JBC-Special Language

Members we're going to take up B. one first H. B. ten seventy nine and Mildred it is your turn. Good afternoon members are good morning kind of confused right now thank you for attending this is going to be for my understanding our last meeting a special language we have two items on the agenda the first is HB ten seventy nine department of health this is an amendment by Senator Solomon it's on page one in your packet it add special language to the Department house operating bill requiring the refund of fines to certain businesses and makes the language effective upon passage and approval thank you. Senator Solomon you're recognized presenter amendment thank you madam chair several weeks maybe a month ago I contact the department of health and ask them if they would voluntarily return the finds that resulted during the pandemic of a decline to do so. you know I think when we make an error in government the first thing we need to do is acknowledge that we made there and if we can make it right. I just believe that the decisions to collect the fines were done sincerely with good intentions expecting the lockdowns in the mask and other provisions that we expect to those to work or some did we were just wrong and I thank two weeks ago doctor amero testified as such in committee admitting that the lockdowns the mask and other attempts we may just did not have the intended effect on slowing the spread social distancing included again it was all done sincerely but was this not effective in stopping the spread I was in a fast food line the other day and gave the young man ten dollars on a nine dollar bill and the young man gave me back a calendar and I ask you a he didn't run and ask his manager he just knew the right thing to do was to return the money and I think the right thing to do here is for the government the state to return that money we deal frequently with people not trusting government we also deal frequently with underpayments and overpayments and we just expect people to do the right thing citizens to do the right thing. And lastly we wonder why people distrust the government this is why we've taken their money we've admitted we were wrong but we're going to keep the money I'd ask the state in the department of health to please return the people's money and meet with admit we were wrong and then do the right thing this is an opportunity to do the right thing. Madam chair I spoke with some folks the other day that told me there were some unintended consequences in the language of this of this bill of the problem in the language was not room related to returning the fines but related to how the language spoke of we don't have time to go through that change the language and bring it back up so at this time I'll withdraw the bill okay thank you Senator Solomon thank you. With that members we're going to move on we're passing over item number two SP forty five we're going to move into SP sixty seven. Wilder. Yeah we skip we're pulling that we're gonna pull forty five okay. With that we're gonna take up item number three SP sixty seven. And to hear this we have an amendment and hand out so we're going to need the suspension of the rules. I'm sorry all in favor say aye. Our pastor and elder. Thank you madam chair on item three this is an amendment to department of commerce's operating bill it adds a new section of special language for the Department adding stipulations for their foreign offices this is an amendment by senator brown. Senator Ballinger. Do you like to come represent your amendment you are presented from. That's okay you're recognized Senator Ballenger thank you Matt madam chair just this is so you guys know the minute the reason why we had amended is because of the governors of a letter the main amendment to some the same section so anyway that's what this amendment does just incorporate that it also makes it clear that we're talking about is a physical lease rather than rather than any consulting or anything else at it in short and I know that the I'm sure Senator Hester will wax eloquently on Monday so I don't wanna going to cover too much more but it we were in a situation where there's not a whole lot that we can do when it comes to foreign policy when it comes to the genocide that is being committed on the Uighurs and in China and then also the other human rights violations not to mention that they are really becoming to some extent adversary on the national stage having said all of that you know I I realize that you know we're the state art so we'll focus on that and and one of the things that we kind of an argument out for a while is is the office that was in China and the the language that provides for funding for an office in China and whether or not we should prohibit that and so that's what this amendment would do is that it makes where we cannot have a physical office located in the nation which. Representative Jane you're recognized for a question thank you Mr chair of this is Senator Ballenger we don't we don't have an office in there right now but this this will prohibit us never put anyone in there that is that what the special language does. Sorry about that Senator yeah that's right yes the answer is yes okay. Whoever's that senator flowers seat you're recognized. Thank you if we could we have someone from of Commerce come up. Just a quick question. Please recognize yourself for the record. Thank you madam chair Mike Preston secretary commerce executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. Jim Dotson chief of staff to former commerce journal Council ATC I thank you in just real quick I mean and just to reiterate we currently do not have an office in China is that correct that's correct okay in in would you make any comments about any tension you may or may not have relations to a possible office and John. We don't have any intentions to do anything further I think the of special language that this committee adopted and passed out earlier this week that the governor provided address the concerns expressed by members of previously about our foreign offices in our operations and really strengthens around what the offices can't can't do and I think gives that level of clarity we don't see a need for this amendment. Your follow up. And so just to be clear you will not or would you mind we will not be opening office we will not be opening an office and thank you. Madam chair yes I would like pulled out my amendment. You're recognized for your men yeah I just pulled out my amendment we don't need to hear okay thank you. With that members. That's really all the business that we have thank you all for coming. So the following amendments are released from special budget back to joint budget special language backed the Joint Budget SP sixty four SP forty five is the sixty seven S. three sixty four with that we're done.