Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development - Senate

Session going on right now to create the most similar to we do automobiles that could supersede this error change language so that if you do we did run this as a state we need to kind of address that so I respect to the many people who showed up today we got to put on the agenda happy with that discussion but I told him I would talk to them before moved forward so please just move that one off the list and everybody here who's going to argue against your home. Thank thank you. Service by. Which sure which bill you'll correct president first. Mr chairman Jonathan Dismang State centre District. Twenty eight the if we could just go ahead and run the I think the one that will require the least discussion and that's Senate bill four nineteen okay. Senate bill four nineteen. You're recognized thank you Mr chairman members we we have done this transfer I think now for at least two sessions it's just a transfer of the four House in mills from the gas assessment let each fiscal year to general revenue that's going to generate about one point eight million dollars a part of the discussion that surrounded this was how we were going to fund the new meat inspection bill seven hundred fifty million dollars annually when I think about fifty thousand seven fifty thousand area with those around thank you yeah. The way. Probably folks hoping that was the case but. At seven fifty thousand so be a portion of that to be some additional monies left over that were not accounted for in the governor's balanced budget course we have bills coming through right now that increase expenditures and potential tax cuts and so that will come into play as we develop our revenue stabilization. Questions from members. Anyone anyone hears speak for the bill or against the bill. Please enter your motion do pass or second second all in favor say aye the pastors thank. The next Wilshire. Thing was chairman of the Senate bill four oh two. for eighteen four ounce are in the wrong area. Senate bill for eighteen. So this would allow the Arkansas parks and tourism to utilize them dynamic pricing to approach prevent services and overnight accommodations right now those are set in stone the year in advance this would allow them to accommodate peak times and then load times to try to encourage individuals to utilize it would also allow for some market business for competitors in the area that do have to just the prices due to need certain circumstances I with that dishes to brief overview but we do have individuals here the contest by the bill and really the intent of how it like to see it utilized moving forward there is reporting requirements A. L. C. on those changes. Leding F. question. Thank you of five support that it is a questions about like how it would actually work how much notice somebody might have in terms of the changes in what would happen if somebody you know in February is booking a cabin for June just fair enough and if we can have them come forty one thing to keep in mind there's some latitude on the rule promulgation which would still have to come before us for final approval but I think they can speak to generally what they think those rules are gonna look like. Research bill would please enter to shuffle record yes Sir thank you I'm Stacey how are secretary of the Arkansas department of parks heritage and tourism. I'm crazy spanned Director of Arkansas state parks you're recognized. Your question again Senator Leding. A just have some questions about how quickly the prices might change how much advance notice is given and what would happen if somebody booked in a cabin or something months in advance. so if booked in advance then certainly we would honor whatever and rate they'd booked Act and that would not change and this would allow us that to potentially weekly look at market demand different factors that would dictate rate changes either up or down and adjust the rates within fifty percent of what was stated at the beginning of the year so as it is now we bring those rates once a year they're approved by the commission and presented to the legislature and we we are unable to change them except far twenty percent upper down on cabins and lodges late so we can adjust any other rights this just allows us to be a little more nimble within the market place and respond better to conditions that would dictate quite honestly probably more often to reduce the rates to attract investors. Sturch. Thank Mr thank you senator so I guess I understand it is more of consequat private business does if in December nobody's going to queen Wilhelmina but in January you said it's going to be a hundred dollars a night you can go down to seventy dollars and I under fifty dollars and I eat up to fifty percent based on the demand times or less demand correct that's correct you all have some handouts that show you Really are the visitation our peak usage and you can see that during certain months our occupancy is pretty low right so we would like to be able to reduce rates at certain times there's also times when like a peak holiday weekend and where we might adjust rates upward but not substantially we still have to operate within the market and so it's just a common sense approach that allows us hopefully to create a more sustainable operation at our state parks overnight facilities it also includes marina rentals for example by what's we found that in some areas I'm we are the low price leader on a holiday weekend and the private sector unfortunately is penalized because we offer our boats cheaper so it might be that we could help the private sector raise our rates a little bit and allow them to realize a more profitable holiday weekend thank you thank you Mr. Third vehicle. You are you stated earlier that you currently you can raise the rates manipulate the rates twenty percent all lodges and cabins the correct that's correct the end of the two provide us the occupancy rate for a room lodges cabins and campsites looks to be fairly. Really in pretty close to the same Is Your peaks and valleys or. Aligned is that you explain that if you can manipulate the prices on those two was a follow the same as cabins AS campsites. I'm not sure yeah I'm I'm not sure I think. Thank. The way the way it is because the price stays stagnant you know through your committee on talking about a twenty percent adjustment and so it makes sense to me that they would they would trail the same I think the goal is and if the bill from a committee to look at the legislation is. In these areas there are you know private sector businesses that rely on the utilization of the parks. And and being able to create a case of revenue stream year round in in those areas as opposed to just at the peak times when people are participating but encouraging use of those cabins at a much lower rate and that sort of thing that mean that's the goal because you're gonna end up helping those private businesses that need the benefit of the parks are utilized to benefit the parks and more folks participating throughout the years more stable their incomes going to be and a greater benefit long term. And senator Beckham we really have not utilized that the ability that we have to reduce or increase rates by the twenty percent our system right now it's pretty clunky it's not a nimble system it's not been the culture of State Parks to adjust rates this would really take us into the twenty first century I would say and really create a culture that is more responsive to the market. Any other questions but we have anything else okay any other questions. Anyone here wish to speak for the bill or against the bill. Close rebuilt. Yes Mister chairman and one thing and and I think this is shared by the agency I mean no one wants to raise rates make these in you know these places an affordable we want to be a place that attracts folks that might not otherwise be able to take advantage of a vacation here in Arkansas and be able to get away we also want to benefit benefit the private businesses that surround our state parks that draw income from visitors and then lastly I think the important thing is to talk about their system being clunky again there's going to require some rulemaking to be done it's going to come before us we're gonna be able to that and make sure that they have processes in place that are clear makes sense and achieve the goals that we're looking to achieve. Okay thank you. Pleasure committee. I will do pass the second second all in favor say aye. All opposed resolution bill passed thank Mr thank you. Okay we're gonna go back to schedule represent of all. See earlier she's not here please. K.. Senator. I'm sorry I have shop all data center and let Senator. He'll go first I apologize I didn't realize you do us all representive all in room one oh nine is here now and I believe I don't know if you were here when I but if you could leave the. Sure deal he would introduce bills center district twenty nine. Committee on this does is adds a an amendment to the bill. It is the Legislative revaluation of the program. The General Assembly shall review and reevaluate the State meat inspection program four years from the date of the approval for the by the United States department of agriculture redneck to just want to look back programs we can go back and look at the financials on this part of it to see if it's financially feasible for the state of Arkansas. Four years after pool USD eight now I know we probably asking questions and I'd like to go ahead and have a secretary Wes ward come up. This is a bill that we discussed the other day and approved of after the approval of we we realize it we wanted to forget I think Senator sample for to have a second look at it for years after the program is initiated to make sure that survival program. The one I have a question for centerfielder stricter war. No questions the Senate bill it you closing in and make a motion of of I'll close on this I like to have this approved it as amended now engrossed as engrossed yes thank you yeah such motions are second or second all in favor say aye All opposed thank you congratulations. Senate bill three thirteen. You would please state your name for the record you're recognized thank you senator Missy Irvin district eighteen. And. Members of the committee thank you for letting me come before you today to present Senate bill thirty thirteen what this bill does is it just simply moves the great river road division and director position to establish this as a program within the tourism division of the Arkansas department of state parks heritage and tourism this is a structural change only the position will continue to support the Mississippi River parkway Commission and there's no changes to that Mississippi River parkway Commission the director of tourism it will or his designee will become the head of the great River Road to division and that's all the bill does. One member here on behalf of state parks heritage and have questions for Senator. Great River Road runs through part of my. District yes. That's right. Sturch. Thank you Mister you might have answered it I I just wanted to know about it because I don't know if we had a state park their cars are what is it exactly as far as the facilities that we have or are there certain things that they do to an account that may not be relevant to the bill but I just didn't know how big this one get. Full disclosure this person sitting next to me is kind of like a brother to me. It came from Mountain View and Senator you can create for the. Everybody to use his mother that all is. All you the the. Would you introduce him. Please stand Director of Arkansas state parks so long to bring the role we have several parts of the Mississippi River state park delta heritage trail there's just Hampton museum state park all those in East Arkansas or along the great River Road area and they run located within this division and organization well the great River Road is representing the whole Mississippi kind of court ordered Mississippi River corridor from what I understand so those parks would fall within that corridor okay thank you thank you Mr any other questions. No your clothes for your bill thank you for the question I think it's we don't talk enough about our state parks I mean they are phenomenal they're beautiful they are and and the team that you have a symbol there undersecretary Hurst and everyone you know here today and Mr stand that they really are trying to create policy I think you've already heard you know the bill that Senator Dismang proper for you and I have another one that will be in city county local but it's really they are looking at state parks as really trying to benefits the state of Arkansas and in so many ways and to attract people into our state and they are changing their dynamic and they're being great stewards of taxpayer dollars and doing it as well and making sure that we hold them accountable for the model that they put in place and be able to generate revenue and to be responsible with our our beautiful beautiful natural resources and so I just I close for the bill just by saying it's a great honor honestly to be able to help them with their legislation but we are so we should be incredibly proud of our state parks in the state of Arkansas I mean we we just have the most beautiful resources and we do a very good job within this division of taking care of those resources. Play your committee. do pass second all in favor say aye opposed congratulations built by thank you represent Hillman. This will be house bill fourteen seventy one. Thank you Mr chairman I'm David Hillman state representative district thirteen today I'm bringing the up abandon pesticides bill before you I think probably most of you are familiar with what this bill does but the distant short synopsis of there's a lot of uh OpenSSH land around in barns and granaries and shapes and things like that around the state and I thank since about two thousand five we've had a program where you can bring that in to a collection site and then it's properly disposed of by the agriculture department. And this is funded through a license fee that expresses Act company obtained from the state each year currently it's fifty dollars and We're proposing to raise that to a maximum of a hundred dollars subject to depart of agriculture approval. Because the costs of of disposes campuses has. Gone up tremendously Census program which started we want to keep it going on keep it moving and I got point reiterate again This Is paid by the pesticide companies and they are the ones that brought this up and there are a hundred percent behind it the department of culture of Scott Bray is here to answer any questions that I can't but it's a good program and they to continue and it's non controversial NO one against it. Questions from committee. Sturch. Thank you Mr. I sent him an I think it made may just be that I make ready that I'm looking at Page one where it talks about the fee says from entities other than the State Plant Board and then from a fee not to exceed one hundred dollars establish by rule by the State Plant Board correct that then on the back it refers to takes out State Plant Board and then goes to the department so we have the State Plant Board doing it by rule but the department of ag it's the money are how how these entities working together I think that's a question for a Mr bright okay thank you Sir. I'm just a little confused okay. You would please sure introduce yourself for the record you're recognized. Yes Sir I'm Scott brand director plant industries division Arkansas part of agriculture of the way the way this will work is there is an abandoned pesticide advisory board made up of six members they will advise Plant Board on the feet annually the plant board for rule established iffy the department through our pesticide registration program will collect the fee and will conduct the collections okay so and so is the fund then within the department may yes Sir. Thank you thanks any other questions. I'm a representative would you like to close for you hi I am closer to push pleasure of the Committee. Do pass and second all in favor say aye. All opposed congratulations. Okay represent all. Our shared her a few minutes ago this her first time for that committee freshman representative. That you all would be knocked her. But if you would please state your name for the record and you are recognized we're looking at house bill thirteen fifty three. Remarkably yes. Thank you German Caldwell and members of the committee I live in district ninety one in Northwest Arkansas and The bill before you senator Bledsoe was not able to be with us this morning and present our joint bill but this concerns the prohibitions on advertising and use of certain symbols regarding medical marijuana and it's basically adding to the already Code that prohibits advertising and use of certain symbols regarding medical marijuana but this includes the cultivation facility or dispensary or both and that they cannot use within any advertising including billboards or on their buildings or whatever without limitation a cross of any color a caduceus or any other symbol commonly associated with the practice of medicine or the practice of pharmacy. Okay. Leding. Thank you Mr I know this only because I just looked it up but for a for everybody's benefit can you tell us what to do COS if. It's the commonly known symbol that up for medicine that includes a kind of a cross with the snakes basically around at that does what most people identify a very readily with that this is a medical or medicine of of sorts with the described anybody if they thought would immediately recognize that thank you. Any other questions. Sir Beckham. Is there a widespread problem with them using. Symbols of I guess the the doctors and I want them to be used correct so pharmacists as well as doctors or anyone in the practice of medicine are not prepared to say that there this is a claim that medical marijuana is a medical substance is there. But do they have these. Copyrighted or. Are we just trying to make a law to prevent. Some reason a unregistered on copyrighted symbol that's a good question I don't know if they are copyrighted or not they are just readily associated with medicine and pharmacy in particular there. There are clinics clinics are not included in this that may be something in the future that they need to also be included in that I've seen some you know that a plus sign as opposed to a cross it kind of becomes a very Defining and a very hard to define what's between a plus sign in across but again those are some of the issues that they're trying to prevent this as being seen as medical or medicine. The question of a future okay. Any other questions. Anyone here to speak for against this bill. Would you close review I am close for the bill appreciate a good vote could push pleasures Committee. Do pass second all in favor say aye All opposed congratulations bill passes thank you so much and when welcome back to the agro Committee anytime you want to. With that we're Jr.