Senate Convenes

Senate will come to order. Senator flowers is recognized. Jackson center Beckham. The thank you madam secretary please call. Ballinger. Beckham Bledsoe Caldwell Chesterfield Clark Davis Dismang Eads Elliott English Flippo flowers full for Garner own leave Gilmore hammer Hendren. Mr Hickey Hill Ingram Irvin Blake Johnson Mark Johnson Leding on leave Pitsch Rapert. Rice sample Stubblefield Sturch Sullivan Teague Tucker Wallace. The one where everybody please stand whatever I take your ties off We join me father we love you we praise you we thank you for letting us be here today. Board as I'm about to leave this place a place to be with my friends and be with those others to. And lord god I miss a move forward. Helpful to make good decisions. Lord we thank you for a great state. We thank you for the people of our great state Frasier the with us keep us safe. Ten Jesus back soon it's in your name I pray a man. In which the state. One. Indivisible with. For all. Want to recognize. Griffen. Okay she is not in the bill that I know of for Marshall and she is a law for the internet in my house. Welcome. Mr president Mr president I have a fish wrapper type resolution to read and what I would ask if you would if you would allow it if you would let allow incoming protium Senator bart Hester to take the chair while you come down here with me. And then also like for Senator Flippo Senator Ingram Senator Pitsch Senator Teague to join me. Senate resolution one by Senator sticking Gilmore to find for the tenant governor Tim Griffin expressed appreciation for his leadership of in service to the Senate during his tenure as lieutenant governor. Members of a if you would please pay attention while read the resolution. For as a tenant governor Tim Griffin was elected lieutenant governor of Arkansas November fourth two thousand fourteen becoming the twentieth lieutenant governor in the history of Arkansas and was reelected for a second four year term on November sixth two thousand eighteen and we're as the official duties of lieutenant governor as described by the Arkansas constitution or to preside over the Senate with the tie breaking vote and to serve as governor of the governor is impeached removed from office dies or is otherwise unable to discharge the offices duties and were as lieutenant Tim lieutenant governor Tim Griffin. As an experienced a steady and reliable leader or head has been an experience steady and reliable leader as a presiding officer the Senate often ruling on important motions in parliamentary procedures and earning a reputation of fairness and treating senators with respect and we're as during his tenure as a tenant governor Tim Griffin is taken on several important leadership roles including serving as chair of the governor's council on common core review as vice chair of the governor's transformation advisory board and as a member of the governor's Military Affairs Committee as his get and has conducted a top to bottom organizational review of the Department of Human Services at the request to governor Aissa Hutchinson. And we're as a tenant gov Tim Griffin has announced has been an outspoken advocate for the causes important to the State of Arkansas during his tenure including improving childhood literacy promoting science technology engineering and math education expanding parental choice in education and providing tax relief to Arkansas workers and families now therefore be it resolved by the state by the Senate of the ninety third General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that the individual members of the Senate publicly and deeply thank lieutenant Tim Griffin Griffin free stated later ship his tireless tireless service a sincere devotion to the Senate Senate and its members. Follows a favor of the resolution say aye hi Jose NO motion carries. Would you like the anywhere you want to say the same appear. Thank you the learning what does your Wardlaw we all got to know. and I really appreciate the opportunity. I appreciate the opportunity to be in this role and look forward to what's what's on there from before but will never forget Tom have your. One interesting. Sitting up here but a lot of really really good stuff has occurred during the the eight years I've been here I thought the last time that we ended was the last time I would be here with you in this role I promise. Let's go. No. This is. Thank you all so much appreciated. Yes Sir I'd like to be recognized also for moment of a personal privilege to recognize a some additional outgoing senators that we have and give them a moment just to say a word or two senator thank you members last time of course a some of our members who were not going to be coming back had to decided to speak this time we have some others they're not going to be coming back with the same clued of center back home Senator sample Senator Teague civil Senator Ballinger Senator Hendren and Senator Sturch and if you all I would like to give them my hand right now those six. Again those are just the additional ones from the last time a couple of actually senator Ballinger was going to say a word but I don't think that he's here at this time but at this time uh we're gonna have to that like to say a couple words my understanding so Senator Hendren and then after that we Senator Sturch. Well here we are again you know when and texted me and said would you like to say a word I nicely said no because I hate to do things that draw attention and try to be very under the radar low key about things. But then I reconsidered because the fact is I began to think there's a couple people I if nothing else I want to say thank you to because it's been a long time I was I served in my first General Assembly twenty seven years ago. Down on the other end and a lot of things have changed since then some for the better some would argue maybe not so much. But the fact is a it's been an honor to serve in the legislature with with you all but I do want to say aye all if you know when you come to the and you think about what made it possible. The fact is we've got some new ones coming in we've got some who were been here a long time as well but all of this no you can't do without your family without a spouse and kids that are better understanding of that especially when you live two hundred thirty miles away and especially when you decide to be in the national guard in front of business at the same time it takes a special family to allow you to have the freedom to do those things so I I'm thankful for Tammy and for Daniel in for David and for Nixon for Molly because the fact is they I couldn't done it without a. I also want to say you know my dad. We don't always agree on everything. But we agree on a few things and one thing he told me when I came to the Senate was you will not find a better staff of people to work within you will in the stent and the Senate and he is so right about that. And again they're all just incredible people who love this institution and it's been such a joy to get to know them not just as a staff but as friends and as people to to work together with. Obviously I want to thank the voters of northwest Arkansas for let me do this for a long time and now I can go back and enjoy my grandkids there's you know all I have so many close friends here and some that I served with for a long time. But I just want to recognize one and that is somebody who is responsible for me being here he called me out of retirement said you have to come be part of this again and that's because she was with me back on the house and that's my seatmate Senator Cecile Bledsoe who I have not had a better friend and colleague in the Senate and and it is so special that you can have those kind of relationships and I hope all of you have that kind of seat made that kind of experience your time here in the legislature. And I want to thank you all for putting up with me for giving the opportunity to serve in some positions of leadership I know sometimes I can be a little hard to get along with specially when Dismang or Flippo or doing stupid stuff and I and I say things. But I appreciate I appreciate you all we come from different backgrounds with different experiences and different world views and I appreciate the opportunity to serve in your your patience with me. And all this close with this because I you know as I leave here I think what it what do I do why did I come down here it's been sixteen years you know away from my family but the river the fact is the reason is because of them it's a I was thinking about as I was coming down this morning. My daughter was born when I was serving in the house of representatives and now she's going to have her first child in November. And the fact is and that's number eleven for me and the fact is the reason we do this is not for ourselves and I hope it's not to be a senator it's for them it's for our kids and our grandkids to be able to come back and enjoy the amazing state that we have. I had the opportunity to live in lots of states from Florida to Alaska to California to Mexico I saw no where it was never in doubt I was coming back to Arkansas because of what we have here and I'm challenging you that are staying here to continue the work there's so many people counting on. I mean. There are kids without families that are counting on you. Jonathan talk to me after our meeting yesterday there's people who don't have homes that are counting on you. Those are problems that you guys can have and must solve there's our kids and grandkids who want a job in an opportunity to work here in Arkansas and have good schools and quality education there's all the people who work for the state and the schools that depend on how we make decisions here they're all counting on you. And as I leave here I was gonna say I'm counting on you to. because I have no doubt and I said this when I began the session is the Pro Temp we have some great people we have some incredibly good people in this Senate. despite the challenges that we face they're good people trying to do good things and I'm just imploring you to be leaders not politicians to solve those problems that matter and to continue to make Arkansas the greatest state again thank you for letting me stay here and serve with you thank you for putting up with my sometimes hard to get hard to get along nature but it has been an honor to to serve in the Senate and the house of representatives thank. Thank you Mr president thank you colleagues I to share some the same sentence Senator Hendren just mention. The reason the main reason I want to come down here was to also say thank you. First thank you to my constituents back home for the last eight years to put confidence in me is state representative and as our state senator. Those five counties that I serve that's home. The two things that I was one to remember. Was where I came from and where I was going back to. For a poor kid from south side. To be able to serve in the legislature. Is a great honor. And the probably the greatest honor of my life. I want to say thank you to my family as well. My parents. Who supported me throughout this whole journey provided the foundation so that I could serve honorably. We may not always know the legacy that we leave. But I know what I take with. Integrity. Integrity. And that means more to me than anything. And finally I want to say thank you to each of you. Each of you have meant something to me the relationships that we've built together the bills that we sponsor the differences we've made all those things I'll remember forever. And each of you place a small trust in me. To be able to send that chair. And I can't thank you enough. For that incredible honor. Up until Senator Gilmore came I was the youngest member here. I still have the record so that's all right. That your S. as in one of the younger ones feels somewhat intimidated. By the wisdom operate that way around you. If you to be able to allow me to serve in preside I thank you wholeheartedly. I heard it said back during the campaign. Well another candidate somewhere else they wanted to be the next Joe McCarthy. And that shows you what kind of world politics we're living in right now. I don't think there needs to be more Joe McCarthy's I think there needs to be more Margaret chase Smith's. And if you don't. If you don't know who that is I would argue you don't know much history or at least fair history as history teacher I want to know who both of them are. We need more people. Serve with conscience. Serve with integrity. We need more people as Senator Hendren said looking to solve problems not create them. To build bridges not burn them. Penzo tell you there is a lot of work still left to do. We don't have to be reflective of the national politics we see we can dare to be different. We can there to be the examples that we should be both for our state and foreign nation. I hope that you agree with me that we still live in the greatest country on earth. We still live and one of the best states in the union and the center Hendren mention there's a lot of young people counting on us to leave it better than what we found. So I'll leave you with a improvise quote. Young senators are never defeated they simply run again god bless. This was a sentence that. All I needed to step out of the chair a lot of people help me up here but you were thank you go to because I knew that you would be fair and I appreciate you sit in the chair for me when I had to. To get a snack. Or take a break thank you senator design. House bill ten O. two by representative Jett is mine to reduce Arkansas income taxes to adopt federal law on the Preciado should expensing of property and to create an income tax credit thanks certain taxpayers and declare an emergency so does my thank you members Senate bills we heard yesterday I would be happy to take any questions any questions or wish to speak gaffer for Senator close. This requires a devos has emergency clause secretary please call the roll. Ballinger. Ballinger. Beckham Bledsoe. Caldwell. Chesterfield. Clark. Davis. DISMANG. Elliott. English. Flippo. Flowers. Full for. Garner is on leave Gilmore. Hammer. Hendren. Hester. Hickey Hill. Ingram. Irvine. Blake Johnson. Mark Johnson. Leding family Page. Right. Rice. Sample. Stubblefield. Sturch. Sullivan. Teague Tucker. Wallace. Your wish to vote or change of a. S. the the ballot for twenty seven days five days the bill is passed emergency clause is adopted. Senators. Returned to the house Senator Sturch. Collins says you'll see on your agenda the boards and commissions I would like to withdraw this agenda item not take up confirmations at this time the governor's appointees will continue to serve until the Senate takes action in the upcoming a regular session and to me that would be the most appropriate for right now given the circumstances of the U. appointments right now so to me as such having concluded all the agenda items on the call Mr president I move that the Senate adjourned sine die for the third extraordinary special session and provide consent to the house to adjourn sine die at the date falling of the to see a lot of a motion. Not. Under the rules. motion. It's not. Majority role. That. Ballinger Ballinger. Back. But. Bledsoe. Caldwell. Chesterfield. Clark. Davis Dismang. Elliott. English. Flippo. Flowers. Full for. Garner is only Gilmore. Hammer. Hendren. Hester. Hickey. Health. Ingram. Irvine. Blake Johnson. Mark Johnson. Leding is only Page. Right. Right. Rice sample. Stubblefield. Sturch. Sullivan. Teague. T.. Tucker. Wallace. You always voted. No you don't. The motion. Senate is your.