Education Committee - Senate

What this actually does this real simple bill if you of or a parent or a legal guardian of a child is in school and There's a curriculum or instructional materials or some of benefits that are happening that you believe is of governmental to your child or you don't think that's something your child should of be involved in you may petition the school district to have your child. excluded from that. she comes she looked like she walking well And so that that that's basically what this bill does so you gotta you gotta go through the proper procedure though of anything just like any school board situation in our bodies calling one as a school board and want me to do something about it I said if you talk to your teacher I haven't talked to the press will go to the chain of command to do this and then it may be brought to the school board if you need to go that far with getting this to happen so that's kind of the gist of this bill it just gives you an out if they're teaching something in the school that goes against something that you believe in are you don't want your child to have to be involved and so I'm glad to questions are there any questions on this bill. St nine as anybody wish to speak for or against the bill. Seeing as Senator English. It is a motion to pass I'm so sorry okay is there a second the second all those in favor say aye. And oppose bill passes congratulations house bill seventeen forty four. All right seventeen forty four is an act to amend the minimum score required on the United States citizenship civics test that we put in believe two sessions ago and the only reason we're doing this it was it was when this bill was put in there was a hundred. Questions on the test now there's a hundred twenty eight so it was a sixty percent. Chance or are tested you had passed sixty questions to get a sixty on your great so we just are asking for a sixty percent I don't know what that number ends up being but you still have to make a sixty percent on so that's the only case of six sixty questions to sixty percent is now new okay are there any questions on this bill. Senator Sturch you're recognized thank you Mr and your term because I can tell me why we left it sixty percent as far as has there been any feedback since we've had this that it might need to be increased or you know the test I don't know if you're familiar with format but essentially it if they answer questions wrong it gives in the passage to read to where they can get the right answer and then go back and correct answer so you know to me I'm not real sure the way we're doing it right now is that there is an end of course exam but that's just means the sixty two at almost like almost like a hundred on if they just keep going back to do that but yes I think it's still just a passing score that they're looking for and not trying to push the issue is okay six or thank you Mr thank you mention so just doing the math that would require seventy two questions to be answered correctly or any other questions. Right C. nine anyone wish to speak for or against the bill. Scene nine close for your bill motion do pass as their second second all those in favor say aye and oppose ayes have it congratulations I'm sure may I remind you all that before Crosby probably or more morning nine o'clock I'm sure you're gonna remind them but I just wanna make sure you all know if you got up to twelve o'clock to go see it so. Yes yes the president be. The president be proud is going to be here tomorrow and I was gonna make that announcmenet here from and so their mobile workshop at two or you can tear it so please go down there and take advantage of that. Thank you okay is representative right. You're at. House Bill fourteen forty six. Okay thank you madam chair about gun and Committee members this is house bill fourteen forty six appreciate Senator English for helping me with this bill this bill would amend the Arkansas succeeds collar ship eligibility so that the children of members of our military would be eligible the way the bill set up it would ensure that priority is given is prioritized for those who are currently already eligible those being excuse me students with an IP and also those in foster care. and then if there are remaining funds to children of military families would be eligible. So the succeed scholarship program as I'm sure everybody knows was passed in twenty fifteen and since its launch in twenty sixteen it's been incredibly successful the parental satisfaction rate is ninety seven percent eighty seven percent of parents reported seeing an improvement in their students grades almost ninety two percent of parents have seen an improvement in their child's social development. And when we were developing the idea for this bill you're one of the things that was. As in our mind is that are specially for active duty military members they don't always get to control where their station in there for where they live and by extension where they send their kids to school. And over the past several years Arkansas's obviously made a lot of great strides to make our state as welcoming as possible for the members of our military which includes exempting active duty and military retirement pay from the income tax we created a tuition benefit program for our national guardsmen and we pass legislation to help with occupational license reciprocity for military spouses so. I view this bill is a natural extension of those efforts as we continue to work to make Arkansas the best possible place for the men and women of our armed forces so with that I'll. Be happy to try to answer any questions are there any questions as senator Chesterfield you're recognized. Thank you thank you madam chair and thank you Sir for being here When the succeed scholarship went into place it's it it's a foster care. Of four kids in student was in foster care was been in the foster care system and achieve permanency through adoption reunification a permanent guardianship. If the individual is a child of the military then he does not meet any of those qualifications could you tell me why we would want to military not to be enrolled in support of public schools to their mission. Sure well first of all the way the but I'll emphasize that the way the bill set up it ensures that priority is given to the students are currently eligible for the program and then only if there are remaining funds available with the students of military families be eligible One of the reasons that I wanted to include military families in the eligibility is because military families face a lot of challenges that other families simply don't face yeah they are often having to move around frequently you know they face challenges in the work force where a parent our family will move into the state and have to worry about whether or not a license will occupational license will transfer you know the programs that their kids might have been enrolled in enrolled in their previous school may not be available in the school where they move to so there's just a lot of different challenges that they face and I felt like this would be a good way to help those families and because the succeed scholarship program has been so successful for the students who are currently eligible you know why wouldn't we want more families to be able to experience that same success we're having taught in the public school system thirty years my students have always benefited from the travel experiences of those young people who are children in the military because of their experiences that are so very either places they've been the individuals to whom they have a with whom they have engaged in his troubling to me that we continue to take more and more kids out of public education and we say it's because this program is so successful I've been on this committee for some time I've never seen the data to which you are referring that indicates what a great smashing hit succeed participants are I would be interested to know where the data came from and if I can get a copy of it. Sure well I've I've seen numerous testimonials that are online from the reform alliance they've surveyed and collected data from families that participated in the program and so these numbers are have have been publicized by them and you can and you can go on there and and they've created actually a large number of videos that you can watch you can hear firsthand the the testimonies from those families and I've watched several of them myself and and actually have met constituents who participate and succeed scholarship program just from going door to door and who contacted me and you know I've heard their stories as well and so now when you combine it was just wondering if there was a summative evaluation because what you're referring to was a formative one if I were if I were in charge the succeed scholarship I would say that I'm doing a fantastic job to but I have not seen that data from the department of the address is available I thought you again for them I guess I do have a concern the more we talk about the succeed scholarship which was supposed to be limited to just these people we continue to expand it which means that there's less and less money going to public education so with that I just have some concerns sure so I appreciate that Senator the last thing I would I would add to your point is the this bill does not add any funding to the program so if you if you look at the fiscal impact on it you're gonna see zero there. Yep. Other questions Senator Sturch you're recognized for a question thank you manager and resentment when asked about the logistics of it because I can't remember is not in the bill or even in what's referenced and pass legislation that like if a Arkansas family was have to move out of state they're still residents of Arkansas would they qualify for this or is it just going to families who are still residing in Arkansas to Arkansas private schools are charter schools or whatever. Is a lot of sense I'm not certain I follow your question but I I mean. I think they would have to be going to school in Arkansas to to qualify was it that's when I guess I was asking because I I didn't see in the bill that I got thanking me talk about military families who would move around I thought well they could still keep the residents in Arkansas they might be going to school somewhere else and I wondered then are they eligible then since they are Arkansas residents are do we have it somewhere in language we it's it has to be an Arkansas school will eight okay I I'm following your question now appreciate that it so there are only a certain I can't remember the exact number but there's only at a couple of dozen schools that are things like twenty one or something around the state that are approved for the succeed scholarship program so they would have to be a school has been approved by eighty for participation in the program so they couldn't if they got moved to you know a different Air Force base right out of state or something like that the there's not a school in that state that would be approved by eighty thanks thank you ma'am to any other questions. I see no other questions anyone I wish to speak for or against this bill. Scene and nine you're recognized to close for the bill. I'm close to the bill thank you for your time and attention committee thank you Senator English motion do pass as their second. Second all those in favor say aye. And oppose ayes have it congratulations you passed your bill thank you Committee all right members and Senator Solomon we have heard his Senate bill one ninety one We can put it on for today or he hasn't amendments Do you what we would have to suspend the rules to allow for that. Motion to suspend the rules to place Senate bill one ninety one for purpose of amendment. You don't have the amendment. This amendment engrossed. Yes the amendments already engrossed I apologize okay so the motion is there is all those in favor say aye. And oppose ayes have it congratulations I will go ahead and present one ninety one we'll just need to get a copy of that bill though. I have a copy of it. Can we get a copy of it real quick. Okay. If you have it on your device you can look it up that we can. We need it we do not have the paper copy of it. We print it I. Yeah can we go to the third floor and just print real quick. She's going to. Do you want me to run that or do you have it on there I can print it real fast. I can print it from here just wanna be on the third floor on the side. Where Mister Barfield is. Yes. Yes yes please. Is this take a lot of the committee to consider because it's not eighteen hours to the public we just make a motion to suspend it I thought we made a motion to adopt the amendment no the amendments already been engrossed okay the motion was made in a lab yes one I missed it no it's fine thank you. Because we've we've heard it and then All right if you want to go ahead and start and then we'll we'll get the bill here to your manager you may go ahead and explain your amendment. Well we've amended it several times And it's engrossed in the bill now I think you've heard the debate or discussion so I'm not gonna go back through all of this to the important things I thank with the questions About prohibited language and being disruptive in class that's addressed on pages for on page five in lines thirteen through sixteen where it says preventive preventing a state supported institution of higher education from pro hit prohibiting limiting or restricting expressive expression that and this is what we had violates the laws of this state or the Arkansas constitution and then line twenty one this was already in the bill allows for individuals to engage in conduct does not allow individuals are engaged in conduct that materially are substantially disrupts as defined in six days sixtieth ten oh three another person to express of activity if that person's activity is occurring in an area of the campus that is reserved for the activity of the exclusive use of are controlled particular group as a classroom so it stops that and again we've I thank you for calling the debate on this I'll be glad to answer any questions. Okay since you have a I think on page four of the bill you talk about you you commended Sir madam chairman having a hard time hearing on page four of the bill is sent it looks like you've made an amendment to engross where if you can go through that for us under section five one under public forums. Okay sure. Chris this is already an outdoor areas and this now says an indoor common areas generally open to all students and teachers for the purpose of a congregating for social interaction as designated by the state supported institution of higher education so the state institution just a designated because it also says a state supported institution of higher education shall appropriately designate indoor common areas generally open to all students and teachers for the purpose of congregating for social interaction. and then down at the bottom on just on line twenty seven the institution may maintain and enforce reasonable map manner restrictions and we added regarding the time place or manner of carrying out expressive activities so the higher rate institution does have an opportunity regarding to set those standards regarding time place and manner for carrying out expressive activities so we we try to work with the higher end folks There we just disagree philosophically on what we're going to do we change that they don't like it we changed at the end like the change so we went back to the original and I think it's a good bill and I think it just allows what happens inside to happen what happens outside happen inside while still protecting the integrity of the educational process. Okay so the indoor common areas would have to be designated by the institutions that correct. gives them the yes indeed give an example there. the following areas where we added of campus of a state supported institution indoor areas generally open to all students and teachers for the purpose of a congregating for social interaction. As designated by the state supported institution of higher at so they're the ones that designate that and generally it means there in the areas of cafeteria student union those areas that one would consider generally available and. I think came up last time you know what why we need this because we had bad weather we have things that happen that you can't do it outside that we want to allow to happen inside just would seem reasonable okay all right great she's gotten bill yes senator English you're recognized for a question so I just wanted to make me talk about this before because I I'm not clear that I hear that basically we're not talking about in a classroom setting or in a hallway we're talking about a a general purpose area but I don't quite hear that in that okay you read some of that but I didn't quite hear that the me I think it's on page four is that correct yes. If you look on your bill it says more Page four. Line First of on line six a state supported institution of higher education may impose reasonable restrictions regarding the time place and manner of carrying out expressive activities so that's one and then it comes down again in line twenty six and twenty seven may maintain and enforce reasonable restrictions regarding the time place or manner of carrying out expressive activities. Thank you again on page five. On page five beginning in line. Lines thirteen through sixteen coverage but also in lines Nineteen through twenty three this was already in the bill so this is already protected allowing an individual to engage in conduct that materially or substantially disrupts as defined under the code another person's expressive activity if the other person's activity is occurring in an area of campus that is reserved for an activity under the exclusive use or control of a particular group so that's the classroom protection that was already in there or a hallway I think it was mentioned last time that what we have to have class in all this protects that you can't disrupt the classroom. And that was already in the bill and we try to clarify more by adding some of the language to. I guess I just would want to make sure that that forward isn't trying to express themselves in trying to do it in the middle of a classroom or in the hallway or something like that right and I agree I think we've we tried to cover that and there's another section in there that talks about harassment I can't find it right off the bat But there's another section in there that talks about deliberation at the but you're not you can't harass people that's in here too so all those are copper which I thank arrest would be you know if you're in a classroom disrupting you can't arrest people. Are there any other questions Senator Chesterfield you're recognized for a question and Senator Sturch. Raise your hand at the same time. Yes it's the state the time and place in the manner is that correct I'm sorry Senate committee chairman hearing aids up a little institution. Has some measure of control over the time. In the manner. Is that right and the place incorrectness. But it does not have any control over whether or not the individual engages in offensive comments. That he or she that he or she probably knows is offense if it comes offense what we all right right well that's what free speech is offensive yes. Disagreeable but if it is done on the college campus and it is done by someone who works for the college campus it is usually viewed as the position of the institution I think that's where a lot of the concern comes from because if I read for junior high school and I was making speeches inside the building then that it would seem to me people let's say. The principal thinks it's okay the school district thanks okay even if if it's very offensive are you not afraid that by being inside that building you are Leding. The the gravitas of the of of the institution itself to the I'm collegial disagreeable and deeply offensive comments first is not K. twelve this is only higher ed thank I understand that giving you an example okay sure that if I well let's go to you a up to Hendrix College. While at the school if they were allowed to come into the building and speak in on collegial disagreeable or even offensive a terms. And it's inside the building. Would it not seem to the public that is being served especially those students who may hear it. That you have the and it's a professor on that campus that that professor is the is then being blessed by the institution because it happens at the institution. How to make any sense to you sure I would say that happens outside just as well and that one could stand. Right there and make it outside the door and step inside the door in the same thing can happen as part of the reason for the bill is to let allow the same amount of freedom in the first amendment expression inside as well as outside. Okay Senator Sturch you're recognized for a question. Thank you committee chair and one apologize to my fans Senator Eads I promised him I would talk this whole committee meeting. We did suspend the rules. Send someone I just wanna answer I caught this last time and I thought maybe when you had amendments they catch it too but you know. I really don't know how to say it so I'll just say it the way I know Senator Ballinger was the one who came up with farm act I still believe in professional curtesy have you mentioned at all to him any of this or if you talked over with him some of these changes Senator Ballinger Bob Ballinger Senator Ballinger it was his legislation I believe that was mine okay yeah I was the prime sponsor in the house I think he was the prime sponsor in the Senate okay I think he's aware of it I have a I'm not aware that he has any any concerns I'm on a text message group with people that we've talked about on the text message group so I would say yes he's aware okay and I would say this is very consistent with what we did outside it's very consistent with what we did inside Hey well when I I saw that you were changing the name I wondered if if it should be changed throughout the bill like they have in some places you've changed it to freethought higher education and in some places they still referred to as far as I know that's technical but I just trying to bring it to your attention I I didn't know if that need to be amended or need to be changed just to make make you aware of that and I'll check with the there's references to both that anyway okay the last question I had was on the last page and I didn't catch this last time but I I just wanted to ask the purpose for it is the one about not requiring students or teachers to take an oath of them oath required by the law academic or professional creating body can you tell us what the purpose was there is there a problem that I'm not aware of as far as I think it might be in I'm not aware of a problem I think it might be in anticipation yeah I think school's or private colleges take oaths and I'm proud make promises and public institutions we don't do that it would be like religious schools demeanor yes all. They take that's my assumption that they may have oath but we just and we're just are making it clear that institutions can't. I will look institutions can't force people to take an oath okay so you're only applying to question of the I understand that I'm I'm get it yet I hate to do this to you and that was my fault that I think this fail to get on today's agenda because I told you that we would so that's my fault but his point does need that needs to be changed on page three by an amendment line one. That have that needs to be changed so what I'm gonna ask for you to do is just go ahead and let's get that changed and and page to manage and page two yeah both at the time spent Page page three Page three line one. Page two line two and page two line two. Page two line to. And Page three line. One. Needs to be just you need to strike that and change that. And is that it. I think that that so why we do that and put you back on the agenda for Monday for me when I go ahead and try to get the amendment and getting gross tomorrow I'm members and then it'll be engrossed and I'll be ready for Monday okay okay let's examine chair thank you I'm going to thanks okay members of the committee thank you for indulgence I appreciate that and Mandate we do have a special order of business at eleven o'clock here is that correct So. I'm sorry. Monday yes we have a meeting at eleven o'clock education meeting is going to be at eleven o'clock on Monday for a special order of business at because we have people are coming in from the University of Arkansas to testify they have to get back for practice so we're going to do that and then if there's and they're bills that need to come before us I know that we're gonna be on a quick time frame and so I'm going to ask the members of the committee not sure how long that bill is going to take I inspect it might take a while so I think it's we're just gonna keep it to that one bill I am fine with having a meeting in the afternoon upon adjournment just so that we can because I know that people have bills so that's probably what I'm gonna do is I'm to schedule a meeting at eleven o'clock for that one bill and then a meeting Monday afternoon four other bills upon adjournment of session so if you have legislation that you need to get on Monday's agenda I need to know you know today tomorrow or Friday Senator Eads you have a question yes managers wonder if you had conversations with the House cherry at about when we might meet jointly for these yes to add hopefully next week we need to check to make sure that bills already gone through in this it finds too you know. The one the lottery bill I don't know for sure if okay that to the house so we'll check on that and I will get a joint meeting called for the house in the Senate on any lottery scholarship bill that would affect the lottery revenues to go through that process that we put in place under Senator Hickey is legislation so we will be meeting jointly probably maybe next week or the following week. Yes senator at center Chesterfield and did you have a question. Okay Senator Beckham did you have a question six forty nine from Monday okay six forty nine Senate bill six forty nine for Monday we have Senate bill five oh one for Monday we have and this is. Monday afternoon center Chesterfield I've got the list let me. Okay well I've got the list is it going to be. Is it a house bill. I don't know. Yeah. Did you just and messages been filed six fifty six. Well. Senator English did you have one for seventy two. Senate bill thirty three. Senate bill thirty three. Okay we have we also have Senate bill. Six twenty nine and Senate bill six thirty will be Monday afternoon. Anything else anyone else. Not on here did you just file it yeah okay she spotted today okay. M.. Senator English is at six thirty eight president thirty three. You have. To create Arkansas military child school transitions Act. Okay and then what about Senate bill thirty three. And the Arkansas code concerning interstate compact on educational opportunity for military. Castelnau okay so. Senator Elliot I saw for the the lottery bills that Senator Eads was just asking about yes our are we to go ahead and run those are we to wait until what we wait for runaway hunger okay the joint and the second issue that you know that I don't know how to work we have. On the calendar every Monday at eleven o'clock the legislative black caucus meets. And so that'd have to just be in and out thing I guess because I guess that was okay I didn't I didn't realize that anything else within what interrupt that so okay is is that part of our standing rules that we can do that when something else is on the agenda do you know or the to pay attention to that. And I think what we were trying to do is schedule a meeting I mean we were just trying to accommodate the speak a a. Bill sponsor yeah well that's one of the eight of us and so that's why or just you know okay thank you for. House Bill sixteen eleven that they can also. House to sixteen eleven Monday. All right any other questions or business to come before the committee right CNN where adjourned thank you.