City, County & Local Affairs Committee- House
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Transcript
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Bills discussed (25)
| Bill | Title | Sponsor | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
|
HB1618
Act 523
· 4 mentions in transcript, agenda, chapter
Matched: “Right, we're gonna move to House Bill 1618, Representative Hawke. You'll just introduce yourself, you”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE ELECTION, APPOINTMENT, AND CONTRACTING OF A MUNICIPAL ATTORNEY. | Hawk | Notification that HB1618 is now Act 523 |
|
SB270
Act 360
· 4 mentions in transcript, agenda, chapter
Matched: “committee. Right, we're gonna go to a Senate Bill 270, Representative”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE FILING PERIODS OF CERTAIN NONPARTISAN SCHOOL BOARD AND MUNICIPAL … | Crowell | Notification that SB270 is now Act 360 |
|
HB1272
Act 520
· 3 mentions in transcript, agenda, chapter
Matched: “2 is Woolridge in here? No, let's Warren, you're up next. House Bill 1272.”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PROPERTY VACATED BY A MUNICIPALITY; AND TO REQUIRE VESTED ABANDONED … | Warren | Notification that HB1272 is now Act 520 |
|
HB1274
Act 521
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1274 Warren TO ALLOW A TITLE INSURANCE AGENT, TITLE INSURER, OR…”
|
TO ALLOW A TITLE INSURANCE AGENT, TITLE INSURER, OR TITLE COMPANY TO PAY REAL PROPERTY … | Warren | Notification that HB1274 is now Act 521 |
|
HB1448
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…Rep. Stetson Painter REGULAR AGENDA Number Sponsor Subtitle HB1448 Puryear TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING MUNICIPAL PLANNING AREA…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING MUNICIPAL PLANNING AREAS; AND TO REQUIRE NOTICE AND COMPENSATION TO … | Puryear | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1660
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1660 S. Meeks TO AMEND THE HORIZONTAL PROPERTY ACT; TO REGULATE…”
|
TO AMEND THE HORIZONTAL PROPERTY ACT; TO REGULATE PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATIONS; AND TO REQUIRE AN … | S. Meeks | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1695
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1695 J. Richardson TO CLARIFY THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS FOR PROPER…”
|
TO CLARIFY THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS FOR PROPERTY SUBJECT TO A MUNICIPAL LIEN; TO ALLOW A … | J. Richardson | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1701
Act 925
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1701 Gonzales TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING SEWER COLLECTION AND S…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING SEWER COLLECTION AND SEWER TREATMENT PROVIDERS AND RELATED SERVICES. | Gonzales | Notification that HB1701 is now Act 925 |
|
HB1711
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…estrictions designating areas as 'Members and Staff Only'. HB1711 Unger TO ALLOW A MUNICIPAL PORT AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH A PO…”
|
TO ALLOW A MUNICIPAL PORT AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH A POLICE FORCE; AND TO ESTABLISH THE … | Unger | Recommended for study in the Interim by the … |
|
HB1725
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1725 Schulz TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF; A…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING … | Schulz | Died in House at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
SB254
Act 359
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “SB254 Irvin TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING RURAL COMMUNITY PROJECTS;…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING RURAL COMMUNITY PROJECTS; TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "PROPERTY IN … | Irvin | Notification that SB254 is now Act 359 |
|
SB324
Act 519
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…LECTION AND SEWER TREATMENT PROVIDERS AND RELATED SERVICES. SB324 M. Johnson TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE MEMBERSHIP OF A…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE MEMBERSHIP OF A COUNTY PLANNING BOARD. | M. Johnson | Notification that SB324 is now Act 519 |
|
SB374
Act 751
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…THE LAW CONCERNING COMPENSATION FOR THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF. SB374 B. Davis TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE CIVIL SERVICE SYST…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM. | B. Davis | Notification that SB374 is now Act 751 |
|
SB91
Act 459
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “SB91 C. Penzo TO PROVIDE THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL UNITS SHALL HAV…”
|
TO PROVIDE THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL UNITS SHALL HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO REGULATE OR CONTROL THE … | C. Penzo | Notification that SB91 is now Act 459 |
|
HB1130
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…TION ORDINANCE IS NOT ADOPTED; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. HB1130 Pilkington TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PERMITTING FOR RESID…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PERMITTING FOR RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION; TO AMEND THE FAST-TRACK PERMITS ACT; … | Pilkington | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1212
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…SERVICING UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY TO LEVY DUES. HB1212 Steimel TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING CIVIL OFFICE HOLDINGS;…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING CIVIL OFFICE HOLDINGS; AND TO ALLOW A JUSTICE OF THE … | Steimel | WITHDRAWN BY AUTHOR |
|
HB1331
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…IVIL SERVICE SYSTEM. DEFERRED BILLS Number Sponsor Subtitle HB1331 Barnes TO REQUIRE A COUNTY TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE UNDER THE…”
|
TO REQUIRE A COUNTY TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE UNDER THE ANNUAL APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE FOR THE … | Barnes | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1416
Act 673
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…OW A LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO CREATE A HOUSING IMPROVEMENT ZONE. HB1416 L. Johnson TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING MUNICIPAL FIRE DEPAR…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING FIRE DEPARTMENTS; AND TO ALLOW A VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT SERVICING … | L. Johnson | Notification that HB1416 is now Act 673 |
|
HB1436
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…TO ALSO SERVE AS A POLICE OFFICER IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. HB1436 Steele TO PLACE LOCATION RESTRICTIONS ON CERTAIN FOOD PROCE…”
|
TO PLACE LOCATION RESTRICTIONS ON CERTAIN FOOD PROCESSING PLANTS OPERATING A SLAUGHTERHOUSE ON THE SAME … | Steele | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1462
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…PROPERTY OWNER'S INFORMATION POSTED ON AN ONLINE DATABASE. HB1462 Painter TO AUTHORIZE AN OWNER OF A PUBLIC WATERWORKS SYSTEM…”
|
TO AUTHORIZE AN OWNER OF A PUBLIC WATERWORKS SYSTEM TO EXPEND PUBLIC FUNDS AND TO … | Painter | WITHDRAWN BY AUTHOR |
|
HB1565
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…MOTOR VEHICLE RACING FACILITY PERMITS IN CERTAIN LOCATIONS. HB1565 R. Burkes TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE DUTIES OF A COUNT…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE DUTIES OF A COUNTY PROPERTY ASSESSOR; AND TO PERMIT … | R. Burkes | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1567
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…TERHOUSE ON THE SAME GROUNDS AS THE FOOD PROCESSING PLANTS. HB1567 McClure TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "MOTOR VEHICLE RACING FA…”
|
TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "MOTOR VEHICLE RACING FACILITY" RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE RACING FACILITY … | McClure | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1627
Act 877
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “AGENDA (Revised 3/11/25 @ 2:30 PM) Moved HB1627 to Deferred House Committee on City, County, and Local Affa…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PROPERTY TAX RELIEF; AND TO REQUIRE COUNTIES TO PROVIDE NOTICE … | Barnett | Notification that HB1627 is now Act 877 |
|
HB7
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “…in. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, Les Horn, District 84. Uh, House Bill 7, 1272 addresses property rights to any street or alley aban…”
|
Pre-2017 bill | ||
|
SB301
Act 322
· 1 mention in transcript
Matched: “yesterday we passed through Senate Bill 301, which is an act to amend the law concerning”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THEFT OF PROPERTY; TO CREATE AN ENHANCED PENALTY FOR THEFT … | Gilmore | Notification that SB301 is now Act 322 |
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Speaker 1
0:05
a go and call the meeting to order. Um We'll get right into the agenda, I guess. 1448 is being moved to deferred Senate Bill
Chair
Unverified
0:19
2 is Woolridge in here? No, let's Warren, you're up next. House Bill 1272.
Your State your name for the record,
Representative Les Warren
Unverified
0:40
you may begin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, Les Horn, District 84. Uh, House Bill 7, 1272 addresses property rights to any street or alley abandoned by a city or municipality. When a street or alley is abandoned, the adjoining property owners take title to the center line of that abandoned street or alley. When those adjoining owners
later sell their property, they often forget, forget to include the portion of the street or alley which vested in them when it was abandoned. This bill will make it so that the applicable portion. Of the abandoned street or alley automatically flows, follows the conveyance of the adjoining property. This bill is retroactive to 1945, which is when the Arkansas code section that is being amended was codified and will aid in the clearing title to
portions of abandoned streets and alleys that the adjoining owners and their successors inadvertently failed to include and conveyances often decades ago. So we're just clearing up something that has not been, uh, addressed in statute. I'd be glad to take
Speaker 10
1:56
any questions. Have any questions from committee members? Yes, we do. Representative Rye, you're
Representative Johnny Rye
Unverified
2:02
recognized. Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Representative Less basically is this not
almost the same situation that we're dealing with with the railroads when they abandoned property where it's split equally among each side that's around that. Area I, I'm not completely familiar with that,
Representative Les Warren
Unverified
2:20
but I would think it was, uh, pretty similar. Very similar. Thank you, sir. Representative McKenzie, you recognize? I'll take your question whenever.
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
2:40
Thank you, Mr. Chair. He doesn't want me to ask questions. Um, my
Speaker 24
2:43
finger hit the wrong thing and it popped your picture up real big on my screen and it threw
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
2:48
me off for a minute. Sorry. Like the bill, really do. How do
Representative Les Warren
Unverified
2:54
we define abandoned? OK When a that would have to be a city determining that they were going to abandon the street
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
3:02
or an alleyway. So not the absence of a municipality caring for over a certain amount of time. It's just they go, not ours
Representative Les Warren
Unverified
3:10
anymore to take that action to abandon a
Speaker 10
3:16
street or an alley. Perfect. Thank you. OK, seeing no further questions from committee members we have 2
Speaker 1
3:22
people signed up to speak for this bill. Billy Roenbeck. You're good? OK. Uh, Wesley, you're good? OK. All right, so we have nobody come to speak for us for this bill or against. Anybody else in the audience speak for or against? Would you like to close for your bill?
I am closed and I would appreciate a good vote. All right. What's the will of the committee? I had a motion. Do pass any discussion on the motion. All in favor say aye, all opposed. I have it.
Representative Les Warren
Unverified
3:56
Congratulations, you've passed your first bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, 1274, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Committee currently at county tax collector must receive payment for any delinquent personal property taxes owed by a seller or real on real property.
Before they are obligated to accept the real property tax payments. In conjunction with the sale of real property. Some tax collectors have refused to accept real property tax payments when settlement agents comply with payments based on information accessible online or at other payments for taxpayers who are in some fashion related to the seller. The Arkansas Land Title Association has worked closely with the association of Arkansas
counties and the tax collector's leadership group to arrive at the solution we are presenting in this bill. Essentially a settlement agent may request an amount from the tax collector that must be paid and the tax collector has 3 business days to provide that information. The tax collector is then obligated to accept the amount tendered that agrees with their statement. If the tax collector fails to supply the written statement within the allotted time frame.
They are obligated to accept the real property tax payment without payment of any delinquent personal property taxes. I'll be glad to take
Speaker 1
5:25
any questions. Any questions from committee members? Saying, yes, we do. Representative Burke, you recognize.
Speaker 35
5:31
Thank you. Why is a collector refusing to accept this payment? I
Representative Les Warren
Unverified
5:36
would love to know that answer. Here, here's what, and I can tell you from. Working in the tidal industry.
We have people that come in for a closing we collect the real estate taxes if we don't know that there are delinquent personal property taxes, we closed that transaction, collect the money, pay out, pay off liens, uh, give the, uh, seller their monies. We have 0 money left and we've sent that, uh, payment of personal, I mean, real estate taxes to the tax collector, and then they send it back going we can't accept that.
You haven't paid the personal property taxes we're like. You didn't have it online. How are we supposed to know that? So in some counties, they do it that way. I've been fortunate to have people that work with me, but we're trying to put it in statute and the tax collectors have all worked with us saying, OK, we
agree, we gotta get some, uh, procedures in place so that here's how it's handled. Very good. Thank you. Thank you for bringing this bill. Thank you.
Speaker 1
6:48
Seeing no other questions. We do have 2 people signed up to speak for, but I'm. Guessing, all right, I'll get the thumbs up, they're good. Anybody else in the audience to speak for or against. Would you like to close for your bill? I am closed and I would appreciate a good vote. I motion to pass, any discussion on the motion? All in favor,
Speaker 13
7:09
say ah. All opposed. Ayes have it. Congratulations, you passed your second bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you,
Speaker 1
7:15
committee. Right, we're gonna go to a Senate Bill 270, Representative
Representative Jeremy Wooldridge
Unverified
7:19
Woolridge. I believe he was running that for Senator Crow.
Speaker 1
7:35
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you committee. Myre
Representative Jeremy Wooldridge
Unverified
7:38
Yeah, just introduce yourself for the record and Jeremy Wooldridge State Representative District one. Here running a Senate Bill 270 and it literally does what the title says, so there has been an
end date, uh, in statute, so in in time, in statute for elections. This just adds a beginning time at noon. And with that, I'll be happy
Chair
Unverified
7:59
to take any questions. Representative McKenzie, you recognized. Uh, let me get back. OK. Thank you,
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
8:06
Mr. Chair. He doesn't really want me to ask any questions, um, why was this not referred to education? I'm sorry. Do you know
Representative Jeremy Wooldridge
Unverified
8:14
why this was not referred to education? You'd have to. I'm just here with a smile on my face, trying
Chair
Unverified
8:19
to pass it. Any other questions from committee members seeing none, we have no one signed up to speak for or against anyone
Speaker 1
8:30
in the audience like to speak for or against, saying, um, would you like to close for your bill? Sir, I'm closed and I would appreciate a good motion from the committee. I have a motion do pass any discussion on the motion, seeing none, all in favor say aye. All opposed, I have it. Congratulations, you passed Senator Crow's bill.
Chair
Unverified
8:51
Right, we're gonna move to House Bill 1618, Representative Hawke. You'll just introduce yourself, you
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
9:06
may begin. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, at this time, could I also get um John Wilkerson from the municipal League to join me at the table? Yes, that's fine. Representative RJ Hog District 81.
John Wilkerson, Arkansas Municipal League. Mr. Chair, committee, uh, today we bring you House Bill 1618, and that's to amend the law concerning the election appointment and contracting of a municipal attorney. If you remember correctly, uh, last session I brought this bill and at the time we did it for cities with 30,000 people or less because we were finding that there were either nobody running for the city attorney position or there was nobody that lived inside the city lines, the, the
boundary lines, and so the mayor was gonna have to appoint somebody or you know, they want to go find outside legal representation and couldn't do it at the time and so, uh, back when we passed this bill last year, it passed with 98 votes. Well, since that time, um, other cities have contacted the municipal league, uh, contacted me about being included if they were more than 30,000. I'll let Mr. Wilkerson talk about that. Yeah,
Speaker 50
10:19
so right now the, the law is, is split up between having Cesar the first class, less than 5000 have a different rule, but.
There's also a statute that says less than 10,000 have a different rule. And there's a statute that says less than 50,000 have a different rule, but less than 5000 is less than 10,000 and less than 50,000. So we try to clarify this that the same rule applies in less than 50,000. And then of course on the 2nd class cities and incorporated towns, they do not have to have the office of city attorney, but we want to clarify that that's really more, um, you know, making it clear they don't have to, they don't have to have the office, which is already the case and establishing the procedures by which they fill the, fill that role, whether it's, you know, have the officer have a legal
representation through contract and then also section 3 just sort of um re doesn't reauthorized, it's already authorized, but highlights that small cities and small towns can can go in together for legal representation, um, because a lot of cities were a lot of cities and a lot of small towns, there's not a lot of, you know, lawyers in these small towns, and so they need help and they can go in together with other towns to come together and, uh, make that, uh, finite legal representation. So it's more, it's more consistency than anything because again,
5, 1050 was all, um, um, you know, sort of all mucked up together. It does not touch over over 50,000,
Chair
Unverified
11:39
by the way. And I'll take any questions. Alright Representative Kavanaugh, you recognize her
Representative Frances Cavenaugh
Unverified
11:42
questions. Thank you, Mr. Chair. This doesn't do anything to the bill that I passed. Was it a couple of sessions going on. City attorney where they don't, I don't believe so,
Speaker 50
11:53
no, but I can double check because I that was raised to me and I, I was instantly I was like, no, it doesn't do that, but I will double check, triple check
Representative Frances Cavenaugh
Unverified
12:02
again. OK, that was to solve a problem for
Speaker 58
12:04
that size. Yeah, we're trying to make it all consistent across the board, but I'll take, I'll take
Representative Johnny Rye
Unverified
12:13
another look, thank you. Representative Rye, you recognize for questions. Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, John. You mentioned the $50,000. The state, does the state pay for that salary anything below 50? How does that work? No, sorry,
Speaker 62
12:25
50,000 in population, yes. Yes. OK. Thank you.
Speaker 34
12:33
Representative Birch, you reckon? So, um, when you have a city attorney, you, you understand what your salary and benefits are that you're paying to that city attorney. Is there a limit on your ability to contract with outside attorneys? Is there a procurement process for professional services? How do the citizens know how much is going to be spent on legal services, so, uh, under the law, we
Speaker 50
12:52
can't bid out legal services. So, but there is an RFQ process that we have to go through and so, uh, we, what we advise and what the law requires. We go out and we ask for a
request for uh qualifications and again we can't, we can't bid because the law says, and rightfully so, you don't want to get the lowest, you know, amount, but the RFQ process would have to be done and then of course, it would be taken to the city council for, for approval. OK, so, so
Speaker 68
13:17
any amount that that the city is gonna spend on a contract attorney is approved by the city council. OK. OK, thank you. OK, see no further
Speaker 10
13:28
questions from committee members. Uh, we have nobody signed up to speak for or against anyone in the audience like to speak for or against.
Speaker 1
13:36
Seeing none, would you like to close for your bill? I am closed for the bill. So we to the committee. I, I have a motion to pass any discussion on that motion. All in favor, say ah. I'll opposed. Uh, so, congratulations, you passed your bill. Thank you, committee. Is there um Ha hang with me for just a minute, committee.
Is there anyone else in the room ready to run a
Chair
Unverified
14:15
bill? We had representative Steinel wanting to come. Oh, OK, yeah,
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
14:30
Representative Bunker. Just introduce yourself for the record, you may begin. Uh, good morning, Mr. Chair, Committee, Representative
Steve Unger, District 19, uh, House Bill
1711. Basically in the subtitle to allow a municipal port authority to establish a police force and to establish the powers and duties of municipal Port Authority law enforcement officer. Uh, this came. This idea came from my visit
to the port of Little Rock about 2 years ago. If you haven't been out there, I
would really encourage you to go because I gotta tell you, it's a crown jewel of the region beyond just a, a good freshwater port for the, uh, tow boats and barges to
pull into. It's 5000 acres. It's really a big industrial park, connecting river road and rail. And so it's really special, uh, currently 5000 acres host to 0. 10000 jobs. But it needs some protection. It needs some aggressive protection. Uh, currently, the Little Rock Police Department will come out there, but as we know, the Little Rock Police Department is pretty undermanned. The director
of the port, Brian Day, uh, wishes the highway
police who patrol the highway police do come out
to the gate, but they don't go in
the gate. Uh, you know, in my career in the Navy, saltwater ports in the United States are very well protected. If you go to some place like Baltimore or Tampa or Long Beach or whatever. You've got city, county,
state, and the Coast Guard. Freshwater ports are pretty much unprotected. And, uh, So currently there's a country, there's a company out there,
Derek, I hope I'm saying that right, has a multi-million gallon ethanol tank. Uh, North Little Rock Energy has a large propane tank. There is a uh. Che, check, uh, Republic munitions manufacturer that's coming. Ferrari for Sharchi, I'm not sure, I can't pronounce that right. Uh, they're coming and what they'll be making out there is stuff that actually explodes. Safety Keen has a large tank farm here.
And that's not counting the rail cars, um. The tractor trailers for the interstate and the barges. In judiciary
yesterday we passed through Senate Bill 301, which is an act to amend the law concerning
theft of property, and basically it was addressing the just the reality of how much organized crime in the cartels are breaking into cargo and transit. I modeled this bill off of the
XNA police force. And they will, they, and the port. The municipal ports in Arkansas are currently Pine Bluff, Little Rock, Morton. And Fort Smith, the most developed is Little Rock. When this gets actually kicked into gear and there was nothing in there that say that they have to do it. It's just giving them the authority to do do it, to do it, and Brian Day would like to have this Currently they don't have the fee structure to pay for it,
and that's on them to figure it out, uh, and I addressed that on page 2. Uh, paragraph to Uh, subparagraph A fees collected by the municipal Port Authority from the operation of the missile port or authorized basically they're going to fund their police department off of their own fees, and I will try to
Chair
Unverified
18:06
answer any questions. Represent a painter, you're
Representative Stetson Painter
Unverified
18:09
recognized for questions? Thank you, Mr. Chair. uh Representative Unger.
Speaker 82
18:16
Who does the municipal, uh, Port Authority report to. They really, they fought
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
18:25
loosely under the Arkansas waterways Commission. But the waterways commission is not so much set up as a regulatory board, whereas in Arkansas, we have done a really good job with our highways and bridges and trucks, we haven't done as well as integrating railroad. And water traffic. Uh
Not to get too far in the weeds. I have a copy of a study from about 6 years ago, which I'd be happy to share that with you before our time. That there was a move afoot to take the Arkansas Department of Transportation and turned it into like a, a real Department of Transportation that integrated all these things. Now someday in the future, if that happens, uh, This all might get integrated into something, uh, A little more concrete, sort of like the highway police for
river and rail and whatnot. They're just not there yet. And so this is really a very
Representative Stetson Painter
Unverified
19:25
small input. So, If they're kind of, maybe their own thing, you know, with municipalities, you know, you have the police chief answering to the mayor and so forth. Who would, whoever is running this police department, who would they report to? To the uh
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
19:39
director of the port and his board of directors. OK,
Representative Stetson Painter
Unverified
19:42
so each, so there, there is a governmental body and follow up with my last question. Who's, how are those
board of directors set up? I'm just wanting to make sure if we're gonna establish a police force that there is some kind of elected representation or something, checks and balances kind of thing. Good question. You know,
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
20:01
I know the director and I know he has a board of directors, exactly how they get appointed or elected. I'm sorry, I don't
Speaker 13
20:08
know that. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Represent Andrews you're recognized for
Representative Wade Andrews
Unverified
20:14
question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I some longer, is there Uh, you know, you're talking
about organized crime is there active current threats and is there a history of someone breaking into the port and stealing stuff or damaging it in
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
20:29
any way, so I've asked the state police Fusion Center for that. And at this time, no. But I gotta tell you, it would really be good to dig the dig the well before you need the water. Uh, currently, this is a huge problem in the state of California that their real traffic and they go through Los Angeles is under constant assault. Uh, it's hit Texas. I just don't want it to hit here.
Representative Wade Andrews
Unverified
20:52
Follow up and um. So, from my understanding, there's a railroad police. Union Pacific has their own police force, right? There is,
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
21:01
there is a railroad police. I don't know that they have a presence at the port of Little Rock that patrol the fence line, be able to go outside the fence line, be able to get out on the water, uh, most of the time, the railway police are basically keeping the tracks clear and checking the bridges and crossings for
Representative Wade Andrews
Unverified
21:24
vandalism. Also, you you mentioned um DOT Highway Patrol. To the port do an agreement with DOT to bring them
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
21:34
in the gate. Uh, I had that meeting with the director of the highway police and Laurie Tudor when she was still in the job. This has probably been over a year ago just to be frank, they're, they're screens just sort of froze up. Is what they really like is
highways and heavy trucks and anything beyond this was way outside their comfort zone.
Representative Frances Cavenaugh
Unverified
21:56
I got you. Thank you. Representative Kavanaugh, you recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Did
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
22:04
you speak to anybody at public safety about this Arkansas State Police? Is that what you mean? Public Safety. Colonel Hager and I've also talked to, and whereas they can't take in the
food and the Rock Police Department, whereas they can't take an official position on this, they do,
Representative Frances Cavenaugh
Unverified
22:18
uh, support it. What about the training for the police officer? Are they
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
22:22
gonna be they will go through everything that's, it's in here,
everything that a, a regular police officer goes through like the, the real
Representative Stetson Painter
Unverified
22:32
police academy. OK, thank you. represent a painter, you recognized. Did you, did you say earlier that currently Little Rock? Patrols that area or tries to, yes, sir, tries to, um. Do we know the cost of what it You know, for them. How often, you know, Patrol or is it just something that, you know, municipal uh authority wants to have their
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
22:57
own because what Little Rock's not providing enough or Just trying to understand a little bit more, you know, the Little Rock Police Department is, is really sadly undermanned right now. And they are always going to be responding to like human crises as they should before they go investigate property crimes
in an industrial port. Um OK. Is that, that's fine. I appreciate it. Thank you. Representative Andrews, you
Representative Wade Andrews
Unverified
23:27
recognized him. Thank you, um, I just thought of this. What about Potson County Sheriffs office, have they done anything they patrolled any or they undermanned, understaffed
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
23:35
and overworked too. I believe all of
our Arkansas law enforcement is, is understaffed, and you know, they're typically more out in the county. We really don't have anything that goes out on the water, then the fire department when they're
Representative Wade Andrews
Unverified
23:49
doing search and rescue. Um, one more question also, we, we get up and rolling. Is this Is the Port Authority under like
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
23:58
ARs or these these officers be under a lot fee or they will, they're, I talked to the director of Cest yesterday, and he's, he knows about this. He's good with it. And so they will get the same training and certification and retirement fee. Yes, sir.
Chair
Unverified
24:16
I, I imagine so. OK, thank you. I had a couple of questions on, um, the fees you, you mentioned that they'll be able to
Speaker 1
24:22
collect fees and you have that structure set up in here, but it does, uh, is there any limit is the fees that they can charge? Uh
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
24:30
I'm not going to get in the business of, of telling the court how to
do their business, uh, I believe Mr. Day and I have had this conversation and having their own organic law enforcement out there would be a good selling point for the poor of Little Rock. I believe it would attract business
and so, uh. You know, I'm just gonna trust them to use their own business sense on that, OK?
Chair
Unverified
24:55
And also on the. On page 3, looks like this
pretty broad authority to go out on almost any waterways, uh, waterways adjoining, traversing, uh, waterways of the municipal Port Authority. Where is, where is the limit? Where are their boundaries, uh, that they can go outside. Of the port and waterways that are traversing. The waterways of the port. I don't know how far they
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
25:25
would go, you know, basically what the Coast Guard would call the inland waters of the United States.
Is uh the navigable waters that connect, that flow into a major river, and it's possible they may go up the
White River to look for something that had been stolen, hypothetically to say that would happen. OK.
Chair
Unverified
25:48
Thank you. uh, Representative Brown, you're recognized for questions. Thank you,
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
25:52
Mr. Chair. Um, Representative Unger, thank you for bringing this bill. I think, um, I think it addresses a real need. I've been
out to the port, it's sprawling and there's all kinds of businesses out there,
but, uh, you pointed out the, uh, vandalism that they're experiencing in California. Uh, I, I've been around the Long Beach port quite a bit, used to work down there, um. We didn't have that kind of trouble back then, not like they're having today, but, um, Would you say, or based on what you were saying or reporting, um, This would not only be a problem with vandalism and stealing
merchandise by the, uh, cartels. But it could also be a national security issue or or certainly a state security issue. If we had a big explosion or some sort of horrible blow up out there that, you know, somebody did just to be. Mean, uh, like, Like cartels might do. I agree. Thank you. Representative Shepard, you recognized for questions? Thank you, Mr. Chair
Representative Tara Shephard
Unverified
27:02
and thank you for being here today, Representative Ongar, and I may have missed it.
Did you state that the port port Authority is who
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
27:12
brought this bill to you. Actually, uh, I sit down with Mr. Day and proactively had a conversation about this, uh, just due to my own background, I was in Marine Corps command and staff college as a lieutenant commander when 9/11 happened. And we took a real hard turn to class of looking at just the critical infrastructure of the United States of America. And one of the things that got identified is our ports, uh, not even
though protected, uh, really not protected enough and there's so many things in there that could explode. Miss Brown pointed out. I just like to help the port develop. It would bring jobs to the region, bring jobs to Little Rock. Understood and
Representative Tara Shephard
Unverified
27:53
and representing Little Rock, I would also like to ask, did you have a conversation with the mayor. I didn't talk to the mayor. I did talk to the police department.
Speaker 121
28:01
I've talked to Congressman French Hill's office, and they are in support of this. OK, thank you. Representative Kavanaugh, you're recognized.
Representative Frances Cavenaugh
Unverified
28:10
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I understand what you're trying to accomplish. I have some heartburn when there is no defined authority that you're telling me that a police force that were creating that's supposed to be protecting a port can now go essentially statewide. That gives me a lot of heartburn. Because they're under the authority of a specific port. Little Rock police can't go to
Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. They're limited to their jurisdiction. This is not giving any limitation on their powers and that kind of gives me some heartburn. Can you address that? I can only say
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
28:54
I don't envision them going too far afield when the question was asked about connecting waterways. Uh, I could imagine that there's some, you know, stream or bio or something. Uh, close enough to the Arkansas River and the city of Little Rock that they might want to go
in there and take a look at it, particularly if they're missing something, but I can't imagine that they would
Chair
Unverified
29:21
go all over the state. Representative Brown, you recognized. Oh,
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
29:27
my fingers aren't working, sorry. Um, there's another thing out there at the port that was pointed out to us that is extremely vulnerable. It is a uh.
A unit that it's critical to the navigation of the airplanes not only the, the, uh, the, the airport, our local airport, but the military airplanes. I mean, that is critical now they, I read, heard something recently, maybe that's been updated, but that thing is just sitting right out there that anybody could just vandalize and it would just make a mess of our situ our military and our, our national airport. Wouldn't you agree? I mean, you're familiar with what I'm talking about. I don't know what
it's called, but it, it looks so vulnerable
Speaker 125
30:16
sitting out there all by itself is one of
Speaker 128
30:25
the port's assets. Thank you. Representative Schultz here. Reno. Representative Unger, uh, I've just
Representative Bart Schulz
Unverified
30:29
got a question. I, I worked for a worldwide chemical company for a lot of years, and we, we had a facility. Right on the banks of the White River. Had millions of gallons of explosives, all, all kinds of stuff stored there. We had our own private security force,
force is not really the right term, but private security group inside the perimeter and uh. The sheriff's office always backed us up if we needed it, and that served us pretty well. Does this entity have any type of private security? Uh, on the side
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
31:00
or anything like that? I believe this time they have somebody that opens and closes the gates and waves the trucks, but they don't have anything beyond that. OK,
Chair
Unverified
31:09
thank you. Representative Andrew if you recognize.
Representative Wade Andrews
Unverified
31:16
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Hunger, I, I like to spill in parts of, but I do have some heartburn like Representative Kavanaugh. Would you be willing to pull us down and amend it and set some parameters of
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
31:27
area of jurisdiction a geographic parameter of so many miles to say that their authority goes within this scope certain box. I
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
31:38
permission, I'd like to pull it down and add a geographic perimeter. We had one more question if
Chair
Unverified
31:43
Representative Holcomb, would you like to go ahead and get
Representative Mike Holcomb
Unverified
31:48
that in while, while we're here. Thank you, thank you, Mr. Chair. Also, representative, I'm, I'm concerned not just about the port, but how far out are they gonna go out on the, the roadway, what they're gonna do there, you know, we don't want. We don't want uh. A new, new place for us with. Lots of young men going out and harassing the public on the out on the port Road, so you understand, if you look at that, I would appreciate it also thank you wouldn't want the police
Chair
Unverified
32:21
harassing people anywhere, uh, period. Representative Burke's, you recognize her
Speaker 34
32:26
question, Mr. Chair, and, and Representative Unger, thank you for bringing this. I think this is very important also for recruiting companies and businesses to Central Arkansas. I'll be
Speaker 35
32:32
happy to work with you as you work through these amendments, but I definitely support. All right, so no further questions without
Speaker 1
32:41
objection, we'll let Representative Unger pull this bill down so he can work on a little more. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, committee. Up next, was Senate Bill 254.
Representative Trey Steimel
Unverified
33:00
Representative Steinmel. She gonna run that. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Excuse me. Thank the committee for hearing this bill. This is probably the best feel good bill of the session for a small rural communities in Arkansas. So what this bill does is this would amend the law for rural community grant program. To be able to use like and kind, um, skilled labor. Equipment materials, real or personal property being used as
part of the matching 50/50 grant for this program, and we need this guys this some of these communities can't afford out here to uh to be able to put up real property or they can't afford any kind of uh real capital. So this would allow them to invest in their own communities and. That that's what we need out here. We need people to invest in our communities, take the initiative and build these softball uh parks or help build these uh pavilions and invest in their community, so. And like I said, it's pretty simple, straightforward Bill,
Speaker 1
34:02
and with that I would, uh, take any questions. Any questions from committee members, seeing
Speaker 4
34:08
none, we have nobody signed up to seek for or against anyone in the audience. See none
Representative Trey Steimel
Unverified
34:14
representative time, would you like to close for your bill? Yeah, just a fun fact here. Uh, there was over $600,000 paid out in fiscal year 24 with this program, and there again, I appreciate, uh, would, would appreciate a good vote on this to allow these communities to uh lift, uh, lift themselves up and apply for this grant going forward. Alright,
Speaker 1
34:34
have a motion do pass any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all in favor say aye. I'll opposed. I have it. Congratulations, you passed your bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you committee. Have a good day. Representative Schultz will run House Bill 1725.
Representative Bart Schulz
Unverified
35:09
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning committee. Representative Bart Schultz, District 28, Sharpstone Independence of Lawrence Counties. Mr. Chairman, with your permission, I'd like to call a couple of subject matter experts, bring them up. Actually 3. You want to say Y'all
Speaker 1
35:30
just introduce yourselves for the record and state your name, who you're with, and y'all may begin your testimony.
Speaker 149
35:39
I'm sure if Shawn Stevens from Independence County, Mark Whitmore Association of Arkansas
Representative Bart Schulz
Unverified
35:49
Counties. Go ahead, Sherry or committee, what we're bringing before you today is House Bill 1725, and excuse my gravelly voice. Today we're we're wanting to amend. The compensation for sheriffs. You may all be aware. Someone like me with zero law enforcement experience. Can run for sheriff and rightfully so.
What we're wanting to do is. Set it To where the pay, if I come in with 0 law enforcement experience I would come in at a slightly lower pay level. And I would uh be encouraged, I guess would be the right word, to go become a certified law enforcement officer to get the training that I need to do the job as sheriff. And with that I would let these gentlemen explain this, uh, a
Speaker 150
36:40
little deeper. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you committee members for allowing us to come speak. When
Speaker 146
36:50
when I became a law enforcement officer I had at the time this was several years ago, I had one year to become certified, which I went to the academy which was 13 weeks long. Uh, we, me now as sheriff, I don't want to hire patrol deputies to come in to work and patrol the streets that are
uncertified without any training, so I take this job very serious, uh, send all of them to the academy. They learn a lot. We have on the job training plus we send them there they get. Certified and that's what we want to do. We wanna make sure that everybody knows what they're doing along with. I feel like the sheriff of the county should also be a certified law enforcement officer and know what. They can and cannot do.
Speaker 154
37:43
The, uh, Arkansas sheriffs Association, the, uh, corn Porter Association, the County Judges Association, the Association of Counties all support this bill. Uh, what has happened is, uh, in essence, to run for an office,
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
37:57
you certainly are allowed to run for an office and become a candidate, uh, by far, uh, almost all our sheriffs are certified law enforcement
Speaker 154
38:09
officers. What has happened is we've had
some instances in which uh some individuals. Basically became convicted of crimes. They
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
38:19
uh. Several sheriffs in recent years have, uh, not been certified law enforcement. If not, Uh, gone through the sacrifices, the training and all it takes to be a certified law enforcement officers. The only uh similar situation I guess is the idea that you can run for office, and this doesn't prohibit that what this does is it makes a differentation. It
Speaker 154
38:44
notes that there's a difference between somebody that has gone through all that experience and training. And somebody that hadn't it allows
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
38:52
to basically tells the court that when y'all set up the compensation for sheriff. That the Court may set and at the minimum, the minimum which y'all have a range for each class county. And then if you become qualified, it becomes certified, you're entitled to have, uh, beyond the minimum, and I'll
give you an example, uh, we had a scenario where the, uh, Franklin County sheriff was convicted. He was removed from office, uh, convicted in federal court, moved from office and circuit court. The replacement sheriff was a Green Beret. And he became sheriff, ran for office, and he went. To the academy And became certified. He actually was an officer. Under a local jurisdiction, the city of Ozark or. Something of that nature, so he went through all that effort.
And then the court basically provided him the the uh salary of the previous sheriff. Uh, what this would do, would encourage a person that is legally elected sheriff. In order to attain a higher salary that they go and are encouraged to Or go through the academy and get the training. And, but the hope is, is that, uh. You know, it would encourage that it doesn't prevent him from running for office.
Speaker 149
40:19
But this is the way that the sheriffs have seen to underscore that being
Speaker 154
40:25
a certified law enforcement officer. Although it's not technically a qualification in the Constitution. Our Constitution was written in 1874. There was no certified law enforcement in 1874. There wasn't a class. So it is not a requirement of the Constitution. They can run for office, but it allows them. Courages them to go get certified.
Speaker 10
40:51
So that's the crux of the bill. So, so canorum Courts currently do that without this legislation? Can they
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
41:00
happens is, is that you cannot reduce. The budget During the term of an officer like other words with Sheriff Stevens is elected or any. County official The courts are unable to reduce the budget.
Speaker 149
41:16
During that term. It's state law that so basically what happens is,
Speaker 154
41:24
Uh, if Sheriff Stevens retires in a few years and doesn't run and
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
41:29
Mr. Schultz and I run for his office. The court already
Speaker 149
41:34
passed the budget for the upcoming year. And so we run for office neither of us are certified corn doesn't know that we're certified or not. Uh, it's not. Required That we tell anybody one way or another, one of us beats out a totally certified uh individual we come into office, take the
oath by God, we get that salary. What this does, and if you look at the text of the bill, it requires a candidate. Or an appointee prior to taking office. To submit their qualifications. To the
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
42:08
county clerk. And the county clerk is required to give it to the court. And what that
Speaker 154
42:16
does is that allows the corn court to make a decision about adjusting the budget.
Because apparently the candidate that won either is certified or not certified. So that that would answer your question. It creates that information. Because The problem is with that information. The next office holder is gonna end up. Having the budget Have the salary that was in the budget that was passed in September, October, November, December for the following year. It'll
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
42:50
give them the chance whether it's a May primary or a primary or November election.
Speaker 149
42:58
To say, well, apparently the person is not qual or they are qualified to hold the office, but
Chair
Unverified
43:05
they're not certified. And allows them to
make that adjustment. Representative McKenzie, you recognize the question. Uh, thank you, Mr. Chair. Um,
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
43:13
The way you described it, you said, May, that the quorum Court may, um, create a lower floor to pay, but looking at the bill, it's not May, it's shall. It requires all quorum courts.
Page 1 line 32, 32 as documented on the on the filing requested under section code, the quorum court shall fix by ordinance the annual salary. Of the sheriff at the minimum pay provided in, uh, code code section, subject to the adjustments provided. So yeah, there's no May. I mean it's so it requires quorum courts to create a disparity in pay for people who just want a duly elected office. once they become aware of that, that's true they would
Speaker 149
43:52
set it at the minimum and I don't know if I need to
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
43:56
follow up, but everything on page two of this bill is great. It's a,
it's a requirement of, of obtaining a new office. The problem is, and we talk a lot about local control here. This, this requires every quorum court of all 75 counties in the. State of Arkansas to set a disparity in pay certifications aside. This is binding the hands of a quorum court if, you know, two sheriffs, 2 candidates run for sheriff, one wins with 98% of the vote. There's a resounding community presence to to have this person serve as sheriff, the Quorum Court is now obligated to pay them less if they don't have that certification. That is true. We
Speaker 156
44:32
have a range, y'all under state law have a
Speaker 149
44:34
range for each class and the corn court set set salary within the range. What happens is the budget process, they set the budget they usually use a base budget
Speaker 154
44:44
like y'all. And they create a base budget based upon the range. And in essence, sometimes they even have an increase in salary. During that budget process. What this does is it says under state law that this. Individual that's not certified, that's not be those qualifications is at the minimum.
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
45:04
And the hope is based upon what the sheriffs are saying and based upon the corn court, the county judges, and everybody is, this would encourage. The individual that got elected. They start elected the candidate they're capable of holding the office, but it would encourage them to go get certified just like
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
45:23
the Franklin County sheriff did. It would require them to get certified to not to
Speaker 149
45:27
get paid at the same level as every other sheriff because it would be a policy decision that obviously a person's certified.
Speaker 154
45:36
Has gone through that sacrifice, etc. uh. In order to get
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
45:41
a higher pay. It does recognize that. I, I just, again, if, if it were May, if it did give
the the opportunity for a quorum court. I think you probably have. An easy bill here, but this is requiring quorum courts. To pay them less or to set a parameter
Speaker 158
45:57
to pay them less. It basically says that at the time that you do your budget, you, once you become
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
46:03
aware of their lack of certification that you
would set it at the minimum. It does do that. And the
Chair
Unverified
46:11
theory would be to encourage an individual to go get the 13 weeks it takes to get certified.
Representative R. Scott Richardson
Unverified
46:19
Representative Richardson, you were recognized for questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate that. Um, thanks for bringing the bill. I have, uh, a few concerns, um, and I'm hopeful that you can clear them up for me, um, whomever would like to answer, um, so, so how many sheriffs right now within
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
46:40
the state, do we have that are not currently the way this bill is drafted, we have one. Uh, the Hot Spring County sheriff is certified. Uh, the current sheriff that's not certified the Scott County sheriff does meet the qualifications of that are the other qualifications which are holding office of 8 years or more sheriff. Under the law currently that if you have held the office of sheriff.
Under 12-9, here it is right here in the bill for 8 years or more. Class considers you to be equivalent to a certified law enforcement officer and the Scott County sheriff under this bill meets that requirement. But I will say that
Speaker 157
47:26
the Hot Spring County sheriff that was removed from
Representative R. Scott Richardson
Unverified
47:30
office did not meet that. OK. Thank, thank you for that. How many sheriffs? Have we had removed in the state, let's say
Speaker 174
47:37
in the last 10 years that were that were
certified, removed from office for committing some
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
47:44
sort of crime, certified, I know of none, uh, uncertified in the last 2 years, 3 years, Johnson County, Franklin County, Hot Spring County. So,
Representative R. Scott Richardson
Unverified
47:58
so I guess the, uh, I guess that uh where I'm sort of going to, obviously. You feel like that, uh, that certification would prevent. Those individuals from
committing those crimes. That got him removed from office.
Speaker 172
48:16
What we've observed, I guess what the sheriffs, I'll let the sheriff speak to this, but There are several sheriffs
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
48:25
that have been elected. Boone County Sheriff. Woodruff County Sheriff, Franklin County Sheriff, that Prior to taking office or during office, went and got certified. And that effort. The teaching of professionalism, the training for ethics. Uh, the rigors of that effort.
Seemed to make a difference because the ones that have been removed from office in the last 2 years were not certified. And yet we do have people that are elected. That undertook after becoming a candidate and being elected, went and got certified, uh,
Speaker 149
49:01
like I said, would you knew Franklin County Sheriff, uh, the Boone County Sheriff, uh, did that, Mike Mo, the prior sheriff. So these gentlemen, I'll let the sheriff say this, but It has something to do with your metal. It's building something
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
49:17
into you that hopefully would prevent you from going out and Uh, doing the things that caused these other three sheriffs that weren't certified to get removed. It's not keeping you from holding office. It's basically encouraging
Chair
Unverified
49:34
them to go get certified. That's why this The sheriff. OK, thank you. All
Representative Johnny Rye
Unverified
49:37
right, Representative Rye, you're recognized for questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Gentlemen The law, uh, concerning the election.
Now, that would be, Mark, that would be like someone
that was just going into office that got elected, isn't that right? OK. Now, appointment, that could be anytime anyone passed away or anything that could happen there, OK? Or if they couldn't find someone, maybe they contracted it out. Is, is that
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
50:03
the way that that would fall, sir? No, it's elected candidate or appointment, but you can't contract for sheriff, I don't believe.
Representative Johnny Rye
Unverified
50:09
I'm just going by this market, it says in contracting of a municipal attorney. Now, would that be? I think you're on a different,
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Representative Brown, you're
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
50:24
recognized for the question. Mister Whitmore, um, you, this is a process kind of question. You said something a moment ago
that was confusing to me, uh, you know, the quorum Court sits here, you talked about this, they set their budget in the fall.
And in the election is. Or the primary is in the spring and then the new election. So, um,
Just thinking about this a minute. OK, so the so the sheriff, if he were elected, would not begin serving until the first of the year. That's true. So then that budget that
was set. In the fall. I'm just trying to figure out when they, when they make the determination that they're gonna pay this person less. I mean, how do you do that when you've set your budget in the fall and then does is
Speaker 149
51:24
it basically requires the candidate or appointee to submit affirmatively that, for example, Sheriff Stevens is certified. He would submit his class, his,
Speaker 154
51:33
he's been a hard for for decades, uh, his certifications. And obviously the corn court would know that. The budgets, you know, is what the budget is. The person that does not make those qualifications, uh, they would have
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
51:47
to admit that they're not certified or or not a sheriff
for 8 years. So when they, when they set the budget, they would say, OK, well this is the budget we're gonna have for the sheriff, but if the,
if, if one is elected who is not certified, then they, this would be the salary,
Speaker 158
52:05
is that what you're saying need to act. They would need to amend the budget that
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
52:10
they passed. And then that would correct that issue and according, I mean the sheriffs live there that that would. Greatly encouragement that the person go get certified. OK, thank you for explaining that.
Chair
Unverified
52:24
Representative Holcomb, you recognized. Well, thank you, Mr. Chair. He just cleared up, uh, the, the home court can amend
Representative Mike Holcomb
Unverified
52:29
the mend the budget at any time. So that, that, but I also I'm not against the bill, but I did want to say this, there are some, uh, men that had no police experience other than that turned out, as you well know, to be really great sheriffs in the state of Arkansas, but they went ahead and got the certification too, so, OK, thank you.
Representative Johnny Rye
Unverified
52:51
Representative Brow, you recognized. Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mark, one more
question. Let's just say that that occurred. Say November 5th. OK, of the year of election, but the budget just like that you were saying earlier, it actually was agreed on or they went over that part of the budget, say, in October. They could, they would need to
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
53:14
immediately come back and adjust that budget, isn't that right? because if they wait until the person takes office in the term of under 1414, 1203D,
the state law, it's really part of the, you cannot. Reduce an office holder constitutionally elected officeholders. Salary during their term. OK, seeing
Speaker 10
53:39
no further questions from committee members, uh, where nobody signed up to speak for or against this bill. Um Nobody in
Speaker 4
53:44
the audience speak for. Would you like to close for your bill? Yes, sir, Mr. Chair, thank
Speaker 182
53:51
you. This bill in no way restricts anyone from running. Once again,
Representative Bart Schulz
Unverified
53:56
wanna. Just reiterate that. It comes with full support of the sheriff's association, the Quorum Courts Association, and the County Judges Association, which in my personal view. is exactly local control. That is the people we have elected. To maintain local control, and they're the ones that brought us this bill. So in closing, I appreciate a good vote and
Speaker 143
54:17
make a motion to pass. All right, I have a motion to
Speaker 1
54:23
pass. Is there any discussion on that motion?
Seeing none, all in favor say aye, all opposed. I have it. Congratulations, you passed your bill. OK, anyone
Speaker 24
54:43
else in here ready to run a bill? Any anybody running these Senate bills, seeing none.
Agenda
REGULAR AGENDA
HB1448 Puryear TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING MUNICIPAL PLANNING AREAS; AND TO REQUIRE NOTICE AND COMPENSATION TO PROPERTY OWNERS.
HB1618 Hawk TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE ELECTION, APPOINTMENT, AND CONTRACTING OF A MUNICIPAL ATTORNEY.
Hawk
SB270 Crowell TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE FILING PERIODS OF CERTAIN NONPARTISAN SCHOOL BOARD AND MUNICIPAL CANDIDATES.
Wooldridge
HB1272 Warren TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PROPERTY VACATED BY A MUNICIPALITY; AND TO REQUIRE VESTED ABANDONED PROPERTY BE CONVEYED WITH THE ABUTTING REAL ESTATE.
Warren
HB1274 Warren TO ALLOW A TITLE INSURANCE AGENT, TITLE INSURER, OR TITLE COMPANY TO PAY REAL PROPERTY TAXES IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ISSUANCE OF A TITLE.
Warren
HB1660 S. Meeks TO AMEND THE HORIZONTAL PROPERTY ACT; TO REGULATE PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATIONS; AND TO REQUIRE AN AUDIT FOR CERTAIN PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATIONS.
SB91 C. Penzo TO PROVIDE THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL UNITS SHALL HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO REGULATE OR CONTROL THE AMOUNT CHARGED FOR A RENTAL APPLICATION FEE OR RENTAL DEPOSIT FOR PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL OR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY.
SB254 Irvin TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING RURAL COMMUNITY PROJECTS; TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "PROPERTY IN KIND"; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
Steimel
HB1695 J. Richardson TO CLARIFY THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS FOR PROPERTY SUBJECT TO A MUNICIPAL LIEN; TO ALLOW A MUNICIPALITY TO ENJOIN THE SALE OF PROPERTY TO CERTAIN PERSONS; AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE PRIORITY OF UNRECORDED MUNICIPAL LIENS.
HB1701 Gonzales TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING SEWER COLLECTION AND SEWER TREATMENT PROVIDERS AND RELATED SERVICES.
SB324 M. Johnson TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE MEMBERSHIP OF A COUNTY PLANNING BOARD.
HB1711 Unger TO ALLOW A MUNICIPAL PORT AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH A POLICE FORCE; AND TO ESTABLISH THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF A MUNICIPAL PORT AUTHORITY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.
Unger
HB1725 Schulz TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING COMPENSATION FOR THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF.
Schulz
SB374 B. Davis TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM.
Documents
| Title | Type | Pages | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agenda — CITY, COUNTY & LOCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE- HOUSE, Mar 12, 2025 | Agenda | 2 | Official source ↗ |
Speakers
Speaker 1
Chair
Unverified
Representative Les Warren
Unverified
Speaker 10
Representative Johnny Rye
Unverified
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
Speaker 24
Speaker 35
Speaker 13
Representative Jeremy Wooldridge
Unverified
Representative RJ Hawk
Unverified
Speaker 50
Representative Frances Cavenaugh
Unverified
Speaker 58
Speaker 62
Speaker 34
Speaker 68
Representative Steve Unger
Unverified
Representative Stetson Painter
Unverified
Speaker 82
Representative Wade Andrews
Unverified
Representative Matt Brown
Unverified
Representative Tara Shephard
Unverified
Speaker 121
Speaker 125
Speaker 128
Representative Bart Schulz
Unverified
Speaker 132
Representative Mike Holcomb
Unverified
Representative Trey Steimel
Unverified
Speaker 4
Speaker 149
Speaker 150
Speaker 146
Speaker 154
Speaker 158
Speaker 156
Representative R. Scott Richardson
Unverified
Speaker 157
Speaker 174
Speaker 172
Speaker 182
Speaker 143