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Speaker 10
1:30
Members, if you take your seats, we'll get started.
I call the meeting to order we'll begin with the items for approval item B Billy get
William Parrish
Unverified
2:21
us started thank you mr. chair we're in section B these are various temporary appropriation requests the first item is a letter from the Department of Military. This is for $243,000 in appropriation. It's to provide a 25% match to the
federal cooperative funding agreement. This agreement is to design an addition and an alteration to the 39th Brigade headquarters. The funding would come from a restricted reserve transfer that will be requested later in the agenda. Next item, B2, is a letter from the Department of Public Safety, Division of State Police. This is for $100,000 in appropriation and to establish a construction line item. This is to rebuild the troop ICDL facility that was destroyed by a tornado in May of 2024 and it's supported by insurance proceeds and FEMA disaster funds. B3 is a letter from the Department of Public Safety, Division of State Police. It's for $405,000. This is to replace live scans and accessories and it's supported by criminal history fees.
B4 is the last item. This is a letter from dfna. It's for 4.5 million in appropriation It's to cover contract to contract expenses in the rural health transformation program that are more appropriately classified as maintenance and operation As opposed to the grants and aid as they are currently situated Mr. Chair, those are all of the various
temporary appropriation requests. All right members Everybody knows the procedure here set
Speaker 14
3:38
forth by senator dismayne. So we'll uh, does anybody have any questions with b1?
none, do I have a motion to approve B1 through B4? I have
a motion and a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion is passed. Billy, C.
William Parrish
Unverified
4:10
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We're in Section C. This is an Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Appropriation Request.
It's by the Department of Energy and Environment, Division of Environmental Quality. It's for $4.2 million in appropriation. This is to design and implement statewide energy plans and programs. All right.
Senator Dismain, you're recognized. I don't know
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
4:31
if staff or agency. I'm just curious. It doesn't really specify what they are. What kind of grant programs are we looking at? We've got $2 million in grants and $1 million in other. Just high level, just really curious what we're talking about.
Just come to the table and identify yourself, please, for the record.
Speaker 25
5:01
Lauren Ballard, Chief of Staff, Energy and Environment. Mitchell Simpson, Deputy Director, Arkansas Energy Office of Energy and
Speaker 24
5:07
Environment. Okay, you're recognized. Okay, and now I'll take a stab at answering this and
Speaker 27
5:10
let Mitchell jump in here and rescue me if I go awry. So the state energy plan is actually a yearly award we receive. So we have some existing energy performance contracting,
some alphabet soup energy efficiency community block grants, some other things that we're supporting with these funds, as I understand it, and looking, this is an IJA allotment, so we're also kind of evaluating how we can use that. But that was the original grant is how we did that, was to support existing programs.
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
5:37
Yes. Okay. So just give me an example of what that means. I mean, when you say energy efficiency, is this?
Speaker 27
5:43
Well, I'll start with energy performance contracting as a program that the energy office administers with ADFA,
and that helps, I think, local school districts, municipalities, do some of these contracting upgrades where they can upgrade their HVAC and use their energy efficiency savings to help pay for some of those. That's the schools. The community block grant, I might need Mitchell's
Speaker 25
6:03
help on kind of the work that does. The community block grant provides funding to city and county-owned governments to do building upgrades. Maybe it's deferred maintenance. Maybe it's to improve their energy efficiency, their equipment, their energy equipment to upgrade it. So that's essentially what the community block grants do.
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
6:19
Okay. Got you. And so what's the 1 million other in the lines? And then I'm
Speaker 35
6:33
done. that's a good question I might have to go
Speaker 24
6:38
and dig and find and I could get back with the committee and let you know seeing no
other questions so I have a motion to approve see one have a motion and a second any discussion on the motion
seeing none all in favor say aye it any opposed motion passes Billy moving on the D thank you mr. chair
William Parrish
Unverified
7:08
we're in section D this is an appropriation and or fund transfer requests it's from the Department of Education Division of Elementary and Secondary Education special language in their act allows a transfer after approval by ALC and they are requesting to transfer $40,000 from
teacher salary equalization and school funding contingency to minimum teacher salary and raise. The letter explains teacher salary equalization is in a gradual phase L to accommodate the new compensation requirement for minimum teacher salary and
raise. Any questions? Seeing none do I have a motion to approve D1. Oh, I'm sorry. Senator Hickey, you're recognized.
Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr
Unverified
8:01
No, no question. I just I think we
just I think we said 40,000. So just for the record, need to get that correct, I guess, since it's live stream. Yes, sir. It's a combined.
William Parrish
Unverified
8:13
I'm sorry 40 million. Yes, 32 million from teacher salary equalization and 8 million from school funding contingency. Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir. Okay, seeing no other
questions, do I have a motion to approve D1? I have a motion and a second. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all in favor
say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion passes. Section E.
William Parrish
Unverified
8:43
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We're in Section E. This is a restricted reserve fund transfer request. It's from the Department of Military. This is a $243,000 transfer from the various general discretion and majority votes set aside. It's to provide matching funds to a National Guard Bureau grant to design in addition to the 39th Infantry Brigade
Speaker 10
9:01
headquarters on Camp Robinson. Mr. Chair, that's the request. Any questions on this item? Seeing none, do I
have a motion to approve this? I have a motion and a second. Any discussion on the motion?
seeing none all in favor say aye any opposed motion passes
William Parrish
Unverified
9:18
thank you mr. chair we're in section F these are miscellaneous federal grant appropriation requests the first one F1 is for the Department of Military this is 729,000 in federal appropriation this is again that grant for the National Guard Bureau is to accompany state match from the restricted reserve fund for the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Headquarters. F2 is a Department of Commerce Division of Workforce Services. This is $35.6 million. This is a grant
from the U.S. Department of Labor to support the expansion of manufacturing registered apprenticeship. F3 through F5 are three different grant awards for the same program at DFNA. They totaled $6.7 million. These are grants from the U.S. Department of Justice to create and implement extreme risk protection order programs crisis intervention court proceedings and gun violence reduction initiatives okay members are there any questions on F1 Senator Rice is yours at one three through five
Speaker 14
10:11
F2 all right Senator you're recognized for F3 through
Senator Terry Rice
Unverified
10:31
five. Thank you. I'd like somebody to come out and give us some more information on this $6.7 million for three grants. Please identify yourself for
Speaker 54
10:54
the record. Jim Hudson, Secretary, DFA. Andy babbitt dfa you
Senator Terry Rice
Unverified
10:58
recognize thank you i appreciate you gentlemen coming up again i'm not on the
committee but to save time from having to do it friday could you give us some background uh what research i've done uh this was a little bit more abbreviated in description on the arkansas I saw a site when I Googled it versus what happened when they called it the Bipartisan Safer. Communities Act of 2022 came out, and this was launched in 2023, which was from a different administration, the Biden administration.
We know there were some things targeted in the Biden administration. I'm not trying to get wild, but can you tell me what safeguards, and I'll be glad to read what is on the federal website that causes a little bit more concern. Can you tell me what Arkansas has agreed to do with this money?
Speaker 57
12:01
Sure. Well, good morning to you, Senator. And I'll take a start with it, and then Mr. Babbitt can chime in as well. I think as originally envisioned by the Biden administration,
there was an emphasis on, you know, so-called red flag sort of laws where there was potentially a confiscation of personal weapons if somebody was, you know, perceived to be a danger. We obviously have strong objections to that line of thinking, and we're very, very concerned about protecting citizens' Second Amendment rights. And so we worked hard in our grant application to make it very clear we would not be engaging along those lines.
And then as we make awards to various communities, we will write into the grant agreements that the grant funds cannot be used for that purpose and that we will safeguard citizens' Second Amendment rights. It's really more about violence prevention than anything else, education programs, helping our courts, helping our police departments have the tools that they need, but we're not going to do that at the expense of the Second
Speaker 58
13:12
No, I think Secretary Hudson hit it very well.
I think our safeguard and what we're going to do in our grant agreement is just make sure that when a city, county, or prosecuting attorney agrees to accept these fines, that we have definitive language in there that says it will not be used to infringe on the Second Amendment rights of any citizen. I
Senator Terry Rice
Unverified
13:37
appreciate that, and I expect no less from either of y'all, and that directive will go out. Let me quickly read you.
I won't take much time on this, but let me quickly read you what this says. The Justice Department launched the National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center, which will provide training and technical assistance to law enforcement officials, prosecutors, attorneys, judges, clinicians, victim service and social service providers, community organizers, and behavioral health professionals responsible for implementing laws
designed to keep guns out of the hands of people who pose a threat to themselves or others. You can more possibly, that's what I was wanting to hear, if you can more narrowly define that to who you're putting it out to, that is good. But we have seen law enforcement, I'm supportive of law enforcement, we've seen law enforcement in some areas and some cases that interject their own thinking into that.
And I point out the fact that ATF paid local law enforcement officials, like you're hiring the security guard, extra off-duty. They pay them in supplement to their salaries and use them to kick in the door of Brian Malinkowski at 6 o'clock in the morning at dark. And he's got a widow, is all here to testify. This is what I'm trying to keep narrow, that everybody understands what this is.
We don't want people, danger to themselves or others, to have guns, but it's a very meticulous thing to get
everybody to understand. So I appreciate what you're doing. You're telling us you're going to do everything you can. It's what I'm hearing
Speaker 57
15:40
from you. Put it out that way. And it's more than just kind of try and do everything I can. We're going to make sure that as the program is administered at DFA, that those sorts of things you're concerned about will not happen. There is a reason why this program began in the previous presidential administration.
We did not apply for the funds at that point in time. When we had a change in administration and a change in philosophy at the executive branch at the federal level, we got more comfort that we could tailor this to what our needs are here in Arkansas, again, without infringing in any way on our Kansans Second Amendment rights. That's important to me personally. It's important, I know, to Mr. Babbin as well. So we'll
Senator Terry Rice
Unverified
16:21
make sure that happens, sir. I have full faith in you. I'll just throw in this, too. This flock deal has gotten big, and I remember how many years ago that,
and I supported it, I told the state police, yeah, if you need a camera to catch somebody kidnapping somebody coming down the interstate and you're going to use that information for a narrow period of time, it's fine, and look what it's blossomed into. So I appreciate y'all being on guard and doing the best you can. Thank you, Mr. Yes, sir. Senator Boyd,
showed up. All right. Any other questions?
All right. Seeing none without objection, items F1 through 5 will be reviewed. Billy, Section G. Thank you, Mr. Chair. We're in Section G. This
William Parrish
Unverified
17:17
is a pay plan appropriation request from the Department of Health. It's for $38,920. This is for extra help and match appropriation due to the need for a critical staff member. Are there any questions,
members? Seeing none, without objection, this item is reviewed.
Speaker 10
17:38
Moving on to reports. Members, if you'll take the time to look over them, if you have any questions. on
Speaker 46
17:48
any particular report, we'll try to get them answered.
Senator Irvin, you're recognized. Which report do you have a
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
18:17
question on? If we could just get a little bit of an overview of the H-1 with the American Rescue Plan Act and how that's going to be sent throughout the state for water, wastewater, stormwater infrastructure projects. If we could just kind of get a little update, that would be nice. It's a good use of money, and it's needed, especially my area.
thanks if you'll identify yourself for the record you'll be recognized
Speaker 72
19:00
good morning chris call closure director of the natural resources division at the arkansas department
Speaker 75
19:06
of agriculture good morning inusazaki department of agriculture
Speaker 72
19:11
all right senator ervin i'll answer your question so this appropriation request is to continue the
american rescue plan act funding that we had for water and wastewater projects which we're in our fourth and final year of that so we get about 4.5 months for those systems to finish construction and so overall we awarded uh about 205 projects and so we've got about 81 that are still under construction some form of construction but they're all in the process of finishing up and so we don't anticipate having any funds left over we we look to for all of our systems across the state that were awarded funds to use all those
funds and so really we're just in the very end of that for four plus year period to finish
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
19:57
up so these are just these are draws that we take from the federal appropriation
Speaker 72
20:03
or how this was the original word so we we received 280 million and 22 right to administer to water systems and then we received another 60 million and 24 and so really we're just at the end of those construction periods just trying to finish up
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
20:18
okay so okay and so we're
not starting any new ones this is just closing out and finishing anything else that's on the books Well, I just want to tell you thank you so much for your work that you're doing and just really take the opportunity to say that on behalf of, I think, everybody. Because when our communities suffer and mine have recently with water, you've been so great. And so just thank you so much for responding to me and to my constituents. And I just really wanted to tell you thank you publicly because it's really hard work and for y'all to respond on a weekend and it was really great.
So just on behalf of those folks, I just, Fox, Arkansas, and West Stone County
Speaker 82
21:01
is very grateful. Thank you. You bet. We're glad to help, and obviously we get a lot of requests for assistance, and we're always glad to help with that.
Absolutely. Thank you. You're welcome. All right, members, are there any questions on the reports in H, I, J, or K? All right, seeing none and seeing no other business, we are adjourned.
Agenda
A. Call to Order
Items for Approval
B. Various Temporary Appropriation Requests
C. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Appropriation Request
D. Appropriation and/or Fund Transfer Request
E. Restricted Reserve Fund Transfer Request
Items for Review
F. Miscellaneous Federal Grant Appropriation Requests
G. Pay Plan Appropriation Request
Reports
H. Emergency Action Reports
I. Semiannual Reports
J. Quarterly Reports
K. Monthly Reports
3. Tobacco Settlement Report
L. Other Business
M. Adjournment
Documents
No documents posted.
Speakers
Speaker 10
William Parrish
Unverified
Representative Jon S. Eubanks Chair
Unverified
Speaker 14
Speaker 15
Senator Jonathan Dismang
Unverified
Speaker 25
Speaker 24
Speaker 27
Speaker 35
Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr
Unverified
Senator Terry Rice
Unverified
Speaker 54
Speaker 57
Speaker 59
Speaker 58
Speaker 64
Speaker 46
Senator Missy Irvin
Unverified
Speaker 72
Speaker 75
Speaker 82