Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee - Senate

Against the bill they need to sign up so. there's a sheet. I'm not positive but I think it's. Police chief it's right there all right thank you all right ladies and gentleman we're going to start with the house bill twelve twenty seven and I believe. The. Who there you go lance all right of center three eight. When you're settled we are ready to hear everything good about this bill. I'm sure like to invite her majors from PAM trucking to join me at the table all right he would introduce yourself for the record please. Tyler majors vice president of human resources at PAM transport in Tontitown Arkansas. All right Senator you're recognized. Thank you venture colleagues this bill was brought to us by a US members of the Arkansas trucking association and what they try to do here is narrowly defined a scenario that impacts a broad range in the industry into this legislation is to this is supported by guidance from the US department of labor and affirmed by the Arkansas department of labor as well and what we're not trying to do here is changing the customary practices of health people in the trucking industry are paid so wanna make sure I have that clear they'll still be the same thing as required by federal regulations drivers must log all of their on duty time and tasks obviously driving but also fueling loading and unloading all of those normal driving activities they would still remain compensable with this bill so what we're doing if you look on page two here we're adding seven lines to clarify specific duties that are not compensatory and identify what those specific things are. If you look on page two starting on line sixteen for an employee of a motor carrier employed and driving capacity in addition to these activities limited in subdivision a one and two of this section of the activity that current well employees traveling to enter from a personal residence engaging in a personal activity that is not primarily in furtherance of the employer's business or logging time is off duty or sleeper berth so what we want to do is make sure that they understand like there's been some courts that have been looking at. Determining wage an hour to make sure they meet certain minimum qualifications and and there's been a few court cases where that's been included in there determined if they were meeting the paying the drivers minimum wage most of them obviously are paid by the mile which would have no impact at least one make sure that this is clearly identified in statute what those duties are not included so that they will be calculated when they're determining those factors and then what what you know our speeds so we have to take any questions all right any questions from the committee. All right does anyone in the audience want to speak for or against the bill. And I believe the Mr manger to have spoken for the bill is that right okay anyone else. Anyone against all right seeing none are you close for I'm sorry when it is for your bill and close all right what's the pleasure of the Committee. We have that do pass I have a second. All those in favor say aye all those opposed senator you pass to bill thank you madam chair thank you Committee. All right. A Representative Johnson we're ready to hear house bill eleven ninety five. And I believe we have a Senator with you Senator Ballenger all right would you did to identify yourself for the record. Of. Share members the committee Jim Dotson state Representative district ninety three all rights and because we know Senator Ballenger District five all right thank you you're recognized all right HB eleven ninety five the every mom matters act or E. MMA for short imma reduces abortions by making sure every woman obtaining abortion in Arkansas knows about the resources both public and private available to work to support her pregnancy and parenting should she decide not to have an abortion. Many abortions are driven by a socio economic concerns that pre existed a pregnancy. And many women seeking abortions parents heightened stress are unaware of resources available to them. Imma requires that before obtaining an abortion one must first receive a free resource S. access assistance offer from a trained supported professional in which the professional explains the services available to the woman and offers to connect her directly to them the Bill supports extensive follow up services until the child's second birthday. All services are provided through a brief phone call to an a toll free number. The estimated cost of implementation based off of numbers from similar type programs in other states is between one point two and one point five million dollars. And. The the results of this that we've seen in other states data shows that if women. Are fully informed one third will decide to keep their babies. In Arkansas when Emma is fully implemented that would be roughly a thousand baby saved annually plus ongoing support for the children's mothers the plan under the bill is for this to be fully implemented by January first of twenty twenty three. And so imagine five years from that date. that this begins the equivalent of forty plus new classrooms full of kindergartners will be starting school. Every year there after. Appreciate that at more happy to try to answer any questions. All right to have questions from the committee. I would just say you get a lot of times will have legislation that that some individuals will will will associate with the having a burden regulation that that puts time and an effort between the woman and be able to get the abortion it M. and some of those things I mean I'm passport basically any bill that that makes a little little harder leisure say babies but this bill actually what this does this reduce the number of abortions because it requires moments to have information and to know what is available to him I think it's I think it's a hello beautiful and and I think it's a great idea and I'm glad that that individuals brought this to us and I feel honored to even be part of it. Good vote all right thank you so seeing no other questions sing no questions from the committee does anyone want to speak for the bill. All right does anyone want to speak against the bill I believe yes please it's Keren. Music all right. And if you would identify yourself for the record will recognize you. Okay thank you so much and good afternoon legislators and distinguished people my name is Karen music. I'm one of the co founders of the Arkansas abortion support network. We assist women any our Kansans in need of abortion services. We have access their constitutional right to an abortion. Of those hundreds of women that we have assisted financially. We've asked them to please write a brief story about their circumstances. So that we can share it with our donors. One of the brutal realities that I think that you need to realize is that. Mama's already have info. Mamas have had info for a long time. There's no new services being established here you're doing nothing other than forcing a woman who wants an abortion to make a call to non medical professionals to share their advice. These women know the services that are out there they know the decisions that are going to affect the rest of their lives I would like to read you a few brief stories from some of the women that we have assisted. This woman says this pregnancies been extremely difficult due to a number of reasons including financial instability. And the dangerous environment with the father he's been physically and emotionally abusive and has recently been to jail for rape. And for sexual assault for another woman I left him. I also have health concerns I'm thirty I'm single I have had five C. sections with my last delivery being very complicated. At this point in my life I want to focus on being a better me and a better parent getting rid of the negative toxicity. Another person told us I don't blame anyone however I blame myself I don't know why my insurance didn't allow me birth control. Her insurance did not cover her birth control. I recently had colon surgery something's wrong with my leg and now I need a hip replacement. The senator so right so many of these people have financial needs. But it's more than just financial needs they know what they're getting into. Another one told us I I have three children one partner. I'm twenty six married my husband is living in another state right now in our relationship is not on great terms. I don't want to have four kids by him with all of his cheating and lies. There's not one thing that this camera can tell any of these women that they do not know. Another woman says I'm twenty seven years old and have three amazing kids I do the best I can to care for them like that they need and they deserve I cannot take another mouth to feed. I don't worry about what other people think because the only judgment that matters to me is god's. And that's something only I have to live with and god knows that this is best. Another story my daughter was fourteen when she was raped she's a ninth grader. Due to my health problems and change in job we don't have insurance and were in financial trouble. My daughter was a preemie I don't know whether she will live through a pregnancy at fourteen. What is going to tell this family. Here's another story I couldn't get my tubes tied. I'm twenty eight years old I married. But have been separated for several months I have two children. And the child I just had. I got pregnant unintentionally four months later. I didn't want any more children but I couldn't get my tubes tied because my husband would not fade for it. She wanted to have high quality birth control it was not available to her. There is a thirty four year old ugh going to for that this one became a mom at fifteen. Over a span of ten years I have five children. I've lost my job of five years a couple months ago when I found out I was pregnant. I'm trying to take care of five kids on minimum wage. What is going to do to help her. As a child I was taught abortion was wrong that stayed with me well into my adult years I have three children my last pregnancy was horrible health wise. When I found out I was expecting again the one option that I believe to be wrong became my best option her choice of words. My whole outlook changed a woman has a right to make a choice whether it be hard easy right or wrong. There's a thirty five year old who already has two children I also take care of my mother who is a stroke survivor I am not in a position to have another child. What's going to do to help that woman of excuse me for interrupting let's make this one your last one but thank you so much of what he okay I really do I have hundreds of these that I completely understand we have to limit it somehow this one the woman feared for her life if she carried through my last pregnancy I got really sick I ended up losing over fifty pounds it was a daily struggle to do basic everyday needs I was not able to walk Page myself take care of myself or my oldest child. I was not able to hold anything down and had to get IV fluids every few days and was on multiple made the cations just to try to keep the pregnancy which came early anyway. All right I'm currently breast feeding and never got my period because I was breast feeding I cannot go through another pregnancy I believe it would kill me and that what would happen to my children. These are stories of some of the women that actually to access abortions they don't need help if you want to hand out money I think any of them would take it but they don't need to have to make a phone call and have a non medical person tell them what they need to do they need to get to a health clinic all right thank you so very much ladies and gentleman. A is anyone else in the audience that would like to speak for the Bill. Anyone want to speak against the bill anyone else all right seeing none of Senator. What would you like to close for your bill yeah I I'll are quickly say and then the represent Dotson as if they can add that you know it it is a it's amazing how. Requiring a five minute phone call. For a young lady to be able to get information. Is crazy so much fear. And and I think it's because sometimes the industry success means more abortions. And I think the most of us most legislators and I know I know all of you so I know you in the room DO but even in the folks on the other side of the aisle. used to what they would say safely going rare. Right so this right here should be something that's consistent stretches across the aisle because all it is it requires one telephone call for them to get more information the results of it are actually incredible. All right ladies and gentleman you have heard the bill you have heard someone speak against it and you have heard the closing from our senator and from a Representative all right to direct. All right we have a motion on the floor now to have the second all right all those in favor say aye all those opposed your bill has passed thank you so much thank you and gentleman we are not going to hear of. Senate bill six and in less there is someone here for. Of House Bill Tennessee three seven one here for house bill ten O. three O. okay. All. All right when you're settled you are recognized. Thank you madam chair members of the committee and this bill and is long and pages that and there are just small and. The nets along the way and it's in regards to specifically to the deaf and hearing impaired communities and death with capital D. deaf with lower case D. and hard of hearing. I said this bill was brought to us by the Arkansas association of the deaf and and. That term hearing impaired is a term that became popular a few decades ago and but it focuses mainly on the disability rather than the person and and a big focus right now really is people first language using people first language so speaking of them first in their disability second and so you'd say a person with down syndrome rather than a downs or down syndrome person and so and that the people in the deaf community deaf with a capital D. they identify culturally is staff and typically typically were born deaf and so it's and they consider themselves part of a culture community lowercase at deaf lowercase D. them are typically people who lost hearing maybe later in life they don't use American Sign Language as their primary and way of communicating and and they don't identify with that death capital D. culture group and then hard of hearing and they are people who have difficulty hearing but still rely on speaking as their and they means of communication so those are the three terms that were clarified throughout and this bill so it's essentially cleanup language but I'll take any questions at this time all right you have any questions committee. All right seeing none of do we have anyone in the audience who would like to speak for or against this bill. All right seeing none heavy clothes for your bill yes thank you all right do I have a motion have a motion to have the second all those in favor say aye those opposed you have passed your bill. Alright ladies and gentleman I have one little announcement before you leave Mundy thank you for the eight at two PM or when the Senate adjourned for the day we are going to have Committee photographs. So be sure to come all spruced up with your. You know your time zone and all of that. And we're going to meet on the Senate steps on the second floor. I think so you will miss. Right picture. All right remember that February the eighth at two PM or whenever the Senate adjourns you're going to have your picture taken alright ladies and gentlemen there is no with the business to