State Agencies & Govt'l Affairs-Senate

Senator Hester running HB 1056. And I believe he's gonna, we're going to do a verbal amendment on that senator. Well, uh, OK We're going to recess for a couple of minutes. I don't think there's anybody else here to write out their bills if the goal is that we need the Senate parliamentarian down here just to uh verify something. OK, well, I tell you what, members, if you've got any questionsator E on this, Senator Tucker? could we take a moment to recognize the pages that we have in the room. How about that? So you got. Jasmine. Welcome, Isabella. We're happy to have you. Yeah Oh I Jamie Scott, a great senator, better person. You got a good one. Great. Well, we're happy to have you all in here today. Welcome. So members I'll I'll tell you what the, the dilemma I am. After our on Senate bill or House Bill 1056, um, after the last meeting with this group, uh, put forth a very uh reasonable amendment that needed to happen. It's on page 3 top line one, changing shall to May. Uh. I just pulled it up in the computer. OK, so it was engrossed this morning on members own then? OK. Uh, and so that's why we're, we're making sure that we didn't skip a step because it happened on members own this morning. And if the chairman will allow me just a sec. Yeah, I'm looking at it. It says that in engross the 30. All right, members, we've got a little procedural hurdle that we're going to have to wait on until we go into session and gavel in this afternoon, so, uh, what I would like to do is Senator King, can I have your attention, please? Uh, thank you, sir. Uh, what we like to do is if it's agreeable to members of the committee that we meet for a few minutes immediately upon adjournment so we can get this bill out today. I know we've had some, some veterans, you know, here earlier this week and they're here today. Welcome, Mark. Good to see you. um, but if we can get this done today, I think that would be preferable, but we do need to wait until the desk is opened to the Senate and we gavel on a session. So Senator Hester, if that's agreeable to you, it would be, I would uh just for your sake of members' time, if we could work through any questions and concerns, uh. I love that and then we just wait for the vote. Uh, after, after session today. So I'll tell you what, members, you've got a chance to, we've got all over the bill already, Senator, the only amendment was the major or shelter the May. That's correct. OK. And it has been, it has been engrossed, but we can't take action until after it's been reported to the Senate body that it has been engrossed, and that will not happen until we go into session. Correct. All right, members, are there any questions from the committee? All right, so no questions. Hammer Senator, no issues with the bill. Just could you explain to me what the rationale behind going from Shell to May because as I read it, it was gonna go. Um Either General Assembly pertaining would have gone to the joint committee on Military and Veteran. I just a little background in case I get asked, if you don't mind. The concern would be if there was a bill to do with giving veterans a tax exemption that was a $20 million a year annual hit, we would want that bill to go to revenue and tax, um, and so that's why if if there's a very specific one that should go to another committee, we want our parliamentarian to be able to send it to the most appropriate committee. OK, good deal. Thanks for the explanation. Senator Clark and Senator. Uh Senator Hester, we've already discussed this. I told I'd vote for the bill, uh, but Joint committee since we're going to be meeting in session to hear bills is going to be a continual problem. I'm going to put that on the record. Uh, do you disagree? I, I do believe that it is difficult to meet with joint committees, but I know that joint energy has already met the cycle, um, you know, we can find times when it's important to members to to work it out, but it's 28 members that uh that have lots of other important things going on, and we don't want to miss these bills. Uh, so I just won't be on the record that I know why we're doing it, but, uh, and it's for a good reason, but uh. It will be a problem. Thank you, Senator Clark. Payton. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So Senator Hester, as you know, I appreciate the amendment. I think it definitely helps. I have concerns over The efficiency of having this extra committee and it being a joint committee. I think changing the shell to a may, definitely allows either chamber. To send a bill. To a different committee like revenue and tax or budget or something like that, uh, when that's warranted, but being a joint committee, if either chamber Signs a bill to the joint committee and the other chamber disagrees with that being appropriate. What recourse does the other chamber have To pull it out of the Veterans Committee or If it passed, the Veterans Committee, could it be assigned then to A relative committee and be heard again in in another committee. Uh, I think that that's a great point. I think we have 22 options there. Number one, our chairman on our side has to agree to a joint time to meet. If our chairman agrees does not believe that it's been assigned to the appropriate committee. Our chairman would say we wouldn't meet. Number 2, if we do meet, uh, 18 members of ours when we go on our floor could require it to be sent to another committee that's also appropriate. It is not unheard of that we've had bills go through two separate committees. It would be unique, but it's not unheard of. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Senator Senator Hammer, I'm just sitting here thinking about real life examples that have happened in the past. I can think of times that joint committees The house may call their members on that joint committee into a meeting and the Senate members It wouldn't be, it wouldn't even be on the website as a Senate. It would be a House meeting. Any difference in that like sometimes education or youth and aging has done that historically in the past. What's the difference between those examples of what would happen here by this. I think those at those times those groups meet more for the purposes of education or just hearing, uh, but they can't take action on behalf of the joint committee. OK And then you've got joint retirement that meets is an example of a joint committee that meets during session to take up matters as well. You said joint energy, but joint retirement would be the same way, right? They do typically they meet, you know, early on Monday mornings. I think they've recently moved that time a few times like, um, yeah, we certainly can be flexible and we, we can always find time to meet if it's important. Thank you. Yeah, just jump in here real quickly. I think what I would like to do and I just tell Senator Payton this is Hester, um, if you get the opportunity to visit with Speaker Evans and that way you can get together with members of your respective chambers and that any bills that would likely be referred to this joint committee that we try to make sure that we be maybe twice during the session and just save those and then just do a special order we meet jointly and we're not meeting on any kind of a continual regular basis, um, because the Senator Clark's point, um, session goes, gets, you know, for a long, busier, so I think it would be convenient if we could just kind of, you know, get the speaker. wrote to them and our respective chambers on the same page, which is if we are going to do this, that members before the file a bill, you know, deal with veterans. That, you know, that goes up to the prote speaker and that, you know, we can just make sure that it's understood. We're going to do a special order. We're going to take these up on a certain week, certain month, and that we're just not going to be meeting because we've got one bill. That's going to get referred to this committee. I think that that's a great point, and that that was a reason after our orientation, I went back to the speaker and said, look, I feel like the Senate would prefer it to be a joint committee that is not expected to meet often. And look, I think we've got our veterans groups and we don't want to ask them to be coming down here twice a week or weekly that they're going to be interested in whatever is on that agenda, and I, I'd be shocked if it meets more than, you know, twice this session. OK, thank you for that. Senator Clark, you're recognized. Yeah, I have a couple of procedural questions and uh. I don't know, Sir Hester, if you've ever been on retirement? OK, it's been a long time since I've been there maybe other members may be on there currently. But we've said that energy. will or may meet on bills this session, but that'll be a first as far as I know, the only committee that we've had joint committee that we've had bills coming out of is retirement. How does, like it's been a long time since I've been there, so how does that work? It goes to retirement, does do both? Does it have to pass both houses to come out of Uh Both chambers to come out of retirement and then it goes to both. Chambers on the floor at the same time? Uh, no, it depends if it was uh a house or a Senate bill, it would come out of committee and then it would go to the, go to the house and then from the house over to the Senate, but Joint Energy actually has met this session, and they meet, they meet, I'm on energy, but I mean it was just a Organizational didn't take any action, but you did meet. Yeah. But my question is procedurally what because obviously this we're not forming this committee and it's not going to meet, uh. I'm just for those of you who've been on retirement, if anybody can answer. Uh It goes to retirement. I mean, the coast is going to go to this committee, uh, and then does it have to pass both. Chambers, I mean, if somebody requested. I, I can. It's the same as a, uh, same as a budget bill goes to budget committee and if it's a House or Senate bill, it goes to the House or Senate first and then to the other chamber. So it would absolutely have to go to both chambers after committee. OK, let me rephrase the question because I'm not it's in committee is it an overall vote, or does it have to pass both the Senate side and the House side. To To pass Well, I, I, I would say this, that every committee meets and creates their own rules. Uh, how that, how that committee operates. We have some joint rules that we consider, um, but I would say when that, when that this committee with the House, when y'all meet the first time, you will agree to your rules. How does, how does it work in retirement though currently? Somebody has to challenge Center, you want to jump in here? Thank you, and I was co-chair of retirement. Let's go around. The member under the Joint Committee rules of the House and Senate. The membership of that committee can request a separation just like they do in ALC or in joint budget. And or when you have a voice vote, if somebody wants to challenge it. Then they can ask it be separated and it would have to pass both chambers. In my opinion under the rules as they stood two years ago. All right, thank you. Thank you, Center. Alright. Any more questions from members of the committee? All right, see none, uh, we'll plan on coming back 10 minutes upon adjournment this afternoon, um, appreciate y'all's time. I don't see any further business to come before this committee. Oh, you run your bell? I thought you said you were. I'm here on Thursday. Shocking to us all, Senator King. Thank you, Senator. They're not. OK. Are you a senator? Remember he's running Golly, my eyesight's going. SB 12. Yeah All right, I'll give you all a minute to get this amendment. Senator King, if you just want to go ahead and just give an explanation of the amendment. Yeah, uh, so I need to motion to uh Or discussion motion to adopt the amendment. I think once I explained the amendment, we won't have to go back through the bill and repeat and ramble again. OK. Yeah, so yeah, yeah, so sir, can you make a motion to drop? 2 my Tucker, all in favor say aye. I opposed rights been adopted recognize proceed. OK, so we had some things uh discussion about tightening the language up uh to make sure that the when a body cam, so it wouldn't mean that if I was the governor and and came home and my wife asked me, how did your day go? I wouldn't have to put on a body cam and discuss anything, so it did tighten the language up to just make it more restrictive to redistricting, which we know only comes 10 years, that did, we did add some language I met with the FOIA task force. Which endorses this bill, the overall direction of this bill, and we'll they should solidify that after the amendment they they worked on the amendment kind of narrows it more down with Foyer language, uh, talks about the uh possibility if you're if one of the board of apportionment members are out, and there's some discussion that we talked about as I equated it like a jury situation if the judge recuses you for the weekend, you're not supposed to talk about the case or something comes up and it some language in there about the responsibilities on the border of force members to let them know that any discussion they can give would need to be written electronic on a recorded public meeting. It would not restrict free speech, that that person could still say something, they would just have to inform them that the board of apportionment, much like a jury in evidence presenting a trial would make their decisions based on the evidence put in the trial so they could still say something. All right, members. You've heard an explanation of the amendment. In the bill adopt the amendment. We need adopt. So most of Senator Clark, we go, yeah, we, we've already adopted it. We had a discussion on the amendment. No, you, you made a motion, Senator Tucker, so OK, so this bill to the chair, Senator King. It's Thursday, Senator Flippo, can you give me a break? OK, I'd like to make a motion to pass as amended on this bill. There's no more questions. OK, so we got a, um, any discussion on the motion? Alright, so we got a motion for Senator King, 2 from Senator Clark, um, all in favor say aye opposed. Congratulations. Your bill has been passed as amended. Alright. Now, see no further business to come before this committee. We are adjourned.