Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development - Senate

First off I would like for members to introduce yourselves till FOR you from. And we will start with you and go to your left only on Trent Wallace. Twenty two Bills. Thank you service Jan I'm Dave Wallace. Senate district twenty two the blob also layered let me back this is my third term on the aircraft committee. senator Charles but come District twelve representing Columbia washed on the beta Dallas. Rent A. Clark county's. More district twenty six which incomes is pretty much all of Southeast Arkansas the whole corner there actually counties where I'm from Crossett actually grew up on a small farm so I'm very interested in an agriculture obviously just because of my district being predominantly ag so look for to working with all of you. Senator James Sturch District nineteen north central Arkansas independence Izard sharp parts of Fulton Randolph County this my second term on agriculture. Governing state senator for district four it's the heart of Washington County this is my first time with that but my for two terms in the house served on this committee that is so happy to be back. Bills Scrabble District fourteen that's for calling in part of the school any. And I thank you for served on this committee works class. DO district twenty nine last year ranking second second round only cover or Lonoke county pledged county White County and partner County look forward to work with all the the new member to the Committee this year and the person thanks. My name is Ronald Caldwell I'm from Louisiana for district twenty three I've got to alter the biggest parts of cross Jackson Woodroof Monroe lease entrances and White County. So but anyway we look forward to working with you all this section and please feel free to reach out to us in time you want to I would like to introduce our staff up served as chairman of agro on two different occasions. And we're back when over state agencies last year own transformation and worked Womack medium glad to be back to ask but all the faces change in a she was our. The support staff and state issued last year and she left she quit we worked for two or then she showed up back over here and it she comes over Act hide but Jon Jones is our committee analyst Anshel members for if the of the committee if you all need something any information contact John our system administrative assistant is Bacchante Johnson look into would you please to against please stand for the actually and so if the I look forward to work with you we we've always had a. Good work relationship with with staff. And our attorneys Cassie hal Casey. She's not here okay. Very good. Of committee members you have a green folder on your desk that has built in it we an issue to leave these folders with the bills and I'm at your seat when the meeting or over. During the session the committee will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays or at the call of the chair and so Historically Act is one of the slower least busy committees that we have the state agency last year bringing cheer unit seven in the morning keep about ten at night. And the so but anyway that we may get busy buffers to stand on a committee eight years ago we had big river steel come through which was a very large new application of a thank members eighty two at a time certain wall for the and can attest to that when I came back through for the second go around actually sent it tax revenue so anyway. The. But we will meet in in this room and nor will meet at nine thirty. A quorum of must be present to start five committee members have to be here for us to have a meeting if we're not here then then we will not hold a meeting. We need to discuss and adopt the Committee rules. there in your folder. Motion the second all in favor say aye. All opposed motion carries. All right we have. Several people in the back I wonder committee members to understand who these people are well I want to to start in an have you all stay in introduce yourself and tell who you were with. Our worry I. Yeah. One. Good. All right. Here have a. There were are. Last name. He or. Our. Not really having years you. With Arkansas farm bureau. Thank you all appreciate everybody being here we. Look forward to working together with everyone Senator hill your senator bill. Those in the table please. Senate bill number seventy four. Ricky Hill district twenty nine. The first is that an amendment I'm not forced to adopt the amendment so we can get started. Motion to postpone Amendment your amendment yes okay all in favor say aye. All opposed them to adopt. Thank you Sir well that's okay I backed up into the cab of Mary Kate and Kate appear to the to the table would be for. Please introduce yourself for the record yes can can. Thank you Sir thank you Andrew you're recognized. Thank you Sir get the The amendment for the bill in front of you now since we did approve the amendment that we're gonna be looking at. To start with I want to know let everyone know what we're looking at on this bill. This plan covers the W.. Who what when where and why. Who does it affect it affects every citizen in the state of Arkansas in the future. What does it do any has restrictions on from broadband increases competition. We know that take place now in this committee. We're in the economic development committee why because Arkansas is ranked number forty eight in broadband services I live two miles from the city of cat I have to serve providers in as of yesterday I had half of one of them work I have CenturyLink and suddenly and that only does not affect me. In the larger cities in the state of Arkansas and so what we're trying to do with this bill just to kind of cut through everything with it is to expand we've we've had lots of conversations just now it worked really great with this on this deal. With the several the broadband. Providers. And so we worked on this deal and what this deal is actually does it allows cities to do bond to build the infrastructure needed to do body must have some type of collateral the infrastructure when you build it is the collateral that can be used for the bond in this allows a city to do that but it does not allow them to provide the service they have to partner with someone to provide the service. So the city will not be getting it they might only ever trust but they do not operate the broadband service. So that that's the main aspect to this bill the covered everything and I can do it within a Your bond issue. And finally to that way or if they go through into the sales tax they wanted to be up to the the citizens in that area would decide what is best for them in their future. So you've you've all that the bill in front of you the look to it in you have any questions I'll be glad to answer those for you. Sturch. Thank you Mr chairman Syriana's one to ask for a follow up question what you said. I'm on page two thanks to and and in subsection six. This is the government entity may require construct furnish equip own operate sell convey lease rent letter signed dispose of all these different things so I guess my question is if they. DO a bond are they pay for the. Eighty quid man or the infrastructure whatever then but they can't provide the service then they lease they partner with a partner with with the win string suddenly electric cooperative whomever this opens it up for use when do competitors into this field okay so it's then it would be just one service provider or it could be multiple service providers depending on who could reach that area of the city that would be up to the city decided that but then they I guess would. I guess I'm trying to ask then if it's just a partnership or if it's a lease agreement or whatever you're just leasing that then just the service part so they still run the billing to the customers they still run all that kind of stuff as far as the provider of the rock the. They don't the only thing that that would change in this right here is the city or county. We'll have the infrastructure okay and then how do they pay for besides just the sales tax rate a lease okay the leases to the provider under contract if you go back to the to the next page it'll tell you that right there this partner contract or otherwise affiliate with an entity. Thank Mr. And. Any more questions on. Senator hill of. is this is your cities going to provide the the five will. Your microphone alter so yes it is okay thank you. Are you willing to take on this of or you can provide the apple of. For that infrastructure. Yes they will provide the proper in supposed to probably go away the proper europea restrict revelation that's correct okay. Thank you Mr you want to. It's okay with them all out Senator can cater safety words sure. The senators like Senator Hill to said we're a city of thirty thousand people and when the senses come that we may be ranked thirteenth fourteenth fifteenth largest city in the state at a five hundred so when they were in the top five percent and we need change we need to change even before code now more than ever we need to be able to make her own decision on our city we need to be competitive we're losing jobs businesses and people to Conway and other areas because of our internet we want our city to be a set of businesses that the governor's office is bringing to our state. Reporter cities with. Any business model you know will tell you that without infrastructure capital. It's. I'm not doing anything you don't know but I truly believe it is the new electricity. everyone wants it you know when you go on the spectrum rights to be on your on your conditional be on. Hi my name is not on I have three sons at home if it works it works it needs internet on the internet I've got a state office longer to do my job that I can go home with my family. Because. Me when I get home and I work to do and I'll be others in this room is at the same issue we will act if we have to fix this issue we're losing people because of this people want things Fund to psychiatrists today no worries no edges no problems. In our city. The. You know millions for internet he wants the best for education system as Senate. In the State of Arkansas catch up NO one cares about your city more than me is the mayor the senator Ewing your enemies as well. Readers we can help make this change I respectfully ask for your help. We're not asking for money. We're only asking us to be removed so we can make our own decisions we need your help and support we have to stay competitive. This is a military bases close and all those residents we have forty percent of the residents from the base. our results in our future. But I respectfully ask this isn't Cabot. Two please put this bill presented to the four. Arkansas be one the best place in the country for internet education health care and economic development. And I believe that. Arkansas could be less competitive. We we could go under so I believe now is the time if you would Sir sirs respectfully thank you. Any questions many member. The reddit close your bill. Yes Sir. Close. The I will say closing. That the broken providers. Would work as hard as our lobbyists do in providing services to our citizens and our lobbyist to ask protecting them and depending on the company's we will not make the right number forty eight in the US so I respectfully ask everyone for a positive vote on the S. and at the proper time Sir I make a motion to pass the motion to pass to your second second all in favor say aye All opposed hope you're doing appear. As a as amended I'm sorry as amended. So I have a motion to do pass and second on on this bill as amended all in favor say aye. All opposed commercialization bill passes. No. Anyone else there is no other business we stand adjourned. The.