State Agencies & Govt'l Affairs-Senate

For. All right. Senator call will hear. As for what is your name Fortner. Senator sample would you like to come on for H. B. seventeen fifty two Sir. Good to see senator if you would state your name for the record and you're recognized thank you Mr chairman of senate bill sample district fourteen. You see thank you for I'm here to present house bill seventeen fifty two this bill unable Sir racing commission to require certain employees to apply to apply for a license and be subject to background check. This bill will allow operation commissions you're definitely alters to conduct federal background checks on employees the racing commission already has the authority to come to. Conduct background checks based on rules but statutory authority record is required for federal background checks the racing commission can only connect conduct Arkansans specific background checks right now which is not helpful for employees who apply for out of state and then of this bill road rations commission to conduct federal background checks on there's no revenue impact. K.. Members do you have any questions on this. No questions. Senator anything else you were saying the bill a dispersion good vote you have someone here I have someone here to speak for the S. I don't know if you want to if you're here. Okay well you're very perceptive. So center you close for the yes Sir I am thank you members and entertain a motion motion do pass Senator Tucker second from senator Bledsoe all those in favor say aye opposed no. Passes Senator thank you Mr chairman thank you Committee thank you. Members of the we already have been informed that Senator Clark is unavailable today Sir just gonna pass over those two and keep them ready for him upon his return Do you have anybody I can't. Senator Sturch is he hit areas sinister cheer for. As for fifteen fifty nine. We have before you come and present. All of anyone's able to would you mind maybe I know center call wells around somebody will text him and say if you want to come on down we get is bill. Appreciated Senator Sturch could you please recognize yourself for the record thank you Mister senator James Sturch District nineteen right you're welcome to proceed Sir with the chairs prevention Maska missile is dispensed from the office of inspector general to join it yes Sir would be great. Fifteen fifty nine. Hello I'm Elizabeth Smith I'm the secretary for the department of inspector general thank you for being here thank you thank Mister thank you colleagues bring this a House bill fifteen fifty nine on behalf of representative shall grant myself if you'll notice the first part of the bill is sent clean up language or repealing language if you recall about three years ago who I guess it was that we had an executive order that kind of revamped the office of internal audit and the internal audit used to be under the affidavit is now under the inspector general's office so that code section is some clean up language and then what you'll see is new language is just codifying what was in the executive order as far as their duties we've also found some best practices we would like to implement here in Arkansas from what other states are doing as well and with that I'll turn it over to miss Lewis B. Smith for any further testimony. Can you have anything you'd like to add I'm happy that I'm happy to answer questions all right members any questions for Senator Sturch secretary Smith. No see any questions. One thing Mr if you don't mind I'll add is a this bill No Way hampers our ability with legislative audit course legislative audit dispose of the internal audit the city for the executive branch but we still have the power of course to audit all state agencies cities counties and so forth so that's just one point I want to make sure that was made okay. Members you have any questions at all for a senator. Seeing none I have some someone else signed up to speak for it but I doubt that's necessary in the circumstances unless you just really want to. So senator Well I'm I'm closer presented the thank you have a motion to pass senator garner second from senator Bledsoe all those in favor say aye opposed no thank you Bills past. Members please speak up for me to the help me hear you today with we may hit a bill where it's important I can't hear that great stuff here so. The. Going back up center call will not here okay is anybody get sixteen twenty six for representative Brooks. Senator Garner. Senate bill sixty seven Sir. You're recognized thank you Mr chairman No state sometimes serendipity. Facilitates a conversation we discuss a bill now Senator think about. Senator Tucker day talking about the nineteen fifties and sixties and. The civil rights crisis we had here in Arkansas. Think about that time period whenever government. Through institutional another kind of means. Put in racism from the top to the bottom of the floor from the state capitol to all systems government. And you look at our history since then Arkansas's deathly not been perfect effort guard but the strides in. I think valuable insight we've learned the last seven years has got to a place in Arkansas state government where. We learn to treat people equally to think of people as individuals not as with their skin color or orientation or anything else is. Unfortunately there's a moving across the United States to infiltrate and the change that and state governments and others. What this bill does is it prohibits the state of Arkansas as defined within this bill does not include schools not include higher education not include other political subdivisions to not include constitutional offices but any department of labor Department of Health Department of our military. They cannot teach Davis of. Races incinerate things to their employees they should not be a training program. They should not be done at a level that teaches this institutionalizing that and we can or race to history. Of Arkansas and make sure you're moving out for we're done in a fair taxable wages does not stop from teaching diversity not stopping teaching spare season race and things like that there is a vacancy there specific sections defining what can and can't be tall and the ideas that one race is better than the other that there is an inherent wrongness in a certain race. Whether that's coming from anti semite really coming from the critical race theory that needs to be snuffed out in state government and that's what this bill does without take any questions. Members do you have any questions for senator garner. Senator Tucker. On page. To say yes to. One eighty nine subsection either yes Sir. Obviously. the notion that station not engage in any races conduct this one and what we're all behind. You know one aspect of public discourse I saw it in a bill before yesterday. read the better Ginsburg said that there. our differences sometimes between men and women and those differences should be celebrated not used as a basis of discrimination right you understand the point I'm making and so I'm curious about that one subsection members of one race or sex cannot and should not attempt to treat others without respect to race or sex and so. Obviously racism is a form of discrimination is something or or sexism or the case may be something that we're all opposed to. I'm also curious about. You know celebrating diversity celebrating some of the differences between us and and the different perspectives in and cultures that different kinds of people bring to the table and and so I'm wondering if if that section you know maybe other parts of the bill but that one in particular maybe a racist some of the the good things we can celebrate about. I'll diverse perspectives I don't think it does I think that. What that section is doing is trying to say that. If you're attempting to institutionalize through training. That the differences are somehow bad or prohibitive then that creates issue I don't think there's any way or any fish you can. Knowledge and understand that different races sexes personalities are different and to celebrate that for example nobody's going to stop. State government from celebrating black history month they very needed holiday for which take a month to celebrate African Americans in their achievement in Arkansas across United States I think this is more about if you go on to attend to a negative connotation with that come up to be an issue. I guess the one follow up Mr sure I would have is. Just taking that one step further not necessarily just celebrating differences between us but in some circumstances you know I think the example that we're probably almost familiar with this affirmative action where we recognize the need to take actions. To make things equitable based on the lack of equity in our history and which will you know recognized without casting blame necessarily but it's just the reality so there may be things that we need to do in order to to bring things to an equitable place like affirmative action for example and you know we do have provisions in Khan an in state law that a certain number contracts need to go to minority owned businesses women owned businesses that's that that's an example of what I'm talking about and whether this bill might. Gates some of that. Now to push back and I'll say that we as a state government shouldn't be doing what's equitable we should do what is he has a quality. Equitable assumes that the results have to be based on a certain merit rather than having equal access to those things and then in time state government puts up barriers to access I'm with you one percent we should be out there marching the streets to make sure people have access whenever you start guaranteeing results that is when you run into issues where you start to fundamentally change how we see the society and put one group in front of others not based on merit not Maidstone you Mr come stances of their of their raising whether it's a came from an impoverished neighborhood or they came from certain things but based solely on. Physical. Our genetic differences I fundamentally disagree with that we as a state government should be engaging in those activities. Okay let's take that out of it and just talk about you know the provision in state law that a certain number contracts the to go to women and minority owned businesses with with this bill negate that anyway hi my understanding that it would not if you can show a subsection where that would be tied to the actual contracts I think could be a issue but I don't not think they would do that all right thank you thank you Mr. All right members any other questions. For senator garner on this bill at all. anyone signed up on this bill I don't see anyone that signed up to speak for against the bill senator do you have anything further I'm close on a motion to pass all right I have a motion do pass I have a second I have a second for Senator English is there any discussion on the motion. Seeing none all those in favor of the bill please say aye. All opposed. The Bill pass is thank you senator. Yes. All right members let's go back up and catch Senator call will for H. B. seventeen thirty he was number one list. And Coal chairman I have someone from secretary of state's office you're with me all right. If you would just for the record please state your name and and same for you sure sure thank you Ronald Caldwell the Senate district twenty three. Current skews me curtain almond from the secretary of state's office what your capacity within Legislative Affairs okay. You're recognized Sir thank you Sir of the house bill seventeen thirty of primary purpose is to make for minor changes to the capital or can grounds commission one it allows a more than three names of licensed architects in licensed landscape architect to be submitted to the secretary for a point consideration should also make technical wording changes section two it's a state of the current code specifies that commission members name by secular stations for a four year term in the points in on June thirtieth and that's inconsistent with what we normally do and we want to correct that The revised language to specify that all appointees would serve at the pleasure Secretary of this would remove the reference to the contradictory dates it removes questions about potential reappointment provides for termination procedure which was a part of the distinct odor allows the new secretary of state to appoint new members on assuming office improvise consistency with appointments the provisions of the Senate pro tem Speaker of the house and for the board or commission section three a current code does not specifically address the power the cap arguments commission to promulgate rules despite the fact that rules do exist added language would prevent rulemaking which would allow the commission to replace its antiquated rules to reflect current law current practice in in section four current code provides that the commission may require applicants for capital improvements on state campground provide information that demonstrates consistency of the project with zoning rules of the capital zoning district commission and the capital zoning district rules pertain to private property is not state owned land that would fall under the jurisdiction of the capitol arts and grounds Commission this change was vetted and approved by the capital's own district commission executive director or. J.. Numbers you have any questions on this bill. Senator Tucker. Thank you Mr the only question is in section two of which is just about the term of in your seven four years they serve four year terms now. and just if and this will change whether serving only the closure the secretary and. Just seems. And maybe it never happens but it seems like it could create a dynamic where you might take one vote that the secretary deadline could just be removed from the commission and I'm just curious about the well the the original reason for the change was one part of the code says that the secretarial appointments are for four years another part of the code says that the secretary's appointments expire on June thirtieth which is inconsistent unless you're appointed on June the thirtieth so what we did was for the members that are on there now we we told them that we're going to make this change and what it would do is it would be consistent with the appointee's of the Senate pro tem and the and the Speaker of the house on this same commission so that all appointees who were made and not designees what all have the same requirements that they serve at the pleasure of who appoints them. Members are appointed by each one of those people the protests Secretary of State the to serve at their pleasure basically when a new Speaker each. Each one has one appointment okay and we have it in essence for appointments to at large one for landscape architect and one for a general architect so everybody who was appointed by a political person would have the same terms of appointment to be at the pleasure. Right. Members any other questions. Seeing none was pleasure of the Committee. I have a motion to pastor Senator English as a second from senator Bledsoe any discussion on the motion all those in favor say aye. All opposed no the Bill pass thank you senator thank you Committee. All right members as anyone appeared for H. B. sixteen twenty six. Seeing them will just keeps giving that over Senator Hester you've got HB eighteen oh six correct for. Thank you Mr chairman of this bill is brought to you from a representative Cavenaugh and I were both the chairman of special language and and as we talk about each session trying to do away with more more special language currently many of our agencies have special language giving them five thousand dollar procreation for promotional items so what we've done as opposed to giving special language in all these different agencies we're giving it all to the Department finance administration saying each agency can go to them and ask. You know we're we're codifying that the DNA can give up to five thousand dollars to each agency for promotional items if they want more than five it's going to come to Legislative Council but this is just cleaning up. We've been doing this forever we just didn't the special language. All right. Members any questions at all for Senator Hester on this bill. Hearing none I don't think we have anybody signed up on this bill Is Your any further input you have Senator Hester you close for the bill I'm close a motion to pass right and the motion to pastor Senator Hester second from Senator English is there any discussion all those favor say aye. All opposed no bill passed thank you Senator Hester. Senator Johnson I've got you they've got you scattered on the on the just second I'm just going to say they've got you scattered I'm going to make it easy just do you just back to back that's all right. as. Six one. Okay. All right Is is there some folks signed up to speak on those particular bills. The five five five six he's not going to be doing that one. Okay and so what about the other two. Is there any controversy only other to you know. With their okay. Do you mind since you're back to back correct I think we will clear these pretty quick on these others. I wanted to Senator Davis I think you've got a bill And I'm not aware of anybody sent only at this you've got something else send against it they're all for it I believe and so won't you go ahead with Senate bill five thirty five. And and then we'll. Get to Senator Johnson. It's probably just for the record would you state your name please yes Breanne Davis state senator district sixteen you're recognized thank you and. This bill is and really a bill that ensures that we for tech data that would identify a person is a member or supporter of volunteer or a financial donor order and non financial supporter at any five oh one sees and it provides transparency by ensuring that any requirements on non profits must first go and and be deliberated through the legislature there law there's no back door way and where maybe an Attorney General or someone can start mandating requirements that and are not mandated in law so if you look at this bill on the first page it and its says except where specifically required or authorized by federal law that no state agency can impose annual filing or reporting requirements to a nonprofit that and are above and beyond more stringent than state statute it has exceptions in there of course state grants and contracts fraud investigations things like that that are already in place that we want to protect and so that there can be investigations when needed when there's and you know suspected fraud. And and it just goes through and and give some definitions of what personal information means what a person is in a public agency and so if you and. Are in violation of this it is and a Class C. misdemeanor there's a lot of pages in this bill a lot of new language and and I'm happy to set take it question by question instead of going line by line through here and there are people here that speak on the bill and I can also answer questions okay. There is you have any questions or would like to maybe go ahead and get some comments from those in her support. Senator would you like to have some of those have come we do have a couple of people is signed up in support of the bill be happy to entertain those yeah I would love for miss men stand up and speak to it just to help give you guys more practical understanding to make sure that we feel comfortable before we that this out of committee and be great. Road ma'am if you could come and join us. I hope that next session that we vote to have better lining in the Supreme Court. It has been very difficult. I have I have a may we need to make that a last hurrah for some of us on this. Road ma'am would you please go ahead for the records state your name and who you represent yes I am Rosa man's executive director of Arkansas right to life thank you Mr chairman and committee members you all know the important work the Arkansas right to life does and how contentious our policy positions can seem in today's political climate. The work we do requires the support of thousands of our Kansans who give their of their resources and lend their voices to the voiceless. But we are in parliament where opponents will attempt to win by any means necessary you're probably feeling it or know someone who is experiencing it. Or being harassed intimidated and canceled for exercising their first amendment rights businesses are being targeted because of calls is that their owners or employee support. Activists are aggressively seeking to shut down debate and eliminate voices they disagree with from public policy discussions and using the government to do this. Many Americans are self censoring keeping their opinions to themselves because they are afraid of retribution. Privately supporting causes in the organizations advancing those causes is a fundamental freedom that is protected by the first amendment but opponents understand that free speech only becomes useful when independent voices come together in an organized way to have their opinions heard. No one deserves to have their private information exposed and to be threatened because of their opinions in this charged in highly partisan political atmosphere is more important than ever that we protect anonymity. Otherwise we will lose the market place of ideas because every day people will be too afraid to speak donate volunteer or engage those calls as they believe in. I am asking your support of this B. five thirty five this bill prevents government from publicizing private information about the volunteers and supporters of a non profit organizations if the government is in possession of such a list it cannot be released to the public. Government is not a benign entity it is made of people and those people have opinions sometimes these people try to help their personal causes by misusing the information that they are responsible to guard on behalf of the public that they are supposed to serve. SP five thirty five will be an enforcement mechanism to ensure the guardianship of private information is a top priority in our state. Arkansas right to life believes that all voices should be heard and no voice should be intimidated into silence so again I ask you for your vote in support of the SP five thirty five thank you okay. Centers any questions at all. Senator Davis thank you mismanaged for your testimony. Anything further and and close right bill motion do pass okay I have a motion do pass from Senator Davis second from senator Bledsoe I do have discussion that I wanna add to this in allows me to make a disclosure it also allows me to address and be a support of the bill I was not aware of all the parameters of this bill until we got up here and I've had a little bit of conversation about it and I knew I'd be supportive but I think it does bear disclosure for myself that as a result of my nonprofit work I'm being sued well excuse me I am being sued in federal court with American atheists but I'm also been drug into court and the ten commandments lawsuit. And the reason I've been drug into court is that the American history heritage foundation raise money. From what from people all over the state and around the country that wanted to donate to the ten commandments monument here on the State Capitol grounds. They gave freely to that no compulsion to do that these are people that from some of your communities and some people here maybe even in this room. And just as this bill addresses one of the issues the American history heritage foundation literally made a gift to the state of Arkansas. Once they made that gift. We made the gift that's it but the American atheist American humanist the freedom from religion foundation the ACLU in the stand at temple want to force the American history heritage foundation to reveal every single name of every single donor that gave to the ten commandments monument out of disclosure some of those freely gave their names they were very proud to say that they donated the monument but some people did not and sometimes they specifically marked anonymous when they wanted to donate on that And so we're experiencing what road ma'am said S. the potential because guess what the American atheists send out regular emails that are fundraising emails pointing out things such as this I'm paraphrasing there are many horrible Christian lawmakers in America but they're not any works this state senator Jason Rapert in Arkansas and they do this repeatedly and I guarantee you that if they have the ability to have all of those names guess what they would do they would publish those names and their list to bring reproach and tried to bring intimidation on those people as well and so I wanted to make sure to number one the disclosure for the fact that I do have a have litigation that we've been drug into about this and secondarily another real life example of what potential is there and so I appreciate you for address an issue with that I have a motion started been made properly seconded all those in favor the bill say aye. pose no bill passes think Senator Davis. All right members that gets us down to senator Johnson. Senator Johnson I have you five five seven and four nine eight. Senator if you would just for the record state your name and which one you want first Mr it's up to you we'll go with either one well I've got four ninety eight lay on top of you start numerical at a B. thank you Mr chairman I Mark Johnson centre District fifteen. Of. These are my two favorite bills of all these election bills working now because they're short and they're simple of let me put this. Simple bill to. Even explain it even more simply. as you can see it changes the way the of complaints are sent regarding your regulation regularities from the pro quote appropriate county Clerk and appropriate prosecuting attorney changes that to state board of election commissioners for evaluation they already do this in many situation file a complaint with them and they investigated a and I think they're very thorough in their investigation but they are the appropriate ones and since the county Clerk and prosecuting attorney are actually elected officials they have potential conflicts of interest in doing so so this is of a clarification bill that states that those complaints about election law violation or irregularities that went to the to the could the County Board will then be sent to by the County Board to the state elections board of election commissioners for valuation I'll be glad to answer any questions I think that the Mr Schultz the director of the state board he's here I think he is he's not well anyway I'll try to answer basic questions hopefully it's pretty self explanatory again I love one page bills members do we have any questions for senator Johnson Senator Tucker. Thank you Mister senator Johnson this is just a similar concern that I raised on other bills which is that were. Removing elected officials who are accountable to the people on these kinds of complaints and sent to the state board of election commissioners who are not elected and therefore not accountable directly to the people and you know we're with the county Clerk and the local prosecuting attorney for the referral of these types of complaints and so I just wanted to raise that and hear what your thoughts on on our on it from that perspective. Wilson who wishes come let's say it this way and I've heard your arguments on that before I think the same applies in this case these are people that are appointed by elected officials they are not to themselves elected official so we we have that same situation and not number places I I think that. Because they are the these that you mention are actually elected officials there they can have a dog in the fight and these the state board is is diverse has diverse appointees and by a represent these different points of view and are are with the assistance of their staff to investigate complaints and and take a look and see what the proper procedure is where again the the Clerk and the prosecutor and I certainly don't don't want to discourage any Clerk or any prosecutor but they'd thank you could possibly be Possibly be affected by the fact that there's a. They stand for election and could cause we never have any politician tried to anything that would affect election surely not you know but I'm granted by small. But I I again for your talking to RuPaul Titian's. I will stipulate to that thank you senator I hope I answered your questions basic. Members any other questions on this bill. Seeing none we have anybody on this we don't have anybody signed up to speak for against centers or anything else no Sir I'm cost all right. Motion to pastor Senator Ballinger second from Senator Bledsoe any discussion all those in favor say aye opposed no. And bill passes thank you Senator Johnson okay Europe for five five seven now yes Sir Senate bill five fifty seven is almost as simple as for ninety eight If it has to do with supervision of election officials now there are a lot of people that literally don't understand that the responsible party for elections in our state park County Board of election commissioners they are responsible under the law so anything happens happens either with their control or acquiescence sometimes their direction this simply clarifies things the supervision of Election Commission officials might be delegated by an affirmative vote of a quorum of all members of the board County Board of election commissioners now and this section to add this is some I want to give credit to former representative Doug House in colonel house came up with the term we all know that that that in almost all counties almost every instance the county Clerk in Election Commission work hand in glove and we need to codify that relationship because under the law under current law it's clearly the commission's responsibility to put on the election but they turn to the permanent staff many of whom are the Clerk and their employees to carry out some of those duties so now where do you draw the line okay you say this group over here is responsible and ultimately they have to certify the election. So how do you do deal with this relationship and I really thank colonel House reach back and found a military term that I love the came up with the term details then the military people are detailed to do certain tasks is not their usual a job to do and it says as you say of on Page two starting line three county employees detailed as election official account important detail as election official shall comply with the directives of the County Board of election commissioners in matters related to an election that doesn't change their other position there other jobs they do but but they they comply with what the Election Commission says is this is how we run the election and then in be it says County Board of election commissioners may assigned to other election officials the supervision of election officials by an affirmative vote of a quorum of all members of the County Board of election commissioners and a County Board of election commissioners may not change a duty delegated to a county employee if that duty is expressly governed by state or federal law so this detailing doesn't supersede anything else in the law it's just a way for us to clarify and codify what is generally the practice and the vast majority of our counties and state where are our clerks in our our our volunteer election officials and a County Board of election commissioners works. Together I won't say seamlessly there's always problems of the EBCDIC schedule of an election but worked very well and everyone's kind of pulling in the same direction to have free and fair elections so I appreciate that the fact that this clarifies that and I'll try my best to answer your questions if you have any. Members any questions. Senator Tucker. Thank you Mr center my questions about section one I'm just curious who they can delegate. Hi that's supervision to is there any. Discussion of that recognized just delegated to anybody some private entity to supervise election officials you know in the current law center that is Is. Not define that's why we're doing this we're we're it they they actually say they they are responsible for example and again I don't necessarily see this happening but the radically let's say that the directly county judge gives a orders to the the election coordinator who is supposed to under state law current state law works for this County Board of election commissioners and the county board's not to. Comfortable with that relationship they could come go hire a third party person that person could be a a short term volunteer a short term contractor could be someone say a even up from on a neighboring jurisdictions that would volunteer to step forward but that's their call and the reason it's their call is again under the law they are the responsible party when the election is over they're the ones is required to certify the results so so we've given them the responsibility under current law we're just clarifying that they have the authority to carry it out and this is just one more way that they can do that and again it does requires not a **** nilly thing it requires affirmative vote of a quorum which would means at least two we have to be present for the he done it could just be done even though the chairman is the chairman the chairman couldn't do it unilaterally. Anything further thank you all right. any other questions. Seeing none do we have anybody on this no one signed up to speak for against center you close I'm close thank you Mr all right members which a pleasure. I have a motion to pastor Senator English as a second presenter Ballinger any discussion all those for of the bill say aye All opposed no. The Bill pass thank you Mr chairman thank you committee and will. Current. The membership I think we need to go back to the house bill sixteen twenty six Mister Brooks you hear. Give us a minute to give back to that builders representative Brooks. At sixteen twenty six members it was. Pretty pretty high up to the top representative Brooks for the record would you please identify yourself yes Sir my name is Keith Brooks state representative district thirty one at a please committee Mister chairman bring John Wilkerson up to sit with me yes it be good. Thank you Mr John Walker central council the Municipal League thank you Sir you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman H. B. sixteen twenty six is really nothing more than just a simple technical correction creating a level of inefficiency within disclosure so currently as we know any public employee salaries are part of public record and that is something they can be access with the request currently the custodian of those records must inform the point that that is being released the simply just remove the step since our depart of public record they do not have to inform employed before releasing those the public information. Without anybody take any questions you. Members any questions on this bill. Get a Crick in my neck looking Senator Tucker. it just it eleven interest occurs against thank you actually anybody could make that request so it's You know I'm sitting up here knowing what some of us deal with I just wonder is there any notification that you would give them you just not that you would pre notify them but is there any notification I doubt that there isn't with this language if I may so when the issue that came up was actually the rock was the one that right right in a five as for other cities of that with this as well the agent says to have access to the has said two things one summer information as a public record and two eight can be part of the employees personnel files with employees personnel file as requested we have to notify the employee the employee has three days to notify the AG of their you know objection because it's overly private information BGS said that it some information is not really private so they're not going to restrict the release of that information if the salary information we've learned is in a budgetary document that the council passes or whatever then that is automatically released what's only when the information is only a personnel file what this does is just clean up that idea that if the public can if there there's no power FOR request for a salary information whether it's in a personnel file or the budget is immediately replaceable and we we took it to the FBI task force they approve this is really just to speed up along because you know Little Rock has hundreds of employees when they get whole FY request for some information they don't keep in their budget necessarily the end of having to go through this routine every time so they just trying to keep in line with the intent of the F. a lot. Members I don't have anyone signed up for against on this bill as any questions for representative Brooks center Bledsoe. Thank you Mr chair this is just for my own information. So unless unless there's for your mind a little closer Senator. Thank you unless you have before you request then you do not publish the salary information is that correct. You don't have to you don't have decision of the city council it's pretty common sense they usually put it a lot of a lot of cities putting their budget comes fairly common but it's not necessarily required but is available through an app on my request. Well I was just thinking of you know UAMS in all the salaries that are listed here of their employees and I didn't know now. You know how that work with you as it does with them it can be published a lot of cities do that and even the budgetary documents or some I think I think some have a website don't swear to that but I think some of them do we have that option thank you so much. Members any other questions for representative Brooks. Seeing none I don't have anybody signed up to speak for against the bill or you close for your bill Sir yes Sir all right I have a motion to pass from Senator English as a second from senator Bledsoe any discussion on the motion saying none all those in favor say aye opposed no the Bill pass thank you Mr chairman committee thank you very much. The. Is there anyone here representing representive Slape or Tosh on eleven twenty and sixteen ninety one. Okay. Senator Ballinger if you would. You're recognized for. Both of those follow. Mr grace come to the table yes and just for the record would you mind stating your name please Senator Ballinger from sin District five. Secretary graves you did see you again if you will do the same. Good afternoon miss Mister members of the committee Sullivan great state secretary of corrections. All right you're recognized her eligibility with second first eleven twenty is the first one we have okay. So it in both of these on I was there agency bills deals directly with the responsibility of the of the secretary himself but I let him go into the details because I'm definitely not prepared to do so. Thank you senator first bill for use house bill eleven twenty this address is a program that was transferred to the department of corrections from the department of finance and administration which is our criminal detention facility review office commonly referred to as jail standards if you've had conversations with you sheriffs about their jail they talk about jail standards that's what this office does what eleven twenty does beginning on page one is addresses what for me is a primary concern with this office and that is limited staffing we have about a hundred and seventeen detention facilities that as a department where required for providing support for a review committees to ensure minimum standards of operation. We only have two individuals by statute who provides support to our detention review committees what this bill would allow me to do is one ensure continuity of operations within that office as opposed to what we have now which is a change and Review coordinators with each administration it would also allow me to And to be completely transparent do would I've already done which is temporarily assigned staff to support this two person shop that is responsible for providing administrative support to our standards process four hundred and seventeen detention facilities. The bottom of a page one also ensures that we have sufficient administrative oversight prior to the review office of meeting changes to our standards for promulgation those have to be are reviewed and approved by myself an example of that last session senator Bledsoe Indian representative Petty I ran a bill that restricts the situations in which a pregnant detainees can be shackled and also ensures that detention facilities along with correctional facilities provide a necessary amount of feminine hygiene products when we a man when we catch up our standards to reflect that statute among others before our review office can send that on to the Legislative Council for your rules committee to bless then I'll have to I'll have to sign off on it before the process can commence. Also one of the things we've seen throughout the state is we have in Somers will be call review districts with the review committees do inspections and other review districts the coordinated does the inspection and provides a report to the review committee for them to sign off on. This statute would allow consistency of the process the coordinator statutorily is responsible for doing inspections and that's already what we're having now but we make clear in here that if a review committee member still wants to visit a detention facility and in one of your districts they can still do that. And the last substantive thing that this bill does is and the situation where we have an emergency where it is not feasible for inspections to be conducted in person this allows the coordinated to come to me subsequent to the establishment of that emergency and say Hey we need to identify an alternative method of inspection for the duration of this emergency. Members you have any questions for Secretary graves for Senator Ballinger. Seeing none no one signed up to speak for against the bill Senator Ballinger have anything further no I'm close I move do pass right into motion do pass was second from Senator English all those in favor say aye opposed no bill passes thank you Committee and I think this will be the last bill today house bill sixteen ninety one. Okay house bill sixty ninety one also I'll yield to the the secretary to explain that this bill The what is commonly referred to as the sex offender sesame Committee abbreviated SO whack the administrative functions of that committee are performed by staff attorneys assigned to my legal division legal division the legal division reports to the secretary's office this just clarifies that current reporting structure. Does not change anything in terms of the establishment of sex offender assessment levels. All right members any questions on this bill. Seeing none anything further. I'm close I do make a motion to pass motion to pastor Senator Ballinger second from senator Bledsoe all those in favor say aye opposed no. All right the bill passes thank you Sir thank you committee Committee just a friendly reminder we're now at the point where we really need to. Have some discussions About what we want to do related to any amendments I have had no one else contact me about coming to run any other constitutional amendments and so I would like to. Consider the first of next week having a decision so that we can vote one way or another on any that we not want to see and so. I will let you know if I'm getting more feedback but I will tell you that I would actually like us to consider if if for agenda is such that we can considering any of the amendments that we may wanna put forward for a vote and possibly do that on Tuesday. I would just in it I guess in the form of a of a question whether we want to do that is committee or not we could do it but that a that there actually be a nomination process months members of committees as to what which amendments which resolutions we here we've had a chance to have people come and present and then just basically decide which ones that that we want to hear in going forward. Well What I would suggest centers that members have some discussions friendly discussions about what you're interested in what you're not and simply at that but I think that simply we probably will be in a position that folks will generally know what amendments we would like to hear and I think that would be per SB appropriate frankly that the day that we put one forward for a vote that we actually allow the opportunity for you that presenter to at least present once again and that way there some because we had abbreviated as you know there were no votes taken and that way everybody gets an idea that they've had a chance to speak on that and so I will tell you that I've. Survey different ways that has been done in the past and you know if you start ranking in doing forms you're going to be subject to for you for your forms and so I think that we probably just need to consider hamlet like we do a normal process and that way we don't start creating all these things that. For some odd reason somebody tries to use whatever whatever you wrote down and so I would just say let's begin to considered amongst ourselves like we do other things and then start thinking about what we want to do and that's that's my preferences chair that way we don't create this elaborate process that Sturch ended up generating a lot of things that are necessary but I'll be happy to talk with anybody about that see what your preference is as we move forward on so members of that were German procedure work thank you.