Transportation, Technology & Legislative Affairs - Senate

Recreational vehicle sales and Eliminates those so that's number one number two it sets up the automotive technologist education grants fund within in allows that will grant program I move technologist education grant program we change the name and amendments are either in the wrong Page so The Amendment. If you look at the amendment the Page at the end of page one and page two is really the heart of what we're doing here with the grant. Program and it sets up the ability for the commission the use their fund balances but also their excess revenue that comes in and any donations that are made to this fun program for technology grants or at automotive track technology grants in conjunction with the Office of career and that will help them set up application parameters for the program and then also reporting requirements to A. L. C. to make sure that all these funds are going out appropriately so there's some oversight and and I think more than happy to try to answer any questions Senator Pitsch just wanna make sure that the industry in general I think I know the answer is not to come up in arms because a licensure that most of us don't even know existed is now going to be dealt with through grants you are running into any opposition the known right well as far as. I was questioning known opposition and I don't think there is any but I kind of want to get it on the matter of record at. The body mostly on board at this point with with what we're doing as far as the the only thing I've heard from folks that are in the automotive industry particular dealers is there not necessarily excited about doing away with the sales person license fee completely and I think that has more to do with the revenue that's going into the. automotive the Arkansas motor vehicle commission's pot of money and that's primarily from those dealers that that are on that commission okay. So what other funds come into that. so those fees I believe we have representatives from the motor vehicle commission here that could probably tell you the full extent of what fees go in there but there are other fees to go in for manufacturer and distributor representative license car dealer license fees I would probably be getting two off the the to to tell you what all the more because I don't know for sure I know that in twenty nineteen had total revenue of about six hundred thousand dollars a year with a fund balance of about two point three million and they're expenditures or about five and a quarter five hundred and. Twenty nine thousand dollars that year so they have excess revenue coming in above what there are are spending their expenditures each year and that that the That expenditure included a couple hundred thousand dollars they are providing for these types of grants already so the reduction in the sales person licensing fees estimated to be reduced around seventy seven thousand dollars what their their annual revenue which is is the. Pretty close to the the access that they have already in that revenues your questions. Senator English I really question just I really support this I think it's a what we've had out here is the my mobile commission doing a really good job of supporting automotive of programs in high schools in two year colleges but it has not really been coordinated with us some of the other things that were already doing in career and technical education at second and at two year colleges said some of the state other state programs so this will be an opportunity for all of those folks to be together and coordinate their efforts so we get really good things happening in of course my goal would be is that the folks at the dealerships become mentors to some of those students to help them to make sure that they're getting the skills that they really need I like this thank you senator bush senator hill. Representative authorizing the kind of labor it would but richly touched while ago some things I know car dealership in my area that owns for place and the the Dodge placed on after place as a major concern about the issue originally in the intimate talking about. In from what I gathered activity with him yes he was already doing this and he felt like he was taking money away from him giving to the high school to train his employees to come to him. So is he satisfied with that I have sent him the this amendment and thanks the the only you have. Really. I'm. Feedback that I got was it still didn't necessarily like that eliminating the salesperson license but I think as far as the program is concerned this is kind of what's in the into perspective that the the concerns he had originally with the bill before was amended this addressed all those concerns so I think we've got a good program now that. The parameters in place but still allows the commission the flexibility to approve the grants. Kind of formalizes the process that they're already doing so the process they they had been doing Through the commission without Without any direct oversight of that so I think I think he's good with it now but you have to call him directly to the safety fully endorses or her not after the after the amendments been adopted. Senator Pitsch I want more of a comment Mr chairman it kind of goes along with Senator English. If there comes a time to discuss and this may be for people in the audience but we live in a state if you live on the edge of a state like I do Fort Smith Texarkana you live up in the corner every state surrounding us does a much better job because we don't do it training not necessarily sales month in the automotive world diesel mechanics and from our two year degrees that is a island unto itself and we live in the world of three large truck companies just within sixty miles between you and I were both that close and yet we don't have diesel mechanics being trained other than out of state so if we have a revenue source that's going back to our automotive dealers and so I have you know I. luxury of driving to your hometown and seeing big John Deere dealerships in the farming belt and I'm certain from the short time I live there it hasn't gotten any better. But we are training what's really needed which is diesel mechanics and we're letting other states trainers and we're taking our kids that want to be in that field let them leave the state to go get trained and then we're hoping they come back which I know it's comment Mister chairman but it's something at some level anytime I see somebody doing something the automotive. And I'll world we need to somehow find the dollars and Senator English and I've had this discussion before but anyway I appreciate bill. Thank you senator that that is definitely one of the aspects that we want to make sure it was allowable in this for these types of grants was to make sure that they could go toward diesel specifically. General questions or comments. What's will committee. Motion to pass by Senator English second by Senator Pitsch you need it as amended any discussion. No discussion all in favor say aye. All opposed Like sign. The thank you senator Dotson. Question bill. Thank you Mr representantes I apologize couldn't didn't want to. Okay we have we have one that the two members that are here senator Hewlett senator English are all on this very non controversial and it's a designation of steam engine the house bill sixteen fifty seven. If if either of those members that are on the US could could go ahead ones so we can train it flush this one out I think it was I don't think it'll be a problem. So if you want to use a very simple bill did not controversy will. And it is all about locomotive engines we got to spend rules to hear this because what on our agenda it is a one hang on just a minute motion to suspend the rules over to here so sixteen fifty seven motion second all in favor say aye hi All opposed Like sign and go ahead and present sixteen fifty seven if you would Senator English. So this is an act to designate the official steam locomotive of the State of Arkansas and for other purposes and this basically Takes the sack St Louis southwestern number eight nineteen I was the last steam engine steam locomotive produced in the state of Arkansas so will we will commemorate that. Make that are are. Whatever further steam locomotive yes state and I have a family history of my family work from Cotton Milton probably some of them work for the cotton mill during that during that time frame so I appreciate this bill and thank you for president Senator English there's anybody to speak against the bill please raise your hand saying none what's the what's the will of committee do pass do pass second by Senator Pitsch all in favor say aye aye All opposed Like sign thank you senator English. Just as a reminder there's there there given that COVID shops across the street at the Rockefeller building I think I might run over there and see to see if there's enough evidence for the Senate so if anybody else wants to go I will try to walk over there but is there any other business come before the committee. Saying nine senators traces Journ. Thank you.