and take care of it until you know it passes away. Thank you. Your other questions. But any discussion. What's will Committee do pass all the do pass by Senator crawl second I'll second it all in favor say aye. All opposed Like sign. Thank you general thank you Senator thank you colleagues and saw I've got one through the Senate to this round so that saw. The This Pilkington armory and Health. The. Representative Cavenaugh. Thank you Mr chair Frank have in our districts thirty this is bill thirteen twenty two. This is the bill if anybody watched a budget hearings they hire is continually ask about fund balances and what we're going to do with these ever increasing fund balances and this is a bill that addresses those so dealing with the boards and commissions in the department of health and labor and licensing this sets a mechanism to wear when they reach a three year average in their fund balance that they've got enough to cover three years expenses that is going to trigger that they'll start reducing their fees that they charge the people they license they can charge up to reduce it up to ninety five percent we didn't set an exact amount that way it gives the secretary's opportunity looked at if I extend it where I'm only going to charge seventy five percent I can do that for four years or if I charge in ninety five I can only do it for two years so it gives them some leeway once a year the secretary will have to report to a LC or Joint Budget wherever we're at and report to us the fund balance what their intention is and it also gets a little leeway in case there has to be unexpected expenditure that they can make some adjustments if they need to. Any questions. Red centre Payton. Okay I really like your bill but I failed to ask you headed down. I know like our Arkansas juniors licensing board has a. Fund this is basically a self insurance for a for the auctioneers that are licensed it It replaced a surety bond many years ago the auctioneers would have to be bonded and pay for surely bond in the auctioneers licensing board created this fund and every auctioneer paid into it until it reached a certain point I think is two hundred fifty thousand or something of so now claims. Are paid out of that fund when somebody's been defrauded by the auctioneer I don't I mean obviously I that funds would have a larger balance then the three year average of what's paid out of it is that type of Fund is are there any exemptions for that type of funding here I'm not sure that that that type of Fund is covered in this bill this is language that we worked with the department of labor and labor last a department health and labor licensing on this Burbridge so we want to make sure that it only covered that type of fund balances that we were questioning during budget hearings were to basically be there operating funds yes all. Okay well I plan to support your bill I would like to double check to make sure that I don't know if there's any other boards or commissions that do it like auctioneers licensing board as. You would probably know more about that than I would. You know these questions spoke everything under. The other questions. The. Any other discussion. Your grocery bill close or a bill and I think this is the first step is utilizing the funds that are Kansas paid to these boards and commissions in a better way we get it back to the people that actually buy it and I would appreciate a good vote what's will committee. Motion and a second all in favor say aye aye aye All opposed lax and. Thank you senator thank you for being. Next bill is Representative Pilkington. Six thirteen thirty one. Your go ahead and introduce yourself and you're welcome to proceed thank you chairman Johnson representative Aaron Pilkington District forty five opened Johnson County. today bring you house bill thirteen thirty one which is to establish June second as women's veterans day the reason why it's June twelfth is because that's the day Harry S. Truman signed into law the women's armed services integration act of nineteen forty eight eleven states already do this I think it's a great way to to honor our female veterans. Personally I have two sister-in-law's one is the navy one is the army who who have served our country and I think this is a great way to do it and with that I'll take any questions if there are any thank you. Missions. The questions. So I mean you're recognized on veterans day also or at yes Sir. Why do it twice. I mean is my wife would celebrate every day like it's veterans day. you know I I eleven other states already do this I think one of the reasons why is because for a long time you know that is a is a very male dominated holiday I think it's perfectly fine have another day that we we celebrate the women and their unique aspects of of helping the armed forces I it's it's a do nothing it's a holiday that doesn't require any Any time off or anything like that so there there's no cost anything like that and I think if we can have a holiday like Confederate flag day we can also have a female veterans day to hear in the state all right thank you representative of any other questions. Any other discussion your clothes. close from mine thank you thank you committee I appreciate the discussion with the will of the committee. Do pass motion second by Senator Tucker all in favor say aye All opposed. The AS habit the thank you. So next we will do this senator Dotson's. Two forty seven. Thank you Mr chairman or the committee Senate bill two forty seven simply adds an exemption to the. The excuses but you can make for requesting an absentee ballot to include observance of a religious discipline or religious holiday during the twelve hours. That the polls are open on election day so it's If you're unable to attend. Due to the religious observance of a religious discipline a religious holiday then you can request that absentee ballot just adds to that list of exemptions. We're happy to answer any questions any questions. Senator Pitsch. So under number one it says unaffordable unavoidably absent. Wouldn't that come under that qualification. Someone who is extremely religious could possibly say that and but in this allows the opportunity them for them to actually say that this is due to their religious faith. I guess my question is who gets to determine whether or not it unavoidably absent. Is that right now I don't know that anybody has a determination one way or another on that okay thank you thank. Question about the. Early voting. The there's no. The. This ability in this that would prevent them from doing early voting and now this doesn't change anything with regard to early voting or even absentee process it just simply have the ability for them to request the absentee ballot right now you can see there's there on the back of the page there are three. on page two there's three different currently listed exceptions and this adds a fourth which would be religious observance of a religious discipline or religious holiday. General questions. The the scene nine your closure you real close with a motion to pass all right I'll close with a motion Is there a second second. All in favor say aye. All opposed no. Thank. So seeing no others the you have an amendment. Senator Johnson. So. The. Thank you Mr my four bills on the agenda today. I want to bring them on Thursday there so that'll be to meeting so I think we can go ahead and move those suffered an and I'll I'll get him off when when I'm ready to run thank you. Any other business can we committee saying nine we are adjourned. Is.