State Agencies & Govt'l Affairs- House
Video
Transcript
1 document
Bills discussed (54)
| Bill | Title | Sponsor | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
|
SB12
· 6 mentions in transcript, agenda, chapter
Matched: “…ions, your bill is passed. Uh, next up, we're going to have Senate Bill 12. I think Senator King is here to Present that bill.”
|
TO AMEND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967; AND TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING … | B. King | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SB516
Act 761
· 5 mentions in agenda, chapter, transcript
Matched: “…ARKANSAS CODE WHICH RESULTED FROM INITIATED ACT 1 OF 1914. SB516 Gilmore TO ALLOW A PERSON FILING AS A CANDIDATE FOR THE OFF…”
|
TO ALLOW A PERSON FILING AS A CANDIDATE FOR THE OFFICE OF JUSTICE OF THE … | Gilmore | Notification that SB516 is now Act 761 |
|
SB443
Act 949
· 4 mentions in transcript, chapter, agenda
Matched: “Thank you committee. Thank you, uh, Mr. Chair, uh, Senate Bill 443, uh, we”
|
TO AMEND THE DUTIES OF THE STATE BOARD OF APPRAISERS, ABSTRACTERS, AND HOME INSPECTORS; TO … | J. Bryant | Notification that SB443 is now Act 949 |
|
SB489
Act 950
· 4 mentions in agenda, chapter, transcript
Matched: “…QUARTERS IN CERTAIN ENTITIES BASED ON AN INDIVIDUAL'S SEX. SB489 G. Leding TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING THE PLACEMENT OF…”
|
TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING THE PLACEMENT OF A MONUMENT ON THE STATE CAPITOL GROUNDS … | G. Leding | Notification that SB489 is now Act 950 |
|
SB578
Act 766
· 3 mentions in transcript, chapter, agenda
Matched: “Thank you, sir. I recognize the presenter bill. Senate Bill 578, Senator Hester. This is a complementary bill to the primar…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EARLY VOTING; AND TO ALLOW A COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTION … | Hester | Notification that SB578 is now Act 766 |
|
HB1024
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1024 A. Collins TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PUBLIC EMPLOYEES; AN…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PUBLIC EMPLOYEES; AND TO REPEAL THE LAW PROHIBITING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. | A. Collins | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1028
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…S; AND TO REPEAL THE LAW PROHIBITING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. HB1028 A. Collins TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE LAW CONCERNING OBSCEN…”
|
TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE LAW CONCERNING OBSCENITY AND THE PROCESS FOR CHALLENGING MATERIALS INCLUDED … | A. Collins | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1035
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…ORITY GRANTED BY ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION, AMENDMENT 51, § 19. HB1035 A. Collins TO CREATE THE ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION ACT OF 2…”
|
TO CREATE THE ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION ACT OF 2025; TO ALLOW ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION; TO … | A. Collins | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1036
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…MENT 51; AND TO AMEND THE DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE. HB1036 A. Collins TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING VOTER REGISTRATION;…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING VOTER REGISTRATION; TO ALLOW VOTER REGISTRATION DURING EARLY VOTING AND … | A. Collins | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1037
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1037 A. Collins AN ACT TO CREATE THE PREREGISTRATION TO VOTE ACT…”
|
AN ACT TO CREATE THE PREREGISTRATION TO VOTE ACT; AND TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF ARKANSAS … | A. Collins | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1038
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1038 A. Collins TO CREATE THE NO-EXCUSE ABSENTEE VOTING ACT OF 2…”
|
TO CREATE THE NO-EXCUSE ABSENTEE VOTING ACT OF 2025; TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING ABSENTEE … | A. Collins | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1039
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1039 A. Collins TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING ABSENTEE BALLOT…”
|
TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING ABSENTEE BALLOTS; AND TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING ELECTIONS. | A. Collins | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1040
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…EE BALLOTS; AND TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING ELECTIONS. HB1040 A. Collins TO CREATE THE WATER IN LINE ACT OF 2025; AND TO…”
|
TO CREATE THE WATER IN LINE ACT OF 2025; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING … | A. Collins | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1041
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1041 R. Scott Richardson TO PROHIBIT DECEPTIVE AND FRAUDULENT DE…”
|
TO PROHIBIT DECEPTIVE AND FRAUDULENT DEEPFAKES IN ELECTION COMMUNICATIONS. | R. Scott Richardson | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1042
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…RNING PENALTIES FOR MISDEMEANOR OFFENSES RELATED TO VOTING. HB1042 A. Collins TO CREATE THE DIRECT DEMOCRACY ACT OF 2025; TO R…”
|
TO CREATE THE DIRECT DEMOCRACY ACT OF 2025; TO REPEAL THE ENSURING ACCESS FOR ALL … | A. Collins | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1043
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…PROHIBITING BOOK BANNING IN ORDER TO RECEIVE STATE FUNDING. HB1043 A. Collins TO REQUIRE DISCLOSURE AND REPORTING OF NONCANDID…”
|
TO REQUIRE DISCLOSURE AND REPORTING OF NONCANDIDATE EXPENDITURES PERTAINING TO APPELLATE JUDICIAL ELECTIONS; AND TO … | A. Collins | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1058
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…ield TO ESTABLISH GOOD FRIDAY AS AN OFFICIAL STATE HOLIDAY. HB1058 Unger TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING ETHICS AND CONFLICTS OF I…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING ETHICS AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST FOR PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES; … | Unger | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1059
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1059 Unger TO PROVIDE THE OPTION FOR A FREE LIFETIME HUNTING AND…”
|
TO PROVIDE THE OPTION FOR A FREE LIFETIME HUNTING AND FISHING LICENSE TO A COMMERCIAL … | Unger | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1069
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…HUNTING AND FISHING LICENSES TO FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENTS. HB1069 S. Meeks TO OBSERVE STANDARD TIME YEAR ROUND IN ARKANSAS; A…”
|
TO OBSERVE STANDARD TIME YEAR ROUND IN ARKANSAS; AND TO ELIMINATE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME IN … | S. Meeks | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1078
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…PROVIDES CERTAIN INFORMATION RELATED TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING. HB1078 Long TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING RUNOFF ELECTIONS; AND…”
|
TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING RUNOFF ELECTIONS; AND TO PROVIDE FOR A RUNOFF ELECTION FOR … | Long | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1162
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…TO ADOPT NEW LAWS CONCERNING APPELLATE JUDICIAL CAMPAIGNS. HB1162 Duffield TO ESTABLISH GOOD FRIDAY AS AN OFFICIAL STATE HOLI…”
|
TO ESTABLISH GOOD FRIDAY AS AN OFFICIAL STATE HOLIDAY. | Duffield | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1281
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1281 McAlindon TO AMEND REPORTING FOR A CANDIDATE FOR CERTAIN MU…”
|
TO AMEND REPORTING FOR A CANDIDATE FOR CERTAIN MUNICIPAL OFFICES AND FOR COUNTY OFFICE; AND … | McAlindon | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1415
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…E ARKANSAS CODE THAT RESULTED FROM INITIATED ACT 1 OF 1996. HB1415 L. Johnson TO REQUIRE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO RESPOND TO A…”
|
TO REQUIRE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO RESPOND TO A REQUEST FOR A FIRE INQUIRY. | L. Johnson | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1459
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1459 L. Johnson CONCERNING RECURRING REPORTS SUBMITTED TO THE GE…”
|
CONCERNING RECURRING REPORTS SUBMITTED TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. | L. Johnson | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1461
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1461 L. Johnson TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE EVALUATION OF NE…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE EVALUATION OF NECESSITY OF VARIOUS COMMISSIONS AND BOARDS. | L. Johnson | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1494
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1494 Hawk TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS GUIDANCE OUT OF THE DARKNESS AC…”
|
TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS GUIDANCE OUT OF THE DARKNESS ACT; AND TO REQUIRE STATE AGENCIES … | Hawk | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1614
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1614 Lundstrum TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING DESIGNATIONS RELATED…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING DESIGNATIONS RELATED TO CERTAIN CRIMINAL JUSTICE GRANT PROGRAMS. | Lundstrum | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1621
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1621 Wardlaw TO AMEND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967; AN…”
|
TO AMEND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967; AND TO EXEMPT PERSONAL INFORMATION OF … | Wardlaw | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1631
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1631 Wardlaw TO ADDRESS THE ISSUANCE OF HUNTING AND FISHING LICE…”
|
TO ADDRESS THE ISSUANCE OF HUNTING AND FISHING LICENSES TO FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENTS. | Wardlaw | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1667
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…AND THE STATE LIBRARY BOARD TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. HB1667 Bentley TO AMEND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967; AN…”
|
TO AMEND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING … | Bentley | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1720
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…RKANSAS; AND TO ELIMINATE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME IN ARKANSAS. HB1720 Vaught TO CREATE THE BABIES AT WORK ACT; TO ALLOW STATE AGE…”
|
TO CREATE THE BABIES AT WORK ACT; TO ALLOW STATE AGENCIES TO PERMIT PUBLIC EMPLOYEES … | Vaught | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1753
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…DIANS TO BRING THEIR INFANTS SIX MONTHS OR YOUNGER TO WORK. HB1753 Long TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING VOTER REGISTRATION; TO OPT…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING VOTER REGISTRATION; TO OPT-OUT OF THE NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION ACT … | Long | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1769
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…UNDER THE FREEDOM OF Page 3 of 4 INFORMATION ACT OF 1967. HB1769 Barnett CONCERNING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER STANDARDS; AND T…”
|
CONCERNING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER STANDARDS; AND TO REQUIRE A PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION OR ASSESSMENT TO BECOME … | Barnett | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1773
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…END PROVISIONS OF ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION, AMENDMENT 51, § 5. HB1773 Long TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING CONTRIBUTION LIMITS FOR BA…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING CONTRIBUTION LIMITS FOR BALLOT QUESTION COMMITTEES AND LEGISLATIVE QUESTION COMMITTEES. | Long | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1849
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…FRAUDULENT DEEPFAKES IN ELECTION Richardson COMMUNICATIONS. HB1849 Gramlich TO ALLOW FOR THE CROSS DEPUTIZATION OF MUNICIPAL,…”
|
TO ALLOW FOR THE CROSS DEPUTIZATION OF MUNICIPAL, COUNTY, STATE, AND TRIBAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ON … | Gramlich | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1878
Act 978
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…EMENT ON FEDERALLY-RECOGNIZED TRIBAL LAND WITHIN THE STATE. HB1878 McGruder TO ENSURE EARLY VOTING ACCESS FOR ARKANSANS RESIDI…”
|
TO ENSURE EARLY VOTING ACCESS FOR ARKANSANS RESIDING IN POPULATION CENTERS; AND TO REQUIRE A … | McGruder | Notification that HB1878 is now Act 978 |
|
HB1883
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…ERS TO CONDUCT EARLY VOTING IN A CITY IN CERTAIN INSTANCES. HB1883 Long TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS FOURTH AMENDMENT PROTECTION ACT…”
|
TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS FOURTH AMENDMENT PROTECTION ACT; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE … | Long | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1884
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…CONCERNING THE COLLECTION OF ELECTRONIC DATA AND METADATA. HB1884 Long TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE MARKING AND COUNTING O…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE MARKING AND COUNTING OF PAPER BALLOTS. | Long | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1973
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…E LAW CONCERNING THE MARKING AND COUNTING OF PAPER BALLOTS. HB1973 B. McKenzie TO PROVIDE THAT A GOVERNMENTAL BODY SHALL NOT U…”
|
TO PROVIDE THAT A GOVERNMENTAL BODY SHALL NOT USE STATE OR LOCAL FUNDS TO ENTER … | B. McKenzie | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SB184
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…EVALUATION OF NECESSITY OF VARIOUS COMMISSIONS AND BOARDS. SB184 D. Sullivan TO TRANSFER THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE ARKANS…”
|
TO TRANSFER THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE ARKANSAS EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION COMMISSION AND THE STATE … | D. Sullivan | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SB376
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…IONS REGARDING REDISTRICTING BY THE BOARD OF APPORTIONMENT. SB376 A. Clark TO AMEND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967; A…”
|
TO AMEND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING … | A. Clark | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SB439
Act 737
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…E LAW CONCERNING LOCAL INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM PETITIONS. SB439 Irvin TO AMEND THE DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMEN…”
|
TO AMEND THE DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND LICENSING; AND … | Irvin | Notification that SB439 is now Act 737 |
|
SB445
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “SB445 K. Hammer TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE LICENSURE OF ELEC…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE LICENSURE OF ELECTRICAL INSPECTORS. | K. Hammer | Died on House Calendar at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SB471
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…THE LAW CONCERNING THE LICENSURE OF ELECTRICAL INSPECTORS. SB471 A. Clark TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING CANDIDATES FOR NONPART…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING CANDIDATES FOR NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS; AND TO ALLOW CERTAIN CANDIDATES FOR … | A. Clark | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SB486
Act 955
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…AND THE STATE EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFIT ADVISORY COMMISSION. SB486 B. Johnson CONCERNING SAFETY AND PRIVACY IN CERTAIN ENTITIE…”
|
CONCERNING SAFETY AND PRIVACY IN CERTAIN ENTITIES; AND CONCERNING THE DESIGNATION OF MULTI-OCCUPANCY RESTROOMS, CHANGING … | B. Johnson | Notification that SB486 is now Act 955 |
|
SB491
Act 956
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “SB491 K. Hammer TO REQUIRE A VENDOR THAT CONTRACTS WITH THE OFFIC…”
|
TO REQUIRE A VENDOR THAT CONTRACTS WITH THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS DIVISION TO SUBMIT DATA FOR … | K. Hammer | Notification that SB491 is now Act 956 |
|
SB508
Act 756
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…ICATION BY AN INDEPENDENT AUDITOR; TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. SB508 Irvin TO AMEND THE FREQUENCY OF PAYMENT OF A STIPEND FOR CE…”
|
TO AMEND THE FREQUENCY OF PAYMENT OF A STIPEND FOR CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC … | Irvin | Notification that SB508 is now Act 756 |
|
SB521
Act 748
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…F THE CHARLESTON AND FAYETTEVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN 1954. SB521 B. Davis TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINI…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING REIMBURSEMENT; AND TO EXTEND THE TIME PERIOD … | B. Davis | Notification that SB521 is now Act 748 |
|
SB536
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…COMPLETION OF TRAINING FOR WHICH REIMBURSEMENT IS REQUIRED. SB536 D. Sullivan TO ABOLISH AND TRANSFER THE ARKANSAS STATE LIBR…”
|
TO ABOLISH AND TRANSFER THE ARKANSAS STATE LIBRARY AND THE STATE LIBRARY BOARD; AND TO … | D. Sullivan | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SB551
Act 764
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “SB551 K. Hammer TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING CANVASSING FOR A PETI…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING CANVASSING FOR A PETITION FOR A LOCAL OPTION ELECTION. | K. Hammer | Notification that SB551 is now Act 764 |
|
SB565
Act 936
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “SB565 Flippo TO ALLOW PROCUREMENT CERTIFICATIONS TO BE COMBINED;…”
|
TO ALLOW PROCUREMENT CERTIFICATIONS TO BE COMBINED; TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE REPRESENTATION IN … | Flippo | Notification that SB565 is now Act 936 |
|
SB570
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “SB570 J. Dotson TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING THE MEMBERSHIP O…”
|
TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE. | J. Dotson | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SB584
Act 768
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “SB584 K. Hammer TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LOCAL INITIATIVE AND…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LOCAL INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM PETITIONS. | K. Hammer | Notification that SB584 is now Act 768 |
|
SB613
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “AGENDA (Revised 04/08/2025 @ 9:07 PM) Added SB613 House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs…”
|
TO CREATE AN ELECTION PROCEDURE TO DETERMINE FLUORIDATION OF A PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM. | C. Penzo | Died in House at Sine Die adjournment. |
Machine transcript
May contain errors. Verify important quotations against the official video.
About transcript accuracy
- Source
- SliQ live captions
- Model
- SliQ live ASR
- Processing date
- October 2, 2026
443. Senator Brown. Representative Rose, are you ready for 4:43? world.
Speaker 5
0:26
Yes, sir. Please identify yourself for the committee and you'll be good to go.
Representative Ryan A. Rose
Unverified
0:55
Thank you committee. Thank you, uh, Mr. Chair, uh, Senate Bill 443, uh, we
passed this out of here, uh, last week and went to the house floor, had uh one or two concerns maybe when we got to the vote and spoke with some members after the fact and made an amendment. We took the major area of concern, which was the expanding a statute of limitations from 1 year to 3. The amendment's been engrossed. We, we move that back
to how it was, which was the one year statute of limitations, everything else in the bill is the same. I don't want to belabor the point. Uh, open any questions, appreciate a good vote. Seeing no questions
from the committee. Are there anybody to speak for against the bill? No. Would anyone like to speak for against the bill? Saying none, you're good to call for your bill. Uh, thank you, just wanna
Representative Ryan A. Rose
Unverified
1:54
reiterate we made the amendments based on the concerns of committee members, House
members, industry leaders, and believe it's a good bill. I'm closed and make a motion to pass. We
have a motion to pass on the table. Is there any discussion on the motion? Representative Hall. Thank you,
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
2:12
Mr. Chair. I want to commend uh Representative Rose uh for working on this because uh on the House floor we we did have discussion and and he corrected
everything that that needed to be corrected and so I, I'm gonna be voting yes on this, and I would encourage everybody else to do the same.
see no other comments. We have motion on the table do pass. Is that due pass not
in a minute just do pass, uh, all those in favor say ah any oppose. Congratulations Representative Rosie,
your bill is passed. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you committee. Next up we have Senate bill. 516. Please identify yourself for the committee and you are good to go. Yeah
Representative David Ray
Unverified
3:05
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, State Representative David Ray, District 69. House Bill or Senate, sorry, Senate Bill 516. Apologize in advance. This is the bill we passed twice already to this committee. This is the um the way we deal with uh ballot titles for um certain judicial positions that are appointed when we found out that we left out a previous portion of the code, um, Senator Gilmore and I filed identical bills and so uh he's made it over here
quicker than mine made it over there. So that's what this is. I'm happy to take any questions. Are there any
questions? Do we have anybody to speak for or against the bill. No signed up to speak for against the bill. Is there anyone in the in the group that would like to speak. Either for or against the bill. Sean you are recognized the close free will. I'm closed for the bill, and I make a motion to pass.
Uh, we have a motion to pass. Is there any discussion on the motion? Saying none. All those in favor say ah, and he opposed. Uh, congratulations, your bill's passed. If you give me just a second, keep this thing.
Representative Clowney, are you, are you prepared to present uh Senate Bill 489. Uh, Senator Leadding wanted to present that, so if I
Representative Nicole Clowney
Unverified
5:07
can just get him over here when the next bill comes up, if you can hear one more, I'll be ready to hear it.
Alright, thank you. 78. You got to start on 570578. Please identify yourself for the committee and uh you're good to go.
Representative Jeremy Wooldridge
Unverified
5:31
It Uh oh Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you committee Jeremy Wooldridge, uh,
District one. Am I recognized? Thank you, sir. 578, Senator Hester, this is a complimentary bill to the primary bill that I ran a couple of weeks ago with Senator Hester
and basically what this does is puts an inclement weather provision, uh, into law, so it says basically that with unanimous support of the election commissioners in the county, so not a partisan issue with, with both sides of the election commissioners that they can make the decision based on inclement weather to close. all of the uh early voting precincts that are outlined in the counties, but they have to keep one open in the county seat to allow voting to continue and with that I'm happy to answer
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
6:32
any questions. OK. Presentative Collins recognized for a question.
Can you tell me about why this is needed, um, was there a specific incident that gave rise to this. I can't speak
Representative Jeremy Wooldridge
Unverified
6:48
specifically to the incident. I can have someone from the association of counties come up that can probably give you some specific detail if that's, yeah, that might be good.
Speaker 48
6:57
I'm, I'm just. interested in that. Alright, uh, please identify yourself for the committee and
Representative Jeremy Wooldridge
Unverified
7:04
while she's coming up, I do wanna add some context, so the, the election commissioners and the clerks that I visited with when we were working on the primary bill. This was their concern about moving to a March primary because that puts the early voting window obviously into what we consider to have potentially inclement weather, and I think previously on the presidential election years they've had this issue happen where they've had pole uh workers. election workers that have fallen trying to get to the polls to work the polls, and they're trying to minimize the
need for staff on site is my understanding, but I'll let the association speak in depth to
Lindsay Bailey
Unverified
7:40
that. That's correct. This is in response to moving all of Lindsey French Association of Arkansas Counties. Uh, this is in response to moving all the primaries to March, um, because early voting does take place in February when we typically have most ice and snow, um, although if it were in May right now, we would be having tornadoes and floods, so, um, either way, this is good, it's we're still keeping an early polling
location open. It does take a unanimous vote and uh I, I think. You stated the reasons very well. We have had slip and falls and uh staffing is the big thing because if you have every early voting site open, you have to have the bare minimum number of, of poll workers, um, at all of
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
8:23
those, but the intent, thank you, the intent here is to capture snow and ice and maybe extreme weather rain, yes, dangerous inclement
Representative Jeremy Wooldridge
Unverified
8:30
weather. That's why it would take a unanimous vote by everyone
involved to to ever get to this point or enact this legislation. OK, thank you. Seeing no
Senator Alan Clark
Unverified
8:46
other questions, we have no one that's signed up for against the bill. Is there anyone who would like
to? Big 4 against. Saying none, you're good to clause for your bill, Mr. Chairman, I'm closed and
Representative Jeremy Wooldridge
Unverified
8:56
I make a motion to pass. We have a motion to pass, uh, is there any discussion on the motion?
Sing none, all those in favor say aye. Any opposed. Congratulations, your bill is passed. Uh, next up, we're going to have Senate Bill 12. I think Senator King is here to Present that bill.
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
9:38
Please identify yourself for the committee and you're good to go. Brian King, state senator, District 28. Hm Proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, ministers of
the committee. What Senate Bill 12 is about. I can tell you that, uh. 20, I don't know, 20 plus years ago, I served on as an election commissioner, as a minority Republican on uh We, uh We're tasked with at least
drawing county lines and then we have the board of apportionment, which, as we know, draws legislative lines. The board of apportionments made up the governor, Attorney General and the Secretary of State. So basically what's happened over the years and there's somebody that's been a former election commissioner and that is actually uh busted out voter fraud here in Arkansas, not just talked about it, actually done it, experienced on elections, been involved in court cases, even almost. For federal court cases. I view gerrymandering the drawing of
districts no different than trying to steal an election. When you have members manipulating districts to specifically draw for their own intentional purposes and the reality is the danger of that is that that impacts the next 10 years, and I can think about my former Senate colleague Linda Collins, who had her district's gerrymandered to try and beat her as a state rep and as a state senator, those impacts. Our districts and they impacted for 10 years. If you have a certain location drawn out of a
district just trying to specifically beat somebody, and I've seen it on Democrat side, seen it on the Republican side, gerrymandering happens with both parties, and I believe that sunshine is the best disinfectant to backroom deals this last time in, uh. The drawing of the district's lobbyists were hired to help draw the districts so as a legislator you have to go in if you want to talk about a district, then you have to go to the governor or a lobbyist, and
they are the influencers and where you are drawing these districts, these things even, even pieces can be moved and it's like a rudder on a ship, you know, you could have a big cruise ship, but the small rudder can under the water can do it. What this would basically do. is I make it where the communication with the board of apportionment is out in front in the public and for you, no different than some of the FOI laws that have already been passed through here and the reason that we need the extra scrutiny is because it will impact votes for 10 years. It
could impact any vote. We have votes that pass by one vote in the Senate or the House or committee. So that can actually impact a lot of other votes for 10 years. It can actually disproportionately represent. There's towns that can be drawn at. were drawn into a district in the past that the senator or never even went to that town. Because they didn't have to. So those people lost representation for 10 years. In their rep and that just shouldn't be right. This is just
disinfected. It brings sunshine. It brings open transparency to it. It does not limit free speech, as some of the critics want to say. If you want to talk about limiting free speech, you know, our bodies down here limit free speech a lot. When we limit testimony, we can have people show up to testify. And then they're not allowed to testify, you know, this just brings transparency out here, much like a lot of the disclosure bills that I tried to pass in the past were robbing Medicaid when legislators were hiding their ties to Medicaid
entities and this just brings disclosure out there and I'm happy to
answer any questions. Representative Wright, you're recognized
Representative David Ray
Unverified
13:31
for our questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, Senator King, you mentioned, you mentioned voter fraud.
This bill doesn't have anything to do with voter fraud. This bill has to do with the board of apportionment, which draws lines for the various districts. Legislative districts. Am I, is there something in the
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
13:51
bill that I'm missing that deals specifically with voter fraud. Yes, when you have voter fraud, to say in the Hudson Hallam case where they were destroying ballots. If you have voter fraud in case of Republicans when the same thing happened in Newton County years ago that determines the outcome of the election. If you draw districts as I've mentioned the the the the thing of Senator Collins. Senator Collins would still be senator today had her district not been gerrymandered so it absolutely influenced and manipulated. election same way destroying ballots are.
So obviously, yeah, when the districts are drawn specifically to determine an outcome, it's no different than the method of voter fraud of destroying a ball. It's about influencing and manipulating instead of having a fair and equal, uh,
upfront process, but you, you know that no
Representative David Ray
Unverified
14:38
one draws their own district lines. We draw the lines for the congressional districts and the board of apportionment draws the lines for the legislative districts. That is, they do do
Speaker 65
14:47
that, but you, this would make it where. governor could or anybody to
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
14:55
influence your decision wouldn't purposely manipulate, it would bring it out transparency. Had we had transparency happen, we had the town of Alpena, for example, a town of less than 400 people that had 3 state senators and 2 state reps. It was specifically drawn to that. You have other situations where uh districts like Linda Collins, you that have been drawn to produce results. This just brings it out in the public, and if you're going to make a decision, much like we make a decision in a jury. If you've ever served on a jury,
well then it's presented based your decision on determining that is based on the evidence or whatever is presented. You, you
Representative David Ray
Unverified
15:33
mentioned in your presentation, you said people lost representation in The last round of redistricting or or redrawing the lines or something like that. So what do you mean, what do you mean by that? Because nobody, everybody has a representative and everybody has a senator that who that individual representative or senator is may change based on the redrawing of the lines, but nobody loses
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
15:56
representation. The idea that if you draw a town, as I mentioned in Senator Collins's case, if I mention the town of Alpena, if I mention a town in Green Forest that is drawn in another district that senator never visited, never returned phone calls to that small town, never had any interaction to these little sprigs and stragglers out there that they don't have to pay attention to, so yeah, no they did not when, when a senator doesn't return phone calls, never made one visit to there.
We had Uh, representatives never represent a part of the county because it was only a sprig and a spraggler and a small part of it, so no, they feel like they did not have representation when their senator or rep did not show up, did not return phone calls because it made no impact in his election, you know, with the technology today with drawing districts, it's not like the old days that I can remember where it took a lot of paperwork and figuring out and it still happened, but now with technology in 8th grade civics
class could look and use it to draw districts in continuous lines, not fort districts up for a specific political purpose to determine the outcome, yeah. So last question, I'll move on, but I
Representative David Ray
Unverified
17:10
mean, are, are you aware that the main impact of this bill would basically be to empower Democrat lawyers at places like the DNC and the DCCC to engage in lawfare against our state so that they would end up having the courts redraw lines to elect more Democrats to Congress.
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
17:29
That is I want the districts to be drawn fairly. I came from an area when I was a Republican leader when it was a supermajority down here, Representative Ray. I was a Republican chairman back before many people were down here were even elected, Representative Dan Greenberg and I, if you want to talk about republicanism, former Representative Dan Greenberg and I filed independent redistricting things to just draw the lines fairly. That's all we wanted then. We have never changed the standard. I want to. lines drawn fairly were people
can have fair representation. If you do not draw the district's line first and, and it's done manipulative. It's done with lobbyists and back doors and it's done in secrecy and backroom deals, then how can you trust the process going forward. I don't know Representative Dan Greenberg and I still believe in independent redistricting that can make fair determinations for the people. I had the same standard that want in fairness where however that turns out and it and the way this is state has changed. everything. Representative Ray, there's almost no way that it
can, the congressional redistricting is the only way. I want it fair. I wanted it fair when Democrats were, were doing it. I wanted it, want it fair. I don't want lobbyists in backroom deals influence and how our districts are drawn. But
Speaker 73
18:52
you finished Uh, Representative Rose. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Senator
Representative Ryan A. Rose
Unverified
18:58
King, thanks for joining us today presenting this. I had a question. Um,
You mentioned that you were here long before a lot of the folks who are here now, such as myself, and I, I didn't know representative or Senator Collins, um, while they were in office, um, And you're saying that because she lost that that district was gerrymandered. I'm just curious how you're defining that? Is it gerrymandering simply because an incumbent doesn't retain their seat. Like, how do we know that that particular district, since it's the one you brought
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
19:32
up, was gerrymandered. When you take
pieces, he sprigs and stragglers pop up and you take
one piece and move it to another piece. former Representative Linda Collins was a Democrat at the time, the governor gerrymandered her district, rigged it to try to beat her, accomplish that. They also did the Senate district at the same time, so we ran in the Senate. It was disproportionately, uh, put in another district and we have districts where uh, you know, representative uh, Bentley is here, is from the river valley, the river valley was drawn almost to the Missouri line. So how do you have the
Ozark Mountains in the jurymander other than you want a determined predetermined result to try and happen and that's exactly what happened. You, you take pieces and things, you can change elections where a plus turns into a minus just by changing one little
piece. So if a district's redrawn and the incumbent retains the seat, you wouldn't consider it gerrymandering that. My position has been the same with Democrats
and Republicans. that we need transparency in the process, whether Democrats are in control, Republicans or whoever, and the districts need
to be drawn fairly above board without lobbyist influence. We talk about those all the time, then why did we have our tax dollars paid to actual lobbyists to help influence and draw the districts. That is the complete waste of hard to earn taxpayer money. That process needs to be disinfected and we need an open and transparent. I've not changed one bit from being a Republican when there were literally almost no Republicans down here. We need a fair, transparent process where the
districts are drawn fairly. Same thing represented Greenberg, former Republican. Uh, I had We've not changed. Yeah, thanks, Mr. Chair.
Representative Mark D. McElroy
Unverified
21:24
Representative McIlroy. Thank you, Senator King, for bringing this bill. uh, I, I Uh, was redistrict. And uh My district went from Gould to the Louisiana line.
I was the Shay County judge for 20 years. They split the Shey County up 3 ways and put a circle around my house and sent me to. To, uh, 34 miles from Memphis. And uh I, I understand gerrymandering. And the governor Hutchinson's lawyer called me the day before the Districts were revealed and he said, hey, the governor wants to tell you that he's sorry,
your district. I thought that don't sound good, does it? But I won't tell you, it happens and uh They put me in there running against two incumbents, but I still won. But it was surely hard and I, I'll, uh, I think this is a good bill, don't you? Absolutely, it would just
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
22:30
bring the process where people wouldn't cowardly try to manipulate districts and bring it out. It's like our jury system would crumble.
If we do not have a fair process where everything is above board. If jurors are allowed to go and outside the court system and hire lobbyists or to go to get evidence. This just brings it to there and this idea that it's limiting free speech from our body which limits free speech all the time. We limit debate people show up to testify. This would allow them to be able to have the evidence where they could not cowardly go behind and it would allow representative and let me say the biggest thing about this
bill with the new term limits and the restructures and the resetting, it will not impact any about our district. We can set forth a clean process above board process to try and draw the district lines fairly. I don't want them. I still have the same standard of one it fair. These cowardly way of manipulating whether it's a Republican or Democrat, it quite frankly is fraud. Thank you, sir. Representative Wartlaw. Thank you. I've read your bill like 10 times. It's easy to read because
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
23:43
it's not very long. Nowhere in here does it limit who, so if I remember right when Governor Hutchinson and um. Thurston and I don't remember who the Attorney general was at that time now all of a sudden, but who Rutledge Rutledge did it. They did appoint some lobbyists to their board and you keep referring to that, but nowhere in this building does prevent that from happening, so you keep saying that over and over again, but where in the bill can you
point out to me you're preventing that because when you bring sunshine, the lobbyists
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
24:15
will run as they do in the back doors, so where is sunshine at? I would say by having everything open and bringing it out from the closed doors will bring a different situation much like I equated it to the jury situation, much like me and Representative Miller several years ago ran Medicaid disclosure
bills down here whenever legislators were hot and Medicaid disclosures I'm asking the questions and you're in
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
24:40
our committee. I suffered the same redistricting problems that represented Microy did. I ended up with part of that Desha
County piece when I'd represented a district to the west. My whole career and I understand what it's like to run a new district because I did 4 years ago. And I wasn't happy about who was on that committee, probably I guess like you're not happy we found something you and I can finally agree to, but what I'm reading here doesn't do what you're saying. And if it did, I'd probably be 100% supportive of it, but it doesn't. It doesn't kick those people off the committee allows them to be on there all this does, it says you're gonna see
what they say. They're already having public meetings. I mentioned
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
25:20
before, what we had Medicaid disclosure bills, we would have known about all the Medicaid fraud
and convictions. Jeremy Hutchison would not, when you have disclosure and you have open and transparent, the backroom deals, the boats trading not talking about all that. Mr. Chair, point of order. Watch
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
25:36
a point. He's talking about another bill and not his bill, and it's ridiculous. Please keep your statements to
the bill that we're front of the committee
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
25:54
right now. I just say when we have an open, transparent process, we in the backroom deals, all that stuff stops. And if it does happen, it's out in front of people. The way it should be. These boats will impact for 10 years and whenever you have disclosure and
disinfectant and sunshine and these things run away.
Representative Cindy Crawford
Unverified
26:18
you ripped Crawford. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, once again, you keep referring to lobbyists when I went in at the Secretary of State's office and uh talk to them about my area, my district, uh, and the redistricting there, there was not a lobbyist there. Can you tell me who the lobbyists were that they hired. Yes, if you look at it, it was uh.
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
26:49
I believe, uh, Richard Bearden was hired, I believe, Red Hatcher was uh had some capacity with Governor Hutchison, and I think some other entities had, but I think I know at least one lobbyist that was hired with taxpayer dollars. Follow up. Go ahead. And what was their
Representative Cindy Crawford
Unverified
27:07
role. You would have to ask them.
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
27:10
I've never, as I've said, as somebody that's been around and been around in district drawing lines now with the technology today, an 8th grade civics class can draw with the technology today.
It was a total waste of money. It was ethical breach, I think, to hire lobbyists to help draw a district with taxpayer money, and I think that it's easy to draw districts today with the technology. It was not needed. Thank you. Uh, next, uh, we have Representative Hawk.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Senator, I, I, I mean,
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
27:43
I like the concept of the bill. I do, and I think I'm with Representative Wardlaw
and the fact that I just, I, I'm not
seeing where it, you know, where the Where where we can fix this problem in the bill. I, I understand what you're saying. I really do. My, my question is, I wasn't around when, when the redistricting happened. Was there was there any uh court cases of fraud or was there anything publicly that, that, that I don't know about. Could you fill me in on that that would bring this to to light. I wasn't here so I don't, I don't know if there was anything like that that that we knew of fraud going on when that was happening. Yeah, and I think
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
28:23
that's the big issue. issue here that when you have transparency and you have recorded uh conversations and you have actually evidence presented much like a jury trial, then you're are able to have fraud as somebody that's been down here that we've had a horrible list of legislators that are either in prison now or have been in prison in agency people had you had recorded in a lot of times they were caught and doing things they shouldn't have in the GIF scandals through FOIA, and that's what bring all
this evidence out to every. Everybody when they're making their determination, so it would actually make it a cleaner, transparent process and you're actually able to either stop fraud by them not doing it or you're able to catch them. When you don't have those things, it is much harder to do that. FOIA allowed uh citizens and the authorities to be able to get documents uh for you to be able to have convictions so transparency above board, much like in a jury trial, uh, brings
out where you can stop. corruption. Now, and once again
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
29:27
I'm just asking because I wasn't here those, but from my understanding from hearing from others, those meetings were public though, correct? No, oh, they weren't. OK, no, OK. Have you talked to the FOI task force about this bill? I think they may have something to say.
Speaker 79
29:38
I don't know, but they support the bill. OK, thank you. Can actually have uh Representative Warlaw. I request to hear from the AG's office if possible, if possible.
His A's office here? Yes sir. Please identify yourself for
Speaker 106
30:11
the committee and you're good to go. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Alex Benton, uh, Attorney
Speaker 108
30:16
General's office. Um, I, I believe the concerns that our office have our, are purely constitutional concerns under the First Amendment. I, I believe I've I've spoken with
this, um, with Senator King, I think just at the end of the day, we disagree, um. But our concerns are that this bill as currently written, um, Intent about what this bill may or may not actually accomplish a side. There are First Amendment concerns as it pertains to. Compelling specific speech. Content-based restrictions on speech and time, place, and manner restrictions on speech, um.
This bill would not survive strict scrutiny in if a court is looking at it because Specifically, it talks about requiring the members of the board of apportionment. Um, if they receive any oral communications. To tell the speaker that communications. That they must be written electronic or oral, and that they have to take all reasonable steps to remove him or herself from the oral communication. So if any of the members of the
board of apportionment are at an event and somebody comes up to them. And wants to speak to them about anything regarding their duties under the board of apportionment. This bill would unconstitutionally require them to take specific steps to say specific things and then to direct a member or a citizen. Specifically to Reduce their communications either to writing or to say you can only talk to me about this
in a board meeting. As a matter of policy, I, I understand the intent behind it, but as it's currently written, that's blatantly unconstitutional. Additionally, the time, place, and manner restrictions about the speech. I mean, there, there are FOIA protections that already encompass. The communications and how they must occur. Under the board, um, and so those, those FOIA requirements would apply already. So
requiring any member to not just affirmatively say something, but then to have time, place, manner restrictions, uh, content-based restrictions on speech and compelled speech are three distinct constitutional First Amendment, uh, fatal flaws in this bill. Representative Wartlaw, do you have
any? Yes. So what you're saying is
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
32:57
they had a public meeting in Monticello last time. I remember it very blatantly because I went and members of the city were
there quite a few folks showed up and spoke. But after the meeting was over and those members of the border of forcemen walked through the crowd. They would not be able to have casual conversations. From the public if the words
district or my state rep or my senator came up, correct? That's correct. And
Speaker 108
33:24
this bill would also require the person who receives this communication from a citizen to then say, you have to put this in writing,
send it to me, and, or you must wait until we meet again next to be able to tell me any of this, and then they must physically remove themselves
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
33:46
from the conversation. OK. Go ahead. So, That's actually great because in the meeting, they asked for people to submit written comments if they didn't want to speak on the mic, but what you're saying is they couldn't even have those conversations without having to put it in writing. Wait till another meeting and those meetings took place basically in congressional districts, so you'd have to
drive halfway across the state because we're so rural to be able to be in another meeting, correct? I must
Speaker 116
34:13
admit the bounds of what I know about the, the process, um, I, I probably, if what you just said is true place the last two times I've been through two of these,
Speaker 89
34:22
uh, since I've been elected, so yeah I've never been to one. I, I think that that's correct, uh, under what you're saying like Senator King, I've been here a
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
34:30
long time. I'm in my 3rd house district, um, so I've been through 3 basically 3 new
districts as I've been here, but that's That's a horrific that we would put our public through that just to have their voice heard, but thank you for your comments. Mr. Chair, can I respond
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
34:50
to that? Yes, go ahead. So number one, if you have a meeting, it, it can be recorded. The other thing is too about the free speech this body limits free speech all the time. If there's anything unconstitutional, we should be in a constitutional Alcatraz when you have limitless people
here to testify and they show up and not able to testify. This just brings the process out in front of everybody. It does not restrict free speech at all any more than you go out in the in the hallways. The evidence is based on what is presented to this body. It is the same thing in this district. It just stops the backroom deals. It is not limit free speech. Anybody can say anything. These meetings are recorded. They could have the conversation, much like our jury trial works. If I'm a juror, if
you've served on a jury and you go to lunch, you're allowed to have conversations with people, but when it comes to the evidence, you have to do it based on what's here. This is just sip this is not. Limiting
free speech at all. If anybody is living in free speech, it's, it's our bodies that limit and shut off people to testify. Thank you. Is there
any other questions from the committee? See, I think we have one
individual that has shown up to speak for the bill. Jimmy Calvin. To speak further? Please identify yourself for the committee and who you representing. And you're good to go. Jimmy Cab in Arkansas First
Speaker 121
36:25
News, but I'm here representing myself as a citizen. I just like to start by saying that. If, if this bill is truly unconstitutional, then quite a bit of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act would be unconstitutional.
And to Senator King's point, if you want to talk about limiting free speech. I don't see where this limits free speech, but The point is my free speech is limited every day. Uh, somewhat in the legislative session and then in boards and committees and councils across the state. Uh, all the time, so I'll go back and say it again. If this bill is clearly unconstitutional, then we got big problems with a lot of what we do. As far as being constitutional, right? I don't, I can't see why anybody
would not be for this bill. It's simply about transparency. It's simply about making the communications public record. I'm wondering if anybody can give me an argument why they should not. The public record. Corruption finds loopholes. I say that all the time. corruption finds loopholes, right? And I'm not accusing anybody of corruption, but we have a reality. And the best deterrent to
corruption is transparency. That's just to prove in fact and I think that's Senator King's point. Is that when we have sunshine, when we have transparency, then we have less corruption. We have less bad actors and we have less wrongdoing. I will go back and say this uh committee unanimously supported Senate Bill 227. This is billed as a similar in a lot of ways and it's, and it's goal on uh as
far as it applies to open meetings in the transparency and so I can't see why anybody on this committee would not vote for Senator King's. Uh, uh, Bill, I'm gonna finish with it again by saying this field we've talked a lot about fraud. We talked a lot about lobbies. We talked a lot about that. But let's don't, let's don't get away from the meat of the bill. The bill is transparency. For communications. That's it. That's it. And I know some people try to make the argument,
well, the, you know, we're talking about the governor and the attorney general who are exempt from 4. They're not exempting for you when they're part of this board. I, I get that the governor's working papers in, in all their stuff doesn't apply for you and I get that with the AG, but when they're appointed to a board, then that's a different scenario. This would be their communications as a member of the board. This would be their conversations as a member of the Porcement board. So I would hope this committee, uh, y'all showing a willingness
to be very supportive of transparency when you voted for 227. I will hope you vote unanimous vote on this as well, and I'll be more than happy to take
Speaker 28
39:30
any questions. Say no questions from the committee. Thank you for your testimony.
All right, uh, Are there any others that would like to speak for or against the bill? Saying none, uh. Senator King, you are uh recognized to uh close free
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
39:49
bill. Well, I appreciate the testimony by Mr. Cavin. I appreciate that we now have video that people can see what's going on. We have rules and regulations that are done in public meetings in recorded situations this thing of limiting free speech if if this limits free speech, then we, as Mr. Cavin accurately said we've got bigger problems because we limit free speech all the time up here. Let's just be honest about that. This process just brings a transparent process. We all know what it is. We all know the entities, we know the things
about lobbyists, we know the backroom deals, we know all that stuff. Let's just bring the process out in a transparent process. It's just that simple. This does not limit free speech. If anybody's limited free speech, this body all the time limits free speech. I appreciate a good vote. All right,
Senator King is clause first bill, uh was the wishes of the committee, Representative Ra. Representative McElroy.
Motion to pass. OK, we have a motion to pass on
the table is there any discussion on the motion, Representative
Representative David Ray
Unverified
40:59
Ray. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So I feel like this whole presentation has been one continuous non sequitur. This bill doesn't prevent voter fraud. In fact, it doesn't have anything to do with voter fraud. It doesn't prevent gerrymandering, even though that's basically a Rorschach test. People see what they want to see, believe what they want to believe on that. This bill doesn't do anything to prevent.
Members of the board of apportionment from hiring a lobbyist, even though that was alluded to a bunch of times. I think it's important to remember the members of the board of apportionment are elected officials. This is the Secretary of State, the AG and the governor, all of these folks are elected by the voters, um, they can be held accountable for their actions at the election if the voters aren't pleased with what they're doing on the board of apportionment, and again, I would just state that the main impact of this bill is basically just going to empower Democrat.
lawyers at places like the DNC and the DCCC to engage in lawfare against our state and have the courts redraw maps, um, so I'm gonna vote against the bill for all those reasons. Representative Beatty. I, I, I, I
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
42:09
got here a little late, but I, I was down in insurance and commerce and listening to a lot of uh of the comments and testimony, uh, just felt like that I
didn't want to put my 2 cents' worth in too since I just got in here. I agree with everything that Representative Ra just said, and I'm going to be a hard no on
this as well. Thank you. OK, we have,
is there any more discussion on the motion? OK, we have a motion to pass on the table. All those in favor say aye. All those opposed. So Senator King,
your bill has failed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, next up, we're gonna have. Uh, nothing.
Uh, next up we have um Senate Bill 7, excuse me, 376. 76 to Bentley, are you prepared? Yeah. Please identify yourself
with the committee and you are good to go.
Representative Mary Bentley
Unverified
43:34
Thank you, Chairman. Thank you committee um today I bring before you Senate Bill 376, Senate Bill 376 simply allows
JP's city councilmen and school board members in Arkansas to join every other state in the nation, and let me repeat that to join every other state in the nation that allows two JPs, 2 councilmen or board members to meet and talk like we do, like you and I do every day outside of a public meeting. America is a constitutional republic, depending upon strong elected legislative branch, not
allowing members of the legislative branch to talk with each other outside of a public meeting while allowing the executive branch to do so without a doubt it weakens the legislative members who are duly elected by their constituents. Those elected officials closest to your constituents should be the strongest, but we have made them the weakest. How could each of you get good legislation passed if you never could talk to a member of this committee before you came to a public meeting. What if Chairman Gasway opposed your bill and had the opportunity to talk to each member telling them why your
bill was a bad idea before you ever got here. Would that make good bills getting passed in this committee doubtful. The JP is on your corn court, school board members. Our city and city councilmen are neighbors who attend church together. They're at local ball games together. They gather at local restaurants and coffee shops. How could we possibly think they should not be able to talk to each other about a good idea or solution that's facing their constituents. I truly wonder what our founding fathers. I would think about what we have done in the state, taking the freedom of these elected
officials away and removing their ability to best serve their constituents. When the Constitutional Congress met to draft the Constitution. The delegates spent over 3 months in secret session because they were fearful if their debates were reported to the people before the entire documents were ready for submission. The opposition would unite to kill their efforts. We would not even have a constitution without putting some trust in the people we have duly elected and allowed them to meet privately. With all of the recent tornadoes and flooding and power out as we have faced. Do you think it's beneficial to our constituents that these JPs and
city councilmen are not even able to talk to each other on the phone. SB 36 does nothing to stop Arkansans from making a 4 request to these elected officials for any documents that they wish to see. Every vote they cast will be in public for everyone to see as well. This bill was passed in the Senate with bipartisan support, and I will be happy to take any questions from you guys regarding SB 376. Seeing no questions from the
committees. We do have. Oh, I'm sorry, Representative Collins.
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
46:08
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think one of the concerns
that was raised in the Senate, and I just want to get your opinion on it is that this would allow the daisy chain form of communication where effectively you can
have a a meeting by one member talking to another and another talking to another. Can you address that, that concern about this bill. Thank you, Representative
Representative Mary Bentley
Unverified
46:25
Collins. I think if you look at the bottom of the bill, the amendment that Alan Senator Clark put on the bill which to address that exact issue. So, on page 2, so it would, it would stop any daisy chain, uh, from happening because of those
that member could not tell the other member how they're going to vote on a particular issue coming before the corn Court or the council or the US city council, sorry. So yeah, that, that wasn't put on there again to answer that concern, um, in the Senate, so, and do you know, I mean, I, I guess they could speak for themselves, but do you know if
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
46:55
the people who felt like that was a concern, felt like this amendment adequately addressed that. concern. I haven't talked to them specifically, so I would have
Representative Mary Bentley
Unverified
47:04
to just, uh, I couldn't tell you, I'm sorry. But that was added because of
their concerns. Thank you. Pretended. That Representative Bentley, my, my only question is how would
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
47:16
this bill affect the the previous 4A bill that was all agreed upon language that Senate Bill 227 would this have any, any shape bearing or effect on the bill that we passed that's been delivered to the governor now, sir, it's been, uh, actually we go hand in glove
Representative Mary Bentley
Unverified
47:34
and that was the conversation. Senator Clark, uh and committee openly said
he'll support both bills and said asked everyone else to do the same. So there's been uh votes. like I said, it's been bipartisan support. send it in for this bill, so no, it does not conflict at all with that with 227. Alright, thank you. Representative
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
47:56
Haw. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Representative Bentley, you and I've kind
of had some conversations about this and, and look, I, I've been a champion for this since before I got in the legislature as a former city council member, but When we passed 227, I, I I felt like the guardrails on
that one were good, right? And, and we had people that work, whether it be the FOI task force, we had both sides of the aisle working on that bill. It just seems to me, and, and correct me if
I'm wrong, does this bill not kind of take those guardrails off? Not, I don't think it does at all. I think this
Representative Mary Bentley
Unverified
48:26
opens because again we're talking about board members, every board member across the state has to follow this as well, correct? So these were done in conjunction together. I think if you've listened to the uh Senate when they had their Senate committee meetings that does not, I don't think at all, takes away the guardrails that were put in place, and that's
why, uh, they worked hand in hand together. Both bills were presented, I think
on the same day, uh. On Senate state agencies, so. Uh OK, and, and to
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
48:52
that point, uh, if, if there was so much working together and they were presented at the same time. It almost seems like if everybody was on board, They would have combined the two bills to try to get a little bit so we wouldn't have two conflicting bills, wouldn't you agree? I mean, because it just seems like this one's very different than the one that
we've already passed and is sitting on the governor's desk
Representative Mary Bentley
Unverified
49:12
right now. I would say that we passed bills together all the time on healthcare. I'm
passing bills all the time that deal with, uh, especially when they were talking about, uh, happy. Healthy moms, happy babies. I've done 3 other bills after that bill, uh, to get things to where we need them to be. I am about the constitution of this nation, right, that two people should be able to talk freely and to make good things happen. I think you and I deal with billions of dollars. The guys on the, on the corn court aren't dealing with that kind of money, and they're seeing each other at ball games and stuff all the time, they should be able to talk to each other. I'm, I'm concerned that
we have these people on witch hunts all the time trying to get you with people that are actually trying to serve and do a good job. These people are serving for nothing. School board members are serving for nothing. We have people that don't want Serving the school board because they want to be able to go out to dinner with their friends, and we've stopped that. People that are bored cannot even go out to have dinner with their friends that somebody coming up with a microphone and trying to do gotcha. We're in a different age with cell phones and people doing cameras and all that, putting things on Facebook, harassing people constantly. I think they should be able to sit at a ball game and have a conversation and serve our constituents and serve them well. I want strong JPs. They are the people closest to our,
our constituents, and we have without a doubt weakened the legislative branch on a local level. I think if this was so effective, why does Arkansas have the highest Um, sales tax on the county and local level. I don't think that that does not speak of having a strong legislative branch that speaks of a weak legislative branch. We have weakened it and we are the only state in the entire nation. That doesn't let two board members talk to each other. They should say something to us as well. Every other, every other state in the nation allows. In fact, in 47 other states, it has
to be a corn before it's considered a public meeting, a quorum, OK. We don't even let two people talk to each other. It's, it's time for us to a lot of freedom, a little bit of freedom. We've got guers,
even more guardrails here with the amendment that was put in place and that's why I got some support on both
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
51:00
sides of the aisle and I agree with you as a former city council member, I, I wanted to
to go to talk. Bell with another council member and talk about the last night's football game or, or, or do like I agree with that premise, but we've done that like and my, my
thought is the implementation of the first bill wouldn't you agree we should see how that goes before we try to dismantle that bill. I
think this bill makes that bill better without a
Representative Mary Bentley
Unverified
51:24
doubt. Thank you. Otherwise, I would not be running it. Alright,
seeing no other questions from the committee, we have a few people speak on the bill. Uh, first up is Jimmy Calvin to speak against the bill.
Speaker 121
51:48
Jimmy Cave in Arkansas First News, but here speaking for myself as a assistant, uh, Forguar, let me make clear on something that Senate Bill 227. Accomplish what represent Bentley just said It does allow. Members to meet and it allows more than 2 members to meet to discuss those background and informational items. We went into great discussion about
that, right? So we've taken care of that in 227. And we didn't limit it to 2 members. Right, it's Senator Clark Tucker sat here and said, which by the way, I just wanna make clear Senator Clark Tucker is not in support of SB 376 at all. Uh, but you know, we, we've taken care of that and as he said it's more it's not about the number of people speaking. It's about the substance. Of the conversations, right? We've already been through this
about going to ball games and things like that. You can do that, OK? Now the Senate. The Senate in the house always kid each other, right? You kinda like firefighters and cops do kind of like that and so on March 20th, it just struck with me cause Cinder Petty. On the house floor said we, we are the upper chamber. He said, what we do in the upper chamber is a lot of cleanup. Well, we cleaned up a lot of stuff that comes from the house. Now he said that kind of in jest.
But what the people are depending on this committee to do is clean up the mess from the Senate sent down here in 376. We've already done this in 227. Um, It's hard to present opposition on 376 without contrasting it to 227, uh, When I when I spoke 4227 not Reggie 25 19102 legislative intent. OK, a 4 you and it's so important, uh, that I wanna read
it again to you. It is vital. In a democratic society. That public business be performed in an open and public manner. So that the electors shall be advised of the performance. A public officials in the decisions that are reached in public activity and in making public policy. Toward this end, this chapter is adopted, making it possible for
them or their representatives to learn and to report fully the activities of their public officials. Senate Bill 227 embodies that Senate Bill 376 actually repeals it as it applies to open meetings. 376 allows members to meet in secret to discuss basically poll and decide the people's business outside of a public meeting. That's not just me saying it, that's the top legal minds on this. You have Joey McCutcheon,
who nobody's gonna argue that he is not the top for you litigator in the state. He's gonna tell you that Senator Clark Tucker, uh, while I don't agree with him on hardly anything. Uh, nobody's gonna deny that he's a smart guy and when it comes to law, he calls balls and strikes better than anybody. OK, so that's not just me saying it, that's them saying it, OK. What this does. When it comes to the liberation,
which is a key word here, as we talked about, you know, I think you should get together to discuss information, right? And we took care of that. When you vote on SB 227. But there's a difference when you can use this to actually segregate other members of a governing body. And that's what this allows and so I'll give you an example, most school boards are made up of 7 members, right? We have some that are made up of 5. OK, so in this situation, uh member A and B can talk to each
other, then they can split and go talk to B and C then they're actually under 376 allowed to deliberate and make decisions outside of the public eye. So when they get to a meeting, uh, I'll give you an example, my school board in Conway, thank God, is very conservative. Uh, and so, but I don't wanna, I don't wanna cut anybody out of the conversation so they could actually meet under 376. Talk about this deliberate and decide and when it gets to the meeting they have effectively segregated
the non-conservative members of that board. Now you take that to a different area where you have boards that are more liberal than conservative and you create a thing of segregation, OK? The 376 is not a loophole. You always hear me talk about corruption finds loopholes. 376 is not a loophole. It's a wide open 14-foot gate. With the sign in front says corruption welcome. Now I talk about corruption all the time, and y'all know I fight crook and all over the state. And our, we have so many
governing boards across the state that are just good people that want to do the right thing that are out there, uh, er, giving service to the community and they just want to do it right, OK? They're not about corruption, but this 376 will allow those bad actors to be corrupt, OK? And so with, with, with that I would say look, you passed 227 unanimously. You know, I hope you're gonna unanimously vote 376 down because it would effectively
kill 227. And when we talk about on the governor's desk, let's also remember this. Say the governor signed 227 today and then you passed 376 and then the House passes and it goes to her and then she signs it because she signed it last, it just killed 227. And, and, you know, 227. We had one of those rare kumbaya moments in here, right? for everybody is on board with 227. The Arkansas Attorney General, the Arkansas Association of Counties, the municipal league,
the 4 year task force, Arkansas School Board Association. Me, all the proponents of for you that go around the state fight for you, everybody's on the same page on this and we're clearly not on 376. And so any with that I'll be more than happy to take any questions. See no questions from the committee. I appreciate your testimony. Next
up we have Joey McCutcheon. To speak against the bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, my name's Joey
Joey Mccutcheon
Unverified
58:32
McCutcheon. I'm from Fort Smith. I'm here to speak on behalf of the courageous folks that I've represented over the last decade and a half on open meetings cases, uh, because of the confusion that the Supreme Court has created. Patrick Henry. Is this country's most fierce defender of liberty. Patrick Henry said that liberty is the greatest of all blessings, guard with special guard with attention.
our public liberty and suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. And in my opinion, and the reason that I've gone around this state defending FOIA in every way possible is because knowledge of the citizenry of the electors is the key to public liberty and if we don't have knowledge, we don't have squat. And that's why protecting FOIA is so important. For every citizen, not just
Republicans, not Democrats, not leftists, not rightists, not liberals, not conservative, but for everybody in this room, black people, white people, everyone. Today, we're protecting the open meeting prong of the freedom of information Act. And I asked you to consider why is that so important? Especially on the local level. Because it
It affects every single issue, everyone, not just some, but every single issue, tax increases, milage increases, the right to hire fire, uh, the abolition of the civil service commission. I'm speaking of some of the issues that I've taken 4 different times up to the Supreme Court, uh, porn and libraries, the rights of the transgender folks in our communities, um, everyone's affected and every issue. on the local level is affected.
The public needs to hear the entire process. The entire legislative process we need to hear why someone is voting for an issue. We need to hear, we need to see and hear the sausage making because only when we hear why someone is voting, not just the decision, only when we hear the wise. Only then, guess what? Do we trust government and maybe
that's why some people have problems with this legislature because your business is done behind closed doors sometimes, um, but, but Winthrop Rockefeller knew that to get for you uh through that body through uh a republican governor through a democratic body. He had to make that concession. Uh, but trusting government when we have trust in government, uh. That's good government. Uh, the committee passed
unanimously, uh, Senate Bill 227. Now there's not consensus in the Senate. One Democrat voted, voted for this. That's surprisingly, quite frankly, uh, but Senate Bill 227, uh, Did some miraculous things that's unanimous. I mean, we have the Jimmy cabins of the worlds, the Joey McCutcheons of the world, uh, combining with, with the Arkansas Municipal
League on an open meetings bill. That bill gave a clear cogent definition to what a public meeting is, and I can tell you from personal experience on 4 different cases, I've taken to the Supreme Court. how important that is. 227 will eliminate lawsuits, and that's a good thing. Our local governing bodies, um, our local governing bodies, the definition made it very clear
about they cannot deliberate outside the presence of the governing body and, and that's important. Um, and it defined what deliberation was in terms of communicating background information and non-decisional information, uh, to sit here and say that that it's incorrect to sit here and say that, that, uh, two JPs can't go discuss uh how the hogs are doing or or how the wampus cats are doing or how the the uh uh Fort Smith, uh,
Northside Grizzlies are doing. They can and they always have been able to, um. So I, I wanna, I wanna briefly talk about Senate Bill 227, just so you understand uh what was appropriately discussed earlier in the question that was asked. Senate Bill 227 voted on actually we, we have a lot of people to speak for the bill and try
to limit your comments to the bill itself and you know I'll allow you to do it, but just be very brief with your
comments directing another bill and
Joey Mccutcheon
Unverified
1:03:53
2. 27 stated an informal meeting that includes deliberation or that is for the purpose of exercising a responsibility, authority, power, or duty of a governing body is strictly prohibited. Now long along comes Senate Bill 376, um, there's 3 this the Senate Bill 320376
Trump Senate Bill 227, when the governor ultimately signs. I think the answer to that's. Yes, and I think, I think that's why this bill was brought uh late, uh, Senate Bill 376 allows serial secret meetings. And on public business, the most important matters that we've talked about Senate Bill 376 encourages secretly secrecy in government, and here's how if
you take a school board member A meets with school board member B in the back of the McDonald's. Then B meets with D, which is allowed under this bill, this bill did not close loopholes. Uh, then A meets with D and before you know it, we see no discussion. We see nothing as the public and the deal's been cut, all in the back of McDonald's. So if we're if we're, if we're serious, if
we're, if we're gonna allow serial meetings where the daisy chain and create. loopholes, uh, create in the rounds, create the dipsy do, then let's just be honest with what we're doing here. Let's just, if we're gonna allow serial meetings, then let's just stop the charade and let's let all all 7 school board members meet in the back of McDonald's, have it out, discuss it all, and we'll never see anything. We'll never see the sausage being made and we'll never see the final
decision. We won't hear anything in the public in a public discussion. and that won't do anything to create a, a, a stronger legislative branch because they're strong now. They can say there's no First Amendment violations. They can say as much as they want to in the public meeting so that we here, so I would ask you and implore you to please vote against this bill, this, this bill which creates bad secret government. This bill
that I fought for for a decade and a half. You've done a great job in supporting unanimously 227. I ask that you unanimously uh turn down this bill. Thank you. Are you open for questions? Are, are you open for questions? Oh,
Speaker 162
1:06:41
sure, yes, sir. Sorry, I thought you were asking Collins. Thank you, Mr. Chair and thank
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
1:06:47
you, Mr. McCutcheon. So I'm, I'm curious because Representative Bentley said that this amendment, I guess this, uh,
subpart 2 in section 2 right at the end, took care of the daisy chain serial communication issue. Can you tell me in your
Speaker 162
1:07:01
opinion, why it doesn't? Well, because it it it still allows daisy chains. They can still
Joey Mccutcheon
Unverified
1:07:06
meet. They just can't see, they just can't disclose what the opinion was. I mean, if they wanted to create, if they wanted to stop serial meetings, they would have Senator Clark Tucker created an amendment which would stop uh the Daisy chain process. If they had that discussion, they cannot talk with another
board member, but But there's no effective amendment that's gonna accomplish what Senator, uh, Representative Bentley wants to do, and this certainly has not done that and there's nobody on that I've talked to again in this broad coalition who has ever said that this amendment to 376 by Senator Clark and Representative Bentley solved anything. It doesn't. It just allows them to go about and give
a wink and a nod, you know. Hey, I can't tell you my position on that. I mean, Are we that gullible? We, we can't be that gullible that we're gonna allow these daisy chains and act like that, well, if you don't tell what your opinion is, you know, the 4, the 4 conservatives on the board or the 4 liberals on the board, uh, are excluding the, the, the three others and all the business will be done in the back of McDonald's at the back of Doe's down here in Little Rock, uh, and we'll never see
anything and we will continue to have distrust of government. Thank you, Representative Collins. Thanks. Seeing no other questions
from the committee. uh, next up to speak is Andrew Bagley with the. Arkansas, oh, I'm sorry. My name is Andrew
Andrew Bagley
Unverified
1:08:50
Bagley and I'm the president of the Arkansas Press Association and the publisher of the Hell in the World, Monroe County Argus, and
the Waldron News. Uh, I want to endeavor to be brief because I, I appreciate that, that y'all have been working very, very hard, um, but just some, some quick points on the, the amendment. Uh, the amendment does not answer the, the concerns about the serial meetings. In fact, it uh it this bill even in its current form, results in a gutting of Senate Bill 227 and its guardrails. And and let me tell you how the
amendment fails, um, to, to not take those guard rails that are in 227 now. As Mr. McCutcheon mentioned, you can talk in pairs and then one from that pair talks to another one from that pair and then one from that pair talks to another. And while the amendment says they can't tell each other. What the opinion is, it doesn't address one of them telling someone from outside the governing body. Um,
what, what the opinion is. For instance, the one Cor Court member could meet in pairs and find out the way of the land and then tell the county clerk. Who could then tell the county judge who presides over the meeting. And so you effectively still have this gaping hole that allows for the serial meetings. Uh, I also appreciated Representative Hawke's question. Because Senate Bill 227.
Uh, was unanimous, uh, uh, it was nice to be a part of a true consensus moment where we, we all work together. Um, but we haven't even allowed that to be implemented and see how it works before we're down here with a bill that would gut those provisions. Senate Bill 227 establishes a clear stop sign for everybody that everybody can understand. Uh, and what this bill does is
essentially say that stop stands for straight through on pavement and you can uh just roll right on through it. And, and I think that is problematic. And then I wanted to answer, uh, Representative Bentley's argument that we should just trust everyone to do the right thing. I like to be able to trust people too. But if, if we were able to trust that everybody would always do the right thing we would need no laws at all.
Uh, because we would all be living. Uh, the right way and unfortunately, that's just not the case. So we do need guardrails. Senate Bill 227 establishes the appropriate balance. It brings all the interested parties and stakeholders to the table and I'll close with with this. All those stakeholders that were for Senate Bill 227. Not a single one has come out in favor of Senate Bill 376, and I would urge you to vote against this
bill, and I'm willing to take any questions if anyone has any. See no
Senator Alan Clark
Unverified
1:12:14
questions for the committee. We thank you for your testimony. Thank you for your time. Next up we have Aaron. Hanson Speak against the
bell, please identify yourself for the committee and who you may representing. My name's Aaron Hanson and I represent myself.
Aaron Hanson
Unverified
1:12:38
The way I see it, the only reason a bill like this would be put forward. So the bosses don't ever find out what they're elected employees are doing. And if you can allow, if you can chip away at the FOIA request, someone like myself that wants to know what my representatives saying and doing. I don't see anywhere in here where it says you can't get together and talk about your family, grandchildren. I see it as more of a When it's the the people's business. And as far as I'm concerned, as far as the people's business
goes, the bosses. The constituents should be able to see anything and everything that has to do with how their lives are going to be run. That's what That's what this body does is figure out how we're going to run our lives. I'd like to have a say in that and I'd like to see anything that pertains to that. And then I also hear a lot of bellyaching about having to do your job. You have to drive across the state to get together to do things. Well, it's a shame you have to do what you get paid to do. I have a sign above my toolbox
that says nobody cares, work harder. And that's kind of how I feel about my representatives. I expect you to have to do your job. Sometimes it's inconvenient and sometimes it's, it's a bummer you have to drive across the state, but when you're discussing something that has to do with the law or a bill that's gonna affect my life. I'd like to see it in writing and I'd like to have a chance to speak on it. That's it. I'm open to any questions.
Saying no questions from the committee. Thank you for your testimony. Next up we have Donnie Scroggins to speak against the bill. Please
identify yourself for the committee who you
Speaker 183
1:14:25
may be representing and you're good to go. I'm Don Croggins Truman, Arkansas, Poinsett County. I'm representing myself. Probably going to be shockingly brief here. About 4 years ago, I attended a Quorum court meeting and uh they did all the regular agenda items, the reporting, um, new business, old business. They
discussed the purchase of heavy equipment. And allowed no comments in. I'm just gonna tell you as relates to this bill and Sunshine laws. That quorum Court meeting lasted less than 20 minutes gavel to gavel. So as I left there, I wondered. They're either the most intelligent, efficient people I've ever seen in my life or something is not adding up here. So that's just a real-life example of what you can call polling or serial meetings does and uh I'm from a smaller
county, so, uh, more, more local to the politics there, but I believe 376 is antithesis to 227, so I ask that to you, you vote down the current bill. Thank you. Are you my time. Sitting no question for the
committee. We appreciate your test you. Share more. I'm sorry, Sarah Moore, sorry. That's OK.
Sarah Moore
Unverified
1:15:42
It might be, might be my handwriting, so I apologize. Um, my name is Sarah Moore. Um, I am a council member in the city of Fayetteville currently. Um, I'm only speaking for myself, not for the city council or the city of Fayetteville, um, but as a sitting elected official, um, I am asking for you to vote against this bill, um, like much of the other speakers have spoken about, there had been a bill that was in much discussion and is waiting for the Governor to currently sign it, um, that's had a lot of discussion. Um, I'll hit a few
key areas that I think are important, um, for me in particular when I think about representing my constituency, I think it is incredibly important that the public's business is done out in public and so um I appreciate the amendment that was done by Representative Bentley and Senator Clark, um, to recognize, um, that there was some concern about the Daisy chain effect that could happen where you could meet, you know, with two and maybe um do the subsequential meetings. Um, however, I think, you know, many of these bodies have been talked about, you know, could be representation of, you know, 5
to 8 individuals and, and thinking about the different sizes or different towns, um, even if you're going to meet and you don't have the intention of sharing that information. It's really easy for, um, you know, folks that are in common areas to be able to to lean and share, um, not even really knowingly or or maliciously trying to do so. And so again, my con my consideration, I'd like to have you think about. is that um those, those things, the deliberations are incredibly important and the details behind
um the direction that your legislative body is going are important for the public to see um out um in the open, um, and so, um, for that reason, I'd like to um to ask you to consider to not vote for this bill today, um, and I'm open for any questions. Saying no questions. Thank
Senator Alan Clark
Unverified
1:17:35
you for your testimony. Thank you. At Bullington.
Speaker 189
1:17:37
speak Against the bill. Please identify yourself for the
committee and you're good to go. OK. Ed
Speaker 190
1:17:48
Bullington, uh, for myself. I have been involved with FYA going back to the 70s. I value it. I was elated when 227 passed because it resolved an issue I've had to deal with and. With my local improvement district, with school board, medical board, and other boards and agency, and this is uh this bill is an end around. It's a Trojan horse. It's a poison pill, the 227, which would just eliminate all the gains of 227, which you guys all supported, um.
When I was active in 11 group, I had board members over my house for functions. Not to discuss business and they discussed all kinds of stuff just not business, so I'm opposed this bill and his companion bill, I support 227. It resolved finally. In my, in my community we have an improvement district I've done polling around a forum to say if you support this and they've actually spent money and engaged in contracts without them meeting in a public meeting, so I know how this
works one on one. It's just not good public business and I appreciate the FOI because it's used by the media to let me know what's going on where I don't have the choice to learn, so opposed.
Thank you, uh, Signal questions from the committee. Thank you for your testimony. Next, we have Evelyn. Riel Stanford. To speak against the bill, please identify yourself for the committee and you're good to go.
Speaker 192
1:19:23
Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. Uh my name is Evelyn Rio Stafford. I'm a justice of the peace on the Washington County Quorum Court, uh, although I'm speaking just on my own behalf and not representing the body as a whole. Um, Arkansas has the strongest FOIA laws in the nation. And that is something that we should all be proud of, whether you're conservative, liberal, independent, or non-political at
all, and we should take those laws very seriously. As a member of the Quorum Court, I can't think of a single thing. That this bill would allow me to do, but I can't already do. But I can think of a lot of stuff as we've already heard. I can't think of a good thing that it would allow me to do that I can't do now, but I can think of a lot of bad that could come from it, as we've already heard from all the folks that have spoken like Jimmy Calvin and folks like that. Um, I also just wanted to point
out that uh You know, the idea that two members of the Quorumor can't talk, get together to talk about personal stuff, uh, you know, for a long time on our quorum Court, uh, we had a mother and a daughter who were both serving uh in different seats. Sue Madison and Eva Madison. And, uh, the idea that they couldn't talk to each other about how are the grandkids doing or something like that, uh, it's just completely false. Um, so we've, we've all already
been able to do those things, uh, and this. This bill, I think, would destroy transparency, as we've already heard, um. And I can't see a reason for it. I can't see a way that would help me do my job better than I'm already doing, but I can see ways that it could definitely get in the way. Thank you. Saying no questions from the
committee. I appreciate your testimony. I do not have anyone else to speak uh, for I had someone else.
I missed. Please identify yourself for the committee and you're good to go.
Alex Kinlan
Unverified
1:21:37
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My name's Alex Kinlin. I'm speaking for myself. I am a working journalist. I cover right now I'm working for the uh television station right across the street, Channels 4 and 16. And cover a lot of politics. Prior to that, I spent a number of years in newspapers working uh over 3 counties, and I've attended.
Oh, roughly a million corn court meetings. City council meetings. School board meetings, water board meetings, so on and so forth. And I'll also add that I was uh during that time I was a member of a municipal board. I was on the airport board for the city of Clinton. All that to say this. The vote is important. The debate is critical. We need to be able to hear the debate.
So we can understand what led to the vote. This would eliminate that. This would eliminate that ability. Two members that get together and perhaps their stance would otherwise be unpopular, but it gives them a chance to discuss that in private and out of the public eye and it's simply not fair to the people I attend those meetings on behalf of. And right now I'm thinking about uh as I was listening to the debate, I was thinking about Jefferson County.
And of course what a great time they're having with their court down there. He said sarcastically and From that, I say if if. This door were to be opened and they were allowed to have off the record conversations. One on one I, I can't imagine how much worse it could make it. And I say that as someone who's been reporting on this Jefferson County thing now for some time. So again, I am opposed to this
bill. I thank you very much for allowing me to speak. I know y'all are very busy, so I'm keeping this brief, but I am available for any questions. See no questions
for the committee. Thank you for your testimony. Thank you, sir. Is there
anyone else in the audience that would like you to speak for or against the bill. All right, see no, Representative Bentley, you're recognized to close for your bill.
Representative Mary Bentley
Unverified
1:24:08
Thank you, Chairman. Thank you committee. I think you guys should all get a gold medal
or gold star for something you put in long hours and I appreciate you putting in some more long hours to listen to another bell today. So I will close with this SB 366376 does absolutely nothing to stop our Kansas from making a 4 year request to their elected officials for any documents they wish to see. Every vote they cast will be in public for everyone to see as well. This bill was passed with bipartisan support in the Senate. I don't know why we wouldn't allow JPs to co-sponsor each other's resolutions. It's like we. sponsor each other's bills so
they can work together as a great team. The state of Arkansas is the only state in the nation that does not allow its duly elected officials to talk to each other. We haven't, without a doubt we can what should be the strongest branch on the local level, the legislative branch, on how we continue to allow this that being complete hypocrites. Our local officials should be able to serve their constituents with the same capacity, the same ability that we do. Nothing in this bill undoes 227. The folks that support this bill supported both bills. This bill does not allow serial meetings. That's exactly why the men. was add to the bill. You and I
get discuss things all the time. We have worked on over 2000 bills this session. It's ridiculous that we would not allow our JPs, our school board members to do this for nearly free to be able to help their constituents again, we would not have the United States Constitution if we haven't allowed them to be in secret and to pass the Constitution, um, so with that. I know y'all have heard it all, made your decisions. I would appreciate a good vote. Thank you. All right, what is the will of the committee? Have a motion to pass.
Everything discussion on the motion. Uh, Representative Hawk. Colleagues, we talked about this the last time this FOI
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
1:25:48
bill or a FOI bill came to to this committee and we all on this committee voted unanimously for that bill, and you know, when I was a city council member, I, I thought I was ignorant that we couldn't go and talk about
issues, not make decisions, but that we could not go and and sit there and talk about issues that affected our city at the time. We couldn't do it. We couldn't do anything until we got to the
table. And I think we've already addressed that with the last bill that came through, I think we've addressed that. And, and we all, there was 5 or 6 of us that said it was pretty amazing that there were so many people that got together to work on that bill and made it work and until that bill doesn't work anymore, I, I don't, I just don't see that we need to do this right now. Now, if we, if we come back in 2 years and we realize that the, the bill that we already passed is not gonna work, then I say let's, let's bring it back. Let's, let's talk
about it. But I think we've got to at least see this bill, the one that we already passed for local, local officials. See if it works and then we can go from there and I'll be a no vote on this bill. Thank you, Representative
Long. You recognize. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The reason gun laws don't work is because
Representative Wayne Long
Unverified
1:27:01
law abiding citizens follow them, but the crooks are able to take advantage of the honest uh disarmed citizens.
The current FOI law as it's currently written. Uh, is doing the same thing to our honest elected representatives. The dishonest officials are having secret meetings right now. The uh this gives them a real advantage over the honest folks that don't want to break the law and have these secret meetings, uh, like one of the uh person person said earlier, uh, he thought he witnessed a 20 something minute uh court meeting. Um, that's under the current law. Um, If um
If the dishonest folks have this advantage in the in the honest ones are not doing this, um, I think it's doing a disservice, um. Yeah, the other thing is, uh, it gets, I think a real advantage to the, um, the county judge and the executive branch because he is able to talk individually with these members, um, kind of line up his votes, um, but, um,
JP can't bounce off ideas off of another member uh to to see if they think it's um. A good idea or not and you you can't even ask them to uh second your motion for a proposed ordinance you can't do it legally. I'm sure sure it probably is being done, but because of that, that's why I supported this bill 2 years ago and that's why I'll support it again today. Thank you. Seeing
Senator Alan Clark
Unverified
1:28:42
no other discussion on the motion, uh, we have a motion
to pass, uh, all those in favor say aye. I was
opposed. Representative Bentling your bill has failed. Thank you, Chairman. Thank you committee. Mm Next up we have uh Representative Hawk, uh, Senate Bill 4405. Please identify yourself for the committee and you're good to go.
Representative Hawk, if you hold for just a minute, we, we got an amendment you need to sign and before we can hand it out.
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
1:30:06
Representative RJ Hawk, District 81 committee, oh, I apologize. Give us just a moment to get it out
and let everybody. Get a chance to read it. All right, Representative Hawk, you're good to go. District RJ Hawk, District
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
1:30:32
81. Colleagues, I apologize for the late rush on the amendment. I
thought it was already sent over and it, it wasn't, but uh what this amendment does, um, you can see where we delete uh page 1 line 36 of the original bill, um, and then we're also deleting page 2, line 3, and we're adding in here that upon hiring um anybody hired as an inspector would have to then take the Department of Labor and Licensing. training course, uh that is mandated by the state.
And with that, I'll take any questions. Or any questions from the committee? We have. Well, I'll just a second. Is there anyone that would like to speak for or against the bill. Huh I'm just gonna do that amendment. I'm sorry. Got ahead of myself. I have a motion to pass on the amendment. All those in favor say aye. Any opposed? Hot now.
Thank good to go to Burnierville as amended.
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
1:31:43
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So Senate Bill 445 is currently is concerning electrical inspectors for our local governments and, and right now we've got a problem in our cities because right now as it states in law, in order to become an electrical inspector for a city. You've got to have a master's electrician license. Well, if anybody knows the construction world right now, uh, you know that if you're a master electrician, you're not gonna go to a city and make
$35,000 40,000 dollars because you're gonna be making quite a bit more in the private sector, um, you know, doing, doing what you went to school to do and so um I had uh one of my mayors. In Benton that and he's here to testify today, but um this they spent 16 months looking for an electrical inspector to, to do these services that are, that are needed by code enforcement. In fact, uh, because some cities I've found out are not having electrical inspectors. They've
got the plumbing inspector doing the electrical ins inspections in some cases and in no way, shape or form is that a good idea as to having the water guy doing the electrical guy's job and so. All this bill is doing is we're expanding what whose cities can hire, so we leave the master electrician on there. We say you can have a journeyman electrician um um license or if you have attended the Arkansas Fire Training Academy International Fire Service Accreditation, Congress
accreditation, inspectors 12 or 3, that would then qualify you to be able to become an inspector. Now, some people ask why would you Why would you include firefighters in this? Well, a lot of times your fire marshals are already doing inspections on like commercial uh outfits and they do get a limited amount of training when it comes to electrical inspections and so we are broadening the, the scope of who a city can hire, but upon hiring based on the amendment,
we are saying you cannot do an inspection in a city until you go and do this two-day course that the state has, uh, for code. Enforcement and specifically for electrical inspectors, and that's all the bill does. I'll take any questions. Are there any
questions by the committee? Seeing no questions by the committee. We do have. Someone signed up to speak. Uh, for the bill, John Parton.
Speaker 208
1:34:18
Mr. Pardon, if you would. Identify yourself. Any organization you're here representing. And then you'll be recognized to present your remarks. I'm
Speaker 211
1:34:28
John Pardon. I'm the director of community development for the city of Benton, and part of my department includes our building inspections and permits. Um, We, we, um As Representative Hogg mentioned, we had some difficulty hiring a fully staffed, we have 2 electrical
inspectors or building inspectors. We had some difficulty 1416 months trying to find one and even though the, the statute as written provided some flexibility. It just said relevant work experience. It was very uh narrowly interpreted and it's generally meant to say that they required a master's electrical license. Uh, the, the bill as as written provides multiple pathways to gain the necessary experience, um, because to be a master electrician, of course you have
to have baked in experience and training, but also you have the same experience inherent uh to become a journeyman, to become a fire marshal, those kinds of things. When you have that experience and that training layered with that annual two-day course with respect to uh electrical inspections, gives us, uh, I think very adequate preparation and training to conduct these. inspections, but also it gives us flexibility to hire folks who would be excellent for the job.
All right, thank you, Mr. Parton. Are there any questions about the committee? Seeing no questions by the committee. Thank you for those remarks. We have one other individual signed up to speak for the bill, and that is Mr. Brad Moore. Brad Moore Brad Moore, right. Don't see Mr. Moore in attendance at the moment. So with that, Representative Hawk, you're recognized to close for your bill. Colleagues at the Colleagues, at the end of the day, this is just helping our
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
1:36:22
cities to do something that is, is for the safety of our citizens, um, look, I get it that I know that some of you may have gotten an email that say these inspectors, you know, they're not electricians. I, I, I would agree with you, but we're expanding it to where they have, they've got some qualifications and once again, they're not installing the electricity. They are expecting the guys that have put it in and just making sure that it's done in a safe way and that they're following code. And so with that, I would make a motion to do pass as amended.
Representative Hawke has closed for his bill. He's made a motion do pass as amended. Is there any discussion on the motion. Seeing no discussion on the motion. All those in favor say aye, aye, all those opposed. The odds have it. Congratulations, you've passed your bill as amended. Next, we're gonna, without objection, we're gonna move to Senate Bill 551, Mr. Chair, if you don't mind, I was, I was prepared
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
1:37:17
to do 584 since I have to go to rules. Can I do that or without objection?
Speaker 208
1:37:25
If not, I'll, I'll just hold it and then I can come back after rules.
As Representative Eubanks here. OK, so I'll let you can run which uh Senate bill is it? It's Senate Bill 584. 584. OK. And the reason I wanted to run 551 is because it's representative Eubanks and he also has to go to rules and he would like to get this done. If you can, so, uh, Representative Hawk, you're recognized to present Senate
Speaker 208
1:37:54
Bill 584 and Mr. Chair, if you
could, if I could have Lindsay French from the Association of Counties join me at the
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
1:38:10
table. Lindsay French Association of Arkansas Counties. And RJ
Hog District 81. Colleagues, I, I know that we've, we've heard a lot about a ballot initiative this session, and I'm not trying to add to that in the fact that of what stuff we've already done, uh, we are this bill takes all the
ballot initiatives that we have already passed, uh, and we're applying it for the county level as well. It was not in those original bills, it was not included for counties. It was only at the state level and I think that if we're going to do this, uh, it should be that there should be. No gray areas. We should be able to do this at the state level, the county clerk's level, and all the rules should, should apply equally and so that's all the bill does. If you go through the bill, you'll notice that it says county clerk and it's line, line after line, it talks about
the county clerk. There's no new language from the from the initiatives that we've already passed. All we're doing is applying it for the the local folks, the, the county clerks and that, that that realm of ballot initiatives, and with that, I'll take any questions. Representative Hawke has explained
his bill. Are there any questions by the committee, Representative Collins are recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So,
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
1:39:23
um, just so I understand, all of the uh bills we passed this session
restricting the process, the reading of the ballot title, uh, the affidavit, the ID I guess, all of that is not gonna apply if this passes to local initiatives, um, only applied to statewide and not all of those
Lindsay Bailey
Unverified
1:39:44
are applicable in this bill like the making, the reading of the The title and those things, uh, this is dealing more with the paid canvasser aspect of that they do have to turn in the
canvassers ahead of time, ensuring that they, if they're paid canvassers, they're in state. Um Those type of canvas or integrity initiatives. OK, so on a couple of those bills, people asked
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
1:40:11
the sponsor, does this apply to local elections,
and they always would say no, and I think that they're, we had some people come and speak who were concerned that it was going to apply to local elections, and we assured them no, but now we're gonna go back and say all of
those things now do apply to these local elections. I think that was
Lindsay Bailey
Unverified
1:40:35
accurate. We are not. buying all of those things to local petitions. But everything regarding paid
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
1:40:40
canvassers. And other, I mean, I just, I don't know the full scope of it really, um, any more detail you guys could provide
on what we are applying to to local, I, I think would be helpful. So they are going to have to turn in
Lindsay Bailey
Unverified
1:40:53
their list of paid canvassers ahead of time, uh, the sponsor needs to do a background check on those. They do have to be
residents of the state of Arkansas. Um, and Otherwise, other than that, just where it says Secretary of State, we're making it county clerk because the county clerk uh determines the sufficiency of a petition constitutionally. That's, that's it. So if someone wants to do
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
1:41:22
a wet dry election or something like that, they're gonna have to run a background check on these big canvassers, is that
Lindsay Bailey
Unverified
1:41:29
is gonna be an SB 551 that representative
Eubanks is bringing. This one doesn't apply to wet dry. That's a different section of
code. OK, all right, thanks. Representative Clowney, you're recognized.
Representative Nicole Clowney
Unverified
1:41:46
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, so currently if you've got something that I I guess I'm looking at just to give you a heads up. I'm looking at page 4. So the part of this bill that deals with determining constitutionality or conflicts with other laws, um.
How is that determined for local initiatives right now. Right now, under the Constitution,
Lindsay Bailey
Unverified
1:42:09
and I don't have that specific provision in front of me. I'm sorry, um, but the county clerk determines the sufficiency, so that's not new, we're just moving
Representative Nicole Clowney
Unverified
1:42:18
it to this section of code. Why is that? It's just, it's showing up underlined in our bill and I'm trying to
figure out what what about the determination is new because it's not in statute.
Lindsay Bailey
Unverified
1:42:29
You have to go to that separate constitutional provision and we're adding in there that the
county civil attorney will have to help her in making that uh. determination. And so I
Representative Nicole Clowney
Unverified
1:42:42
guess I'm just confused. I'm trying to figure out on the ground how is this going to change what's happening right now, um, that, that just with respect to that little piece. This is, this is
Lindsay Bailey
Unverified
1:42:52
going to make things more clear for people who are circulating petitions and for county clerks who are having petitions turned in. It's, it's a clean up type bill. There was a lot of confusion with some local petitions that were circulated last year that um there was
extensive JPR, uh, committee testimony about and this is. The result of that to clean it up and make things more clear for
Speaker 225
1:43:14
everyone. OK, and I think I'll this will
Representative Nicole Clowney
Unverified
1:43:17
be my last one, but I think, I mean, what, what really makes me nervous is giving a county clerk with the assistance of an attorney, but it doesn't necessarily say that the attorney's guidance is binding or or any of that. It just says that accounting clerk with the assistance of a of an attorney determines um whether a proposal is in compliance with statute and, and the United States and
Arkansas constitution, that makes me super nervous. So what I'm trying to get at is, is that new? Um, it is not new. It's
Lindsay Bailey
Unverified
1:43:46
already been the law. It's what has already happened with local petitions. I tried, um, in my defense to get the AG
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
1:43:52
to take that job on, and they, they declined understandably, thank you. Representative Collins recognized. Thank
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
1:44:02
you, Mr. Chair. So I see on page 3 the uh section 4. One of the things that does
apply in this is the thing that was a new bill um by Representative Hammer or Senator Hammer Representative Underwood, that We talked about a lot in this committee. It makes the Secretary of State have to find by a preponderance of the evidence that the canvasser has violated Arkansas laws regarding canvassing, perjury, forgery, or fraudulent practices, and we talked a lot about how that's in a few ways, a strange formulation because number one, those are criminal laws in most cases, which are usually found
by, you know, uh, beyond reasonable doubt, but this is a preponderance, 50 + 1 and also the attorney general. was unsuited or I'm sorry, the Secretary of State was unsuited to act as the judge essentially no due process, no opportunity for rebuttal written into the law. I think the county clerk is probably even less suited to make that kind of adjudication about whether a canvasser has violated Arkansas laws. Can you assure me, uh, on what basis is the county clerk, uh, in a
position to do all this without due process. Um,
Lindsay Bailey
Unverified
1:45:17
I believe there is due process, Representative Collins. I believe it's in 1414, 9, 15, which is the last statute being amended here and I'm not sure if that portion of the statute is in here, but what that law says, and we're not taking it out is that if a county clerk suspects forgery or has reason to believe that there's forgery, they shall send that to the county prosecutor, and that did happen this past year that that is already in the law and we are not taking that out.
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
1:45:44
Yeah, but that's a totally different thing because you know, that is the next step in referring a forgery, which
is fine. I mean, then they'll get due process once they're in the court system, but if, I mean, forget fraud, if there's any law regarding canvassing or perjury had nothing to do with fraud that the county clerk finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the canvasser has violated that law, the signatures are out. All of them and they can't do anything about it. There's no opportunity for rebuttal,
presentation of evidence, collection of evidence, and when Representative Underwood presented his bill, he made the point that Supreme Court had original jurisdiction and they could appoint a special master to do the fact finding. I don't think that's the case here, is it I didn't make myself clear in my response to you before. It
Lindsay Bailey
Unverified
1:46:31
would be an appeal to the circuit court. The circuit court would have jurisdiction over that, and they could appeal the county clerk's decision to the circuit Court. Well, you can appeal anything to the circuit court, but
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
1:46:46
yeah, but it's, I mean, that's like. That's true for any law that's violated here, we do have this quasi-judicial process and the county clerk, I just. It boggles my mind that they're going to be assessing whether someone violated all of these Arkansas laws that they
frankly, are just, they don't know. I mean that's not what they do. So your concern is
Lindsay Bailey
Unverified
1:47:06
also already what's existing in the law and what we're trying to help clean up with this bill, um, last year, non-petitions were denied by county clerks across the state because they had um
duplicate signatures, forgeries, etc. and the sponsor merely went and filed an appeal with the circuit court and every circuit court heard it, and they heard it within. 5 days as is, uh, set forth in the law already. It doesn't slow down the process. It worked, um, in Independence County. They got it overturned. The people passed it. There's a process already in place that we're not disturbing. This is brand new for the
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
1:47:43
county clerk to be assessing whether or not a canvasser has violated laws regarding canvassing,
perjury, forgery, fraudulent practices. It's just, it just
is. So I mean I know that there's a certain types of determinations that maybe could be appealed that were in current law, but this is new, so thank you. All right, uh is
there any other questions of the committee, uh, Representative Long, y'all mentioned earlier that there's going to be a
Representative Wayne Long
Unverified
1:48:12
2nd bill coming up that that'll be you a representative Eubanks. He's got the
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
1:48:16
local option bill. OK, and it's the one that's going to
Representative Wayne Long
Unverified
1:48:21
include all the other provisions that we passed for state level on a county
Speaker 50
1:48:26
level, his, his will apply to wet dry, um, alcohol elections. OK, thank you. Um other
questions from the committee. Uh, is there anyone here to speak where no one signed up. Uh, is there anyone here that would like to speak for against the bill. Saying none, Representative Hawke, you're clear to our launch
I was gonna I was gonna say land because you're, you're finishing the thing up right, you're you're clear to close. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you committee.
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
1:48:59
Look, hey, uh, we've heard a lot of these this session, um, thanks to Representative Underwood and Representative Hammer. Uh, we just want to make things the same on, on both the county and the state level and that's what this bill is trying to do, do a lot of clean up in that, and I would appreciate a good vote. I make a motion to pass. All right, we have a motion to pass this there any discussion on the motion?
Saying none, all those in favor say aye. I in your post. Oh. Uh, congratulations to the hockey bills passed. Thank you. Give me just one moment to catch up where we're at and we'll start.
Representative rather, like you, you get to present SB 439. Yes, sir. Please identify yourself for the committee and you're good
to go. I have some folks from Labor and License and
Representative Ryan A. Rose
Unverified
1:50:14
join me at the table, please. Yes. Uh, please identify
yourself with the committee, Lacey Kirchner, counsel for the Department of Labor and Licensing.
Representative Ryan A. Rose
Unverified
1:50:28
Thank you Mr. Chair. Thank you committee. Um, SB 439, as I understand it's a cleanup bill. This is Senator
Irvin, Representative Lee Johnson, and uh he is held up running, I'm sure what his 40 or 50 bills in Senate Public Health right now and so I'm gonna let labor and licensing present this bill, um, and they'll be able to answer any questions that you have, but to my understanding, it's a clean up bill updates outdated references and code and replaces director of the division of Labor was secretary of the Department of Labor and
Licensing to. like the current structure, so at this time I'm let them, uh, share. Thank you
Speaker 246
1:51:05
members of the committee as Representative Rose said, this is a cleanup bill. It's stemming from the transformation Act at which time instead of putting reference to the secretary or his or her designee, any place that said Department of Labor, it was changed to division of labor and left director of the division of labor. This bill is simply deleting the director of the
division of labor to ensure that all of those um powers and duties that were the Director of the division of Labor, which is what the old department of the head of the Department of Labor was those are to the secretary, our current secretary of the Department of Labor or his or her designee and it's also clarifying the hiring and firing authority of members of boards and commission staff, and there's been some confusion about that as well. So that's what this bill does. I'm happy
to answer any questions. also had a Also
Representative Ryan A. Rose
Unverified
1:52:04
had a quick point to make. Uh, there was a part in, uh, section 16 has to do with the appointment of the director and gives the appointment discretion, I believe it's to the secretary and the governor's office in supportive of that, and it passed in the Senate with 35 votes. Just wanted to make sure, I know there's a lot of
pages there, didn't want anything to be hidden. It's truly clean up language. Appreciate a good vote.
See no questions from the committee. Make a motion to pass. We have a motion to pass. All those in favor say
aye aye a post. Congratulations, you passed your bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
OK, next we're going to um move to um What was it Senate Bill 5:36. Representative Long, I believe that's. 5:36 Senate Bill 536. Good All
right, so Give me just a moment to find
out who we've got here that can present a bell. Speed things up a bit. Is there anyone here that's trying to present a bell. We can get that hard.
Speaker 254
1:54:22
Oh Unger here hunger's here. Breakfast and
you're good to go on 521. Senator Bell. So 521 21.
Speaker 258
1:54:38
I could do 75. Alright next we're gonna hear Senate
Bill 521 Representative Eer please identify yourself for the committee and you're good to go. Thank you, Mr. Chair, colleagues, Representative Steve Unger, District
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
1:55:01
19, and what I ask Mr. Taylor Hannaford to join me here at the end of the table. And uh Sheriff Brady also.
Please come in table and, and before you start both of you please identify yourselves and then we can, we'll be good to
Speaker 262
1:55:21
go. Tylor Hanford, legal counsel, Arkansas Sheriff's Association. Scott Bradley, I'm the director
Speaker 233
1:55:29
of the Arkansas Sheriff's Association. Go ahead. Uh, thank you, Mr. Chair. You
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
1:55:39
could really, uh, call this a cleanup bill in many
ways. When the original bill was passed and this has to do with the reimbursement. Of a police Department or law enforcement agency which has hired an officer, paid for their training, paid for all the expenses in the pipeline and then that either deputy sheriff or officer gets hired away. It's basically, uh, when the original bill was written. Uh, the language in section one,
Line 26 if a county, city, town or state agency uh pays the costs or expenses. Well, at that time they had uh mented a school districts that have their own police departments in many cities, the SROs are actually employees of the city police department. There are some schools that actually have their own police departments and so they've changed the language basically to say law enforcement agency. And the period of reimbursement originally was set at 18 months
and you can see in line 30, it's been changed to 24 and the changes in the rest of the bill really reflect that and That's all I got. I'm open for questions. Seeing no questions from the
committee is where everyone, there's no one signed up to speak for or against the bill. Is there anyone who would like to speak for against the bell. saying no, you recognize the clothes for your bills, I asked for a good vote. Thank you.
Representative Hammer is called for the bill. Hunger, I'm sorry. There are about 4 things
up here. Representative Boer, uh, was the will of the committee. I have a motion to pass.
All those our discussion on the motion. See no discussion on the motion. All those in favor say aye. He opposed. Congratulations Represent Unger. We have passion real. Sorry about that, sir. Thank you,
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
1:57:55
Representative Gassway. Next up we're gonna hear, next up
we're gonna hear 5:51 and uh Senator Hammer is here to uh present that bill. Please
Speaker 183
1:58:25
identify yourself with the committee and you're good to go. Thank you, Mr. Chairman Kim Hammer, state senator, District 16 presenting 551. Reg. Go ahead, Mr. Chairman. Yes. All right, thank you. So earlier this session, we passed some bills regarding uh canvassing for a petition on the statewide level, what this does is take that same language that we already passed that's already been enacted, and it applies it
to um to the local option election, which is pretty much dry dry, wet county issue, and that's what the bill does. It just takes existing language where it passed it's already in law and puts it in so we've got consistency across the board. take any questions. Right Seeing no questions
from the committee. Is there anyone here to speak for against the bell? Anyone in the audience would like to speak for against the bell. Saying no you
recognize the clothes for your bill. Thank
Speaker 183
1:59:30
you representing Eubanks asked me to run this, and we started out sending and came down here, so I
appreciate a good vote out of the committee. Um. Representative Collins. Oh. Representative Collins motion to pass Crawford Crawford Crawford. I'm just all switched up today. All right. Alright, got a motion to pass. Is there any discussion on the motion?
Representative Col you recognize discuss the motion. Thank
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
2:00:02
you. To be clear, not a motion to pass from me, um, so this one, and I
guess the other one didn't bring in all of the things that we passed this session with regard to going up the works on the process, but this does and this will make it very difficult to get one of these local option elections through. He's got the canvasser affidavit. This one has the reading, the ballot title and the presence or uh making sure that the signer has
read it, um, all of these things which were bad on the state level are also bad on this level, and it's particularly uh gonna burden people who are just trying to make their local areas better, so I'm gonna know thanks. Is there
any other discussion on the motion? Saying none. All those in favor say ah. He poses. Congratulations, Senator Hammer, you're
Passed your bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Members committee. Senator Hammer, while you're at the end of the table, are you prepared to present,
Speaker 183
2:01:14
uh, Senate Bill 491. Could you tell me that title on that one? Oh, yes
sir, yes sir. Uh Please identify yourself for the committee and you're good to present on 491, which could I have indulged 30 seconds, please, real quick.
Speaker 109
2:01:34
Got it it is that SR getting reviewed. I don't know if she's
Speaker 183
2:01:37
got it down to committee. Mr. Chairman, do y'all have an amendment on this bill down there yet? OK, uh, Mr. Chairman, I need to work with EBD on this, and there's a amendment that's coming over. It's in review. Can I just yield and when the amendment gets here, I'll be here. Thank you. Alright, hold on just a second. Right. Representative right you're
print Senate bill 508. I'm sorry, which one?
Representative David Ray
Unverified
2:02:10
Representative Ray, oh sorry. Have a light. Sure Yes, we're ready.
Please identify yourself with the committee and you're good to go.
Representative David Ray
Unverified
2:02:34
Thank you Chairman David Ray, State Representative District 69, if it's OK with the chair, I'd like to ask, uh, Mr. Grant Wallace to come help me present this bill. That's fine. Colleagues, this is um legislation from Senator Irvin and Representative Lee Johnson, they couldn't make it to the committee this morning, so I was asked, um, so I'm gonna let Mr. Wallace explain the bill and uh
let him answer any questions that members of
Speaker 279
2:03:08
the committee might have. Grant Wallace, director of employee benefits division, this is a cleanup bill. We ran a bill earlier in the session to revise the frequency and the stipend that the advisory commissions to EBD received the we missed one part where it said per month and the change in this bill is to per meeting, so it's making the stipends coincide with their meeting frequency. Alright.
You up for questions. Is there any questions in the committee? Saying none. Is there anyone to speak for against the bill and when the audience would like
to speak for against the bill. Singan, Representative Wright, you are. Reco the clothes for you, Bill. I'm closed for the bill,
Representative David Ray
Unverified
2:03:55
and I'll move to pass. All right, we have
a motion do pass on the table. Is there any discussion on the motion? Sean, all those in favor say aye.
And he poses. Congratulations, the ride you passed your bill. This indulgence
give me just one second, we'll find our next bit.
Speaker 281
2:04:54
All right, committee, um, We're gonna, we're,
we're gonna adjourn at 12:30. Alright, so this bill is gonna take a little bit longer to get through, but we're gonna
go ahead and start it and then we'll just recess, uh, and, and go up and come back and Finish it up, but this will, this will get us started on this bill. All right,
Speaker 204
2:05:17
so that and that bill would be. Alright
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
2:05:30
You recognize to present 5:306. Thank you
Representative Wayne Long
Unverified
2:05:36
Mr. Chairman. Representative Wayne Long, House District 39. Senator Dan Sullivan,
Senator Dan Sullivan
Unverified
2:05:42
District 2. All right, we're good
Representative Wayne Long
Unverified
2:05:45
to go. We've all witnessed state boards and commissions that have gotten too big for the bridges, um, they act like they they're unaccountable to anyone once they get their appointment of the Arkansas State Library Board has a seven-year appointment and
this is what we're experiencing from that board. I was told that the library board publicly ridiculed Act 372 that was passed by this body back in 2023. You put in place standards and guidelines to to the display in in a inappropriate sexual materials um that are being paid for in our Um, publicly funded libraries. We've they've repeatedly ignored
the requests of members of the General Assembly in Arkansas citizens to put policies in place to protect children from these inappropriate sexual materials. They've also refused to disassociate themselves from the arsal, uh, excuse me, the American Library Association, whose official policy is that children have the right to see any materials that they want regardless of the pain of the parents' stand on the issue. I would encourage everyone to review the library board meeting
on March 13th, 2025. that bring a lot of um clarity of the reason why we're bringing this bill. Um There you'll see that a majority of the members of the board voted not to protect children from inappropriate sexual materials. That's why I support this bill in uh to um Remove the um I'm sorry, I lost my place. Uh, to, to root the task performed by the library board to the Arkansas Department of Education
because they answerable to the elected governor of the state and I'd like to um turned over to Senator Sullivan to um. is it the bill
Senator Dan Sullivan
Unverified
2:07:47
Thank you, Representative, and thank you, Mr. Chair, folks, like for you to just be aware of a couple of things. One, the original bill, uh, was Senate Bill 184 that eliminated uh relocated the Department of uh AETN Educational Network and the library board. I got a call from
the director at AETN. He said, yes, we agreed that yes, they'd had some problems, uh, and they were going to fix them on a handshake. We agreed that they would fix them and I would remove them from the bill and let them remain solvent. When I talk with the library board and folks I called almost all of them and offered them a very simple solution one to,, disassociate with the American Library Association, which they had a very loose association
with. And then too, just come up with a statement, non-binding statement that they would protect children from sexually explicit. material. They took a vote in the library board voted that down. Uh, they decided they did not want to uh make that kind of a statement. And folks, I guess I guess my, my ask of you would be to wonder why they would do that to take such an easy path. To remain solvent and the legislature back off.
You know, our number one charge as a legislature is to have oversight. Uh, we had testimony in the Senate on this bill and it was very clear that librarians don't want oversight. If you read the first part of the bill. Where abolishes the state library and just moves it under the Department of Education. Um, they, Department of Education is will, is here. They'll be prepared to testify
this this afternoon about their capacities and capabilities to achieve that. Uh, the bill lists very clearly. Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Chair. I think we have an amendment. Do you have the amendment to the bill? They didn't send that over. Uh, I'll make sure that you have that. They, they were supposed to send that over to you. hold on just a second.
Alright, um, To the fact that we do not have that amendment, I do not want to pursue any further with that. What I'm gonna do is I'm gonna recess this till after adjournment, and then you'll, you'll have your amendment here in the committee ready and we'll we'll, we'll be good to go with that. Ros, did you have a question? Yeah,
Speaker 286
2:10:51
parliamentary inquiry. Just something for your staff um. Is
Representative Ryan A. Rose
Unverified
2:10:55
there anything we have to do procedurally for them to be able to restart their testimony since
there is an amendment coming and they began to present the bill without the amendment. And if you need to recess before we get an answer on that, I'm fine to wait until
Speaker 287
2:11:15
after the recess. Uh, hold on just one second. Collins, yeah, I was just gonna
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
2:11:19
suggest I feel like we've seen this in other situations if they pull the bill down, then they can do the amendment and start over when we come back
would be my thought if everyone agrees to that, yeah, and.
Again, I, I don't know if staff needs to
confer before we. That would be that that's would be appropriate if you guys just pulled your bill down and then we'll, we'll recess and we'll go
right, right back at it upon adjournment
of the house. That's what we do then, Mr. uh Mr. Chairman, I appreciate it. That that that's what we'd like to do then, Mr. Chairman. So the request is to pull the bill down. Yes, sir. Right
That's good. So with that, there is no other. We have no
water so we're gonna, we're gonna be in recess 15 until 15 minutes upon adjournment of the house. They
Agenda
CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENT
Number Sponsor Subtitle
HB1614 Lundstrum TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING DESIGNATIONS RELATED TO CERTAIN CRIMINAL JUSTICE GRANT PROGRAMS.
RE-REFERRED TO COMMITTEE
Number Sponsor Subtitle
SB443 J. Bryant TO AMEND THE DUTIES OF THE STATE BOARD OF APPRAISERS, ABSTRACTERS, AND HOME INSPECTORS; TO AMEND THE LAW REGARDING LICENSURE OF ABSTRACTERS; TO AMEND THE LAW REGARDING LICENSURE OF HOME INSPECTORS; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
REGULAR AGENDA
Number Sponsor Subtitle
HB1041 R. Scott Richardson TO PROHIBIT DECEPTIVE AND FRAUDULENT DEEPFAKES IN ELECTION COMMUNICATIONS.
HB1849 Gramlich TO ALLOW FOR THE CROSS DEPUTIZATION OF MUNICIPAL, COUNTY, STATE, AND TRIBAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ON FEDERALLY-RECOGNIZED TRIBAL LAND WITHIN THE STATE.
HB1878 McGruder TO ENSURE EARLY VOTING ACCESS FOR ARKANSANS RESIDING IN POPULATION CENTERS; AND TO REQUIRE A COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTION COMMISSIONERS TO CONDUCT EARLY VOTING IN A CITY IN CERTAIN INSTANCES.
HB1883 Long TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS FOURTH AMENDMENT PROTECTION ACT; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE COLLECTION OF ELECTRONIC DATA AND METADATA.
HB1884 Long TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE MARKING AND COUNTING OF PAPER BALLOTS.
HB1973 B. McKenzie TO PROVIDE THAT A GOVERNMENTAL BODY SHALL NOT USE STATE OR LOCAL FUNDS TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH A LOBBYIST FOR THE PURPOSE OF LOBBYING ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENTAL BODY.
SENATE BILLS
Number Sponsor Subtitle
SB12 B. King TO AMEND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967; AND TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING COMMUNICATIONS REGARDING REDISTRICTING BY THE BOARD OF APPORTIONMENT.
SB376 A. Clark TO AMEND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PUBLIC MEETINGS UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967.
SB445 K. Hammer TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE LICENSURE OF ELECTRICAL INSPECTORS.
SB471 A. Clark TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING CANDIDATES FOR NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS; AND TO ALLOW CERTAIN CANDIDATES FOR NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS TO USE THE TITLE OF THE NONPARTISAN JUDICIAL OFFICE ON THE BALLOT.
SB491 K. Hammer TO REQUIRE A VENDOR THAT CONTRACTS WITH THE OFFICE OF STATE PROCUREMENT FOR SERVICES FOR THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS DIVISION TO SUBMIT DATA FOR VERIFICATION BY AN INDEPENDENT AUDITOR; TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
SB508 Irvin TO AMEND THE FREQUENCY OF PAYMENT OF A STIPEND FOR CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFIT ADVISORY COMMISSION AND THE STATE EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFIT ADVISORY COMMISSION.
SB486 B. Johnson CONCERNING SAFETY AND PRIVACY IN CERTAIN ENTITIES; AND CONCERNING THE DESIGNATION OF MULTI-OCCUPANCY RESTROOMS, CHANGING ROOMS, AND SLEEPING QUARTERS IN CERTAIN ENTITIES BASED ON AN INDIVIDUAL'S SEX.
SB489 G. Leding TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING THE PLACEMENT OF A MONUMENT ON THE STATE CAPITOL GROUNDS IN RECOGNITION OF THE DESEGREGATION OF THE CHARLESTON AND FAYETTEVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN 1954.
SB521 B. Davis TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING REIMBURSEMENT; AND TO EXTEND THE TIME PERIOD AFTER COMPLETION OF TRAINING FOR WHICH REIMBURSEMENT IS REQUIRED.
SB536 D. Sullivan TO ABOLISH AND TRANSFER THE ARKANSAS STATE LIBRARY AND THE STATE LIBRARY BOARD; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
SB570 J. Dotson TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE.
SB551 K. Hammer TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING CANVASSING FOR A PETITION FOR A LOCAL OPTION ELECTION.
SB584 K. Hammer TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LOCAL INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM PETITIONS.
SB439 Irvin TO AMEND THE DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND LICENSING; AND TO AMEND PORTIONS OF ARKANSAS CODE WHICH RESULTED FROM INITIATED ACT 1 OF 1914.
SB516 Gilmore TO ALLOW A PERSON FILING AS A CANDIDATE FOR THE OFFICE OF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT OR JUDGE OF THE COURT OF APPEALS WHO IS AN APPOINTEE IN THAT POSITION TO USE THE TITLE OF THAT POSITION AS A PREFIX WHEN FILING AS A CANDIDATE.
SB565 Flippo TO ALLOW PROCUREMENT CERTIFICATIONS TO BE COMBINED; TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE REPRESENTATION IN STATE CONTRACTS REGARDING CONTINGENT FEES; AND TO AMEND THE COOPERATIVE PURCHASING REPORTING DEADLINE.
SB578 Hester TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EARLY VOTING; AND TO ALLOW A COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTION COMMISSIONERS TO CLOSE CERTAIN EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER.
SB613 C. Penzo TO CREATE AN ELECTION PROCEDURE TO DETERMINE FLUORIDATION OF A PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM.
DEFERRED BILLS
Number Sponsor Subtitle
HB1024 A. Collins TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PUBLIC EMPLOYEES; AND TO REPEAL THE LAW PROHIBITING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.
HB1028 A. Collins TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE LAW CONCERNING OBSCENITY AND THE PROCESS FOR CHALLENGING MATERIALS INCLUDED IN A LIBRARY; AND TO REQUIRE A LIBRARY TO HAVE A POLICY PROHIBITING BOOK BANNING IN ORDER TO RECEIVE STATE FUNDING.
HB1043 A. Collins TO REQUIRE DISCLOSURE AND REPORTING OF NONCANDIDATE EXPENDITURES PERTAINING TO APPELLATE JUDICIAL ELECTIONS; AND TO ADOPT NEW LAWS CONCERNING APPELLATE JUDICIAL CAMPAIGNS.
HB1162 Duffield TO ESTABLISH GOOD FRIDAY AS AN OFFICIAL STATE HOLIDAY.
HB1058 Unger TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING ETHICS AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST FOR PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES; AND TO PROHIBIT PUBLIC EMPLOYEES FROM GIVING ADVANCE NOTICE TO ENTITIES OF REQUIRED INSPECTIONS.
HB1059 Unger TO PROVIDE THE OPTION FOR A FREE LIFETIME HUNTING AND FISHING LICENSE TO A COMMERCIAL TRUCK DRIVER WHO IS A RESIDENT AND PROVIDES CERTAIN INFORMATION RELATED TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
HB1078 Long TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING RUNOFF ELECTIONS; AND TO PROVIDE FOR A RUNOFF ELECTION FOR CANDIDATES FOR THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
HB1281 McAlindon TO AMEND REPORTING FOR A CANDIDATE FOR CERTAIN MUNICIPAL OFFICES AND FOR COUNTY OFFICE; AND TO AMEND PORTIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE THAT RESULTED FROM INITIATED ACT 1 OF 1996.
HB1415 L. Johnson TO REQUIRE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO RESPOND TO A REQUEST FOR A FIRE INQUIRY.
HB1494 Hawk TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS GUIDANCE OUT OF THE DARKNESS ACT; AND TO REQUIRE STATE AGENCIES TO PUBLISH FEDERAL GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS ONLINE.
HB1459 L. Johnson CONCERNING RECURRING REPORTS SUBMITTED TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
HB1461 L. Johnson TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE EVALUATION OF NECESSITY OF VARIOUS COMMISSIONS AND BOARDS.
SB184 D. Sullivan TO TRANSFER THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE ARKANSAS EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION COMMISSION AND THE STATE LIBRARY BOARD TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
HB1667 Bentley TO AMEND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PUBLIC MEETINGS UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967.
HB1769 Barnett CONCERNING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER STANDARDS; AND TO REQUIRE A PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION OR ASSESSMENT TO BECOME OR BE EMPLOYED AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.
HB1621 Wardlaw TO AMEND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT OF 1967; AND TO EXEMPT PERSONAL INFORMATION OF ELECTED CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS, JUDICIAL OFFICIALS, ELECTED COUNTY OFFICIALS, ELECTED MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS, AND THEIR IMMEDIATE FAMILY.
HB1631 Wardlaw TO ADDRESS THE ISSUANCE OF HUNTING AND FISHING LICENSES TO FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENTS.
HB1069 S. Meeks TO OBSERVE STANDARD TIME YEAR ROUND IN ARKANSAS; AND TO ELIMINATE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME IN ARKANSAS.
HB1720 Vaught TO CREATE THE BABIES AT WORK ACT; TO ALLOW STATE AGENCIES TO PERMIT PUBLIC EMPLOYEES WHO ARE PARENTS OR LEGAL GUARDIANS TO BRING THEIR INFANTS SIX MONTHS OR YOUNGER TO WORK.
HB1753 Long TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING VOTER REGISTRATION; TO OPT-OUT OF THE NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION ACT OF 1993; AND TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION, AMENDMENT 51, § 5.
HB1773 Long TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING CONTRIBUTION LIMITS FOR BALLOT QUESTION COMMITTEES AND LEGISLATIVE QUESTION COMMITTEES.
HB1037 A. Collins AN ACT TO CREATE THE PREREGISTRATION TO VOTE ACT; AND TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION, AMENDMENT 51, UNDER THE AUTHORITY GRANTED BY ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION, AMENDMENT 51, § 19.
HB1035 A. Collins TO CREATE THE ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION ACT OF 2025; TO ALLOW ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION; TO AMEND ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION, AMENDMENT 51; AND TO AMEND THE DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
HB1036 A. Collins TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING VOTER REGISTRATION; TO ALLOW VOTER REGISTRATION DURING EARLY VOTING AND ON ELECTION DAY; AND TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION, AMENDMENT 51.
HB1038 A. Collins TO CREATE THE NO-EXCUSE ABSENTEE VOTING ACT OF 2025; TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING ABSENTEE VOTING; AND TO REPEAL VOTER QUALIFICATIONS FOR ABSENTEE VOTING.
HB1039 A. Collins TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING ABSENTEE BALLOTS; AND TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING ELECTIONS.
HB1040 A. Collins TO CREATE THE WATER IN LINE ACT OF 2025; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PENALTIES FOR MISDEMEANOR OFFENSES RELATED TO VOTING.
HB1042 A. Collins TO CREATE THE DIRECT DEMOCRACY ACT OF 2025; TO REPEAL THE ENSURING ACCESS FOR ALL ARKANSANS AND VOTER PROTECTION ACT OF 2023; AND TO AMEND THE PROCEDURE FOR THE FILING OF A BALLOT INITIATIVE PETITION AND REFERENDUM PETITION.
Documents
| Title | Type | Pages | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agenda — STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS- HOUSE, Apr 9, 2025 | Agenda | 4 | Official source ↗ |
Speakers
Representative Rick Beck Chair
Unverified
Speaker 5
Representative Ryan A. Rose
Unverified
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
Representative David Ray
Unverified
Representative Nicole Clowney
Unverified
Representative Jeremy Wooldridge
Unverified
Representative Andrew Collins
Unverified
Speaker 48
Lindsay Bailey
Unverified
Senator Alan Clark
Unverified
Senator Bryan King
Unverified
Speaker 65
Speaker 73
Representative Mark D. McElroy
Unverified
Representative Jeff Wardlaw
Unverified
Representative Cindy Crawford
Unverified
Speaker 79
Speaker 106
Speaker 108
Speaker 116
Speaker 89
Speaker 121
Speaker 28
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Unverified
Representative Mary Bentley
Unverified
Joey Mccutcheon
Unverified
Speaker 167
Speaker 162
Andrew Bagley
Unverified
Aaron Hanson
Unverified
Speaker 183
Sarah Moore
Unverified
Speaker 189
Speaker 190
Speaker 192
Alex Kinlan
Unverified
Representative Wayne Long
Unverified
Representative Jimmy Gazaway Chair
Unverified
Speaker 208
Speaker 211
Speaker 225
Speaker 50
Speaker 246
Speaker 254
Speaker 258
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
Speaker 262
Speaker 233
Speaker 109
Speaker 279
Speaker 281
Speaker 204
Senator Dan Sullivan
Unverified
Speaker 286
Speaker 287