Judiciary Committee- House

Members. House judiciary members if you please take your seat we're about ready to get started. House judiciary meeting is now convene that want to welcome each and everyone of you who are returning members I'm Carol Dalby I'll be your chair this year representing Brandt Smith is our vice chair of for those of you who have then on this committee before welcome back for those of you who were brave enough to jump on this committee strappy and we get busy and get going I'm planning on keeping my face mask on because I'm right here by Alison but if you have any trouble understanding me or hearing what I sent let me know and I will school way further away from her so that I can take my facemask for office and talk to you I do what I think most of the members who were here last time this is Alison Alison Is keeps us all in line keeps us going the one that's responsible for everything that gets on your desk in our new Judy I don't want the. It is over here is actually increase your hand up over here for those of you who have been around awhile GT usually with the other person that Judy's kind of going up she's taking a break from this I think we worked out we welcome actually to our committee up with that represent you slipped you have any comment you would like to me make. All right thank you madam chair Preciado it up for those of you who know me and many of our committee members I have served. On the judiciary last term and this is my third time to be on Judiciary and I really appreciate it for those of you that are attorneys Andrew. And others I value what you bring to the judiciary I'm not an attorney but have always valued the rule of law and I just want to do a good job measure vice chair so help me out along the way and we're gonna have a good session in here thank you. Thank you Representative Smith looking forward to working with Brandt looking forward to working with each one of you up members as you know we have lots of law enforcement types that often come before our committee and we are very honored today that the Attorney General for the state of Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge has come to our meeting and Attorney General would like to welcome you and ask you to please step forward and make some comments to our committee. What you cannot serve anybody watching on live stream can hear you. Be happy to recognize U. Attorney General and also Cory **** is there with her and if he has comments will recognize him at the appropriate time you have the floor thank you thank you madam chair and vice chair Smith and to all the committee members I just wanted to stop in very briefly today along with some of my senior staff to have. Welcome you all back although very challenging circumstances and to let you all know that my team is stand ready to assist this committee and anyway so please feel free to reach out to us as chairman acknowledged I've got Corey **** here chief of staff I've got Rambo in deputy chief of staff Brad nine who is the legislative director and treatment or is an attorney assigned to the legislature this session all of these should be familiar faces to most of you all of her returning members and if not again we just wanted to reach out I personally today madam chair and to let you all know that we are here to assist in any way thank you ma'am. Thank you Terry general hang on it as if I have any questions or have any questions as to how her staff works with us we see them every Tuesday and Thursday when we meet you'll see him in the hall they're a great resource I think for this committee and so if anybody has any questions I'll be happy to Take a. Yes. You're recognized. Thank you madam chair I have a question for myself oh I'm sorry Richmond flowers I haven't wanted to extend an invitation to each of you or committee as a whole to come to the attorney general's office at any time to either meet with the staff or to tour and to see our operations at work because I know that because we're not on the capitol grounds were not as easily accessible however we are accessible at any time the members of the committee would like to meet with us the end on that note the Attorney General had invited us back right at the first of March this past year to come in they were going to have a program for sending coded hit and we couldn't common so hopefully we'll get past that we can make another road trip that way in that represent the flowers are recognize you. Wait let me get you on. Hello what's different read when you can speak of it. thank you madam chair I just this is my first time serving on Judiciary and my question general what which is for those of us who may have legislation that we want to get your office's perspective on maybe before running or if it's something that we are looking to vote on and we're concerned about or whatever. Is it how do you how does your office operate is there one person in particular that addresses sort of your office's position on bills or just sort of who in your leadership is available or how do you do that thank you. Absolutely and and thank you represented flowers for us my question that's why I we thought it was important to to come over today and to bring Corey brown brand entrance I because are these four individuals will be the one to you'll be interfacing with the most we are always happy to review any bill ahead of time or if you have specific language that you are concerned about or maybe you're not concerned about what you want to see if we're concerned about it because in the event that is challenged in the courts will be the ones defending it and so we always like for anything out of the General Assembly and to be as clean as possible so I that's why we brought these German over I we also have a team of about twenty attorneys that serve on our legislative team during the sessions that review all of the bill so if you all had two thousand plus bills we review all two thousand of them and. Mark them up and look at them to determine whether or not they would be challenged in a court room and so that way we can help. Parse the words as attorneys love to do but that way we will avoid any conflicts and unnecessary conflicts that is I will let you all decide whether or not something gets passed. Yes ma'am. Thank you any other questions. Once again thank you so much generate leads for making time to come over we appreciate it very much we look forward to working with your office in with your staff and they've always been a big help and so we certainly appreciate appreciate your time today thank you manager thank you Committee. Member center that brings us to really the second thing that I have on my agenda you have before you the House resolution that has been passed for the procedures of committees and we will be following that it's nothing that anybody has not seen are are there any questions we have Jill Thayer here from the alarm thing by has a question that shouldn't be a surprise we've all seen it. it is already been adopted we don't need to adopt this committee but this is what we'll be are going by this is your copy please be sure to take it so you'll understand on let just let you know kind of how I operate we move fast in this committee because this is for a committee that has lots and lots of bills that get filed in I will we have a new way of. Having bills all the bills are on the deferred list until the. Either somebody is common want some run right to win this money if they're ready to run bills run their bill then we will pull it up you'll have that'll be at least eighteen hours prior to the next meeting so that'll be on an agenda at that point in time. All and so it also I will also be texting you I'm doing it putting out a group text to the Committee to remind them what we're hearing the next day so watch for that the way I conduct meetings in here on M. replacement and I've talked about this we're in agreement we I have no problem with questions we we everybody knows I will let you ask questions until to the point I think we're beating that dead horse better than we don't ask those questions anymore and I don't mind moving this on I do not Tolerate. What's the word grandstanding or speeches because that's not what we're here for we're here to find out what the members are presenting to us with those bills are impressed S. those questions we're not going to berate other members we're not going to berate people who come before us will give them curtesy and I expect in turn that they will be giving us curtesy and I don't have a problem with someone somebody out if I think that they're not giving my members in my community the due respect that I think they do so once we all understand that that was the. Landscape I have here understand also it's never personal if I break you in NCAA. That said we're moving on it's not personal is that you beat that horse dead and we've got to keep going otherwise we'll be here for ever in this committee this committee needs at two o'clock or upon adjournment. And so obviously you can understand we get a later in session we may not adjourned till I don't know three or four o'clock in the afternoon we're gonna be coming in late so we may be working in the evenings and this committee unless the changes around in this committee the Speaker sits on this committee it takes ten votes to pass the bill out of committee all or other committees if the speakers not on it it's eleven and this one it takes ten. So be aware of that. I'm trying to think represent Smith about lifting thing out that we've talked about. A you'll see on your desk of a blue piece of paper. Please review your billing piece of paper and make any changes on it but particularly make sure we have the correct cell phone number for you and then leave your piece of paper on the desk so that Alison can collect those and get the right information and this will be what I will use to let you know what's coming up so look at your Belushi before you leave today make any corrections I believe that so that we can do that. Here's the thing you know we're going to the site don't shoot the messenger there will be no tablets. The session no paper. Bring your personal device. Or go print off the bills that are coming up you bring on yourself but we will no longer have that ability to scroll through so make sure you bring your personal items what are you will read it off your telephone your personal computer or you go in print the bills that are coming up it doesn't matter to me but just be aware don't show up on Thursday and think oh where's my tablet. if there are any and many months that are coming up that bill those will be passed out by the staff in paper form. Other than that we're on or a. so kind of do that you can go on the website. You can find what's being listed in house Judiciary if you want to read ahead we will get to him also but once again I'm going to let you know in plenty of time what's going to be there with that being said I can tell you right now if you want to take a note. Your three Bills and they're probably the best bills it'll be run this session. They have my name on it. These three bills will be run Thursday. House Bill ten fifty seven. House Bill ten fifty eight and house bill ten fifty nine. Seventy seven fifty eight and fifty nine will be on our calendar for Thursday. No one else has contacted me yet I'm not anticipating that we've got anything else on Thursday I do know that next to start from the nineteenth. We will have House Bill ten for representing Fortner his S. that be heard so House Bill ten oh four will be next Thursday. I would anticipate will happen not next Thursday next Tuesday the nineteenth I'm up I apologize next Tuesday the nineteen. I'd written it down the road said this wrong thing next Tuesday the nineteenth this house bill to know for. Yes with all that being said any questions that you may have of of how we operate and what we do here in Judiciary. You know I'll give you my personal opinion I think all committees are really important that we all serve on and they all have unique purposes unique challenges but I have found that at that house judiciary will touch every Arkansas. In some form or fashion what comes through here touches every our cans and that doesn't mean the other committee study there but sometimes there are a lot more specialized as to their topics and maybe somebody's not gonna run across it but everyone of us in here I. D. states probably have a speeding ticket. Are some kind of ticket in the past or maybe you had to go to court for something. So we all get touched by this committee. I have a number of agencies some mobile may be sitting outside if they're out in the hall and I know they can hear me you're welcome to come in now I've had a few lobbyist and if you all would just like to there's no special order on C. Jerry Robbins back there I'll pick on him but if if you'd like to come to the front and just press the button introduce who you are who you represent also you can kind of at least three eyeballs to it somebody looks like and you can guess what they look like behind their mask I'd ask anybody who'd like to community some cells please do so J. you're recognized. Thank you madam chair my name is Jay Robbins I'm the director of government relations for the Arkansas Bar Association I look forward to working with each of you if there's anything out of the barking do please feel free to to reach out. Members I will tell you the borrower of will be happy to if you have a bill that you're running through here you can give it to the J. will get it to the different sections of the bar and it'll go before practitioners who may be practicing wheels in the states and they can talk to you about what what they see good bad they don't give it they don't tell you whether you know pass it or not but they will tell you how it works in the real world so welcome yes represented Crawford. So we can see your face so we can really learn who you are thank you. Registered in Bethlehem lobbyist in this room. Represent Crawford Richey being about management group we represent the administrative office of the court their lobby through the judicial council so representing the members of the Supreme Court and all of the circuit judges. District judges I think a bit next to have their own lobbyists but we work in concert with the bar the district judges will have judges that peer most of the committee meetings that can provide testimony answer questions so if you have some legislation that you would like to run and want to have a judge look at prior to we'd be glad to have that looked at as well. So. Thank you thank you Richard for coming yes ma'am. Push that button is gonna show read it's con ops about now there you go I'm Lynn Pidcock many of you will know me and I my lobbying partner Tommy ran our first session to represent the Arkansas district judges council work very similar to the way Richard mentioned a few minutes ago our judges are primarily your local judges formally you municipal municipal judges but the legislation over the past twenty years they've all been transferred to state positions and we're still in the process of moving those past few over so I've been in contact with some of you up to this point and would love to answer any questions in the future if you have any desire to hear from the district judges on your legislation. Thank you let. Secretary gross. Good afternoon madam chair and members of the committee my name is Solomon graves on the secretary of corrections areas of the department which are under the jurisdiction tion of this committee relate to the Division of correction which is generally referred to as ATC of those those are state prisons division of community correction which is state supervised probation parole and community correct action centers along with the parole board the sentencing commission and what is officially referred to as the criminal detention facility review office commonly known as jail standards were one of the largest agencies in state government to church or woman doll bees comment about this committee touching every our cans in I've got that physical operations in just about every one of your counties across this state so whether it's a issue that the department is advocating on behalf of or whether it is a issue that you are advocating on your own please don't hesitate to reach out to me I'll work with you many of you before in previous sessions Allison has my contact information if you don't if I'm not here my chief of staff when the Wallace who also serves as the executive director of the state sentencing commission or one of our division directors will always be be here at every meeting and we stay ready to assist as needed. Thank you secretary. Good afternoon I'm Jamie cook I'm the secretary for the Arkansas department of public safety I'm also the director for law enforcement standards and training. I'm Mary Claire McLaurin I'm an attorney for the Arkansas state police which is a division of the department of public safety I'm also our legislative liaison. So the department of public safety consist of the Arkansas state police the Arkansas department merge the management the crime information center the commission on law enforcement standards and training and the crime lab so we stand we confided to be jog back in legislative session in anything at all that that we can do a please never hesitate to contact me or any member of our team. Thank you all for being here appreciate it. I kind of feel like I'm on prices right now coming down. Thank you ma'am chairman Bob McMahon on the prosecutor coordinator I'll be appearing before you really in two capacities if you Siemian joint budget or personnel or something like that more than likely I'm representing my state agency was is the office of the prosecutor coordinator in the Judiciary Committee I'll usually be speaking on behalf of the Arkansas prosecuting attorneys association we will have a legislative committee obviously that will make your various appearances here before you all the present of our socio Haitian this year's naked Smith who's the elected prosecutor in Benton County he will be coming down here's is regularly as he can election you'll see various prosecutors as well as an association we will run a very small legislative package which some clean up bills and I have a couple people with me here to introduce themselves today. NO chairman members of the committee on Laurie computer is on the deputy prosecutor coordinator I will be here representing the prosecuting attorney's association and be happy to answer questions I'm kind of Bob's back up so if you can't get Bob and you find may I'm happy to help in anyway that. Madam chairman my name's Daniel shoe I'm the elected prosecuting attorney and Sebastian County the twelfth judicial district I am the chairperson for the Arkansas prosecuting attorneys association and the my dad always told me said the world's divided between big wheels and slobs just trying to be helpful to law. Thank you all appreciate it Bob for bringing your group. Thirty one upper high see another one coming. Good afternoon madam chairman Greg parish on the Director of the Arkansas public defender commission and just by happenstance I'm just following the prosecutors We typically do not run a package alleged legislative package but we appear daily because plan certain criminal bills or in that area are ran and we recognize within her constitutional issues we bring those forward I will be here Charlotte bogan as an assistant Attorney my office you will be here. And I'm just confident Jeff Rosenzweig will also appear on behalf of the Arkansas association of criminal defense lawyers I'm always available you name me please feel free to reach out thank you manager thank you Greg projection. Anybody else. Well thank each of you who have come today and introduce yourselves we look forward to working with you members I do encourage you to reach out whenever you have questions they're a great group of they will tell you what they think in I think we've got a lawyer so they're not shy about expressing their opinions I have nothing else on my agenda are there any other any other comments or questions from members of the committee. I look forward to working with each one of you representing Smith in our he'll be taking the chair of right off the bat Thursday and the I will let you know if we have any additional bills we will meet at two o'clock Thursday at four ten minutes upon adjournment so just listen for the announcement with that thank you for coming we are adjourned.