Joint Budget Committee

Members can go ahead take your seats we're gonna go hang it started. You're in the back make away the front. Yeah. All right members from kick things off with the here have. Yep. Your subcommittee report senator hill. I recognize you to present report. Thank you Mr chairman. Review subcommittee met on Tuesday March twenty third report of actions taken as provided. The they approved three various temporary appropriations request care procreation Rick increase in a reallocation of resources for DHS Senator Hickey wanted to hold a five. For more information on. All right thank you senator I move for adoption we've got a motion to adopt with the exception of a five. Any questions. Any discussion seeing none all in favor signify by saying aye those opposed most Kerry's. Next up member amendments we have that Senator Teague you're you here today. All right we'll pass over that I know Senator Rapert is not here US senator Elliots Senate bill four forty four. Yeah go and give a summary and will. Thank you Mr chairman we have moved to item C. three on the agenda it's on page seven Senate bill four four four by Senator Elliot for the department of commerce we have services this is an appropriation for the world services for the blind for adult education programs Babel out of the miscellaneous agencies fund account for two million dollars. All right thank you senator Elliots would you like to discuss Senate bill four forty four. Well yeah I'll explain Mrs here I'm sorry I was trying to figure finish another conversation but the world services for the blind is a they do work with folks to help them elevate their skills so they can have high wage jobs and so I just have this is merely an appropriation so that we could be in a position in case money becomes available and they work with folks all across the state and I just want them to have an opportunity to realize their full potential because they do per their name very warmly and very good work for folks who don't get a chance otherwise thank you Mr. I think Senator members do we have any questions on Senate bill four forty four. Any comments. Not seeing none we've got a motion to pass in the second all those in favor signify by saying aye I suppose motion carries. You're recognized. Mr chairman that takes us to item C. for this is an amendment. By Senator Hickey it adds to appropriations for federal funds for the American rescue plan and it has special language which requires approval of the use of those appropriations as does a special special language. Mr chairman the Texas to page sixteen. Item C. five on page sixteen is the same as the previous amendment we just looked at however does have an extra section in special language that allows the General Assembly to authorize appropriations special language. Mr chairman we are now on page twenty three on page twenty three items C. six this is by representative Jett it's appropriation for the independent tax bills Commission this has been vetted by the personnel subcommittee thank you of. Representative Jett you're recognized the western resist bill is born out of a. Lester was sessions were senator Johnson's your dismaying I have worked on a tax bills commission basically take of when you have a hearing on appeals hearing with the DFAT of face hearing appeals division actually here's the appeal so what this bill does appropriation set up in place an independent agency within sight of the inspector general's office to hear taxpayer's appeal and tried to politician clearly out of it this bills one put nine positions inside the inspector general's office will cost two point five two point five seven million dollars in this will come out of state Central Services Fund. That Mister chairman off the I haven't answered questions are thank you. Members to any questions or comments on house bill fifteen sixty seven. All right seeing none we've got a motion do pass the second all those in favor signify by saying aye All opposed motion carries. Mr chairman it takes us to item C. seven on page twenty six this is amended by Senator Hammer Department of Health to create an appropriation for the full independent practicing credentialing Committee and it does have a special language as chairman good special language. And then we're gonna circle back up to the up here report a five we do have some folks here Senator Hickey. You go ahead and and and and ask your question again I'm I'm assuming we have somebody here was told we do we can yes if they're if they're here I'm just going to ask you a couple quick questions I want to make sure that we fully under that fully understand this before we. Passaggio. All right so this apartment transformation shared services Building Authority Division. Yeah could just go ahead recognize yourself in the end Senator Hickey you're recognized for your question. And my law director division of building authority for transformation insurance services. Roll roll wearing ten with the Arkansas development finance authority. Yes I just want to get some some further information on this I know you all had to presented the other day could you tell me exactly what this is because I understood it to the you you audit a refunding our refinance of a bond added money to it can you give us the specifics of that And then exactly what the seven hundred thirty six of thirty two is. As far as financing the bond issue yes we refunded two thousand eight two thousand fifteen bond issue that was to support the office of the courts without refunding we restructured it took out the old Bonds issued new bonds to provide for new construction I think the total was for little over fourteen million. so there were savings generated by the refunding. Defeasance of the previous sponsor use that savings use revenue by going forward to the next new construction okay so what what was the name is going to use simple terms what was a pale pale for the of the old one. Approximate round numbers is good to have million two and a half million and then whenever you got done the total was fourteen million yes Sir. Right so you see added to live in and a half million. Basically actually there was some built up from reserves over the years that have been accumulated it was classed in the issue I think that total was about one point five million okay all right so basically you added ten million for the new construction is what you're telling me. Okay so was the seven hundred thirty six thousand was that. Closing cost on the bonder it was that phone calls what was it Senator Hickey what that was is we had appropriation that we use to make the debt service payments from our and for those funds every year our annual appropriation was not sufficient after they did the pawn transaction because it use that procreation for the transaction when they drew funds from the escrow account so we just needed that seven hundred and thirty six thousand dollars to get a separate and after appropriation to make our final debt service payment in June of this fiscal year so it's just replenishing the appropriation. That's strictly appropriation. But you are going to use the funds so through this transaction. Sit through this transaction although you will it it saves you interest rate. You you did you did your spending an additional seven hundred thirty six thousand. For that did your payments go up on the issue. Yes Sir they stay the same and and again it's just appropriation we I keep appropriation about nine hundred and ninety thousand dollars and not signed to make our debt service payments every year well with the bond transaction when they during the funds from the escrow account which well exceeded that I think is road that it was more like one point six million one point five one point six we had to use that appropriation for that bond transaction not leaving us with an uptrend appropriation for the rest the fiscal year to make our debt service payment in June. This next fiscal year you'll go back to what you had previous fees yes Sir okay thank you ma'am thank you Mr. All right thank you. A. Members I think I heard are you ready to review that item Senator Hickey. All right all right we've got a motion to review item eighty five. A five gonna second all those in favor signify by saying aye those opposed motion carries. All right we're gonna circle back one more time to Senator Teague. If you go ahead and send them. Your thank. Senator Teague you're recognized to present your amendment members I'm not exactly. I'm not exactly sure what this bill does our amendment does but I'm sure it's a good Amendment actually it's an effort to get some Money for a tire remediation lot of places in in Arkansas have tires excess tires and we need to use about that there's a substantial bill that would be a made in tax tomorrow I guess that would just create of of a vehicle for gifts or or donations or whatever to fund this. Okay thank you members of any questions on Senator Teague amendment to house bill twelve seven. Seeing none I'm Lou do pass we got a motion to pass me of the second or motion to adopt the second all those in favor signify by saying aye those opposed motion carries thank you members all right members gonna go back to see to think Senator Rapert you're if you can get your Mike your recognized present your amendment to house bill twelve oh eight. That's on page four in Section see. Senator Rapert you're recognized thank you Mr members this is a simply an appropriation this has to do with the grant fund that was passed in the Senate I think still my house thank you may be an amendment on the bill in the house just to allow the committee to be there with the Secretary cook for the purposes that grant program but this is to help a law enforcement with nonlethal weaponry and equipment that they need and so we happy answer any questions but this simply an appropriation and by the way this can be funded not only with grants or government funds or or revenue that we allocate but actually private funds to switch kind of open ended here obviously forty million is the appropriation request but that doesn't mean that to be forty million but we just need something there so that we can be able to find. I thank you senator of members to win the questions on Senator Rapert amendment to house bill twelve oh eight. Hi in comments. Seeing none got a motion to pass in the second all those in favor signify by saying aye All those opposed motion carries. Got a motion to adopt. I guess it'll take is to. Yes Senate package. You're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman we now move to the Senate packet S. in the upper right hand corner on page two you'll see Senate bill fifty teacher retirement all those holes have been released. Thank you I members to any questions or comments on Senate bill fifty. Seeing none was the pleasure of the Committee we got a motion do pass the second all those in favor signify by saying aye those opposed motion carries the other bill in the Senate packages Senate bill one twenty one that's on page nine that is the department of labor licensing. Thank you I members to any questions or comments on Senate bill one twenty one. Seeing none we have a motion do pass the second all those in favor signify by saying aye All opposed motion carries. Mr chairman in the House packet. On page one in the House packet house bill ten seventy seven public employee retirement thank you members we have any questions or comments on house bill ten seventy seven. Seeing none we've got a motion to pass in the second all those in favor signify by saying aye those opposed Mr carries on page two house bill ten eighty Public Service Commission holds have been released. Thank you any questions or comments on house bill ten eighty. Seeing none we've got a motion to pass in the second all those in favor signify by saying aye those opposed motion carries Mr chairman the last one is on page six it's house bill eleven sixty seven career education. I thank you members with questions or comments on house bill eleven sixty seven. Seeing none will get a motion to pass in the second all those in favor signify by saying aye those opposed motion carries. All right members get the green she think it you task if you have a hold please try to work through those as quickly as you can when you get moved moving forward on some of these preparations also personnel's gonna meet eight o'clock tomorrow there is no joint budget committee meeting and then special language going to meet on Thursday at seven thirty so with that we'll see you at eight thirty on Thursday thank you members. Roger.