Committee of the Whole - Senate

Okay members roll call this a meeting of the holder order. WebSphere body bags Center leading the did you have an announcmenet. We have sleep for Senator flowers Senator Ingram. Anyone else have any announcements. Okay madam secretary if you would call. Ballinger. Ballinger. Beckham. Beckham. Bledsoe. Chesterfield. Clark. Davis. Davis. DISMANG. He. Elliott. Your English. Flippo flowers Garner. Gilmore. Hammer. Hendren. Hester. Hickey here Hill Ingram Irvin. Blake Johnson Mark Johnson Leding. Page. Rapert. Rice sample. Stubblefield. Sturch. Sullivan. Teague. Tucker. Wallace. Thank you of members were here today to do something a little bit different although we're in a committee of the whole this committee of the whole was actually created by legislation would you passed in the last session to deal with this state of the Emergency It's governed by the But what was more by what was in the statute itself and is different from our regular committee of the whole because a regular committee of the whole is governed by rules of the Senate but just and let everybody know that is what we're doing this is the first time that we've done it there may be some spots in your wi after recess because the way it was written there's concurrent resolutions that if there filed with the house and the Senate we would have to consider that so if somebody wonders what we're doing again there's going to be able to be some parts of this where myself and Speaker Shepherd are going to have to the talking to see if anything is transpired or not so what we'll do is just kind of give you a synopsis of of what has transpired. To to get us here today. Soldier on July twenty ninth to twenty twenty one governor Aissa Hoshi Hutchinson each issued executive order twenty one dash fourteen which declares a state wide state of disaster emergency related to public health for the purpose of meeting and mitigating the impact COVID nineteen on the healthcare system of Arkansas. Executive order twenty one fourteen provides that it shall expire sixty days from July twenty ninth unless terminated at an earlier date are approved for renewal by the Legislative Council. Arkansas Code twelve seventy five one oh seven as amended by Act for all three of twenty twenty one provides that if the governor declares a state wide state of disaster emergency related to public health. The Senate and house of representatives shall each convene as a committee of the whole within eight days of the declaration of the vote. And by a concurrent resolution to not to terminate the state wide state of disaster emergency related to public health. The purpose of this committee of the whole is to consider concurrent resolution to terminate the statewide stated disaster emergency related to public health rather rather than a farming it's issued. Just to let you know in addition to the US. To to that order. Also included with that word were two executive orders that were specific. that the governor issued. First the Arkansas what what he was going to do is he was going to issue this this order that the Arkansas division of emergency management is ordered to seek necessary staffing assistance Arkansas health care facilities and hospitals your available avenues to include the emergency management assistance compact and the Arkansas department of health is ordered to identify any regular regulatory statutes orders or rules rules relating to license of health care professionals that may be preventing hindering or delaying necessary action for coping with the emergency. Those statutes orders a rule shall be reported to the governor governor posted on the department of health website and suspended for the duration of the emergency. So at this time uh I know that we have at least one concurrent resolution has been filed Senator Solomon you're recognized what would you like to do I'd like to withdraw that place okay. And you did just by what is that correct okay Senator Solomon file one he is going to withdraw but at this time uh we have not had any other filings does anyone else have one to present. Okay seeing none that would really conclude our business with the exception that I need to speak with the should speak with the Speaker Shepherd after to make sure that they have not received any of that in. If they do not receive any on that in that will come back again. will will deem that the They don't. Okay all right Cornwell Secretary of the Senate just got word that they also do not have any so at this time. What we will do. She is a. The Senate. I will consider that the site statewide state of disaster emergency is being to continue. And at this time. And with that this committee of the whole will be adjourned thank you.