State Agencies & Govt'l Affairs-Senate

We have both. Goldthorpe from Benton if you would stand up vote. Lily Tackett from Benton. You would stand up really injured Tackett from Benton please stand up thank you. Good to have you for our procedures appreciated we're going to start with a house bill eleven ninety eight. The. Is that you senator corral. Do what. Sure. Just a. Good morning. Introduce. Letter introduce yourself and your ongoing deferred to her let her she's welcome to proceed. A Steve Kroll and I'm going to turn it over to her to present sure good morning thank you Mr chair Lindsay French with the association of Arkansas counties this isn't elections bill that doesn't do much and I I know that sounds funny but it's the truth currently early voting is closed by law on state holidays and county holidays so for instance in a Senate district that spans multiple counties you could have early voting closed in one county for the county holiday when the adjacent county does not have that county holiday and is open so that creates discrepancies people being able to vote more days in a same Senate district in one county than in another county so all we're doing here is eliminating County holidays from days at the polls are closed holes shall only be closed on state holidays. Thank you there any questions. Read senator flowers. So how would that affect. County employee. Okay. If it's a. Not. If it's a county holiday in that county. Yes senator flowers in a county employees were coming in and working on that holiday it's addressed in their county personnel policy how that happens but what typically happens is they would get paid for that day they would get their holiday to take another day that they chose or were designated. Any other questions. C. nine in discussion. No closure your bill I move to pass all right motion by Senator crawl second most senator Payton all in favor say aye. All opposed Like sign thank you. Senator Hester. One ninety four Senate bill one ninety four. My recognized go ahead of members is just makes it up the secretary department correction uniformed all other secretaries if the answer to the governor not the board of the of the of their agency and so this is the only one that unique like that it makes it fall in line with all the others happy to answer any questions. The questions. Reservation. Thank you Mr. Makes perfect sense except for the language says the board of corrections shall appoint the secretary so even though the board is appointed the secretary. The secretarial serve at the pleasure of the governor. I am at your I know I know I I clearly know that the governor appoints with the You know the the the the board also has to vote on and after you know we voted and confirm the secretary then the board also had to vote on that. But in the then they would answer to the governor okay. It's not a big deal to me is just the portion of code that we get to read right here makes it sound like the board is appointing I guess the governor could fire. But and we just had a question maybe somebody smarter may I live that I think that's a great question context usually matters a lot maybe it haven't provided enough Senator Tucker. Thank you Mr I could be wrong about this but my understanding is that the governor nominates the secretary and then as Senator Hester said the board corrections really confirms that nomination like the Senate like he was talking about so I believe the governor. Nominates to the secretary yeah and in a there's a confirmation of that point. Other questions. You got a question flowers my understanding it was that the the governor appoints all the members and we confirm the members. To the board and then among themselves a to the Secretary that serve it and all of them serve at the pleasure of the governor. That's my understanding with the Secretary is not a ward of a board member or I guess it's possible secretary is on the board of corrections I don't I don't know but this This Is secretario over. the governor absolutely appoint some the Senate confirms amend the department of corrections has to confirm as well I remember that from we were going over confirmations. It seems like all of them were confirm. By the Senate of all the other boards yeah I'm not I this was the only one that I remember when we were going through all the Secretary confirmations we know this one and maybe state police either there was a couple of them that that the board actually had to confirm after we after the Senate confirmed. But this is the only board where There is there is that the secretary didn't answer to the governor. Three other questions. The man your clothes. I'm closed I make a motion to pass a motion the second by Senator crawl All in favor say aye opposed Like sign. The next we're going to Senator Tucker Senate bill one ninety six. Senator Tucker has an amendment. You're a second for that to be passed out. I would like the amendments just and co sponsors. Motion I make a motion. I'll second all right is it also saver say aye opposed Like sign okay you're welcome proceed with your mission thank you Mr chair The Amendment as you saw at center Gilmore than representatives Beatty and ray and I like to refer to that as my Republican seal of approval. This is this is an election bill it applies to county election commissioners of of both parties it came to my attention from an Election Commission room Pulaski County who's a constituent representative McCullough myself which is why we're the bill's sponsors but an election commissioner had resigned from the Election Commission shortly before the primary election last year because of health reasons. And the way the code as currently written is vacancies an election commissioners are filled by election from the county parties the problem is if any election commissioner Democrat Republican whatever has to resign because of health reasons they're moving or you know god forbid someone passes away shortly before an election you could have an Election Commission that short a commissioner when the election takes place when you really need the full commission so all this bill does is says it still leaves the the power to replace the election commissioner on a permanent basis with the county party but it says that the vacancy can be filled on a temporary basis until that election takes place by appointment of the county chair so that that way you can ensure that the Election Commission the county election commissions are fully staffed with three election commissioners when election takes place and it's as if there's no. County committee in that county than the state chair will point the election commissioner for that so that's that's really all the bill does And happy take any questions any questions go ahead senator Johnson. Thank you Mr chair Senator Tucker just. Out of curiosity is there anything that like spurs them to actually have a county committee meeting for the election purposes in a in a timely manner. There's nothing that that requires them to do that and you know every County Committee has their own bylaws and and there's most most of them I would imagine have notice requirements for meetings and whatnot so they can't they're actually probably precluded from calling a meeting on the spur of the moment to elect a county commissioner on a quick basis if the resignation has take place shortly before an election. In. I'm. Just had another thought but I I guess the state. The party chair currently is the one that makes an appointment if there's not a local council committee for that party is right now this of what the what the bill does is make the appointment possible right now the unemployment by either the county party chair or the state party chair is not possible quickly the the power is with the state chair to appoint someone. If the county party doesn't elect someone for a forty five day period and then the state chair can make an appointment so if there is not a county committee currently in a county the state party chair after forty five days makes that appointment today that's the current law and so this would change it to say you don't have to wait forty five days for the the state party chair doesn't have to wait forty five days to make that appointment they can do it immediately. So. This would still out after forty five days if if the council chair didn't make an appointment in the county committee didn't make the appointment the state party chair could make that appointment after forty five days that's right and the only language on page two which is very little addresses that and what that saying is that the state party chair can appoint the same person on a temporary basis and then once again on a permanent basis if the county party hasn't elected someone within forty five days. Thank you I. Answer my question if I turn that over okay I don't I didn't remember that when I was reading last night yes thank you yes Sir. The questions. Z. nine your clothes your bill Mr I'm close for bill and I'm I move do pass. As amended as amended the second by Senator crawl all in favor say aye All opposed Like sign thank you senator. The New business members. No new business we will see you next week.