Joint Interim Committee on Legislative Facilities
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Senator Kim Hammer
Unverified
0:00
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd like to ask Jill a question just for my own clarification and people that may be watching live stream now because I've not sat on the committee before. What exactly
Speaker 3
0:13
are our areas that we have jurisdiction over? Jill Thayer, Bureau of Legislative Research. Senator Hammer, under the law, this committee
Speaker 5
0:20
has jurisdiction over legislative spaces within the state capitol building. So any of the spaces over in Big Mac are not part of this committee's purview, but the legislative spaces here are.
Senator Kim Hammer
Unverified
0:32
Okay. And the House had their committee rooms done last? Last time.
Speaker 6
0:37
It wasn't last year, though. It was two sessions ago. Two sessions ago.
Senator Kim Hammer
Unverified
0:42
Okay. Madam Chair, I'd like to put it out for discussion. We come back together. When was the last time this end was done, Jill? This committee has
Speaker 5
0:56
not met since, I believe, 2018. to them. The committee has not met since 2018?
Senator Kim Hammer
Unverified
1:03
Correct. Okay. Okay, but as far as this end in
our committee rooms, when was the last time they were done, like hold are
Speaker 14
1:29
Prior to 18. Okay. Ms. Ann, do you know? So this end hasn't
Senator Kim Hammer
Unverified
1:40
been touched since 2000.
The Senate committee rooms have not been touched since 2003, give
Speaker 18
2:03
or take. Okay. How about coming to the mic, if
Speaker 20
2:08
you don't mind? Is that all right, Madam Chair?
Speaker 23
2:21
One thing you might have the Secretary of State's office look at, the drapes in the old Supreme Court room are frayed. They really are bad. If you walk up and look at them, I've had several people come up and mention those drapes to me. And that would be something that they would put in. But you'd need to request it from Cole Jester, as long as he's Secretary of State or even the next one. Thank you, Ms. Anne. Other than that, I think we're almost grateful. Thank you.
Representative DeAnn Vaught
Unverified
2:52
Can I have Ms. Jill explain the money
real quick so people online understand where the money comes from? I don't want them to think
Speaker 5
3:02
that we're just frivolously throwing money out there. Thank you, Madam Chair. The Bureau has, in its appropriation, every year $205,000. It's a line item that's designated for legislative facilities. And the practice in the past has been that the Chambers take alternate who gets that money. That would be authorized by this committee.
Representative DeAnn Vaught
Unverified
3:22
President Pro Tem, history are recognized. Well,
Senator Bart Hester
Unverified
3:26
I would like for us to understand if we did some reconfiguration, like we can't build these rooms for Easter Sunday, right? But we also, almost every committee meeting, people are standing. Yes. Do we need half this table if we went with a U-shape, I don't know, interior designer, who you employ to try to figure out how we can be the most efficient with the space we have?
Are our chairs too bulky and we can add in seven more seats if we change the kind of chairs they are? I would just like to understand, can we do what we're doing better? And then it's for the constituent experience. We always get the good seats, right? I'm never not going to walk in a room and not have a seat during session, but what can we do to make it more
Representative DeAnn Vaught
Unverified
4:14
user-friendly for the people? And I totally agree with that. We were talking prior to going online about y'all's ag, Senate ag, and there's never a time that it's not two people deep against the wall. I mean, it is completely packed every single time that committee meets.
And you can't even hardly get into the chair to testify for your bill because there's so many people behind you. So I agree 100%. So, Ms. Jill, do you know who
we could maybe call on to look to make sure that we're doing it more efficiently in the rooms? I don't know
Speaker 38
4:45
if the Secretary of State might be able to assist with that. Marty may have a better answer. Ms. Marty, could you please come to
Senator Bart Hester
Unverified
4:53
the table? Yeah, if it's just layout or if we need to change the furniture, right? Like this table seats 20.
We need eight seats for members, two seats for staff. So, we need 10 seats or maybe two for people. we need 12 of them. This one seats 20. If we went to a 12 top, could we add another row or
Speaker 39
5:13
two of seats for people? Recognize yourself for
Speaker 44
5:15
the record, then you might be. Marty Garrity with the Bureau of Legislative Research. I think you have probably a couple options. I know the Secretary of State's office, they have architects and contractors that they work with on a regular basis. We also have Division of Building Authority with Ann Laidlaw. That may be an option. I know
they have a state architect that may be willing to come in and assist with kind of looking at the room and or resources within that division that could help too and alternatively you could hire an independent consultant architect or you know designer that could assist with that
Chair
Unverified
5:58
sanitary dots and you're recognized
Senator Jim Dotson
Unverified
6:01
thank you madam chair um so two questions one
uh when a lot of the house rooms were reconfigured i i think i remember applying we applied for some sort of a matching grants from his historical society or something like that so one checking and see if that's available to add on to the amount that we have appropriated and set aside for things. And then secondarily, also looking at the lighting in the various Senate chamber rooms for sure,
as well as the mics. There's several mics that are, especially in the education committee room, Because they're not wired, the batteries die on them, they're difficult to get to turn on, and then the sound in there is very hard to hear if you're sitting at the table or even in the audience sometimes. So looking at those things for a future meeting to see what we plan to do would be the things that I would suggest us look into.
Senator Kim Hammer
Unverified
7:16
Senator Hamer. I'm sorry, are you talking about 207 where education meets? Yeah. I think, correct me if I'm wrong, Senator Hester, we just took care of that, right? Senate Efficiency just took care of authorizing the purchasing of new mics to match what's in here that will be going in there to get rid of those shell mics. Okay. That's right, isn't it? I think that's before
Senator Jim Dotson
Unverified
7:40
you walked in. I think it must have been. I saw something about mics on there, and that's why it reminded me to mention it.
And then, do we have authority over, like, the Senate chamber as well? Is that, or is that the Senate Efficiency Committee? So, again, the lighting and maybe even cleaning of the dome glass and those curtains that are up there, I don't know if those are still necessary or not, but I know when the curtains were taken out of the House chamber, it really brightened things up in there. So those would be things I would consider.
Senator Kim Hammer
Unverified
8:20
Get rid of all the drapes. Yes, sir. Clarify something for me, because I was thinking that when it comes to the chambers of the respective ends, that in our case, it's the Efficiency Committee that takes care of any decisions with regards to remodel within the Senate chamber. Am I right or wrong on that?
Speaker 5
8:41
I think that that's how the practice is, that it's been handled that way, yes. This committee could allocate those funds for you to utilize for that. Okay.
Representative Carol Dalby
Unverified
8:50
Representative Dobby, you're recognized. I would have a motion at a proper time that we allow our chairs to get with the Secretary of State's office and also with the State Facilities Commission to see if they would have the expertise that could go and look at each one of these rooms, taking into consideration the need for space, lighting, carpet, that kind of thing, and I would move that we give our chairs that authority to talk to them to get somebody in here
until we have someone who's come in and said, here's what's needed in room 207 or room 272 or whatever, or that we need new drapes in the old Supreme Court room. We're kind of spinning our wheels, so that would be my motion if it's proper. this time. I've got a
Representative DeAnn Vaught
Unverified
9:41
second. So I've got a motion and a second. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing no discussion, all in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed, no. Motion passes. So Senator Hammer and I will get with
them and then we'll call another meeting once we get all the information
put together, if that works for everybody. Well, thanks for being here. We're adjourned. Thank you.
Agenda
A. Call to Order
B. Discussion of Legislative Facility Needs
C. Other Business
D. Adjournment
Documents
| Title | Type | Pages | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agenda — JOINT INTERIM COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE FACILITIES, May 21, 2025 | Agenda | 1 | Official source ↗ |
Speakers
Senator Kim Hammer
Unverified
Speaker 3
Speaker 5
Speaker 6
Speaker 10
Speaker 13
Speaker 14
Speaker 18
Speaker 20
Speaker 23
Representative DeAnn Vaught
Unverified
Senator Bart Hester
Unverified
Speaker 38
Speaker 39
Speaker 44
Chair
Unverified
Senator Jim Dotson
Unverified
Representative Carol Dalby
Unverified