Senate Convenes

Are you already know. No rating of. This. Sure. Okay. He's here the more. Call a meeting to order. If you would please call the roll Ballenger back on Bledsoe Caldwell Chesterfield Clark Davis Dismang eads Elliott English Flippo flowers Garner Gilmore hammer Hendren Hester Hickey hill Ingram Irvin Johnson mark Johnson leading Page right for rice sample Stubblefield Sturch Sullivan T. Tucker Wallace. Would you Senator Wallace. VOL okay we have a request to leave for Senator Sturch in center court the. Thanks everyone would please please rise including ones in the gallery center samples will lead us in prayer and the pledge. Thank you members briefly please. Dear lord thank you for this beautiful day that you've given us outside. Gaddis to. As we go about doing business for our state and nation. What people of protectors. With their here or abroad father forgive us our sins a man. Of the mayor and. Which is one. Individual. Any new. Senator Rapert. Thank you Mr president members I want to do this early today would you please make welcome of the gallery doctor Allison fish family practice from Greenbrier as well as nurse Brenda you it welcome to the same. Any other announcements before we get started. Are there any items yes Sir will your when your committee on Iran Bills to whom was first Senate bill twenty by Senator Wallace Senate bill one sixty nine by Senator Garner compared the enrolled copies with the original correctly enrolled and liver to governor ten forty four AM this morning for his approval. When your committee on engrossed bills to whom was referred Senate bill two forty eight by Senator Ballenger compare the engrossed copy with the original bands and correctly engrossed. Five. The state public health we your committee on engrossed bills to whom was first Senate bill two ninety two by Senator Rapert compare the engrossed copy with the original and find the same correctly engrossed state agencies Committee on engrossed bills to whom was first Senate bill three hundred by Senator dismaying compare the engrossed copy with the original bass and correctly engrossed Judiciary Committee on engrossed bills to whom was first Senate bill three oh four by Senator Wright compare the engrossed copy with the original and find the same correctly engrossed Revenue and Tax Committee on engrossed bills to whom was referred house bill eleven eighty eight Representative makes compare the engrossed copy with the original and find the same correctly thank you Committee on engrossed bills to whom was referred house bill twelve fifteen members into Bentley compare the engrossed copy with the original and find the same correctly engrossed public health Committee on engrossed bills to whom was referred house bill twelve forty two by represented Lowery compare the engrossed copy with the original and find the same correctly engrossed insurance and commerce committee on engrossed bills to whom was referred house bill fifteen twenty one member center McCollum. The Compare the engrossed copy with the original and find the same correctly engrossed public you. We are Committee on Judiciary to whom was referred Senate bill three forty four by Senator Ballinger recommend to pass as amended number one. I have three thirty four. Three forty one. Okay calendar. Where your committee on judiciary to whom was first Senate bill three thirty five by Senator Ballinger. Recommend to pass as amended number one calendar Committee on Judiciary to whom was referred house bill ten sixty two by Representative Fite recommend to pass calendar Committee on Judiciary to whom was referred house bill thirteen fifty eight Senator Barca recommend to pass calendar Committee on Judiciary to whom was referred house bill thirteen fifty nine by represented Barker recommend to pass calendar committee on Revenue and Tax temas for house bill ten forty nine by Representative Jeff recommend to pass calendar committee on Revenue and Tax tumors for house bill thirteen forty five by representatives. Four X. recommend to pass calendar committee on Revenue and Tax to his first house bill thirteen seventy seven by represent Cavenaugh recommend to pass calendar committee on Revenue and Tax time as far house bill thirteen eighty three birds and hawks recommend to pass calendar. Senate bill. Yes Sir for what purpose person. You're recognized. Members if you would join with me well my superintendent from across the school district Gary Williams gears up here today for some meetings and I just wanted to make sure the chamber was recognized Ms if you join me in welcoming. Thank you Sir. The one senator. Yes Sir. Thank you Mr chairman I just want to recognize to constituents that I have here with me today a red Tucker and Becky Tucker right up here in the east gallery. You will seven mins. Anything else okay we'll start with the center ring in here. Are you ready for. We'll come back. Senator hammer you ready. You're recognized amendment to the two sixty three. Senator thank you my bill my men. Okay all in favor of the amendment please say aye. Any opposed their memory Kerry. Please send and grossing. Next one is gonna be SP three twelve. Senator Blake Johnson. Amendment one the Senate bill three twelve. My bill my amendment. If I have any questions on the amendment. All we say aye. You pose. Emotional Kerry place in engrossing Senator Ballinger you go to present you have an amendment. May not want to Senate bill three fifty seven. You're recognized Sir present my bill by Mehmet. Any questions on that. All in favor say aye. You posed you that'll carry placing the engrossing. Thank you will be center to occur amendment one Senate bill three eighty four Tucker you're it you're recognized thank you Mr chairman bill mom and if I have any questions all in favor say aye. He posed they are currently sending grossing centre Tucker you have another yes Sir amendment one to Senate bill three eighty three you're recognized thank you Mr chairman bill my amendment. Any questions. All in favor say aye. He posed that very question and grossing. Senator hill are you going present the house bill twelve ten amendment it's a amendment one the house bill twelve ten. House Bill Senate Amendment. Senator Tucker did you want to did you will speak on this amendment. Yes yes you're recognized Sir. Mr Cher I thank you Senator Hill this is the ability on the plant board what this amendment does there's more to it and it'll be on the floor tomorrow but this amendment combines the seats on the plant board one spot for the horticulture folks in one spot for the nursery folks and I just want to speak of an at the I've had stakeholders reach out to me about this and I got nothing but praise for center hill and center Caldwell and represented Hillman who have worked on this and I do expect it to pass but I I just want to put in a word. For both the nursery folks in the horticulture folks I'm not a hundred percent sure about the nursery date but the horticulture folks have had a seat on a plane Board since the plant board's inception in nineteen seventeen and it's worked well for a hundred plus years to have both of their interests separately represented on the plant board and this bill would combine those in into one particular seat. you know they're gonna they're adding I understand the agriculture industry has evolved over the last century and and totally recognize that soybean folks you know I think they should have a seat on the plane or not I totally understand respect that too I do think it's it's worth it to have the horticulture and the and the nursery folk separate because it just creates a little more diversity of perspective on the clipboard for one thing. Geographical diversity because if we have all commercial crops representing the plant board from the farming aspect of it you're really considering the plan board representation in the portion of the state where there's farmland and when you have what a culture which is specialty crops but also gardening you really can cover the entire state and it's the same with the nursery folks who thank you can deal with landscaping and everything else under the sun so those provide relief coverage for the entire state with representation on the plant board and it's also their interests are just different than the real property farmers and I'm not saying anything against the real property farmers who I totally respect and grateful for the work that they do but I just think it's good to have that diversity of representation on the plant board and for those reasons I thought it was it was worth it to come down here and just have someone mentioned that again I'm grateful to senator sailing Caldwell for the work they've done on this thank senator Chris anyone else wanna speak on this amendment. Senator here are you closing on this amendment. Okay all in favor say aye. Any opposed. I said it was sending Rosen. Yeah. Intervene you have a amendment you want to present that now. To the Senate Senate bill sixty four. Amendment one the Senate bill sixty four. Thank you it's my bill my amendments okay. Any questions on the amendment. All in favor say aye. You pose. Rescinding grossing. Senate this morning you're recognized for Senate bill one forty nine. Thank you the members we actually have an amendment to add a sponsored isn't changing the bit in the bill and I think generally all three of this this will be on all three one forty nine one fifty one fifty one begins at a House sponsors what I'm going to ask us to do is to adopt the amendment and then I'll make a motion to move it to the end of the counter Day up for consideration amendment one the Senate bill one forty nine. Are you all heard there's always favor the amendment please say aye. You oppose motion carried. And we we wanna have a motion to put at the end of the calendar yeah do we do that on one time at the end of the lease your committee that. Okay. I can make a motion to move this at the end of the counter after consulting grossing today yes several Senator grossing in the world but at the end of the calendar all in favor say aye. Any oppose. The motion carries. Center this buying the next obvious B. one one amendment one the Senate bill one fifty again just at a house co sponsored. Okay all in favor say aye. You pose. Facing doing grossing. Like make a motion to senator put it into the counter after gross. Motions put at the end of the calendar today. All in favor say aye. Idiophones motion carries. Amendment one Senate bill one fifty one. Same thing. Okay all in favor the member police say a. He opposed the motion carried I can make a motion to place Senate bill one fifty one it in the calendar after some gross. You for the for the motion any questions all in favor say aye. Imposed motion carries thank. Sender. We're only be one eighty four Senate bill one ninety four by Senator Irving to repeal the Arkansas pawnbroker act. You're recognized. Thank you Mr president and Representative Tosh was actually approached five AM several in the at the pawnbroker's and to actually create this and now they're asking to repeal it and representantes is my house sponsor for this or will be he's not on there yet but the the the basis behind this is really because this This of the Commission the licensing commission I'm was created by the act has not met and they will not be meeting in the future and pawnbrokers are regulated already M. three state code in chapters twelve and eighteen and this repeal of this act which is just the licensing commission would do nothing to affect the current code and said the same people that ask for this to be created are the same people asking now for it to not be in law because they were working through the court system and says in state court system issues were resolved and they no longer work at which the to proceed feel like it's necessary to have a license or commission I'm any complaints like consumer complaints are and that would still and still go to the office of consumer. And services under the attorney general's office I'll I'll be happy to answer any questions I had letters of support for pawnbrokers association and then I have other questions answers to questions. Okay Senator John. You're recognized. Thank you Mr president service. I would normally I would notice but there has been transformation I just don't know who regulates who anymore. The lights upon brokers today. It's a combination because of the code that in chapters twelve and eighteen of the state code I'm a lot of it is law enforcement and then the Attorney General has office of consumer complaints division and so that they are heavily engaged with that as well that they are heavily regulated already through state code and it came to this came to the division of labor licensing under transformation that they have never had an appropriation this is just the commission part of it and they've never met at all either and they've never issued a license so that it's currently kind of a combination of that mainly law enforcement so we don't regulate. Paul brokerages for licensing they don't have a license is that correct I'm sorry I can't hear you at the they don't have a license issued right or yeah and yes and and I think is why the division of workforce services brought this probably to me because I was the chair of the occupational licensing review subcommittee and these are the kinds of things that we addressed it that subcommittee I'm aware that the regulation on the law enforcement because that's like the opportunity to be dealing in stolen merchandise and their pack and regulate for that reason but I. I guess you can anyone to be regulated we created board and now we want to apologize just wanna know if it was a backstory that maybe we're not and well I think they were trying to work through the court system to get from things resolved and then they did get those things are they one of the court systems and so they didn't feel like this was needed at that now that that's been resolved or. All right to be anyone else have any questions. The question do you want to speak for this bill it will speak against this bill senator you're closed. Thirty Jackson wrote in The vote. Please wrote of a. Ballenger Beckham Bledsoe Caldwell Chesterfield Clark Davis Dismang E. Elliott English Flippo flowers Garner Gilmore hammer Hendren Hester Hickey hill Ingram Irvin Johnson mark Johnson leading Page riper rice sample Stubblefield Sturch Sullivan T. Tucker Wallace. Okay does anyone wish to the voter change your vote. Anyone. The ballot. By a vote of thirty one days when they the bill is passed please transmit to the House. Senator Blake Johnson. Senate bill two twenty five by Senator Blake Johnson to amend the law concerning additional fee required for the registration of a hybrid vehicle. Senator Johnson you're recognized. Thank you members the this bill comes because of some complaints in parity on on the efficiencies in hybrids the investigation this is a. There since we did that in two thousand nineteen there's a plug in hybrid and this bill will leave that hundred dollar fee for the plug in hybrid it creates a fifty dollar fee for regular hybrid and and it and it stays the same at two hundred dollars for the electric vehicle. And that's what the bill does And it starts January first two twenty two so. Members do you have any questions centering. Fiscal impact is it is is revenue neutral or well the first bill was one point one million dollars. And whenever this differentiation was made that was just fifty dollars and you know my first bill was one point one whenever this was done they couldn't estimate of what. This would be on impact would be but the original was one point one and I came back one point one so if they can't make a good gas is give you the highest the highest number so I'm going to say there's probably thirty percent of the the hybrids that are a plug in hybrid so that might give you a pretty good estimate of what the possibility is there but. So it's somewhere if you think it's somewhere between six or seven hundred thousand dollars okay thank you for that and and impact the you start in January first of twenty two that would be five hundred and just over five hundred thousand dollars that first year so you know it's half of whatever whatever the number is actually but. It's it's it's a it's a. Every run the numbers of twenty four and a half cents a gallon you're you're capturing ADD with this is a regular however it is you can check side by side have the same engine with the conventional and and the hybrid and deficiencies your capture net tax with the fifty dollars that state tax and in the the unknown is what you is with a plug in hybrid is wide standard a hundred so and I think that technology will probably advance in the future we may have to address it further on any other question. If I will speak for the bill. Senator Mark Johnson. Senator Mark Johnson speaking for the bill. Thank you Mr president I have a similar bill but the deferred archer transportation he's his bill probably is better I don't know mind simply abolished the hundred dollars for the hybrids as he said noting his bill hi Richard change we now plug in hybrid to hybrid means you have a gasoline engine that charges of battery and the battery runs electric motor drives the car. The plug in hybrid also can be plugged in and charge the battery as well the real question is we want to compensate the highway department other road entities for the loss of revenue because someone's not buying a motor fuel in there for paying the road tax full disclosure so we all know I drive a fully electric car so this particular bill would not affect me but. It's an issue we're gonna have to continue to look at simply because the technology is changing as this plug in hybrid technology demonstrates one of the things I want to think of is that if you have a a very small gasoline engine car conventional car you're gonna be buying motor for you but you won't buy as much because your car gets great mileage and I always use is the poster child senator hammers little blue car which I think it's a spark of beliefs and it probably gets about the same mileage as a as a of hybrid Toyota Prius which has to pay today and extra one hundred dollars even though it buys gasoline they buy gasoline the use gasoline in that car I think that when this study was set up it was not as well thought out at the time as it should have been the numbers don't wear out this so to cut it down to fifty dollars is a fair and equitable way to treat these people who are just happen to have a vehicle has a different mechanical operating process than a than the other I can look at some other options on on this is and I think we'll have to in the future I think these things are gonna of all soon will probably gonna see electric semis and that's definitely going to affect what kind of funding our dog dot gets but this a great build I look forward to voting for it thank you for bringing it Senator Johnson thank you Mr president Senator Mark Johnson is spoken for Senator Blake Johnson Bills anyone will speak against Senator Blake Johnson Bills. Are you closing the yes Sir. Rejection role in the vote. These are the vote. Ballenger Beckham Bledsoe Caldwell Chesterfield Clark Davis Dismang eads Elliott English Flippo flowers Garner Gilmore hammer Hendren Hester Hickey hill Ingram Irvin Blake Johnson mark Johnson leading page Rapert Rice sample Stubblefield Sturch Sullivan T. Tucker Wallace. Okay does anyone wish to change their vote. Anyone would change your vote please cast a ballot. By a vote of thirty two U. A. zero nineties one present. Who is the president Saddam's group. Okay. Yes bill is passed please transmit to the House. Senator. Senate bill three eighty by Senator hammer to amend an act to amend the uniformity evidence and lied Policy Act and player in America emergency center hammer you're recognized. Thank you Mr president of members resembling this bill is because maybe like you I have some constituents or work for state agencies that are required to be there on a twenty four seven basis or be available twenty four seven and is results sometimes annual leave it is not able to be recouped because I can't take off so that's what this bill is intended to address just real quickly walk you to the bill first of all defines what a critical need employee is with the agencies that have critical need employees in them as listed in the bill but then it goes on page two and it actually establishes the definition and one set definition being established the agency is to notify the employees within their agency that they are classified as critical need employees and then we are going to is Legislative Council received a report of those individuals are classified so that if we have members in pro citizens that approaches we can help identify that they are regarded as critical need employees it goes down and as far as the up armored C. services employees under subdivision it actually adds a man because of the nature of their work you look over a page three and you get over to line one through ten as it is now annual leave that it that is not claimed actually just kind of vanishes into no where and so what this bill does is it will capture the accumulated annual leave of those employees that are not determined to be critical need and it will direct those hours into the catastrophic leave bank so if an employee is a non critical need employee and they accumulate annual leave that they don't use by the end of the year that those hours just went away but now this is going to help build up the hours in the catastrophic leave bank that we can look at legislatively maybe to do some other things it goes on and also what it will do is at the. End of the time of the end of the calendar year not the fiscal year but the end of the calendar year if they have a greater than forty five hours of annual leave accumulated that they weren't able to take off because maybe in the case of the DHS worker that is a case manager and they're having trouble finding staffing and somebody's hand work more than what they normally would or maybe it's a nurse or CNA at the Arkansas Health Service center this bill will help them be able to get everything about forty five days to be paid out in a lump sum to the critical need employees goes down it also says on page four that the agency can request to require that the employee takeoff in order to not let those hours those days about forty five accumulate to a great number but I built into the law that the agency has to give them two weeks notice because it be a bad thing for in my opinion it be a bad thing for somebody walking in at four forty five in the afternoon says guess what you're off for two weeks and you haven't had a chance plan on how to use your time I just think it's a fair inspector and so we put in there but they have to take fourteen days off and the reason for the emergency clause is because annual leave is calculated on the on the calendar not the fiscal year and so we need to get this in place so that they can get it calculated to be able to take care of it so they don't lose those hours during this page cycle and with that I'd be glad to answer any questions we won't have any questions of a center hammer Senator Teague. Thank you Mr president Senator hammers your ideas else's idea. Actually this idea came because I've got some I have skews me that English I have some state employees in my district and they come to me as critical need employees and they're losing time because they can't take officers on of staffing so it ends up that they cumulate those hours and then they never realize anything out of it they just a drop off so that's I'd like to give you if you think it's a good bill I'd like to give credit to my constituents thanks to bad bill take ownership so. They when they get extra hours of stock comp time or did you go on to their they don't get paid for that at the end of their service this doesn't this doesn't apply to well this doesn't apply to vacation time or comp time and only applies to annual time. What's the difference I mean I don't understand. And your time is what they get paid for I. I thank you for your time is what they get paid for yes and so. But as I understand it they have access time to get caught time for. Some of it goes on and we count toward their. Goes on leave and and accumulate is that not right well on the annual time as I understand it in this by the way I work with K. it'll PM on this we worked on this for about six months now. And as I understand that annually they would be compensated for that's what this is intended to do is to help them get compensated for. So. Annually to suffer from cough or yes yes. Okay thank you Mr president like Senator to anybody else have any questions. One more. Sure yes you're recognized entity. So. Transition new lease that we're doing we're creating. Some understand that it's a new leave but as as work on what I understand about the annual leave in the reason we limited it that is because that's the one that is not allowed to have been carried forward as far I didn't say anything about the fiscal impact we said in forty five days I think the fiscal impact was minimal that's one reason they're not projected to the thing is because it is minimal So at my understanding is that the annual leave is not treated the same as vacation time or any other time. Have you had a conversation with state employees association with like four again or do now therefore as far as I know I mean they in fact I've been talking to them about this for about a year and a half. Thank you Mr president saw yes no problem Sir the U.. Anybody else seven questions. Anyone would speak for. Close close close hearing Jackson role in the vote. Zero. Ballenger Beckham Bledsoe Caldwell Chesterfield Clark Davis Dismang eads Elliott English Flippo flowers Garner Gilmore hammer Hendren Hester Hickey hill Ingram Irvin Blake Johnson mark Johnson leading page Rapert Rice sample Stubblefield Sturch Sullivan TV Tucker Wallace. Anyone would change their vote. The ballot. If the bill passes by a vote of thirty three a zero nineties and so the bill would pass is an emergency calls is adopted please transmit to the House. Senator Chesterfield. Is B. three eighty two Senate bill three eighty two by Senator Chesterfield today my private nonprofit two year or four year institution of higher education and improve institution of higher education and the Arkansas future grant program Senate bill thank you Mr chair lays in German of the Senate what this does is puts the RQ to grant in the same category as all of the grants and making available to students to attend both private and public institutions I'd be happy to take any questions. You have a question yes you're recognized. Senate Chesterfield do you believe it's appropriate to since to send up public monies to private schools for educational purposes we do it all the time. I'm the Arkansas challenge scholarship is available to give to attend both private and public schools all of the scholarships that are available in the state if the child goes to a public or private school those dollars are available for them so this is made in the same way I'm glad we agree I thank you messing with me and I'm not going to be messed with by you today bart Hester show moving right along. I agree. But there is is there any any other questions. You will speak for against the bill are you closing. Any objection role in the vote please read the vote. Ballenger Beckham Bledsoe Caldwell Chesterfield Clark Davis Dismang aids Elliott English Flippo flowers Garner Gilmore hammer Hendren Hester Hickey hill Ingram Irvin Blake Johnson mark Johnson leading page Rapert Rice sample Stubblefield Sturch Sullivan T. Tucker Wallace. C. one would change their vote. Well it. By voting thirty three A. zero nine eight the bill is passed please transmit to the House. Senator Clark Is not tears we'll pass over that one. S. B. four oh six center Chesterfield. Senate bill four six chest bill to amend the law concerning the State Highway Commission employees oath of office. Senator you're recognized thank you Mr chair ladies and gentlemen of the Senate Senate bill four oh six allows individuals who work for the department of transportation to have a second job the it changes the oath because prior to this the all state that they will have the entire an undivided time if they work for the State Highway Commission that commission is brought this bill to me and it It allows them to have a second job that will not interfere with carrying out the responsibilities of the position at the department of high of a transportation I would appreciate a good vote and I'd be happy to take any questions very having dinner Chesterfield. You will speak for the bill against the bill. Any objection are you closing under. The objection rowing the boat. Zero. Ballenger Beckham Bledsoe Caldwell Chesterfield Clark Davis Dismang eves Elliott English Flippo flowers Garner Gilmore hammer Hendren Hester Hickey hill Ingram Irvin Johnson mark Johnson leading edge Rapert Rice sample Stubblefield Sturch Sullivan T. Tucker Wallace you one wish to change their vote. Please cast a ballot. By a vote of thirty three A. zero nine the bill is passed please transmit to the House. They're in there we go to the House bills. Okay we'll move to HB eleven fifteen. Eleven fifteen by represented ward on Senator Stubblefield to amend the law concerning the wage threshold for commercial motor vehicles. Senator Stubblefield you're recognized thank you Mr President this is a good bill that might be possible for small commercial operators and farmers effect anyone driving a rig weighs more than ten thousand pounds this raises the gross vehicle weight from ten thousand to twenty six thousand except for those individuals who were hauling hazardous materials or have fifteen or more passengers including the driver that's basically it's very simple bill Senator Stubblefield explained bills or any questions. Anyone would speak for the bill you will speak against the bill are you closer yes thank under any objection role in the vote was remote. Ballenger Beckham Bledsoe Caldwell Chesterfield Clark Davis Dismang aids Elliott English Flippo flowers Garner Gilmore hammer Hendren Hester Hickey hill Ingram Irvin Blake Johnson mark Johnson leading page Rapert Rice sample Stubblefield Sturch Sullivan Teague Tucker Wallace we will change their vote. Please cast a ballot. By voting thirty three A. zero nine the Bill pass please transmit to the House. Thank you will be H. bill H. B. twelve hundred. Has a twelve hundred represented may Berrien center hammer to amend the Arkansas rehabilitation services forgiveness of student loan program and to clarify requirements for eligibility center hammer you're recognized thank you Mr president house bill twelve hundred is brought by the Arkansas rehab services regarding student loan forgiveness this is bill for the Arkansas rehabilitation services state agency helps people with disability find jobs and advance their careers A. R. S. currently has a loan forgiveness program for agency staff which is recruitment retention incentive for employees House Bill twelve hundred makes two simple but for changes to the loan forgiveness program and it's in order to create to specialties burden on the agency staff an eligible employees build those two simple things but important thanks versus bill allows any full time employee they are asked to apply for a loan forgiveness program so long as the employee has student loan debt connected to a degree in the field of vocational rehabilitation under current law an employee must be a counselor in order to be eligible this change will help focus program but they are a staff who do vocational rehabilitation the job title will not should be important second the bill states today are S. will not make payments to an employee student loan lender until after the employees' has served two years with the agency which is required time for service for each payment and currently a R. S. makes a payment when the police applications proved that the employer signs and here's the heart the but if the employee resigns or Sir may before serving the required two years that person knows pay back they are is his pursue collections against former employees this bill will unnamed eliminate that scenario and if the employee is approved for the student loan forgiveness program at least before server to look years the agency simply would not issue the payment and on the bill everyone who receives a payment will have really earned that payment will be glad to answer any questions. You know what I would say a closing requires to make it or not because the for some reason you office for. Give us a moment. Robert can you hear us. Okay. Okay sorry Senator hammer of. I just wanna make sure that we do checks that we lose our speak for against. Three questions. Three questions Center hammer. Anyone will speak for the bill against the bill. You close thank you. The objection role in the vote was wrong. Ballenger Beckham Bledsoe Caldwell Chesterfield Clark Davis Dismang eads Elliott English Flippo flowers Garner Gilmore hammer Hendren Hester Hickey hill Ingram Irvin like Johnson mark Johnson leading page Rapert Rice sample Stubblefield Sturch Sullivan T. Tucker Wallace. Okay then one would change their vote. Anyone would change their vote. Please cast up the ballot. Buy photo thirty three eighties zero may. The Bill the Bill pass is please transmit please return to the House. Correct. Yes. Twelve fifty one by Senator Stubblefield and represented Bentley to amend the law concerning improvement district and protection district reporting requirements for collection of assessments by county collector's. The recognizer thank you Mr president this is the last of the four lady bills is probably one the most important ones because it to make sure that all the information is is collected given after the levee boards to the public makes certainly makes an increases the transparency in the access to that information to the public in state county officials also consolidates this report in one report stated due on December thirty first to be due on April the first. One of the things bill does it put some teeth into these reports because they don't turn a man not gonna receive their assessment funds so that's basically what it does. You when every question is Senator Stubblefield. Do you want to speak for the bill against the bill are you closer yes Sir thank center any general in the vote. Please read the vote Ballenger Beckham Bledsoe Caldwell Chesterfield Clark Davis Dismang eats Elliott English Flippo flowers Garner Gilmore hammer Hendren Hester Hickey hill Ingram Irvin bike Johnson mark Johnson leading page Rapert Rice samples Stubblefield Sturch Sullivan T. Tucker Wallace. One was change your vote. By a vote of thirty three A. zero nine eight builders but the bill is passed please return to the House. Thirteen twenty six by represented warning to make technical corrections channel twenty four of the Arkansas code concerning the arch Arkansas teacher retirement system and to declare an emergency center hammer you're recognized thank you Mr president this is part of the eighty R. S. package it's a bill that is mostly technical corrections they've been compiling since last year no session as you know we did it too around the state and this was some technical corrections to read in a fine is seen limes teacher retirement laws eliminates obsolete language codifies existing practices and board intent this bill has no effect on the benefits for operations of the teachers retirement and there is a minimal cost of system because I try to answer any questions you would have any questions Senator hammer. You will speak for the bill. Hence the Bill. Are you closing closed thank you ejection role in The vote was wrong. Ballenger Beckham Bledsoe Caldwell Chesterfield Clark Davis Dismang eads Elliott English Flippo flowers Garner Gilmore hammer Hendren Hester Hickey hill Ingram Irvin Johnson mark Johnson leading Page riper rice sample Stubblefield Sturch Sullivan T. Tucker Wallace. If anyone would change their vote. Please cast a ballot. By a vote of thirty three eighties zero nine bill passes and emergency clause is adopted please return to the House. Next is our house bill thirteen thirty eight hassle thirteen thirty eight per cent Lundstrum incenter Bledsoe term intellectual all two men the petition process to be on the ballot as a candidate for president or vice president United States into increase the number of signatures required to be on listed be less on the ballot. Senate bill so you're recognized thank you Mr president of the house bill thirteen thirty eight if you would just look it to her Page two line five and line twenty two this bill is just raising the number of signatures for person running for president the United States from a from a thousand signatures now to five thousand there is no qualification for a party other than signatures in less you are Democrat or Republican and does they require primary and the filing fee the last time the number was raised was in nineteen sixty nine in the last election there were thirteen candidates for president and of the this caused some confusion and the of they also complying these people complain because the president's of the candidates for president were listed on two pages and so many of the county Clerk in the election commissioners agreed that this needs to be done. Of also just to compare the Arkansas Chief Justice of the Supreme Court candidate has to have ten thousand the. Of me ten thousand signatures the associate justice of the Supreme Court takes ten thousand signatures but anyone now can run for president the United States with the only at the house and this came out of the house with ninety three votes and I would appreciate a good vote and I'll be glad to take questions any questions. Senator Elliot you're recognized. Thank you senator Bledsoe Was there any reason for there to be in such a huge increase that would inform why didn't go from say like a thousand to two thousand what was your point about five thousand well I think it was sort of a happy medium I mean if you can run for the as I said can run for the Arkansas Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the associate justice of the Supreme Court of with ten thousand signatures and only have a thousand four running for the president the United States we met that we felt like we divide that in half and chose the five thousand one any discussion about changing the ten thousand back to because that's pretty onerous rather than moving up to where it seems like it would make it more difficult for people with their discussion about moving in that two thousand number of. On which there was not there is not any also is there a way if the person who is who is going to the signatures are gonna be notified but there's not a way for the person to ensure that lack of signatures Maybe a hundred of them are you know are are treated in some way is there I'm I didn't understand how to sentence or lose usually what the petition we we will notice that your petition is insufficient maybe some names didn't check out there is not a way for if I have collected my ten thousand signatures collected ten thousand five hundred six hundred of them six hundred and three of them or. Not. There is not a way down for me to after I'm notified make sure that I get one shot at this with five thousand signatures and that's it is that right that's one. All right thank you thank you. Any other questions. We will speak for the bill you will speak against the bill. Sooner or later you're recognized speak against the bill. I met thank you ugh I have a little hesitancy and speaking against this bill because I know it's it's likely going to pass. But I think this is extreme. The thing we do to make it so much harder for people to participate in our democracy is the only thing that bothers me I'm okay with there being a threshold but when we go from one thousand one thousand to five thousand and you get one shot at this and that's that's all you get in the country that has the greatest democracy on this earth. And if there are thirteen people on the ballot. I'm struggling to understand so what it's our it's it's our job it is the job of the folks who run our elections to make sure that we don't disenfranchise people I'm not looking for a lot of people to be on the ballot but I also have great anxiety about making it so hard for people to participate that's the only reason I'm against it. If we could at least have something in here that gave the person a second chance. But that's not there because when you have busted yourself to get five thousand I think that's a pretty good deal and we're going to do what we ought to be a little bit more thoughtful I think about making sure we have a fair democracy. You have a question. You are you willing to accept the questions you are yes you're recognized under. Thank present Cinderella ashes with all genuine sincere does but if a person can't get five thousand bonus five thousand signatures if you think they really stand a chance of winning the presidency in the State of Arkansas or how would you respond to that against the arguments which you've given to vote against this bill yeah I think I I respond by saying I don't think it's up to us to judge what I'm not that person has a chance this assembly because there are people who run for the Senate every time we have an election. That probably have no chance but we don't put something on them that so onerous they don't get to at least have the opportunity to. So I don't think that's our function to decide. Thank you any other anybody senator of LEDs spoke against the bill the one was before it. There's an objection to a role in the vote will call the roll in the middle if you say this is we do not have a connection with senator flowers sure we nonvoting. What was born without eyes I might object I don't I don't. I was. To inform my objection to roll in the boat because she will get a chance to build. We roll it just record fine to okay so there's no objection to rolling the vote. We're going to roll the ball and then you can change your yeah Senator Elliott that work right thank. Ballenger Beckham Bledsoe Caldwell Chesterfield Clark Davis Dismang aids Elliott English Flippo flowers Garner Gilmore hammer Hendren Hester Hickey hill Ingram Irvin Johnson mark Johnson leading Page riper rice sample Stubblefield Sturch Sullivan T. Tucker Wallace. Okay does anyone wish to change their vote. Cynder LEDs NO one center Tucker is no. Anyone else center leading is is that a no. Not voting. Anyone else. President. Yes Sir that's what I was saying the because of the way our rules is just so everybody knows this if you're if you're electronic and rolling the vote is just like that you're in here and maybe and stepped out however whenever we call the roll it's the same way we have either seen use we have to be seen and heard or whenever we whenever we excuse Miller we call the roll so that's the reason that it's that way. So. Anyone else wish to change your vote. Anyone else. Senate hearing is no. Senate internists NO. Anyone else. Please cast up the ballot. Okay by a vote of twenty nine days three days one non voting. The Bill pass on the return to the House. The next will be a house bill thirteen fifteen thirteen fifty by represented Warren concerning the eligibility of a member to participate in the Arkansas state police officers here to deferred retirement option plan and Claire an emergency center hammer you're recognized. Thank you Mr President this is part of the This part of state please retirement age bill H. B. thirteen fifty would clean up the law related to the tier to drop to align with the administrative practices of the agency the agency's interpretation current law allows to your two members to use reciprocal service center and to the tier to drop this bill cleans up the language of the existing statute eliminate confusion make this clear in law and this was a an issue to the state police that was brought up during the last two years and this is to address that issue glad to answer any questions you questions Senator hammering thirteen fifty. Anyone else before the bill against the bill are you closer to her injection role in the vote but rather a. Ballenger Beckham Bledsoe Caldwell Chesterfield Clark Davis Dismang D. Elliott English Flippo flowers Garner Gilmore hammer Hendren Hester Hickey hill Ingram Irvin Johnson mark Johnson leading page Rapert Rice sample Stubblefield Sturch Sullivan T. Tucker Wallace. C. one which the voter change of a. Please cast a ballot. By a vote of thirty three A. zero nine the bill is a passing the mortgagee clause is adopted please return to the House. Senator hammer thirteen fifty two thirteen fifty two by represented one concerning the collection of debts and over payments by the Arkansas public employees retirement system to amend the definition of climate agency and that and Claremore city center here you're recognized thank you Mr president House Bill thirteen fifty two without a first to make claims against state tax refunds in cases where it's necessary to recoup overpayment NO for payment as payment to the member in excess of what is allowed by law overpayments frequently occur when death of a retiree is not reported to the system in a timely manner and less frequently an overpayment is resolving their by the agency A. P. R. is currently reports over payments legislative audit DFA on a weekly basis send multiple letters requesting repayment of the overpayments a person has received audit findings for legislative audit related to this pain to the situation and this will help address that issue to eliminate or to cut down on the number of audit findings and with that I'd be glad to answer any questions Shepherd center hammers explained the bill is anybody having questions. Any questions. You want to speak for the bill against the bill. The rejection rolling above. Right of a Ballenger Beckham Bledsoe Caldwell Chesterfield Clark Davis Dismang eads Elliott English Flippo flowers Garner Gilmore hammer Hendren Hester Hickey hill Ingram Irvin Blake Johnson mark Johnson leading page Rapert Rice sample Stubblefield Sturch Sullivan T. Tucker Wallace. Okay is anyone wish to change their vote. Please cast a ballot by voting thirty three a zero may the bill is passed emergency clauses adopted please return to the House. Senator Dismang it's going to be recognized for the bills we put at the end of the calendar for your committee on engrossed bills to whom was first Senate bill one forty nine by Senator Dismang thank gross copy with the original ban same correctly engrossed this man you're recognized for Senate bill one forty nine Senate bill one forty nine by Senator Dismang to amend the fair mortgage lending I think Sir. The members of the next three Bills one forty nine one fifty one fifty one they've all come from the security department predominantly these are these have clean up language or they're trying to bring it in line with surrounding states or or just providing clarification where is needed so I won't say that on every single one of them but so and other items that have been changed account outside of that scope in section eleven and nine of Senate bill one forty nine requires the companies establish a written cybersecurity policy as well as compliance policies and procedures it would also allow the commissioner the authority to make rules that would allow loan officers to work from a location other than a license location for the work from home rule that something is currently happening right now through mergers Yoder order in this allows the commissioner set up and and make that process something more permanent to be utilized working well in the in the needs to be the face to face it's typically happening at the branch location section eight it means the the appliances license link for an initial loan officer so right now if you were to apply the stay on December thirtieth that's be a loan officer you would have that in turn right back around and renew that following year in January's my understanding this with this state if you were to apply and be granted as a loan officer licensed in November or December so the last two months of the year that you would have to to renew for a full year so just by serving more time release removes a little bit of the burden and then section T. in amends notification the Commissioner on a change of name and address hi this is these are for institutions and currently it's thirty days after the move this place at thirty days before the move has nothing to do with any individual long office or anything like that. With that I'd be happy to take any questions. Any questions center this morning. We were having questions. It will speak for the bill. You will speak against the bill are you closing her. Thirty Jan objection rowing the boat was rolled over Ballenger Beckham Bledsoe Caldwell Chesterfield Clark Davis Dismang eats Elliott English Flippo flowers Garner Gilmour hammer Hendren Hester Hickey hill Ingram Irvin Blake Johnson mark Johnson leading page Rapert Rice sample Stubblefield Sturch Sullivan D. Tucker Wallace. The one which the voter change your vote. Please cast a ballot. By voting thirty two yeas and zero nays the bill is passed. Please transmit to the House. S. B. one fifty when you committee on engrossed bills to whom was first Senate bill one fifty by Senator defenceman compare the engrossed copy with the original and find the same correctly engrossed. Senate is one thing was present Senate bill one fifty by Senator Dismang to amend the uniformity Services Act. Every other thank you members the primary focus of the changes the many services acts bring Arkansan to conformity with the other states by utilizing common definitions background checks permissible investments and exclusions licensure this is mainly to reduce the regulatory burden on licensees at the other main addition to this is to add virtual currency to the lights will activity of a money transmitter according to the most recent data that the they were able provide me there were approximately at three hundred seventy two thousand virtual currency transactions in the state of Arkansas on amounted to over eighty four million dollars so that something that's growing at it in one of the things that they're they're really trying to do on the money transmitters is making sure that if something goes wrong they have a place to go back to to hold someone accountable this is a growing industry years its usage is increasing we won't be able to make sure we're protecting the consumer at the utilized really information and and leading practices from states that are seem to be ahead of the curve that would be Alabama Louisiana and Texas and with that I'd be happy to take any not complicated questions. Senator Garner recognize. Thanks for the service includes like bit coins and other things like that right that money transmitters now it's not gonna do anything to directly related to bit coin but if you're if you're trying to be the in between so this is amended made but it would be it thank the holding house of the broker whatever it may be for these types of transactions then you're going to have to submit yourself to a background check going to provide yourself your information to securities department again in case something goes wrong so what what you don't want to happen is that you use on license non qualified or even fraudulent money transmitter and then that so you take all your bitcoin you're going to let them be the in between the Senate someone else or however all this works I'm not involved in it that that that person didn't just disappears and sensually you've lost your virtual currency in your value and your investment I just put in place that they have to submit themselves background checks in identify with state of Arkansas. Follow please yes Sir yeah but it seems like it's more extensive images that I mean it's a different section of the code we had the definition for me to talk about video game currency and other stuff like that that might be fine I just I'm trying to figure out. What is the House regulated now and after we update this how would be regulated afterwards for that will be the big coins or what you filed Xbox live or something like. Yep the Indians so in your question isn't actually one they're working on because it this is a moving target and discussion is not does happen in Arkansas but everywhere they're trying to take a very small bite at the apple with this dealing with the transmitters at this point again because you don't want someone going out I understand your question my understanding is we're not doing anything that that's jeopardizing this is a form of payment or taking away the right to you know to make utilize these think one example being committee that we had was that farmers are actually utilizing big coin in these virtual currencies in their transactions right now. What the securities departments just measure regarding best practices from other states in allowing there to be protection in place in case something goes wrong by having the first step being able to identify who the folks that we need to contact or having on record thank you Sir. Thank you senator or anybody else have any questions. Any questions they will speak for the bill against the bill pretty close I will in the just to speak to your questioning and Senator Garner we're getting some other information securities Ark offices being very proactive in so if we get some that you know kind of what they're looking at what they're seeing on make sure that we get that to you also thank you Sir they're injection rolling above. Please reload. Ballenger Beckham Bledsoe Caldwell Chesterfield Clark Davis Dismang eads Elliott English Flippo flowers Garner Gilmore hammer Hendren Hester Hickey hill Ingram Irvin Fite Johnson mark Johnson leading Page right for rice sample Stubblefield Sturch Sullivan T. Tucker Wallace. He won which voter change your vote. Please cast a ballot by voting thirty to be a zero day the bill is passed. Please transmit to the House. Secretariat's B. one fifty one. When your committee on engrossed bills to whom was first Senate bill one fifty one by Senator dismaying compare the engrossed copy with the original and find the same correctly engrossed. Senate bill one fifty one by Senator Dismang to amend the Arkansas securities act. Center this morning you're recognized Ms present members a again there's different provisions in this bill that are just clean up in nature but one I want to point you to that because I'm I'm I was glad to see the securities department tackling this is a broader amount of work that's going on right now but section for expansion the protections of vulnerable adults from the financial exploitation including adding transactions these these protections are for the industry to allow them to be able to investigate if they believe that a client is at risk of being financially harmed at the provision also expands the definition of vulnerable adults so that a broker dealer or investment adviser can ease the protections if they believe someone that is under the age of sixty five is also at risk and so the you know one of the better examples is that is a recently widowed again I'm I'm glad to see that they're they're being proactive that you probably had constituents call were folks are being taken advantage of by various industries and and then glad they're able to over there they're being proactive in trying to provide assistance center this morning. Anyone wishing to speak for against the bill. Are you closing close their injection rowing the boat. We drove a. Ballenger bekommt Bledsoe Caldwell Chesterfield Clark Davis Dismang eats Elliott English Flippo flowers Garner Gilmore hammer Hendren Hester Hickey hill Ingram Irvin bike Johnson mark Johnson leading page Rapert Rice sample Stubblefield Sturch Sullivan T. Tucker Wallace. We would wish to voter change your vote. Please cast a ballot by voting thirty two U. A. zero may the bill is passed please transmit to the House. Are there any items to be read across the desk yesterday Mr President this is to inform you on March third twenty twenty one I received the and approved the following measures were regular session may third General Assembly Senate bill twenty four is now and two fifty sincerely as the Hutchinson governor both. Senate resolution ten by Senator Irvin to recognize mount St Mary academy four hundred and seventy years of service to the State of Arkansas Senate resolution ten. Calendar. Senate bill four fifty eight by Senator Garner to amend the law related to hunting in the fifth fishing licenses for residents and to change the age requirement for hunting or fishing fishing license from sixteen years of age eighteen years of age said bill four fifty eight Senator for fifty nine by Senator Garner to exempt the purchase of a used motor vehicle from sales and use tax Senate bill four fifty nine revenue tax symbol for sixteen by Senator Ballinger to amend the law regulating private investigators and private security agencies to amend license requirements and to establish minimum requirements for private investigator instructors and examination examination sit before sixty state agency center four sixty one the center Garner to establish the farmers right to repair act and to require an original manufactured right essential information farmers to repair farm equipment said bill for sixty one. Members there any other announcements. Senator Elliot. You're recognized. Thank you members are trying to find a place to meet and time with the caucus is a moving target I sent to you an email that we would be tomorrow morning and three oh nine at nine thirty percent were not on the calendar at the time meetings now there are so I was sent a reminder about this but we will still meet in three oh nine but will move it to ten thirty instead and we should be able to get that in between. Thank Senator Elliott. Any other announcements. Anything else. Okay the Senate will stand adjourned at one o'clock more seven to the clearing of the debt.