House Convenes

Three thank. One two three four five chapter one two three four five. I'm by the member staff press and guests in the galleries to stand to be led in prayer by the house chaplain Dr rex mourn. Retired pastor Emmanuel Baptist Church Little Rock and remain standing for the pledge of allegiance to be led by representative Lane Jean. Let's pray. Our father we thank you today for women and men here in the houses stand to begin the session we thank you that we have the privilege of praying and we thank you all so that we can express our gratitude for the promises she give us for every day of our life. For tomorrow that you hold our steps are days in your hands and for the life to come. We thank you for the provision that you give to us encouragement from friends and family we thank you that you meet the daily needs of our daily bread. We thank you lord as well that when we look at the life As you've given us and the the promises and the provision that you make that we just want to say how grateful that we are. And to add to that your presence with us around us and in us for all these blessings we give you thanks in Jesus name amen. Members please indicate your presence by pushing yellow present button prepare the machine Mr Clerk. Cast about Mr Clark. With ninety eight members present chair sees a quorum. Are there any request for leave representative Jett for what purpose leave you're recognized leave representative Ferguson police is leave granted for representative Deborah Ferguson some noted. Murdock for what purpose leave you're recognized leave a representative love is lease agreement represent love. So noted. Representative. Murdock moves we dispense the reading of the previous day's Journal without objection so ordered or they're Reports from select committee. Reporter Mister Clark Mister Speaker we are committee on joint budget to whom was referred house bill twelve away beg leave to report that we've had the same under consideration in here with the terms and the recognition do pass respectfully submitted ranging chair Mister Speaker we committee on house management to whom was referred house resolution ten forty House resolution ten forty one House resolution ten forty three House resolution ten forty two House resolution ten forty four House resolution ten forty five but later for the for the same under consideration here with trying the same the recognition do pass respectfully submitted Carlton wing chair. Are the reports from standing committees reports Mister Clark Mister Speaker we are committee on state agencies government affairs to whom was referred Senate bill two five eighty two Bentley to for the for the same under consideration I'm here with terms and recognition do pass as amended number one respectfully submitted Dwight Tosh chair Mister Speaker we're Committee on Public Health to whom was referred house bill fourteen thirty nine beg leave to report with the same committee under consideration here with trying the same the recommendation to do pass encourages sentiments number wanted to respect this minute Jack Ladyman chair Mr Speaker we're Committee on Public Health and was referred house bill nineteen forty four Senate bill six sixty three beg leave to report we had the same under consideration here with trying to sing the recognition that do pass that was submitted Jack Ladyman chair this is the week mean insurance and commerce to whom was referred house bill twelve forty three beg leave to report we had the same under consideration here the term the same recognition do pass and curses Amendment number one respectfully submitted John Maddox vice chair Mister Speaker we are committee on Insurance commerce to whom was referred referred house bill fifteen sixty nine beg leave to report or even the same under consideration here with terms and the recognition do pass encourages and member number one respectfully submitted Mark Lowery chair Mister Speaker we Committee on insurance and commerce to whom was referred Senate bill five ninety four beg leave to report we've had the same consideration in here with her the same the recognition that do pass as amended to respectfully submitted Mark Lowery chair Mister Speaker we're Committee on insurance and commerce to whom was referred house bill nineteen twenty six Senate bill six sixty four bit leader report we've had the same under consideration here with during the same the recognition do pass respectfully submitted Mark Lowery chair. Is there any unfinished business. Are there any executive communications read letter from the government Clerk. April twentieth twenty twenty one to the Speaker of the house do Mr Speaker this is to inform you that on April twentieth twenty twenty one I've reviewed and approved the following measures from the regular session of the ninety third General Assembly house bill fourteen twenty two ACT seven eighty eight helpful fifteen sixties ACT seventy nine house bill eleven fifty two was at seven ninety house bill seventeen thirty six ACT seven ninety one house for eighteen sixty five ACT seventy two house bill eighty fifty three six seventy three House placing eleventh at seven ninety four house bill seventeen eighty eight is that seventy five house bill seventy seventy nine is six seven ninety six house bill seventeen forty three six seven ninety seven house bill seventeen forty one is at seven ninety eight house bill seventeen thirty nine is that seventy nine house bill seventeen twenty one is ACT eight hundred X. bill house bill seventy eight seems like they don't want house bill sixteen eighty nine as I stated to House will fifteen eighty two ACT eight oh three house bill fifteen eighteen is ACT eight oh four house bill fourteen sixty seven ACT eight oh five house bill fourteen sixty three ACT eight oh six house bill thirteen seventy one thirteen seventy four ACT eight oh seven sincerely Asa Hutchinson. Mr Clark please read House resolution ten thirty one. House resolution ten thirty one by representative grace to congratulate the Milborne high school lady Bearcats for winning the class two A. basketball championship represent great you're recognized explain the resolution. All right thank you Mr Speaker so I've got my to a girl state champions up here in the east gallery if you guys will all stay in. And. It's very needs to be down here to do this again I did this two years ago so this is their third year in a row to be to a state champions an eighty and even more impressively this year they are number one in overall state even though they're it to a school so it's truly amazing we were not that good back when I was in high school although we thought we work and and I know today is mostly about the girls and the team and what all they've accomplished and I of I didn't go to everyone of your regional and state games except the finals I did not make it to hot springs but I did enjoy watching you. And it's about the girls but on the State years coming up I said is there anything you want me to say well I mean the whale back to coach or anything like that. So what I did learn his date what we got here today my superintendent Dennis Sublett assisting coach Kelly way up and then head coach Eric Teague and I did learn that Eric Teague is coach of the year and it's also his birthday today. And so I thought about this I know how old he is because he's not that much older than me but my daughter's going to play ball for him next year in the seventh grade so I better not actually tell his age today right so anyways I just thank you for coming down today means a lot to me to have you here as well so Mister Speaker if you would please have the Clerk read the resolution in its entirety. Mr Clark please read the resolution whereas the twenty twenty one male born high school lady Bearcats basketball team claimed the class two A. state championship trophy after the lady Bearcats defeated the Salem lady greyhounds with the score fifty five to thirty three at the bank of the K. arena in hot springs Arkansas on Friday March nineteenth twenty twenty one and whereas with the wind the lady Bearcats earned their third straight state title and whereas the team as well led by head coach Eric Teague and we're as each player on the lady Bearcats team committed herself to excellence and was supported by her school family and community now therefore be it resolved by the house of representatives of the ninety third General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that the house of representatives congratulate the members of the male born high school lady Bearcats basketball team on winning the twenty twenty one class two A. state championship. They'll help me congratulate them thank you. Represent gray's explain the resolution would anyone like to speak against the resolution. Would anyone like to speak for the resolution represent gray is close for the resolution the question before the House is the passage of house resolution ten thirty one all in favor say aye. Any opposed. The resolution is adopted. Mr Clark please read House resolution ten thirty five House resolution ten thirty five a representative Holcomb to proclaim April twenty twenty one distracted driving awareness month Ferguson Holcomb you're recognized to explain the resolution. Thank you Mr Speaker colleagues probably everyone here has had a family member or a friend of the use of yours. R. their family that's been involved in some type of accident because of distracted driving. most of that was probably from Texas had a personal friend of mine his daughter was eighteen year old she was taxing on five thirty one is under construction never looked up run into the back of the truck was killed instantly so the governor did a proclamation this month declaring the month of April distracted driving month this House resolution today was brought to me by a young lady from Cleveland County she is currently in pharmacy school she matter factors come in third twice in the miss Arkansas pageant so we're looking number one next next time but she she brought this to my attention this year this is better platform and she's talking about distracted driving all of the state she's with us in these galleries to recycling center but it would you make a racist over welcome today on the house floor thank you gross. Thank you colleagues the Mr Speaker would you ask the Clerk to read the House resolution please Mr Clark please read the resolution whereas distracted driving is a serious life threatening practice that is preventable and whereas distracted driving driving can result in injury and death to all road users including without limitation motorists pedestrians and bicyclists and we're as distracted driving a personal driver diverts his or her attention away from the task of driving to focus on another activity and whereas in twenty twenty to distracted driving contributed to four thousand not three hundred and ninety two motor vehicle accidents and twenty five fidelity is in the State of Arkansas and whereas out of that seventy one thousand eight hundred and sixty a motor vehicle accidents investigated by law enforcement in Arkansas on twenty twenty distracted driving accounted for more than six percent of the motor vehicle accidents and whereas the increased health and well being of our citizens of the state is a direct result of the increased enforcement awareness concerning the dangers of distracted driving and whereas in order to reduce the number of crashes as well as improve driver safety drivers to commit to adopting maintaining safe behavior while behind the wheel and whereas increased enforcement of distracted driving laws coupled with complicity has proven to be an effective method to reduce distracted driving and save lives now therefore be it resolved by the house of representatives of the ninety third General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that the house of representatives proclaim April twenty twenty one distracted driving awareness month. President Holcomb is explain the resolution would anyone like to speak against the resolution. Would anyone like to speak for the resolution. Representive Holcomb is closed for the resolution the question before the House is the adoption House resolution ten thirty five all in favor say aye. Any opposed the resolution is adopted. M. represent. President wing for purpose. What a personal privilege you're recognized for your point personal privilege. Thank you Mr Speaker with your permission may I also invite representative Fred Allen. The members of our prayer caucus who would like to. And representative Jack Fortner. There's consent. Don't be shocked. Colleagues we want to honor somebody who is demonstrating extreme courage. Miss Pam Fortner. Whereas as we walk through life we encounter those who displayed great strength and courage while navigating difficult situations with grace. And we appreciate their confidence Mrs Pam Fortner is one of those people for whom we have great admiration and this is Fortner is a shining light to the ninety third General Assembly she's been in our goal to ensuring the twenty twenty one legislative session moves smoothly and she does so with a charming disposition despite challenges she is facing and with her unyielding faith and positive energy missus Fortner inspires us day we admire her fortitude and perseverance in the face of adversity and we hold great respect for her strength of spirit and whereas the house of representatives of the ninety third General Assembly of the State of Arkansas takes great pride in recognizing this is PAM Fortner and wishes the best with her beautiful story that lies ahead. We want you to know that we love you and are with you on your journey. It was a surprise for me to. Fifty one years Pam has led me through life with her happy heart and her positive attitude. And now. She's she is a strong person and now we went through this once before and we'll get through it this time to and I I thank you for your consideration all the. Specially. We all know Fred. And I am a strong. And and Pam is my wife and I have to love her. Fred. The strongest man that I ever saw you talk about a man with courage it has endured. I wouldn't be surprised if some of you don't know deflection that he bears and has for years and continues to. A strong man and it was his idea I'm sure. To do this when he is just well deserved one of these. My mother once said to me since the sun if you're gonna be strong you got some heavy. And this is a heavy lift of ham and I want you to know that you can make it and you are going to make it and one of the things that you have to do is have to take time off the table you have that for us. The goodness and the gracefulness of dark. Because what god has done for me. Yeah do for you and Bills. And I want to know that whenever I see you you are right of inspiration to me I believe you will of scriptures my fave description the bow and I don't just quoted because I quote scriptures I don't do that but it says in songs one eighteen and seventeen I will not tax. Instead our Leo entail what the lord has done for me. So you gonna leave you and you will be telling us you matter what the lord has done for you thank you. Represent Smith for what purpose. No privilege you're recognized for point person for the. I want to. Ask for permission to bring a the white Tosh. Ladyman Jack Ladyman down to the floor with me. Today colleagues we What. I'm a duck under the. Okay. Today I'm going to be a we're gonna be honoring our Jonesborough high school girls basketball five A. state champions for a great season they're a they're up in the gallery to your right and I'd like for the girls to please stand at this point. And let's give them a round of applause. Thank you thank you very much their coach coach Kristin berry is here and her assistant coach coach gentry and if they're not standing would you all please the O. U. R. standing okay. Usually I have to tell people I am standing so. I would have been a great basketball player but as I told the young ladies that was vertically challenged so among other things but let me read the citation that we prepare. Whereas sports and athletes athletics are challenging and stimulating activities and the best performances come through the combination of talent hard work and support from family friends and community and we're as junk or high school bested West Memphis sorry representative Nicks. to take a class five A. girls state basketball title with a score of forty seven to thirty nine at the hot springs convention center on September twentieth two thousand twenty one and whereas dedication and perseverance through the difficult season proved to be the right recipe for the team otherwise known as the Jones Burrel lady hurricane and whereas the house of representatives of the ninety third General Assembly of the State of Arkansas takes great pride in recognizing the Jonesborough high school girls basketball team as the class AA five A. state champions and wish them well now therefore pursuant to the motion of representatives Brandt Smith Dwight Tosh and Jack Ladyman the Arkansas house of representatives direct that this application be presented on this twenty first day of April two thousand twenty one thank you ladies for being here today. We're not done yet. we have the Jonesborough boys basketball team. Who also won the state championship. So we're very proud of Jonesborough high school with two great teams so if the boys team is up there would you all please stand. If you get my hand. Yeah we have coach Wes swift also are you up there codes. Because you've been here before I believe. A couple years ago. So anyway we're really proud of the both teams and that the confidence that they had very seldom the have two basketball teams from the same school in that large can that larger category to win so we're very proud of their accomplishments so allow so would I I read the citation. Whereas sports and athletics are challenging and stimulating activities and the best performance. Performances come through the combination of talent hard work and support from family friends and community and whereas Jonesborough high school bested Maumelle. To take the class five A. boys state basketball title with a score of fifty eight to fifty six at the hot springs convention center on Saturday March twentieth twenty twenty one I had March not even in the seat but we beat him anyways these and we're as dedication and perseverance throughout the difficult season proved to be the right recipe for the team otherwise known as the Jones bro hurricane and whereas the house of representatives of the ninety third General Assembly of the State of Arkansas takes great pride in recognizing Jonesborough high school boys basketball team as the class five A. state champions and wishes them well now therefore pursuant to the motion of representatives Brandt Smith Dwight Tosh and Jack Ladyman the House the Arkansas house of representatives directs this citation to be presented on this twenty first day of April twenty twenty one. The morning hours ended. President in it recommends we concurred in Senate Amendment number one to House Bill sixteen eleven Mister Clark please read Senate Amendment number one Senate amendment over one to House Bill sixteen eleven represent in it you're recognized explain a member number one. That afternoon Mr Speaker and to my esteemed colleagues this amendment is just to add to Senate sponsors. Representan is explain the amendment would anyone like to speak against the amendment. Would anyone like to speak for the amendment. Represent it is close for the amendment the question before the House is the concurrence with Senate Amendment number one to House Bill sixteen eleven prepare the machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast about Mr Clark by a vote of ninety two U. A. zero nine zero president. You've concurred in Senate Amendment number one to House Bill sixteen eleven. Mr Clark please read house bill nineteen thirty one. House bill nineteen thirty one by representative Bentley to amend the Arkansas rule medical practice student loan and scholarship board. President Bentley recognized explain the bill. Good afternoon colleagues this is a very simple bill the purpose of this bill is to update the rule practice scholarship medical board membership and contract provisions the bill increases statewide representation for rural and under represented communities around the state. It also provides Senate confirmation for the governor governor board appointments. That's pretty much it shall not take any questions running for the month. Scene then I appreciate it. President Bentley is explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. President Bentley is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill nineteen thirty one prepared machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast about Mr Clark. By a vote of ninety four yeah zero nine one present the bill is passed Mr Clark please read house bill eighteen ninety three. Also eighteen ninety three by representative brown to amend acts twenty twenty one number three twenty eight to exempt certain types of vehicles from the required additional fee for electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles represent brown you're recognized explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker. Alex is a little bitty bill it doesn't impact very many people but those that it does they'll probably think that were just wonderful so I would appreciate a good vote when I get around to telling you about it in the twenty nineteen we enacted A great big tax bill. I have a big a big document and somehow or another Electric Missy golf carts low speed vehicles electric motorcycles and hybrid motorcycles got swept into being charged that extra one hundred dollar fee for hybrids or two hundred dollars fee for electric vehicles these vehicles are not intended to be included in that. In the vehicles to be charged that so They will no longer be charge that I've talked to Mister Hamrick at DMV and they are happy with this bill they have no problems with it they will be returning whatever fees were collected during this past year and they'll take care of whatever. Measures they need to to make sure these charges are no longer charge and I would appreciate a good vote. Oh dear yes. Represent Payton for what purpose a question you're recognized for a question thank you Mr Speaker representative brown I appreciate this bill but do we know if Senator Hickey is taking a position on it or not. No I didn't ask thank you. And with that I would appreciate a good vote. Represent Brown is explained bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative brown is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill eighteen ninety three prepare the machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Cast a ballot Mr Clark. With ninety eight zero Nays one present the bill is passed. Mr Clark read house bill eighteen twenty seven. House Bill eighteen twenty seven by representative Beatty to amend the law concerning the sale of surplus highway property to authorize the sale of road Billings. Representative Beatty recognized explained bill. Thank you Mr Speaker a House bill eighteen twenty seven is the bill briefly mentioned yesterday we're talking about the low key ninety thousand pound bill basically this bill contains agreed upon language with are not to provide the access millions from road construction and improvement repairs to the counties free of charge so that they can improve and have that material available to improve the roads within your counties so all your county judge should be very happy with this bill and with that I'd appreciate a good vote. Represent Beatty's explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative Beatty's close for the bill. Question before the House is passage of house bill eighteen twenty seven the machine Mr Clerk. Everyone voted. Casts up the ballot Mr Clark. Ninety three a zero nays and to present the bill is passed. Mr Clarke we're going to. Skip over the next bill read house bill nineteen thirty four. House bill nineteen thirty four by representative Miller concerning the available census for certain sex offenses involving a child. Representative Miller you're recognized explained a bill. Mister Speaker. Close this bill Something that. Former representative John Farrar and his wife may be aware of this is been done in Arizona I look at it thought it was a great idea I think it would be very good for the state of Arkansas to send a very strong message that we are serious about our punishment concerning. Sex crimes against children. what this bill does if you commit a heinous sexual act against a child forcible rape. Sex trafficking production distribution of child **** you go to prison for life without parole. I think it's time that we be serious about it we send the message. We're not tolerating that type of behavior in this state We have made exceptions for this would not be this would not be a punishment in a Romeo and Juliet statutory rape type situation that is not included in this bill so that would be handled separately and differently but anyway I Per se good vote all entertaining question if there is one. Not a. Represent Miller's explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Represent Miller is closed for the bill question before the House is the passage of house bill nineteen thirty four prepare the machine Mr Clerk. Has everyone voted. Casts up the ballot Mr Clark. Seventy four yeas nine eight zero present the bill is passed. Members removed the supplemental calendar if. Mr Clark read house bill seventeen sixty one house bill seventeen sixty one by representative Lowery concerning instructional materials in public schools that are related to race and ethnicity. Represent Lowery you're recognized explained the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker. By this time uh of a session we've probably all had experiences with having having to compromise on language or being beat down about language or whatever but I don't know that that I've had truly an experience like this one where I can honestly say that what we've ended up with with this bill is a collaborative effort not just compromised not just a language that we can all agree on but collaborative and I want to prove I appreciate the efforts of the members of the Education Committee we never you know we really don't have the time and committees to do what a committee is really intended to do which is not just to kill bills or to pass bills but to improve them. And I think that that's what happened when we the just tell you this bill is is an attempt. To see if we cannot come to some level of understanding about issues of race and ethnicity. To come to some agreement on things that we should be able to to. You know really have and I think back to the resolution that was done a while ago and just frankly the love in the mercy and the grace that was extended virtus Fortner and the words of representive Allen and others and that's the point that we all want to be no matter what our racist about a water ethnicity is. And so as the bill was I think I'll be honest I think it was going to a quick demise in committee. I'd made the motion and representive McKenzie stop the process and discussion and said you know is is there not some way that we can work on this language to where we can all agree would you be willing. To take out some of the elements that may be causing concern for some of the members of our committee and maybe some of the members of the black caucus and other groups I said I I would love that I wish we could do that on every bill that we're we don't just voted down but we say let's work on this and let's see if we can come to a common ground. So what this bill does it is even though it does say shall that there are certain things that we shall not teach in our class classes. One of which being that we should not teach that one race is superior to another. You know we talk about issues what we talk about the word racism and racists we hear it all the time but I went back and I looked at what the definition of racism is in to be a racist is to believe that your race is superior to another. So that should be our starting point. In combating racism is for us to agree that we should not be teaching future generations. That their race whether they are white whether they are black with their Hispanic Asian that the race is superior to another that's a starting point. And then there's several other elements of one of the things that we also changed on this and representive Murdock was of great help in this I hope you don't mind me mentioning that that we worked on this he was concerned because the original title was the racial and ethnic equality Act. And I think his point was well taken may affect it still shows up on your consent engine or skews me on the supplemental agenda by that title. That was the first thing we changed was taking that title alot. Because he said you know. No matter what we say whatever level agreement we come it's not creating racial and ethnic equality that that's kind of a lofty goal. But you know that's what we ought to have. We ought to have lofty goals when we come to this place but I I agree with that I I said you're right this bill deals with instructional materials. So the bill is. Not mandatory to a school district to implement matter of fact it is permissive. But the language does say shall thank you shall not teach a number of elements about race and ethnicity ethnicity but it is totally up to the school district. On whether they will promulgate rules or policies. And if they do promulgate those rules and policies that they would then let their parents know that these are the policies that we are acting in. So this collaborative process and and I I mentioned to committee I've taught courses on conflict resolution and I never really understood this until I started getting in depth into teaching at that the word compromise we talk about compromise all the time but the real definition of compromise is that both sides lose something. I started by going from a four page bill to a one page bill so that's what I lost. But there were some other elements that representive Murdock had recommended to me that I felt like were important to keep and one of them was one paragraph that says that we should not be teaching our children. That America is systemically racist. And the reason I wanted to hold on to that one is because I think we have to understand what it means to be systemic. Representative Johnson I he was in committee and I said you know representive all the definitions I saw on the term systemic mostly applied to medicine. It makes the distinction between something a disease that is localized in something that is systemic through the whole organism to the whole system can we agree that there are elements of our society. That have been races have been in maybe even continue to currently be. Yes. There are those elements this bill does not in any way say that we should not teach about a time in American history both Pat park distance and also recent past. When there have been these instances there has been this systemic racism whether it is in the housing. Whether it is been in equity in education. Whether it's been you know we're here even hearing now about the disparities in health conditions for those who are minorities and their ability to access health care. And some of that has been racially motivated. But the critical element of this bill. Is this say. That we should not teach that America is is systemically racist. That the whole organism is racist. Because if that were true how could we even work together. Black and white. So. I would hope that you would embrace this bill and the spirit that is intended. That is a road map. For us to be able to move forward. Within our next generation and the generation after that in the generation after that being able to put aside the differences. The awful history that exists in America we recognize that we don't say. This bill is not so we're not going to teach it we are going to teach. Because if we don't teach history then we are liable to repeat it we don't want to do that. It is permissive language because it says that the school district has the option on whether they are going to promulgate the rules and there is language that was given to me just maybe thirty minutes ago that will even further clarified that and and we will be adding that on the Senate in if you do me the great privilege the great privilege of passing this bill bill out in continuing this collaborative process so that we can have a road map so that we can maybe even call it I don't know I'm gonna be lofty and say call of the manifesto. Aware of where we are going to go from this point forward and I stand open now for any questions you may have. Represent Richardson for what purpose question you're recognized for a question our. Representative Lowery help me understand. Why is this even necessary because if the if the language is super permissible or permissive and there are some pieces of the bill that if I understood your right representative Murdock told you maybe should not be there but you still by why do we even need this okay well let me answer this that last part there's just one section in there one segment that representive Murdock wanted me to take it out and I kept in which was the statement that we should not teach that America America as a nation is systemically racist that's the only piece that I kept where there was not agreement but there were three pages they were pulled out one of those being parental consent that parents had to approve and review we already passed that legislation earlier in this and in the US session but I think the first question the answer to that is why we needed I think that we we need to give our school districts a road map of what what we would hope as a legislature that they would be embracing in our schools there and they're not required to do it the Arkansas school boards association has given us language that is going to clarify that this is permissive for them to promulgate rules but I think it's important for us to be able to send a message that this is this is something that we are mindful of we hope that you'll be mindful of it as well and that you would implement policy. President Springer for what purpose question you're recognized for a question thank you Mr Speaker all representative Lori may I hear what the amendment is that you proposed to. Send to the Senate on the other side yes Sir will doesn't relate to page two of the lines six. Will it work it relates to this section that talks about school districts promulgating rules. the Arkansas school board association as provided in the and apparently this was something that they spotted when they watch the video or went back and look to the archive and this is what they would like for us to add that the provisions of subsections a and B. of this section shall only apply shall only apply. If a public school district school or open enrollment public charter school one promulgates policies for the implementation of this section and to ensure that all parents and legal guardians of public school students are advised of the policies implemented under this section. Follows so I still haven't heard what the amendment is going to be you just read it puts your already what is the amendment that was the amendment that's the amendment that I'm asking to add on the Senate in the amendment that we adopted in committee was wiping out three pages of a four page bill so the bill that you're seeing now is the amendment. Thank you okay thank you represent Clowney for what purpose question you're recognized for a question thank you representative Larry you talked and repeatedly in your presentation today about not repeating the mistakes of our history mistakes of our past and how we're still gonna be able to teach history I'm I think that view of history mark slavery is something that is distinct and the ramifications of it are now over we all know that that's not true we know that things like that there are facts that are just true we know that black men are disproportionately punishing our criminal justice system for the same crimes as white men commit we know that black children are disproportionately punished in school for the same offense is that white children commit are are those things considered systemic racism under your view and are teaching those fax those actual data backed fax now going to be a legal in the state of Arkansas if we pass this bill. Absolutely not as a matter of fact one of the other elements of the bill that I think is extremely critical not and I appreciate your question because I had not addressed this. On page two of the bill it states a public school or an open enrollment charter school shall not express the picked or teach about race or ethnicity in a manner that prevents or inhibits fair and open discourse that employs reason as a guide for deliberation in the exchange of ideas and opposing points of view so everything that you described are are those appoint opposing points of view they would be embraced there's nothing in this that would prohibit that and I think that that open discourse is a very important part of this process for I appreciate a good vote. Representative Larry's explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Represent Murdock you're recognized to speak for the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker. I apologize first of all. For being down here on a Mark are repealed widget representative. Know what I said and just because this is truly the process trust me this is the process to we come here for we come here from different places with different thoughts different views on many things is sometime we're influenced even by of things that happen in the world around us in people that that we come in contact with. What representative Lowery did on this bill. On this bill. Is that he allowed for after represented the cans the bait if you will or. Encouraged that we come together on something that he is trying to. Help us move forward with according to the language of for his testimony. I'm not here to judge a person's heart. The judge stands at the door for all of us I'm I'm not worried much myself and I depend upon the grace of god in his mercy for mind doing so I'm not going to look representative Lori I'm a look at the bill. And when he said that he was willing. Then he ultimately did it. With the help of other Education Committee members represent Godfrey and others the bill was amended to totally take out anything that mandated this to happen in your to school districts is totally permissive he's going to put that amendment on the Senate in NC state it is totally permissive but it also does not. Restrict the teaching of how what we wear Things happen to. If you can teach it is then allow the receiver of that information the option or the ability to discern what it means to them they can come up with the title of whatever they would call if you systemic racism if it's prejudice extra words they would use. But it does not preclude the teaching. It does not do that. So what I want when I think this is shows as a step forward because the bill has basically been cut it from what it was. But it but he was willing to do that and I would be remiss if I did not. No support what he did until thank you for doing that because though this bill don't do much now to what we're Wallace it does say something about us if it does nothing more to say something about us in this institution and what we were able to come to close this session I have seen some very very egregious to me personally. Bills pass through this session. That I thought were very meeting nasty. Hateful to groups of people I truly feel that way. For me this is progress this is progress I'll take a question represents prayer for what purpose question you're recognized for a question thank you Mr Speaker representative Murdock may I read this to you a public school or an open rule which open enrollment charter schools shall not express the ticket or teach about race or ethnicity in a manner that presents or hip it's fair and open discourse that employs reason a employs reason as a guide for deliberation in the exchange of ideas that opposing points of view so my question is if a teacher were to. Teach about what I just read it will lead teacher be faced with any type of disciplinary action by in a bio principal in order superintendent no no I didn't to try to catch up to what you said this this call to the beginning of this was at the beginning of this bill so that you get this is this bill is not even allow in eight districts. For a teacher to even teach what without the permission of that local school board and that the local school board and superintendent this government is even coming in now once this could is in it is not going to preclude anyone from teaching. Any of the facts of our history. Well I'm confused now because. The farm to stitch if I understood you correctly you're saying that you can't teach any of this in the first place is that what you're saying it this bill would not come to a district with our the permissiveness of the local school board so this is not anything that shows up every school district is not mandated to do this. Mr Speaker follow up missed the speed you're recognized so are you saying that you can't teach race discrimination in a school district at this point in time are you saying that districts are not allowed to do I don't I'm saying this bill I'm talking about this I'm talking about the law now I mean I'm talking I put takes place now. you I think you could teach that I'm not sure about the the law now I was told by this bill I don't know exactly what the law says ma'am well as for you I'm sorry Mr Speaker so are you saying that this bill doesn't allow that now but it will allow it in the future are you saying vice versa I'm confused now I'm saying that this bill does not preclude the teaching of our historical facts of what happened in history. Ackerley S. they have happened this bill does not stop you from teaching that a teacher could express it teach it just as it happened factually. Is not stopping that. Any other questions. Thank you hope you you I really was trying to make you understand that what was taken out of the bill where the preclusion what was taken out of the bill what's the things that you could not do to teach those things that have happened that titles labels maybe. You know that because but that should be the to me that's to be what the receiver will determine anyway what that means to them if you say this happened at this time by this group of people to this group of people for this reason did you give that information and then the receiver makes a decision on what that means to them. But it's not stopping me information from being spoken. I appreciate a good vote. Representative Murdock spoke for the bill would anyone like to speak against a bill represent Godfrey you're recognized to speak against the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker calling her to speak as represent more to be at work so well in committee ended and in regards to this bill in particular but I do just want to kind of clarify a few things from the committee process I whole heartedly agree with representative Murdock in with representative I read that it was a collaborative and very constructive process and I do want to give credit where credit is due to represent Lowery for his willingness to compromise the collaborating that's exactly right but I think the discussion we've heard today is that this bill warrants more discussion and more collaboration particularly among and from our colleagues of color I think when we talk about issues of race and racism both individual can a personal prejudice and racial bias but also systemic and structural racism we need to have more stakeholders at the table and I think this discussion has proved that we need to continue the conversations that were not ready to take event that we you know are getting amendments at the last minute to you know try to save a bill that has already been peer down so much but still needs additional work because that still you know not at a place where and members you who will be not only members but that community and stakeholders and constituents Still that feel confident and ready to vote on a bill that that does make I'm such important statements and and if I'm just really. Important and meaningful and in our schools and also in our communities and so I would just say based on the important and constructive conversations we had in committee but also that we caught on the floor it just goes to show that we're not ready to that on this bill yet that warrants were discussions I would appreciate a no vote so we can continue the conversation thank you. Represent Godfrey spoke against the bill would anyone like to speak for the bill. Against the bill representative Collins you're recognized to speak against the bill. Thank you Mr bigger word labor the point but just as written it is mandatory right now I think what representative Larry Sam is that he would make a permissive on the Senate in forever got that amendment back but this is a bill before us that says that we shall not teach that the United States is systemically racist thing represent regions right on we don't need this life will just go on if we don't pass this and we can leave more local control in place so I'm gonna. Represent concert spoke against the bill would anyone like to speak for the bill. Against the bill represent McCollum you're recognized speak against the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker I just I just had a question for a representative Lowery what I wonder is could this could be argued that this bill becomes part of the systemic racist racism process by saying that views can't be expressed about systemic racism. Represent McAuliffe spoke against the bill would anyone like to speak for the bill. Against the bill. Represent Lowery you're recognized to close for your bill. Thank you Mr Speaker I think it's a fair point to say this one thing to talk about what how we're going to amended on the other end but there's already actually language in here that points out that this is permissive even if we left it as it is it's still permissive the last section each public school and open enrollment public charter school may. Promulgate policies for the implementation of this section and ensure that all parents are knowledgeable of it. What I've agreed to with representative Murdoch's help and the help of the Arkansas school boards association is to further clarify that that there would not be any carrying out of this unless the school district promulgate rules so we're just really extension waiting. Hearing representive Springer at her testimony in talking about and questioning the the element about reason it it couldn't help bit echo in my mind that many many times that I heard representative John Walker talk about how we need empirical evidence we need empirical proofs. And and that's what we're talking about here in terms of this free discourse that we believe that there should be free discourse there should not be and and this is something that is very clear in this bill is that you shall not inhibit free discourse within the classroom of the discussion of these items with reason. Empirical truths impaired evidence. The elements that. Limits are very limited we're not talking about not teaching about aspects of history. We only have four elements here skews me five elements. And here's what we should be able to agree on that any race we should not teach that any race or ethnicity ethnicity is superior to any other race or ethnicity we should not teach that any individual from a particular race or ethnicity is inherently racist that is born within the. I've seen a lot of times black and white children getting along playing best of friends. That's true that proves that racism is not in here it's not in their bloodstream it's not nature that if racism happens it's nurture or lack of nurture. That's that's the proof that's the truth they were saying should not be taught we did you should not teach that any race or ethnicity should feel guilt or shame because of their race or their ethnicity my goodness can't we agree on that. That the United States as a nation is systemically racist we should not teach that should we talk about the history of America where there have been elements of systemic racism yes we should so that we don't repeat it. But that we should not be teaching today in our classrooms that America itself is systemically racist that is beyond hope. It's always going to be that way we need to give our next generations to the hole that we can move forward from this day forward and that we can use this as that road map for them in our classrooms and I would appreciate a good vote on this bill thank you. Representative Larry's close for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill seventeen sixty one prepare the machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Cast a ballot Mr Clark. Sixty three age thirteen days and three present the bill is passed. Members are doctor of the day is doctor E. J. Jones of Batesville and our nurse of the day is a miss Brenda hooked you it. Representative Johnson moved that we place house bill nineteen thirty two back on second reading for the purpose of amendment without objection read Amendment number three Mr Clerk meminta amend over three to house bill nineteen thirty two. Represent Johnson you're recognized explained the amendment thank you Mr Speaker this is amended at a co sponsor representative good vote thank you. Represent Johnson explained the amendment would anyone like to speak against the amendment. For the amendment representative Johnson is close for amendment question before the House is the adoption of amendment three to house bill nineteen thirty two all in favor say aye. Opposed nay amendments adopted. Members are going back up the calendar Mr Clark please read house bill nineteen twenty two. House bill nineteen twenty two by representative Wardlaw to amend the law concerning the Arkansas motor vehicle commission act. President Wardlaw you're recognized explain the bill thank you Mr about every ten years we update this franchise agreement act It was actually eleven years ago two thousand nine session last time it was updated. Usually the manufactures and dealers totally agree on the language I will tell you that didn't happen this time we waited the last Friday to get a bill that was agreed upon when they sent me the bill and then at six o'clock Friday afternoon manufactures one another amendment so we decided not to give that amendment and basically what that amendment would have done was kept them in control of the digital platform and the tools used to work and fix on these cars so we went to committee and passed out of committee unanimously we had dealers there and what the dealers reminded us was is two hundred fifteen dealers in the State of Arkansas that employee our constituents there are no manufacturers in the state of Arkansas employee any of our constituents so with that I'd appreciate a good vote and thank you. Representative Ford laws explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Represent Wardlaw is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill nineteen twenty two where the machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Gas up the ballot Mr Clark. With eighty three a zero nays and five present the bill is passed. Representative board moves we recall house bill seventeen oh seven from the Senate that's proper motion representative board you're recognized to explain your motion. Thank you Mister Mister chair I appreciate the work of the house to send this bill over to the Senate but Senate it's dead and Senate education I'm like opportunity Senate interim study so needs to be recalled back to the house for that so thank you I appreciate a good vote. Representative Boyd explained the motion would anyone like to speak against the motion. For the motion. Representative boys close for the motion question before the House is the. I of house bill seventeen oh seven from the Senate all in favor say aye. Opposed nay. Is. We're moving to the seller budget calendar representative Jeanne moos that we place house bill eleven eighty seven on second reading for the purpose of amendment without objection read Amendment number three Mr Clark Amendment over three to house bill eleven eighty seven. Senator Jane you're recognized explained the amendment. Thank you Mr Speaker calling this in a member number three the house bill eleven eighty seven Arkansas secretary of state with this is some additional funding it had a cash funds not general revenue for the of financial disclosure online system upgrades only at any questions. Appreciate a good vote on the amendment. Represent Janice explained the amendment would anyone like to speak against the amendment. For the amendment. Representative gene is close for the amendment to question. Is the passage is the of adoption of amendment three to house bill eleven eighty seven all in favor say aye. Opposed nay amendments adopted. Representative gene you're recognized. Thank you Mr Speaker we have up to appropriation one house one Senate will take them up separately house bill twelve oh seven department of energy this is the Division environmental quality this is their appropriation for twenty twenty two it's in the governor's balanced budget there's no additional changes any questions. Remember your one voted for the bill emergency clause may Speaker the Clerk read the bill for third time Mr Clark read the bill for the third time house bill twelve oh seven. Represent James explained bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Represent Jean is close for the bill question before the House is the passage of house bill twelve oh seven the machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Okay you're voting on the bill an emergency clause. Casts up the ballot Mister Clerk with ninety four Yeas one day and one present the bill an emergency clauses passed. Representing you're recognized. Thank you Mr Speaker this is Senate bill one sixty four this is department of agriculture procreation any questions. Sitting on your one vote for the bill emergency clause misspeak or the corporate bill third time. Mr Clark read the bill for the third time Senate bill one sixty four. Representative James explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative gene is close for the bill the question before the House is the passage of Senate bill one sixty four prepare the machine Mr Clerk. The voting on the bill and the emergency clause. As everyone voted. Casts up the ballot Mr Clark. With ninety five Yeas zero Nays zero present the bill and the emergency clauses pass. Mr Clark please read Senate bill six four seven. Senate bill six forty seven by representative ease to amend the law concerning the annual audits and procedures of water and sewer systems. These are recognized present your bill. Thank you Mr Speaker members this concerns the audits of water and sewer systems currently have have an audit if you exceed a certain threshold that threshold is seven hundred fifty connections for sewer and a thousand for water connections legislative audit suggests these numbers should be the same at two thousand connections connection under this threshold would be required to be audited by an agreed to procedure that legislative audit's created that accounts would follow anything over that would require a full audit by councilman the reason for doing this is because and agreed to procedures can be fourteen hundred dollars or so but when you go into a full audit by the county it's gonna be around eight thousand so we're trying to give a little relief to our District back home and to your constituents so with that I'd appreciate a good. Represent these has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representatives are you close for your bill. Representatives is close for his bill. The question before the House is passage of Senate bill six forty seven. Per machine Mr Clerk. Has everyone voted. As everyone voted. The vote Mr Clark. With eighty six Jay's one day and one present the bill has passed. Miss Clark please read Senate bill five oh two. Senate bill five O. two by representative ought to mean the types of students for which a public school district shall not impose out of school suspensions and expulsions. The vote you're recognized present the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker last session we did K. three five could be suspended and this time we're gonna make it K. through twelve can't be suspended unless there are harm to themselves or to others if they're a foster child. With that I'd appreciate a good vote. Represent Vaught has explained the bill would anybody like to speak against the bill. Representative cancer you're recognized speak against the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker and I don't have quite as strong convictions about this one as I did the last one. But I brought some words appear usually I don't ever prepare anything I want to share the words I reached out to foster parents. And they all pointed out to me made some really good points about how. This is often the last few years that we have with the foster kids working with them to try to make a difference and they need that structure sometimes they need them the discipline. They also pointed out of committee pointed out schools can already. Make use their discretion but I brought my notes up here because I wanted to share some words from a foster child that her from he was since graduated from high school. She's a short girl. I would not be one bit surprised to see her appear in one of these chairs. These are the thoughts that she sent me. She said I was in foster care school was where I found my structure for life. Dealing with obstacles learning right from wrong. She said I think a child in foster care should be treated like any other kid. She went on to say life is not about using your past as an excuse. Life is about using your past to make a better future. So I think she made some really valid points. There's a time and place. For the schools to use discretion. I think we should allow them to do that and I think she's really shared some wise words with us and I really appreciate this in writing. Represented Kansas spoken against the bill would anyone like to speak for the bill. Against the bill representante you're recognized speak against the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker I believe the intent behind this piece of legislation is good in theory however the reality is just a little bit different this bill takes away local control from schools for discipline foster students let me explain to you why it's important for us to have that in my district we have around ten foster kids that are in a home we know this they have my personal cell phone number the people who run this home we have foster parents actually all the foster parents are my personal number have the principles personal number if they run away from home we help go find them we work extremely well with them and we work really hard to build the supports that they need around them when they come into our school district however sometimes. Those supports are not enough. And we have severe classrooms district disruptions Hey doesn't this for just disrupt the learning of the foster kid it also disrupts the learning of all the other kids who were in that classroom I've actually seen cases at the add in different school districts that I worked in where you have a group of girls that come from foster care that line up in a circle a girl in the hallway and intimidate amend bully on because they talk to their ya boy this a light there just simply cases even though we build supports around one discipline isn't necessary and sometimes discipline is the best support. But this is the main reason why. These foster parents sometimes need help and the state will not act on behalf of the sponsor parents until something happens at school and the school takes action and it forces DHS to talk to us and then find out if that same behavior was going on and then they are forced to take action and get supports and helps for these kids but it only happens when we reach the point where the school does something with discipline. I will leave you with this in the mortal words of Ronald Reagan we must reject the idea that every time a law is broken society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker it is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his or her actions and with that I would ask you to support local control and vote no on this bill thank you. Represent all and has spoken against the bill would anybody like to speak for the bill. Against the bill. Represent dot com which close for your bill. Thank you Mr Speaker again this is already being done K. through twelve I mean Katie five and we're just making it K. through twelve and it's just if they are. Are no harm to themselves or to others if that is something that they're doing and then they can be suspended and expelled with that I would appreciate a good vote. Represent Vaught has closed for the bill. Well the question before the House is. The passage of SB four fifty prepare the machine Mr Clerk. I'm sorry five oh two. Everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast votes miss Clark. What twenty eight fifty one days and nine present the bill is fail. Miss Clark read house bill or Senate bill four fifty Senate bill four fifty by representative Vaught to create the gender identity reinforcement legislation for sports girls act and to create a legal cause of action for a violation of the agenda in integrity reinforcement legislation for sports girls act. President what you're recognized present the bill thank you Mr Speaker this is a companion bill to a bill that was ran earlier the only difference is this gives the Attorney General the right to go to the school and investigative something's turned in that with that I'd appreciate a good vote. Represent Vaught has presented the bill would anybody like to speak against the bill. President of color you're recognized speak against the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker. S. B. four fifty is another layer of the same bill that's passed earlier this session but this time the AG gets in on it even though the AG can litigate any time here she wishes with or without this bill. This bill is not needed. it does nothing to help any Arkansas constituents it only serves to discriminate against a minority it's bullying at the highest level versus a minority with little political power. Easy pickings as we might say in Arkansas. What is not going to go down easy though as the national negative attention this bill and others are trying to Arkansas and the consequences we may suffer from the NC double a and others along with the loss of events money and respect. I agree that the integrity of women's sports should be is preserved. The Arkansas activities association and the NC double a both have clear policies for transgender athlete participation that ensure this. Here's part of the statement from the NC double a board of governors on trans gender participation April twelfth the NC double a board of governors firmly and unequivocally supports the opportunity for transgender student athletes to compete in college sports the commitment is grounded in our values of inclusion and fair competition our approach which requires testosterone suppression treatment for transgender women to compete in women's sports embraces the evolving science on this issue and is anchored and participation policies of both the international Olympic committee and the US Olympic and Paralympic committee inclusion fairness can co exist for all student athletes including transgender athletes at all levels of support. Our clear expectation is that all student athletes will be treated with dignity and respect we are committed to ensuring that NC double a championships are open for all who earned the right to compete in them when determining where championships are held in C. double a policy directs that only locations will host can commit to providing an environment that is safe healthy and free of discrimination should be selected we will continue to closely monitor the situations to determine whether NC double a championships can be deducted in ways that are welcoming and respectful of our participants. There are also no less than eight NC double a finals or regional events scheduled in Arkansas from now through twenty twenty six and that doesn't include possible events that could be scheduled between now and then. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon has said in a statement these kind of bills make it harder for employers to grow recruit and retain talent that contributes to the state's economic growth and though there's not one incident of what this bill seeks to fix in Arkansas. What's your point third party testimony is not to be lot lot to read be read from the well. Please use your microphone you're not allowed to read third party testimony from the well. Represent McCollum please refrain from reading testimony third party testimony from the well and continue I will thank you. So there's not one incident of what this bill seeks to fix in Arkansas but most importantly as I've said before these are not abstract ideas were arguing about these are real kids athletics are valuable experience for student athletes gain physical mental team and leadership skills which help them become better healthier citizens. There's not one scholarship out there all female athletes are competing for if her skills or her times are good enough. She will get recruited there is room for everyone. The only race that threatens Arkansas is the race to the bottom with the continuation of bills that restrict and strip rights and dignity away from its people and hurt our economic future I'm asking you once again to vote against this harmful repetitive and unnecessary bill. Represent the call is spoken against the bill would anybody like to speak for the bill. Represent Ladyman you're recognized before the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker. Colleagues. I am getting very tired of hearing people talk about how poor we are and how bad we are indeed threaten. By national organizations and large corporations that say if we don't ballot to what they want. And we're no good we're going to lose business. You know we're not gonna be able to have term limits. Let's tell you what we need to decide what we want to do not what these national organizations are these international companies want to do less vote for Arkansas vote yes on this bill. President Ladyman spoken for the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill represent Hudson you're recognized speak against the bill. Colleagues many of you know my admiration for is better Ginsburg my appreciation for the work of a small frail looking elderly woman is something of an ongoing joke between me my family and friends resulting in my collection of a bunch of knick knacks and items bearing her name or likeness and famous quotes. But my admiration is deeper than merely enjoying slogans based upon her work. As a woman a mother and an attorney I have studied her work through her written opinions and of course through her famous dissents. So it was with that admiration in mind that I read with interest the preamble to SP four fifty the so called girls act which cites favorably to justice Ginsburg Ginsburg nineteen ninety six majority opinion in the United States versus Virginia in which she wrote that the inherent differences between men and women folk remain cause for celebration but not for denigration of the members of either sex or for artificial constraints on an individual's opportunity. Interestingly that case was one in which questions presented to the court was whether the Virginia military institute single sex admission policy violated the fourteenth amendment's equal protection clause with a seven to one majority the court determines that male only admissions policies are unconstitutional because the state failed to show quote exceedingly persuasive justification for VMI's gender bias admission policy the court further explained that Virginia failed to support its claim that single sex education contributes to education diversity because it did not show that the Lyles male only admissions policy was created or maintained in order to further academic diversity. Seven one. On a one sex policy in an educational setting. Now the thing that I appreciate most about the body of law in the Supreme Court is that how over a period of time the case is built on each other and create a legal theory one opinion at a time no case can be read in a vacuum and the court meticulously builds upon the president in our federal jurisprudence that's what makes our system so special. No I've heard a lot this section that the expectation is that the new justices on the Supreme Court will upend the proverbial apple cart on issues from abortion to capital crimes to guns into the topic at hand today but these claims these statements seeking to justify many of the bills passed this session failed to adequately consider the prior opinions of justices Gorsuch cabin on Coney Barrett the respect all justices have compressed and and importantly how the court leads that president into the ongoing development of law. That brings me to the Bostick decision in twenty twenty the Supreme Court heard Bostick an employment discrimination case and in that decision held that an employer who terminates employee for being gay or transgendered violates title seven of the Civil Rights Act of nineteen sixty four. In that case it was a six three majority and that it held the statutes message for our cases is equally simple and momentous an individual's homosexuality or transgender status is not relevant to employment decisions that's because it is impossible to discriminate against a person for being homosexual or transgender without discriminating against that individual based on sex. Put differently an employer intentionally singles out an employee to fire based in part on the employee's sex and the affected employees sex is the but for cause of discharge or taking employer who fires a transgender person who identifies as male and now identifies email in both cases that is employment discrimination based on sex. That was one of the last cases that justice Ginsburg heard before her death. But she didn't write that majority opinion. Justice Neil Gorsuch did. You see the court even as it tells to more conservative Care Act is evolving constantly and it's continuing evolution on this body of law regarding sex and gender discrimination applying the holding authored by justice Gorsuch in a six three decision six three. With the replacement of justice Ginsburg it would still be five four. Tells us that the likelihood in this it's likely that this Supreme Court will find this law the one we're discussing today and the Niners so other like it in this session constitutional is slim particularly given the difficulty in order to get this state or get this law up through the system and the difficulty that the state would have even if it reaches the Supreme Court in demonstrating a quote excessively persuasive justification to require trans children participate in quote inter scholastic intercollegiate intramural or club athletic teams or sports sports based only on their biological sex. How do we know that well we know for a fact that there are less restrictive means to accomplish the state's going promoting fairness how do we know that because the NC double eight and twenty four states have found them. So what does this mean. It means we're on the precipice again of passing another unconstitutional law not narrowly tailored to accomplish a legitimate state interest and worst one that will lead again to children being single out isolated and in some cases becoming so desperate that they want to die. Again we know this is happening because it's been reported repeatedly kids are trying to kill themselves because of these bills their families are moving out of state often from the only community that their children have ever known I have said this before and I'll say it again we don't have to do this. We don't have to keep pushing bills again and again to score political points or to drive some point home about how the differences between trans kids and their peers is simply a bridge too far. I know it's like beating a dead horse but I would encourage you to vote now. Percent Hudson has spoken against the bill. We would like to speak for the bill. Would anyone like to speak against the bill. President Vaught. Close for the bill the question before the House is the passage of Senate bill four fifty prepared machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. As everyone voted. Asked about Mr Clark by a vote of seventy four U. a seventeen nays and one present the bill is passed Mr Clark please read Senate bill five sixty four. Senate bill five sixty four by representative ought to create the Arkansas tutoring courts act to support the implementation of sustainable tutoring program in response to learning loss and to declare emergency represent Vaught you're recognized explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker I Senate ad came up with this bill they work together to draft this bill and it's supposed to help with our Our kids do COVID are losing education and they're going to develop this with the Arkansas department of education this tutoring program and its permissive a school doesn't have to do it but they'll be able to use their answer fines and the state's answer funds to be able to come up with a program to help further our our. Tutors in the State of Arkansas. And I can try to answer questions. But with that. President ray for purpose question you're recognized. I'm sorry I can't get the Page come up on my phone but is it do you know if there's a fiscal impact on there's no fiscal impact thank you thank you. Saying no other questions I would appreciate a good vote. President Vaught is explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Represent Vaught is close for the bill the question before the House is the passage of Senate bill five sixty four per machine Mr Clerk. Is everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast about Mr Clark. By a vote of ninety one Yeas one nine zero present the bill is passed Mr Clark please read Senate bill six twenty nine. Six twenty nine by representative speaks to allow a school district that has experienced a decline in average daily membership to receive of declining enrollment funding and special needs isolated funding represents speaks recognized explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker. Senate bill six twenty nine is to allow school districts that have experienced a decline in average daily membership to receive both declining. Enrollment funding and special needs ocellated funding. Both funding streams are existing funds. This affects about twenty eight school districts that's been an ex specially hit hard during this COVID with due to declining enrollment most of these isolated or isolated schools they're the most rule parts of our state and our small schools that play a vital role in the rules economy and for the students of our rule families I'm asking you today to vote for these children so they can get a better education. President speaks explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Person speaks is closed for the bill. Question before the House the passage of Senate bill six twenty nine per machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Is everyone voted. Asked about Mr Clark by a vote of ninety two U. A. zero nine zero present the bill is passed. Members on Senate bill five sixty for the emergency clause passed as well. Mr Clark please read Senate bill five fifty two. Senate bill five fifty two by representative McCullough to amend the law concerning the address confidentiality program. The McCauley recognized explained bill. Thank you Mr Speaker under current law a victim of domestic violence with document keep documentation can put their PO box number instead of their address on their driver's license currently anyone can simply request access to that address by presenting a compelling reason an affidavit SP five fifty to read some needed definitions for domestic violence and changes the disclosure of the address from an affidavit only to a person who presents a current and valid court order from a court in this state finding a compelling reason for access to the residence address and adds it is not a person who's been convicted of domestic violence two is not a person against whom the order of protection has been entered or who is related by blood or marriage to the person against whom the order of protection has been entered this law does not exempt a person applying for a concealed carry permit registering to vote from using their permanent address during the registration process this law only applies to driver's licensees all other programs unless otherwise specified would still require an applicant to submit a permanent residential address for victims who choose to utilize this program their permanent address will still be on file with the department of finance and administration. The most dangerous thing a victim of domestic violence can do is leave or try to leave the relationship the reality is for victims of domestic violence to attempt to leave their abusive relationship no action is too small to ensure their safety and survival there's no opposition I know of and I appreciate a good vote. Representive Michael is explain the building would like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Represent a cause close for the bill the question before the House the passage of Senate bill five fifty two prepared machine Mr Clerk. Everyone voted. As everyone voted. Asked about Mr Clark by a vote of eighty ninety eight zero nine zero present the bill is passed Mr Clark please read Senate bill six oh six. Senate bill six oh six by representative Brian to amend the law concerning the issuance of a driver's instruction permit by the division of Arkansas state police. Percent bright you're recognized explain the bill thank you Mr Speaker members currently under statutes at the age of fourteen you can go to say please take a written test once you have that for a period of six months you can take the driver's portion to receive your license if you do not take that drivers portion by month twelve you have to go back and retake the written test to start that clock over again what this bill does is push that twelve month window out to twenty four months to be able to give our new drivers a little more time to come from behind the wheel before the take the driver's portion. See no questions preceding it but. President Brian is explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Represent Ron is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of Senate bill six oh six per machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast about Mr Clark. By a vote of ninety eight zero nine zero present the bill is passed Mr Clark please read Senate bill five seventy four. Senate bill five seventy four by representative hot to recognize a liability a liability sharing organization in an insurer for motor vehicle liability insurance purposes. In hockey recognized explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker thank you colleagues this bill is to recognize a liability sharing organization as an insurer for motor vehicles in the state of Arkansas currently we have religious denominations that would qualify as self insurers by obtaining a certificate of self insurance issued by the office of motor vehicles this also includes a person and his name more than twenty five vehicles are registered in the state or any political subdivision or any municipality in the state individually or collectively and with that I will answer any questions. C. nine I appreciate a good vote thank you represent Hawkins explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Represent Haak is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of Senate bill five seventy four per machine Mr Clerk. Everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast about Mr Clark. By a vote of eighty ninety eight zero nine one present the bill is passed Mr Clark please read senate bill four sixty seven. Senate bill four sixty seven by representative Dalby permitting an emergency medical technician to possess and carry a concealed handgun without a license to carry a concealed handgun of some Dalby recognized explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker all this bill does is allow emergency medical technicians to carry a concealed handgun if they've met the standards for training and qualifications for active law enforcement officers to carry fire with that I'd appreciate a good vote. President Dalby is explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. President Dalby is closed for the bill the question before the House is passage of Senate bill four sixty seven per machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. As everyone voted. Asked about Mr Clark by a vote of eighty As four Nays and one present the bill is passed. Mr Clark please read Senate bill twenty six. Senate bill twenty six by representative Steve Smith to amend the law concerning the reduced sales and use tax rate for utilities used by manufacturers and to apply reduced sales and use tax rate to sell the coals for use in manufacturing represents Smith you're recognized explain the bill thank you Mr Speaker colleagues. SB twenty six explains the reduced sales and use tax rate for natural gas and electricity to include coal that a manufacturer uses directly in the actual manufacturing process currently Missouri Tennessee Mississippi Louisiana Texas and Oklahoma all have full or partial exemptions for coal use this bill will improve our competitiveness on a regional national and international level. Fiscal impact of this bill once fully implemented will be about a hundred eight hundred twenty six thousand dollars and this is bill actually went through the Senate and through the House revenue tax committee with no opposition. Questions. To not ask for good vote. Represent Smith is explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill represents Smith is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of Senate bill twenty six per machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Is everyone voted. Cast about Mr Clark. By a vote of ninety eight zero nine zero present the bill is passed Mr Clark please read Senate bill six eighty. Senate bill six eighty by representative Bragg to create the tax credit for eligible contributions made to a sponsoring organization under the philanthropic investment in Arkansas kids program president Bragg you're recognized explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker colleagues this bill creates a tax credit scholarship for K. through twelve students whose family income is two hundred percent or less of the federal poverty level it'll provide scholarships for about two hundred fifty students based on the finding it provides eighty percent of the previous year's foundation funding for K. through eight and ninety percent of the foundation funding for grades nine through graduation as a maximum credit of two million dollars with no escalation calls the tax credits are available at any taxpayer being an individual or business and would be awarded by D. F. and I on a first come first serve basis they cannot exceed the tax liability of the contributor in the year there claimed that they can be carried forward for three years definitely will notify the Division of elementary and secondary education when that annual cap is met. The scholarship will cover tuition and fees at a private school the student is eligible if the family income as I said is is two hundred percent or less of the federal poverty level was enrolled full time in a public school in this state in the previous year and is rolling in K. through twelve for the first time the scholarship will be administered by scholarship granting organization on a first come first serve basis the they will verify the student eligibility and manage the transfer of funds this G. O. also insure the private schools perform annual testing reporting of expenses prepared by a certified public accountant to an independent organization selected by the Division. Definitely will develop a receipt for the taxpayers to be filed with the tax return. The department of elementary and secondary education may conduct an audit or other financial reviews of the SCO. The F. and I will consult with the Division of elementary and secondary education to develop rules this is really a pretty straightforward program intended to serve a very small number of children who need an alternative to the current public education environment it's not intended to threaten the existence of public education is you'll probably hear. Public schools serve the vast majority of students in very well in our state but there's always exceptions where a child might need. A different educational experience I'm committed to public education. It I thank is the backbone of our education system my wife is a retired public school teacher my kids went to public school I went to public schools they all got a great education I think everyone in this chamber would want the same opportunity for their child or grandchild. The reality is not everyone can afford those options lower income families don't have the ability to take advantage of the options that most of us in this chamber have yes we have school choice now but what if there's not another public school choice that's available or suitable this bill as I said is a small number of children that opportunity to seek an educational experience that will benefit them. I want to go ahead address some of the opposition to this kind of program that you'll hear over the last few sessions of of her probably every possible objection there is also want to say I have the utmost respect for those of the object to this because I do understand the mindset that they're coming from it's just that we don't agree on. I'm not just briefly mention somebody's not going to a lot of detail but one of the main concerns is is that we disagree on as it threatens a public school system and I just have a hard time believing that when we're we're talking about two hundred fifty kids out of four hundred eighty thousand or so. Other concerns is it's just the beginning it's it's the proverbial camel's nose under the tent this has no escalation clause in it and I would I would I can't guarantee what the future holds if if it wants to be expanded that would be up to the future legislators to the. some expressed concern about not liking public money going to private schools we've already broken that barrier with the succeed scholarship you all of passed overwhelmingly bills it's and private money to higher education private schools. And one of the main concerns is that it takes money away from public education and I want to explain again. Public education is the first thing funded in our budget it's guaranteed to the funding formula for the matrix. Everything else then gets funded. this is just the the impact of general revenues is on from this tax credit is the same as any other tax credit that we passed in this chamber this year it has absolutely no impact on the funding of education fund. The one thing I really want to kind of. Key in on the the the really is is is hard for me to to understand you know that the opposition I amount understand where they're coming from but the the main concern I've heard is that there's no accountability for public schools and I have a hard time accepting that because What should schools be accountable for. Is is it following rules and guidelines that educating kids and most of the most of the concerns I hear about the private schools is that they don't have to follow certain rules and guidelines the public schools follow you know private schools are accredited by separate accreditation organization. They do have curriculum standards. If they don't satisfy the needs of the student or the parents the parents pulled out of class hello how that school the school goes broke. Same thing with the charter schools if charter schools don't meet standards if their DNS schools for certain amount of time they lose their charter. What happens to a public school. If it has the N. F. ratings for a period of time. Well they're taken over by the state for five years or so what happens if they don't improve then they get reconstituted what happens if they don't improve then no plan has a public school ever been dissolved because of poor performance. I'm not aware of one. So I guess we a lot of noise around this type of opportunity to help kids in the true priorities tend to get Miller. Put yourself in the position of a lower income parents who only wants the best for their child. It feels helpless because they don't have the financial means for an alternative. How frustrated would you be watching your child not have the best possible education and a pathway for better future. Why would you let these excuses that I've mentioned. Then I saw that opportunity. This bill will give a very limited number of children and families the same opportunity that many of us in this chamber have. As someone rise to voice objections this bill I just ask that you answer to questions. Without this opportunity what do you do with the child that needs help. The second question is what do you say to the parent as to why you're denying their child an opportunity for a better experience with that I would appreciate a good vote. President brags explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Repor represent Deffenbaugh you're recognized speak against the bill. Thank. I can. Hello first of all I I have great respect for representative Bragg and and I certainly listen to what he said I It seems like we've been on this topic over and over so I'm not gonna spend a whole lot of time here but I do want to I do want to say this you know we talked about oversight and accountability. Who I still request this who who are private schools accountable to who who who who has oversight to I've been told that parents do a lot of well if these are lower socio economic parents that that just barely afford to send their their children to to that private school with the voucher then. What they have to have oversight on these teachers in in the school system so that's one of. Also the money that comes into them to if it comes in the public schools a hundred percent of Jews for Education. The private schools most of it is but not all of it so. Hey it's I will call a slash run basis miscellaneous money that comes in and it's not all used for education also this I am basically challenged people to I don't see any results of parts public schools being better I mean private schools being better public absentee that I have seen some studies were some private schools better some public schools are better some of the same I've also seen some examples of fraud in in private schools which I guess you have anywhere but that's that's the. Point there the. What the bill does what does this bill doesn't include is. There's no anti discrimination legislation. They take you they want to take the kids out who they want to kick out they do it just like they want to do that test how they want to. they they can have one test year to move on to the next grade they may have a couple or they may have tea and I don't know but there's not it's not stamped date if public schools whatever that we just would work. no there's no requirements for teacher qualifications public schools are pretty strict on that. There's no requirement for create a nation or a pathway to a credit days. There's no demanding a test results you know we see public schools we see their grades we see their test results receive a comparison between one here to another one counted other. I don't I can't remember ever seeing a private school cast results. And again no real how to see proof of success. Here's what one The statements wars in in the revenue that's another thing to remember why did this go through revenue tax as just a question that you know just throw out there once dark but this was sent in revenue tax meeting once we lose the students out of a public school to private school we lose the ability to ensure that we that we get I'm sorry we we will lose the ability to ensure we get the support and educational opportunities they deserve when in public schools. Everybody is supposed to be. Educated okay the teachers are are responsible for that we as I said this year there we have mandated so many laws that we send these public school teachers we end up actually in some cases in fact a lot of cases we tied their hands if we had the same freedom is a pilot private schools I mean the private schools and and so on we I think would be a lot better off. Lastly. I'm asking you not to vote for this what I would like to do just suggestions we can get together supposedly people on both sides and let's come up with something that's not a quick fix and must come up with something that's reasonable everybody we're not told us that we I'm not totally against this is just in this case I am thanks. Represent represent Diffenbaugh spoken against the bill would anyone like to speak for the bill represent Bentley recognized speak for the bill. Calling Senate committee we ask what the world is the difference is going to make a two hundred fifty students having a chance to go to private school I can tell you for me it made a huge difference when I was ten years old my parents got divorced and our family just fell apart my older brother sister wants some routes that just devastated my mom and so she to as a single mom everything she could scrap up to put me into a small Christian school and I'm to the loving environment in a small school with very few students in each classroom my graduating class at thirteen students but I can tell you it changed my life they put me on a path I would never been on before I'm the only one in my family to go to college education because it changed my life in return was able to enhance and enrich my children's lives all I'm saying is this is an opportunity for some parents that don't have the money that even my single mom was able to scrape and get me into a Christian school as an opportunity to make a life when you change one person's life you change the trajectory for their whole family moving for this is a small mining skill tiny amount to help some kids in our state that are not to have a chance otherwise and so I would say let's take the kids for the kids first and let's vote for this bill and I would say for county building it's the parent says hold the schools accountable business great Christian schools that help us kids that really need some help with that I'd appreciate a good vote thank you. President Bentley has spoken for the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill represent all that you're recognized speak. I'm gonna try to be very. Collins I just want to read a few reiterate a few points and I I'm just gonna tell you kind of what I told or a sitting committee yesterday our parents do have choices okay they have the public school the third district in they can choice to many public schools that are around them they are charter schools in this state and there is a virtual public school for any kid anywhere in the state of Arkansas these are free to all students and they have accountability that's attached to. There are two other options home school and private school these are paid options and they don't have accountability I have the utmost respect for representative Bragg but I want to say this not all private schools are accredited in the State of Arkansas in fact one in my district has a total of fifteen kids and literally they go through work books every day we would be finding that type of education accountability on public schools we're terminated if we can't get our stuff together and sample of this is the Hughes school district you school district failed to meet the accountability standards of the state of Arkansas and for that they lost their school in their community the issues with this bill is that taxpayer money will be going to for profit private schools with no accountability no a through F. ranking in fact this bill prohibits. Information being disclosed about the testing in those private schools there's no state audit and DSE or Department of it will not have any kind of oversight over the schools the schools are not required to implement rise or computer science. Two things that we've deems important in this state research shows and this is one of the things that was brought up and and even the people who were for this bill in committee yesterday conceded this point research shows that every state that has passed similar legislation to the US has decreased educational outcomes statewide you can look to Louisiana just for that research. No research shows that private schools provide better education or educational outcomes and I would say this if I'm a private school then I'm going to use this voucher scholarship to recruit the best kids that public school has over to private and I'm also going to use it for athletic recruitment because those are two ways that I can insure that I'm going to get more kids into my school district if I'm good in athletics as a private school it is the attraction to their private school and so those are the kids I'm going to use out of these two hundred and fifty scholarships. I want to address a couple things that I heard my colleagues say in a in committee yesterday number one they compare this to higher ed it's not the same as here higher ed higher ed even if you are private college you have accreditation standards and accountability that are on you. School funding. And and I want to say this school funding is determined by the third quarter eighty M. which means if I had a kid and they go from August all the way through January thirtieth and they leave me I don't get a dime for that kid to help educate curry. Everybody wants to talk about the two hundred fifty kids and this is no big deal. My question to you is what about the kids who are left behind in public education. Two kids equals about fifteen thousand dollars maybe upwards to eighteen to twenty thousand dollars of funding in public education that makes the difference between hiring another school nurse for that school or getting an additional teacher to split that class from thirty or twenty five kids down into a lot more manageable numbers where those kids can get worked on one on one no one ever talks about what's left behind in that. I want to dress for a second the financial part of this is two million dollars in taxpayer money that goes to a for profit private schools that's around eight thousand dollars per student for the two hundred fifty number two and this is not talked about much it expands government by giving D. F. and H. two additional positions at a cost of a hundred thousand dollars with that two hundred fifty students that Senate four hundred dollars per student they were paying and in taxpayer money to to pay for those the FNA positions and then here's number three and this is very interesting and this is a very important point. This is the department of ed will engage an independent research organization to review information submitted by the non profit school now it doesn't have the cost of how much we're going to pay out to that not the independent research organization now why would we study two hundred and fifty kids. Well let me tell you what's really going on what has happened in every state and what's going on here this is why pressure is being brought to bear and you're getting a lot of pressure from private corporate interest on this subject is because in every state this past this. It starts with one bill just like this. They study it with the research company and then they come back and say we need to expand this until your Florida spending nine hundred million dollars per year to a private for profit institutions. Now I want to say this. And I debated because I've been up all night about this this is one of those bills that really bothers me that I I mean this is the bill that I don and I think everyone of us have one of those heels and I think everybody knows because I I didn't get a phone call today. But I want to say this I've been in public education in this state. For twenty years I went into public education because I believe in it because I believe it is the great equalizer to give poor people the ability to rise above I grew up poor public school was my way out of that it was the ticket it was my way to survive. In the twenty years I've been in education in this state this is what I'm saying when I first got into education it was hard to get a job even coming out of college as a certified teacher you had to fight for those positions to get a job in twenty years I've watched that go from fighting to schools begging you to go to work and we are for the first time on the verge of having more alternatively certified staff then traditionally trained teachers in this state I've heard that superintendents are obsolete even though it took me ten years and three degrees and higher education to be even able to hold this position. I want to see in two thousand four two thousand five is our schools were consolidated power to the problem out Holly public schools you probably never heard of it hundred eighty five kids second house military in the State of Arkansas fourth highest discourse in the state of Arkansas and because we passed with the stroke of a pen and a piece of legislation a number they said if you are under three fifty you will no longer exist those schools went away in my district alone we lost lake view we lost Elaine we lost Juliet we lost pooled. And those communities have seen the economic decline ever since president Lowery for purpose point of order two point. Please ask the Speaker to speak on the bill and not about the state of public education. I would point is well taken it we generally allow some leeway but please keep the comments to the bill. I will continue on. But I'm using all that to make this point. I will watch this state privatize public education. Every. Peace. Of the way. This bill represents the last aspect. A public education that is not been sold out to private interest. I make an appeal to you. We owe it to our constituents to pass legislation that we are unified behind. Not the divisive legislation that we rejected in two thousand fifteen seventeen nineteen and earlier this session and this is divisive. Among our body. We need to follow we don't need to fall in the mistakes of other states but we owe it to the people of this great state to create an education system that works for all kids. So I'm a makes the same appeal to you that represented Deffenbaugh made. If you vote no on this bill I look forward to you nineteen with you to build an education system that works for all kids and I ask you to vote no. I want to say to last things. Number one I think everyone knows where they stand on this issue I don't think there's anybody who doesn't know how they're going to vote we've had this floor debate before I mean we really have you all I mean we we know where we are at but I want to I want to say this because I think it's worthy of saying. I have the utmost respect for that man right there. And in our society today in this debate in our political climate I think it's important to know that we can disagree on an issue. And still be friends. And no matter how this turns out I'm only that man's friends. And I think you'll be mine. People made comments the last time we had this floor debate to him in and to myself about us even talking and having a good conversation. Yes we may disagree on issues. But let's see not behind all kids and let's build an education system that works for all and for it with that I ask you to vote no thank you reserve Tollett spoken against the bill represent Brooks we would like to speak for the bill represent Brooks recognized speak for the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker. I certainly appreciate the sentiment of representa to represent Deffenbaugh regarding hills that we may die on it we may be on different hills that's of course clear but we are on the same team and I appreciate that later on this afternoon I'm going to go to Senate and fight for a bill that represent to lead in our own together. So you all have heard the story my family so I won't belabor the point today because I don't want to suggest I'm trying to make anybody feel bad what I will do is address the facts and data some of the rationale that's been using testimony to argue in opposition to SB six eighty first and I find this one somewhat humorous it was just mentioned yesterday in the Revenue and Tax Committee I heard this quote this will be one of the greatest to utilize tools if I'm running a private school for athletic recruitment that's ever been created a specific schools even highlighted during testimony in this discussion about athletic recruitment that's cool was sporting academy now being that is my alma mater I know a little bit about that place so yes full disclosure I went to a private school I graduated from that school now before you start making assumptions that I was some high class kid from a privilege pedigree I want to know that I was raised in the house about a thousand square feet my family would never have been considered wealthy in anyway I attended that school because the editor my local paper Tommy Jackson gave me the opportunity to deliver newspapers now something I did six days a week from second grade all the way through college and every bit of tuition at the private school was paid for by work than I did myself I finally able athletic recruiting argument against this bill humorous because the three young men tied under Adam Fagen injure Miller all three played starring roles in the Wildcats recent football and basketball state championships perhaps a credit for recruiting check to go to doctor it Higginbotham who is superintendent of the nineteen eighties maybe you see they have perfect knowledge to recruit these folks parents. It's a family of five kids I move from Indiana absent would for what purpose four point of personal privilege he's talking about his he's not speaking to the bill he's talking about Harding academy go along with this Lowery on this that's not why. President. Point is well taken it's been the practice during the session to allow some leeway when members are are making comments in the well I think in the past with allowed members to share to some degree from a personal perspective but the point is well taken represent Brooks try to focus on the bill thank you yes the representative thank you the reason I was specifically addressing that's because it was specifically addressed in Committee test me yes about appreciated thank you Sir because we know that this rationale doesn't hold water those three young men that I mentioned to you their parents went to school there. Thirty years ago with me and so I believe of the recruiting. Rationale is is not a concern let's not allow frustration over who wins a state championship cloud a clear benefit by SB six eighty secondly testimony was given a quote there's no research to show the private schools are better in any form or fashion to provide better services in any way in the state of Arkansas I think the doctor Patrick wolf of the department of education reform of the universe reverse of Arkansas we take exception to the suggestion the research is lacking research nationally clearly shows that both persistent effects and competitive effect is positive with bills like this amended Alice's published by Dr wolf and others on school effectiveness and improvement look to twenty one rigorous experimental evaluations what happens when parents are given access to private school choice the results are statistically significant in both reading and math a review of evidence by Dr Corey DeAngelis from that out of eleven studies on private school choice which examine civic outcomes the impacts are no deposit for tolerance the same for civic engagement and positive for social order none of the studies indicate that private school choice negatively affects these vital civic outcomes and out of twenty seven statistical studies on the effect of a cheaper for kids to stay in public schools twenty five of those twenty seven report clear positive facts a number of studies finding these options lead to racial integration a two thousand nineteen study published on the nation's largest tax credit scholarship program in Florida which rules largely low income students from low income schools shows a positive effect on college going graduation rates this is settled social science free markets work in education finally colleagues what's happening today in the state of Arkansas currently approximately five hundred students are benefiting from a program like this they represent a broad segment of our state representative Murdock has three students in his district this is a partner schools near is different line. May also written clue representative Paul well represent Ken Ferguson has three in his district represent fielding eight representative Vaught has nine representative Richardson has twenty nine a scholars in his district represent ward has twenty one here in central Arkansas represent Scott has ten resume the call seven representative Fredrick Love has twenty seven students represented fifty four thousand dollars in scholarships in district twenty nine. These examples represent the facts and the facts agree that in the areas I just mentioned along with notice numerous others across the state we have witnessed the dismantling of anything. What we have seen is a real tangible and life changing difference for those kids we have the opportunity today to do just a little bit more. The data is clear and it's effective. But much more than that the life so we changed should compel this body to support SB six eight appreciate a good vote. Represent Brooks is spoken. For the bill. Represent Wardlaw for what purpose motion let's hear motion immediate consideration. Right. The House will come to order it's a proper motion it's not debatable all in favor say aye. Any opposed. The ayes have it. The House will come to order. I don't see five hands. Not five call the roll. Actually prepare the machine. Is everyone voted has everyone voted. Cast about Mr Clark. By a vote of fifty one yeas and thirty nine nays the motion is failed. And Brooks is spoken for the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Represent what you're recognized to speak against the bill. Thank you. Thank you for permitting us to continue this debate what I consider to be an important issue first I want to I want to address some points that those of favour this bill of money due or incorrect. The talk about choice choice if they can find the public school to go to if I don't like the one there in how many private schools do you think will be there. Zero there's none. How many private schools you have in the study maybe thirty four four three million people. No impact on funding. Let me tell you there saying the cap this bill it two million it's going to cost you it's going to cost of public schools four million dollars. Two million in tax credits. To millions in tax credit two million an average daily attendance funding of seven thousand dollars per child they told you will go representative Murdock you had three that's twenty one thousand dollars to Marianna someone had twenty nine kids that this make it thirty because I have had this very quickly that's two hundred and ten thousand dollars that left that district and it doesn't impact funding let me tell you what happens adequacy you let that money you let us get an economic downturn in this state we will have less and less funding on I don't care what the adequacy is this whatever. Yes it's well if somebody's calling me on the phone I think I know who it is because it did it once before let me tell you this is a bad piece of legislation guidelines yeah well they've got guidelines teachers are tired of it. It is coming out of the department of education over here in the Secretary yesterday wouldn't even stand behind the public schools. Thank you tell me that's right the secretary of education would not stand behind it represent fight for what purpose point of order let's hear your point that's inappropriate and and misleading. That is exactly what I asked the representative representative Wooten. Please keep keep your comments focused on the bill again the chairs generally allowed leeway but let's keep calm this subsystem the bill Mister Speaker respectfully this is testimony made yesterday and here and I've allowed I've allowed leeway I've asked that just as I have with many other members I've asked the membership to stay focused on the bill and as far as characterizing witness testimony let's keep it focused on the bill. Thank you Mr chairman. So we talk about and discrimination. This bill has nothing in. The deals with discrimination in fact it does not mandate that these be kids and the other thing in the income. Thank you about this they receive a scholarship to go to a public go to a private school. Four three four five thousand dollars most of these calls anywhere from two to three thousand dollars a month how they go make up a difference or go charge at family. The family of the pay. Let me say. This man I've said it this will be the demise of public education this is this this is put it this way this bill is bad for public education is a progressive situation as a point out to you before and that is the fact that two million this year and even representative Bragg invented he wouldn't talk about the future not tell you what we'll talk about the future because they'll be back for four million six million and eight million or ten minutes. That's what's going to happen on this you'll hear a lot about seventy million dollars going to private education private colleges that that's true. But that's a totally different dimension of education and you say why well how can you say that well this use the example whose state of Arkansas we have to agencies now we have two divisions what is for higher education one is for public education now you tell me there's no difference sure there is a difference seventy million dollars afforded college students to be able to go to be able to system there's not that there's not nearly as many private colleges is there are high schools are elementary schools so definitely we need to help our children. And we talk about. Recruiting. Representative well or is not in the room let me share with you about this. Leases this is ripe this is rye. All right of head of recruiting have a. I will make one point I will move all. The schools were getting ready to give four million dollars to the state money in the past ten years spent thirty million dollars all athletics own thirty million dollars own. Player to wishes to come to their schools. So. This bill will for them to additional billion dollars to use for the players they want to see it creates a whole new bill rockers. Do you have a. The Department of Education state treasury. They'll have the schools will have to be inspected for safety the if I will have to redesign the whole program. To be able to give receipts. Representative Brooks said they will they will award the scholarships committee said a granting organization what it what is a granting organization. This is the first first said the FAA with the war. So we don't we don't really know we don't know what is going to call this the of into positions have been mentioned today a hundred thousand dollars. Hello this is not covered. The physical impact statement does not cover those employees I ask the question yesterday how many any additional employees no one could tell me. The fire department of ed or the department of finance and administration. Two fifty children L. O. four hundred and seventy five thousand and we're not this lo discriminatory Bill. Two hundred and fifty. Four hundred eighty thousand and we have we have the responsibility for because the constitution clearly states it is the responsibility of the state to provide an adequate and accessible education for the children of this state. It is our responsibility it doesn't say a word about investing money in private school. Yes well the things that concerns me the most about it is a fact hello Education has served those in this study for so many years. I'm were you once before probably may be the most agreed man and believe it. Not many of my kids. We have three bedrooms. And you make all this Bragg in but I'm proud of it because I paid for ever done. We. Three master's degrees for a bachelor's degrees of Guthrie in public education one that is senior vice president of the bank in this study and another one that owns his own construction company and works every day and everyone of them are products of the public school. So don't blame the public schools for all the social economic problems there were faces today. The teachers are being asked to the site because there is some colleges nurses doctors social workers and then we won't stand up and say it's bad let me tell you what. That's not true the education system in this state is not in fear you and he won't talk about us being forty ninth and in money in that time thank you per cover the places I'll present begins any state in the union. We do Exter the will of all we've got. We should not do those things this call is. Again fifty percent of the calls for a number two you have been determined. We'll have to be paid by someone and more than likely it'll be the parents of these young children in order for them to go. So this is and don't don't the. On the eve made to feel guilty. This bill mentions. This ability. But it does not say that's what they have to give the two hundred and fifty scholarships to. The point we've got five hundred students doing this now well here they are back asking for two hundred and fifty more. This is capped at two million. I realize. Fully realized. Any grease me great. You're talking against a plank of the Republican Party both nationally and here in Arkansas. Let me make this point with the Arkansas is a rule state. This is not Philadelphia this is not New York is not washed in the city is not Los Angeles. Where they have such tremendous problems in the school system. What we want to tear down what we spend so much money on building. For thirty four private schools have access to state money. You say well these are taxpayers that are paying the money into the State. Signed let me share this with you. They are charged. They have a choice and they made the choice to go to a private school. But don't penalize the public schools. Don't do this I have. I ask you from the bottom of my heart. Heart's in the right place on this it is not about me. Is not about my football field. It's not about. Right. Is is is what it is about the rise in this is all about the kids. Four hundred and eighty thousand is the look to us. You're going to have to go home and face your constituents. If one of their children is not two hundred and fifty. There was a lot of a much. Well the. How come they don't get the. Your teachers the. All their lives thirty and forty years in the classroom twenty years superintendents school board members how you go face your school board members say well I think private schools better. Hello thanks thank you want to do that encouraging to hear again from the bottom of my heart this is hard fail please please vote against this bill thank you Mr chairman Mr representative wouldn't has spoken against building would like to speak for the bill represent McGrew you're recognized speak for. Thank you Mr Speaker and I know everybody's probably heard all they want to but I come from a different perspective signage should lead to system and I will try to be brief when we had this bill earlier this similar bill I really struggled with it I'm a freshman I want to make sure that I'm doing the right thing for my constricted to my people I had my superintendents call may and because of concern they put in I voted present on that bill because I was leaning towards yes afterwards I mainly went and spoke to those superintendents trying to gain more information on that previous bill. Let me tell you why because my first born child was born with a learning disability fortunately I did have enough money to put him in private school at that time only barely enough. And when those learning disabilities came out in in the first year of his school of teachers and that came to me and said public schools is a better place for him to be. They have an IP and they can help him. So that's what I did and I found some great people in the public schools and great teachers. Also found some that worked. Is that child went home he struggled very hard he got put into a resort classy got labeled. He still struggles today. But after that I had a grand child who was in an accident and had to brain damage and had a learning disability. At that time I was a little better all I took that grandchild and paid for her to go to private school and expressed on that primary school how was very important to me that she be loved and should be cared for in a special way. That grand child. Recently graduated college let me tell you she struggled hard all the way through. But she graduated college and she's working for public school today. I hadn't stayed up last night warned about everyone that I've been living it for forty years. You know if we shut out all the noise all the lobbyist and this is not about money. We look in the face of that child. You know I was fortunate enough to have money but there's many families that don't. And to be the difference of what it can make with that child. I just highly encourage you to put all that noise away look at the child we may only make a difference with two hundred fifty we may only make a difference with fifty. But if it was your child I continue I know what I would do and I would appreciate a good vote from the bottom of my heart. Represent a group spoken for the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Represent speech you're recognized speak against the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker. When I got into education this two years ago my big thing was to say our education program grow and that all children could be made that needs could be met and I still believe today that waste because there's many many of us sent out here today that not one of our children will get a chance to be in this two hundred. And I think that we could put our all of our resources and our time and our energy together and we can make our schools a better place but we're gonna have to quit working and working against each other and working against our schools for our public schools to become what we in Arkansas want them to be and I can go back home today when I cast my no vote and look. Not. Constituents in the eye and say you know I have completed the case that we can come together and we will make our schools better but we can't with doing this kind of thing and I'd ask you to vote for a no vote. President speaks is spoken against the bill would anyone like to speak for the bill represent fight you're recognized to speak for the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker I'm a product of the public schools all of my children graduated from public schools but I'm also a special educator I've spent a hundred and fifty years approximately as a special educator not not really you're supposed to laugh at that point. But the public schools can't be all things to all children although they try. I want you to think of the children with special needs think of the single mother whose child has a disability she's trying everything she can nothing is working she hears a school that has an innovative program and she would like for her child to go there and get the specialized instruction that he or she needs she can't afford it this is the way that we can help her help her child let's do it let's give her a hand up and I ask you for a yes vote on this bill. Percent by spoken for the building would like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. Percent brown you're recognized speak for the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker I being very no filibuster here. I've heard a lot about money today. And I do appreciate our members who have dedicated their careers to public education. But I think our focus has to be on children children who are slipping through the cracks. We can't if if there are people who want to donate money to help two hundred two hundred fifty children. Who need to learn how to read write and do math. Otherwise those children will fail in life we can't afford to allow another child to fail if we have the opportunity to give the opportunity to them. And I just like to ask how many of us in here are willing to consign those children to failure when we could help and I appreciate a good vote on this bill represents Brown is spoken for the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Represents spring you're recognized speak against the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker good afternoon as I stated before I sit and I listen to each representative has said today and I wanna emphasize several points that have been made we're talking about students with needs as you all know private schools do not have the kind of requirements that public schools have their special education teachers are usually not certified and the private schools have to utilize public school teachers in order to assess those private school students so for us to say that students are going to be receiving any additional extra help in private schools they are not because that is not how it works so I would have to agree with a representative will be with respect to what is being provided in the schools public schools of the schools that have certified teachers certified special education teachers teachers to meet the needs of the students so with that I am going to vote no on this bill. President Springer spoken against the building would like to speak for the bill. Semicolon you're recognized speak for the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker thank you colleagues I just wanna encourage you all after everything you've heard today and everything we know going into this vote to focus on the bill that's in front of you not. What could be some day come of this what might be the demise of something else what's going on the policy the legislation that's in front of us today with that I'd ask for immediate consideration. It's a motion is proper motion it's not debatable. All in favor of immediate consideration say aye. Any opposed. The I. the eyes have it. The question before the House is the passage of Senate bill. Six eighty prepared machine Mr Clerk. Has everyone voted. As everyone voted. Cast about Mr Clark. By a vote of fifty two yeas forty days and to present the bill is passed. Mr Clark. Then once removes the clincher. All in favor say aye. Any opposed. The ayes have it. Mr Clark please read Senate bill two forty four. Senate bill two forty four by representative eleven to mend the definition of instructional materials for the purposes of sales tax exemption for instructional materials purchased by school into declared emergency represent eleven you're recognized to explain the bill. Member of thank you Mr Speaker members under current law instructional materials such as textbooks or study guides or items in our school systems they're tax exempt the purpose of this bill is to amend the definition of instructional materials to include items such as iPads and Chromebooks electronic devices that are used by students student is our schools continue to move further away from textbooks and as we've seen during the pandemic where these devices are us in our school systems for distance learning this is not gonna go away this is an agreed upon bill of all parties involved D. SNA the fiscal division of bill are the Department education were all part parties to this intern full support happy to answer any questions. Seeing on a per share a good vote. Represented in eleven as explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative Evans is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of Senate bill two forty four where the machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. You voting on the bill an emergency clause. Casts up the ballot Mr Clark. Ninety three eight zero nine zero present the bill an emergency clauses pass. Mr Clark read Senate bill five sixty six. Senate bill five sixty six by representative Jett to mend the definition of project codes under the consolidated incentive act of two thousand three and to extend the time period during which projects project codes may be incurred for the certain retention tax credit projects. Representative Hodges you're recognized explained bill. Thank you Mr. You look a little view that there I know look another look like Joe Jett but I'm not to Hodges. Of Senate bill five sixty six a bill to provide more time to complete pending invest invest art projects. The COVID pandemic has instructed major construction expansion and modernization projects that were pending on or under way when the pandemic hit and continues to prevent projects from being completed on schedule. This bill addresses disruptions a project called by the COVID nineteen pandemic back spending then invest our project deadline by two years. A little background. Investar cats for about a seven percent sales tax credit for major construction expansion and modernization project in excess of five million dollars for manufacturers and other qualifying businesses. Act four sixty five of twenty seventeen adopted a sunset of Investar tax credit program under the consolidated incentive act. No applications have been accepted since June the thirtieth of twenty seventeen projects approved before the cut off date are working their way through the process. Ordinarily only projects calls paid within four years from the application date qualified for the best start credits. This window for projects that were on the drawing board included in application file during the first six months of twenty seventeen of clothing doing the first six months of twenty twenty one this bill extend the credit window for projects covered by twenty seventeen applications by two years business would have until twenty twenty three to complete approved project and pay qualifying expenses. Should be no budget impact because project and dollar amounts already approved for credit which are which are use quickly. Of went to Senate Revan taxer no opposition and went to the House Rev and tax on yesterday with no opposition an example I use is you know and and the bank or something you know if if if severance and somebody got a construction loan to build a house and we set the loan up for one year. And due to inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances the contract couldn't get the house bill within that year time we grant what's called extension to that customer so they can finish up the project this is. Pretty much what this bill is doing just give me some extensions extended out two years so that these projects that were already agreed upon could be completed but with that being said I appreciate a good vote on this bill thank you. Represent pods as explained a bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative projects is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of Senate bill five sixty six prepare the machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Casts up the ballot Mr Clark ninety three a zero nays and present the bill is passed. Sir Clark read Senate bill six eighty nine. Senate bill six eighty nine by representative back to amend Arkansas law to allow a municipal electric utility to finance costs associated with storm related perils and to declare emergency members were gonna pass over that bill. Mr Clark read Senate bill six sixty nine. Senate bill six sixty nine by representative mark Perry to amend the Arkansas sewage disposal systems act and to amend the law authorizing local standards for sewage disposal systems represent Perry recognized explained bill. Thank you Mr Speaker. Member from time to time small community sewage systems that were installed in accordance with the department of health regulations failed due to a lack of maintenance in some areas this is not a problem another's local leaders are concerned. Senate bill six sixty nine allows local authorities to adopt ordinance or rules to ensure the sound financial planning and operation of these community sewage systems including reasonable reserves for maintenance replacement and repair. Essentially if a lack of maintenance to one of the systems can endanger the health of people in the community local government authority should be able to make and enforce rules to ensure funds are available for proper maintenance. This bill has been vetted association of counties municipally department of health department of energy and environment. Past thirty one votes out of the Senate be glad take any questions. Coenen preshow give a. Represent Perry's explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill represent Perry's close for the bill the question before the House is the passage of house bill six sixty nine per the machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Casts up the ballot Mr Clark ninety six J. zero nations are present the bill is passed. We're gonna back up to Senate bill six eighty nine read the bill Mr Clerk. Senate bill six eighty nine by representative back to amend the Arkansas law to allow a municipal electric utility to finance costs associated with storms or related perils and to declare emergency representative back you're recognized explained bill. Thank you Mr Speaker phone this is the same bill that we pass out here earlier the only difference is this is for the municipalities the some municipalities do on their own utilities and the previous bill that we passed that not include them so all this does is it allows them the extra costs associated with higher gas prices in the storm allows them to some financial options to kind of spread that cost out into the person that cost per share good vote. Representative back has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative back is close for the bill question before the House is the passage of Senate bill six eighty nine per machine Mr Clerk. Voting on the bill and the emergency clause. Is everyone voted. Cast about Mr Clark. Ninety forty eight zero nine zero present the bill and the emergency clauses Pat passed. Mr Clark read Senate bill six seventy seven. Senate bill six seventy seven by representative gray to mend the definition of long term care facility represent gray recognized explained the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker so all this bill does currently in statute is adult day cares that we'll we'll take them kind of like a but it was that they care and they can take them right now up to four hours a day one day a week and not be regulated under long term care rules or be licensed this just says that we're opening it up from one day per week at four hours to two days a week at four hours to my knowledge there's no opposition and DHS was okay with the bill Preciado a good vote thank you. Represent grace explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Or the bill. Representative grace close to the bill. Question before the House is the passage. Senate bill six seventy seven per the machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Gassed up the ballot Mr Clark. With ninety eight zero nays and one present the bill is passed. All right members are going back to the supplemental calendar. The Senate bills Mr Clark read Senate bill two forty seven. Senate bill two forty seven by representative Holcomb to amend the law concerning the penalties for a violation of the of the offense of racing a vehicle on a public highway represent Holcomb you're recognized explained bill. Thank you Mr Speaker. Calling this is the bill that the pools several weeks ago because we had several questions about drag racing on the highway we made some changes that you ask for drag racing on the highway just side by side drag racing first offense is the same as always was we took out the second offense would be a felony a second offense within a within a five year period action results in a a fine and suspension of driver's license for six months now there are some concerns that we had if you'd been in committee yesterday we made some changes in the bill lowering the bill we had due to we we made it a felony offense a Class D. felony if you're holding up traffic you're racing on a highway what's happening we're having thirty forty fifty cars gather to parking lot having a big party in the parking lot just spin around doing donuts we've seen we've seen on video evidence yesterday and committee whether accidents then they're going out on the highway and go what taking over the expressway several cars lining up flashes on running in and out from each other I showed a video of we're going out on a force down the road some of you familiar with that here beleskey County we're to double yellow line and you know it's illegal to even get on the other side of the road when any kind of yellow line and so they've got that highway blocked off. Parked on each side drag racing there in method with testimony from pine bluff police officer yesterday that they're coming to pine bluff from out of state loading their race cars own trailers coming to pine bluff racing on public highways blocking the traffic even bring in what we call a Christmas tree allied to flashes to let him go you know let him know when to take off if they get caught there they're leaving coming Pulaski County they're not going to cricket council so that's what we're faced with that's what we're trying to stop that's a felony offense also in the testimony there was testimony when they have these large races like this that are advertised they all come together there's a lot of not always but there's some illegal drug activity there's a local guns taking you can see the betting taking place because of putting it all on video it's just the flavor flagrant violation of the law for for this body for the court system and for for enforcement officers so what I'll be glad to answer any questions if you have any. Please vote for this vote is make us all safe on the highway thank you. Representative Holcomb is explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill representative focus close for the bill the question before the House is the passage of Senate bill two forty seven per the machine Mr Clerk. Has everyone voted. Gassed up the ballot Mister Clark with eighty seven days three days zero present the bill is passed. Mr Clark read Senate bill three fifty three. Senate bill three fifty three by representative long term to encourage the collection of all outstanding restitution fines fees and court costs owed by incarcerated persons to create a task force into declared emergency. Represent Lundstrum you're recognized explain the bill thank you colleagues as many of you know we're in the jail bill last week to help inmates find jobs in the process of doing that we've I made a discovery and I didn't know about learn something new every time when you run a bill but what I did discover is that a lot of these inmates father in prison when they come out of prison they are so behind in their fines fees and victim restitution that many of them are overwhelmed and they go back to jail we need a completely new system so that can that can pay those fines and fees some of needed to come out of their paycheck every month they need to be able to do this no matter what county they live in some of them are actually going leaving the county like Washington County driving to the other County taking a day off work going to the paper ledger in their county that they have to of writing it down they get a receipt and then go back it's ridiculous the counties are short the money they need that money the courts are sure the money and the victims must have restitution unfortunately to do all this is going to take quite the run way to get this done so we need a. I hate the word task force a short term chore group to review all of this and get it done it's going to take a little while but I would appreciate your support thank you. Representative Lundstrum is explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Represent Lundstrum is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of Senate bill three fifty three prepared machine Mr Clerk. Voting on the bill an emergency clause. Has everyone voted. Cast a ballot Mister Clark with eighty seven yeas to nays and zero present the bill and the emergency clause is pass. Mr Clark read Senate bill five forty four. Senate bill five forty four by representative Richmond requiring a person in the custody of a correctional facility to use funds from federal relief for stimulus programs to first pay outstanding fines fees costs and restitution and to declare an emergency. Send Richmond you're recognized explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker colleagues I'll keep it brief this bill just does a few things if you are an inmate and you receive stimulus money because of covid. And you have fines restitution court cost then that money will be used to pay those fines and restitution and court costs if you do not have fines restitution and court costs then that money will then be divided into two counts within the correctional facility that is used to assist all of the inmates. And to help all of the inmates that are there and so it's taxpayer money that is actually being used to take care of things that the family will not be held responsible to take care of such as court fines and restitution and then it will assist all the inmates that happen to be there with you as you have your little vacation in prison I appreciate a good vote thank you very much. Representative Richmond's explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Or the bill. Representative Richmond close for the bill the question before the House is passage of Senate bill five forty four prepared machine Mr Clerk. Voting on the bill an emergency clause. Is everyone voted. Casts up the ballot Mister Clark with eighty ninety eight zero nine zero present the bill and emergency clauses pass Mr Clark read Senate bill three hundred. Senate bill three hundred by representative slate prohibiting parole for a person convicted of the offence of possession of a firearm by certain persons under certain circumstances and to declare an emergency. It's like you're recognized explained bill. Thank you Mr Speaker. Colleagues glad I'm not bringing in a contentious bill in front of you at all I'm sure my colleagues in in judiciary will agree with me we had quoted but with this. The well you have a first this session we of a sentiment and brazen and the second amendment today this is a for the bad actors whose violated it what this does those who have committed a felony in the I are on probation if they commit another felony with a firearm then they have to go to the prison to do one hundred percent of their time they are not the eligible for parole. Federals agencies has used this before it's different places testified in the judiciary's they have seen a big a decrease in those crimes among other cities as implemented this is being supported by the sheriff's chief police of the sum of the mayors that have spoken to me about it and the we're looking to do decrease or violent crimes of you seen in the newspaper the news and all its but has happened since we just put in the time that we've been in session here has been several homicides and lot of that could be prevented if they had known that the fate of all it with a gun they're going to prison they're going to be there with that I will take questions. All no. Represent Collins for what purpose question you're recognized for a question what's the fiscal impact on this and did Secretary graves say anything about need to build a new prison with all these additional prisoners. Those fiscal impact B. two estimated budget is the Colorado that it would be close to one fifty four million over ten year period Secretary graves said would have to add another prison on this time I disagree with that by looking at statistics of other places as that is impacted it it has gone down not up we'll save saying that the they mean business if your call with your gun after that. Any other questions. That that I ask for your vote. Representative Slape has explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Or the bill. Representative slaves close for the bill the question for the house's passage of Senate bill three hundred prepare the machine Mr Clerk. You voting on the bill and the emergency clause. Has everyone voted. Cast up the ballot Mr Clark seventy eighth thirteen nays and zero present the bill and the emergency clauses pass. Mr Clark read Senate bill five thirteen. Mr Clarke hang on. Both of. Mr Clark read Senate bill five seventy three. Senate bill five seventy three by representative under would concerning places where a person may possess and carry a concealed handgun with a license to carry a concealed handgun. Senator Underwood you're recognized explained bill. Thank you Mr Speaker colleagues this bill simply fixes a loophole in the enhanced care Kerry conceal law allowing concerning those who have enhanced licenses licenses at the same rights and local government buildings that they have in state buildings including here the capital I'm some local governments have been using a provision to post a no firearms sign to prohibit those enhanced carry license holders from carrying those buildings and that was not the intent to permit local governments to by pass that law of this I want to be clear this bill does not permit one to carry and highly sensitive places such as a court room in jail or sheriff's office which is already excluded under the law of the stairs sure substation is neutral this bill and the national rifle association supports this bill and I appreciate a good vote. Representive Underwood explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Or the bill. Representive Underwood oppose the bill the question before the House is the passage of Senate bill five seventy three prepared machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Casts up the ballot Mr Clark. Seventy eighth sixteen nations are present the bill is passed Mr Clark read Senate bill five ninety five. Senate bill five ninety five a representative Ladyman to clarify that the Department of Human Services as the agency that regulates long term care facilities and to remove references to the office of long term care. Representative Ladyman you're recognized explained the bill. Collins I sent this bill or this bill was sent back to committee for an amendment And what we did is we removed some sections of this bill that conflicted with H. B. seventeen seventy six has already been passed so we corrected that conflict I appreciate a good vote. Represent Ladyman as explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill. Representative Ladyman is closed for the bill the question before the House is the passage of Senate bill five ninety five per the machine Mr Clerk. So everyone voted. Casts up the ballot Mr Clark. Ninety two U. A. zero Nays one present the bill is passed. Mr Clark read Senate bill six thirty nine Senate bill six thirty not a representative clout to authorize off label use of drug treatments to treat patients diagnosed with pediatric acute onset neuro psychiatric syndrome in pediatric autoimmune NEUROPSYCHIATRIC disorders associated with streptococcal infection. Representative clout you're recognized. To explain the bill. Represent glad you're recognized. Thank you Mr Speaker and I I thank you that you have allowed a little leeway so if I could have just a little the way members of let's excuse Barrett he was a little nervous when I ran the Medicaid version of this bill. He and I love it better it but he stumbled and stammered and he never did get out neuro psychiatric but here's what you don't know after he went home his eight year old daughter a livia tutored him and tutored him and tutored him did even though he put the wrong numbers up there did you all see how well he did today. For for a living yeah. Thank you members for that thank you Mr Speaker colleagues if you're getting deja vu this is the same bill that we had three weeks ago that was the Medicaid virgin to pay for the pandas syndrome and now this is the qualified health plans version for a payment of those small amount of children that do have the panda centralized Preciado good vote thank you. Represent cloud as explained the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. For the bill represent clouds close for the bill the question before the House is the passage of Senate bill six thirty nine prepared machine Mr Clerk. As everyone voted. Asked about Mr Clark ninety four yeas or nays zero present the Bill pass. Mr Clark please read Senate bill two forty eight. Senate bill two forty eight a representative paid to create the food freedom act and to exempt certain producers of homemade food and drink products from licensure certification and inspection represent paid you're recognized explain the bill. Thank you Mr Speaker colleagues a I like to eat. And during the pandemic one of the most. frightening things for me was to hear about grocery store shelves being empty but I grew up on the farm we usually had some aids and some black eyed peas that we can in a few things we can eat a lot of folks aren't that way and now we have great farmers markets farmers markets during the summertime when the produce is in season are full of great things to eat but you know that's only during the harvest sometimes you need some prepared foods that have been preserved and canned and things like that so what this bill does is it expands the cottage food act that we passed a couple years ago to include a broader spectrum of prepared foods that are considered non hazardous prepared foods it It we worked with with the health department the first draft of this bill was was probably way too radical and I we were able to continue discussions and Senator Davis worked with on a mentally and I narrow it down to non hazardous foods but allow for some prepared foods and drinks and and things to be delivered and purchased over the internet and in my opinion it's so important. Arkansas which produces more food than we can eat. That we don't see that food supply shipped out of state the grocery store's bear and not have some form of an infrastructure. It preserves the knowledge on how to can and preserve these foods and and be able to supply neighbor to neighbor farm to table farm to fork I've heard a lot of different What is the label I think the food freedom is a great way to label it the with that I'd appreciate a good vote. President Payton is explain the bill would anyone like to speak against the bill. Would anyone like to speak for the bill. President Payton is closed for the bill the question before the House the passage of Senate bill two forty eight. Per machine Mr Clerk. Has everyone voted. As everyone voted. Asked about Mr Clark by a vote of eighty seven yeah zero nine zero present the bill is passed. Read the letter from the Senate Mr Clark. April twenty first twenty twenty one to the Armel sherry stacks there Mister stacks The Senate respectfully requests the return to the Senate Senate bill three thirty two respectfully submitted an Cornwell is leave granted to return Senate bill three thirty to the Senate. Send the bill to the Senate. Represent Wardlaw moves we expunge the vote by which house bill fourteen ninety five failed that's a proper motion represent Wardlaw you're recognized explain your motion. It's not for you to run it again we're not going to run it again okay it's not interim study that's all we're doing interim study. We're laws explain the motion we would like to speak against the motion. Would would you would like to speak for the motion represent Wardlaw is close for the motion the question before the House is the expungement of the vote by which house bill fourteen ninety five failed all in favor say aye. Any opposed. The motion passes. Representive Stu Smith those we re refer Senate concurrent resolution eleven to the House Committee on Public Health that's proper motion represent Smith you're recognized to explain your motion. Thank you Mr Speaker my Senator just ask that this resolution be moved to the House Committee on Public Health per share a good vote. Percent Smith is explained the motion would anyone like to speak against the motion. Would anyone like to speak for the motion represents Smith this close for the motion the question before the House is the re referral of Senate concurrent resolution a left. To the House Committee on Public Health all in favor say aye. Any opposed the motion passes. Represent Penzo for what purpose. Motion let's hear your motion Mister Speaker I move we suspend a portion of House Committee rule twenty one to eliminate the two day waiting period before a bill on the deferred list may be transferred to an active committee agenda. That's a proper motion and it's not debatable. The question. Question before the House is to suspend a portion of House Committee rule twenty one to eliminate the two day week waiting period before a bill on the deferred list may be transferred to an active committee agenda all in favor say aye. Any opposed. The nose have it. Represent makes for what purpose. Motion let's hear your motion after the announcmenet trading of the bills transferring the bill's place in the counters on the desk members amending their own bills their own amendments members withdrawing their bills finalizing resolutions reading communications and any remaining committee reports I move we adjourn until one o'clock tomorrow afternoon. That's a that's a proper motion it's not debatable all in favor say aye. Any opposed. The ayes have it. Any announcements. Represent Jean for what purpose announcmenet you're recognized joint budget will meet tomorrow morning eight thirty big mac a we will amend and suspend the rules and pass out the RSA so we'll have them on Monday. President Barker for what purpose announcmenet recognized aging children youth military will not meet today. Represent five what purpose announcmenet you're recognized city county local will meet in fifteen minutes beg maxi represent Wardlaw for what purpose now you're recognized A. L. C. sub executive subcommittee will meet upon adjournment of the Senate we're waiting on the Senate. Represent wing for what purpose announcmenet you're recognized House Management will meet tomorrow at ten thirty in the fourth floor conference room ten thirty fourth floor conference room represent bought for what purpose announcmenet recognized acclimate at four thirty eight this afternoon in room one fifty one we got to really quick concurrent Senate amendments president Tosh for what purpose announcmenet recognized state agency made at nine fifteen in the morning and big mac in room C. represent eleven for what purpose Hausman you're recognized thank you to announcements join education will meet seven thirty tomorrow morning in big mac a to take up one bill. House education meets tomorrow morning nine thirty room one fifty one. Any other announcements. Members just so you'll know that what we're working towards is to wrap up on Tuesday At if. Hopefully we won't need it I guess there's that there could be a chance of being here Wednesday but we're working towards Tuesday so just everybody keep that mind watch your email watch the schedule there could be the need to have some committee meetings that could come about pretty quickly so I just would encourage you to continue to watch your email watch the the BLR website. No other announcements. The desk remain open as needed for the reading of the bills upon completion The Addams named the adjourn resolution the house to be adjourned until one o'clock tomorrow.